First Steps into the Wilderness

After strolling around the Commercial Street with the money in his hand, Luo Jun finally bought a Double-Headed Spear and a shield.

His original intention was to buy a sword or something similar, something easy and lightweight to carry, but he found it not very convenient to use.

After all, he had mainly practiced hand-to-hand combat during this period, and his swordsmanship skills were basically nonexistent. Luo Jun sorted out his thoughts. He wanted a weapon mainly because he was new to the Savage Wilderness and did not understand the characteristics of various monsters and poisonous insects. He was afraid of being at a disadvantage in close combat.

From this perspective, attack range is the primary requirement. He has never even touched bows or crossbows before. After much thought, the most suitable weapon is indeed the spear. Its attack range is longer than that of swords and knives, and it is also easy to use. If you can thrust, you can unleash considerable lethality.

As for advanced techniques, that's not something he should be considering right now.

Luo Jun touched the spear in his hand. It was a detachable weapon. The shaft was made of some kind of plant similar to bamboo. It was hollow, hard, and lightweight. The shaft was more than two meters long, and there were spearheads on both sides, each more than a foot long. The material seemed to be the teeth of some kind of giant beast. They were double-edged and extremely sharp.

The spear and shaft together are over three meters long. The spear shaft has a buckle in the middle, so they can be separated into two short spears, each 1.6 meters long, for easy carrying. When connected, they become a long spear, which can increase the attack range.

As for the shield, it was more like a widened and enlarged arm guard, seemingly made from the claws of some kind of crustacean. It was thick yet lightweight when worn on the hand, not affecting the grip of the weapon, and also convenient for blocking attacks.

Luo Jun bought both items from the same stall. The owner originally asked for 7,000 for the spear and 5,000 for the shield. For weapons that didn't have any special effects and were just made of high-quality materials, the price was a bit high.

Although points can be exchanged for Zhendan Coin at a 1:1 ratio when leaving the Savage Wilderness, Zhendan Coin cannot be exchanged for points. As a result, the amount of Wildlands Coin circulating in Lingyun City is entirely determined by the Wildlands Hunter Guild. And in Lingyun City, everything depends on Wildlands Coin, which means that the purchasing power of Wildlands Coin is completely different from that of Zhendan Coin of the same value in the Main World.

For example, basic necessities like food, clothing, shelter, and transportation often require hundreds or thousands of Wildlands Coin, which translates to thousands or tens of thousands of Zhendan Coin, making it far too expensive compared to the Main World.

Conversely, some weapons and even Noble Phantasms can be bought here for a few thousand or tens of thousands of dollars. Compared to the Main World, buying a Noble Phantasm for tens of thousands of dollars, even the lowest-level white Noble Phantasm, can be considered a great bargain!

There's no way around it; resources are extremely difficult to circulate between the two worlds. The Hunter Guild, which controls the channels, intervenes, leading to the current situation.

Rather than saying that the Wildlands Coin and Zhendan Coin have a 1:10 exchange rate, it's more accurate to say that exchanging for Zhendan Coin is an additional function of the Wildlands Coin. Most hunters, unless they urgently need the money, wait until they decide to retire before exchanging their accumulated Wildlands Coin for Zhendan Coin and returning to the Main World to retire.

Of course, Luo Jun couldn't buy it at the original price. With his resolute attitude and the "insignificant" help of the Wealth Ring, he managed to get it for exactly eight thousand yuan.

However, 8,000 points is not Severity Coefficient for Luo Jun at the moment. Even doubling it only gives him a few dozen experience points. At this point, he only needs a little over 30 experience points to reach level 15.

It has to be said that Luo Jun is gaining less and less experience in his daily life these days. Two days have passed since he completed the Tower of Choice, and he still hasn't made up for the last hundred or so experience points.

With over four thousand Wildlands Coin left in his pocket, Luo Jun first bought some supplies, including dry rations, antidotes, wound medicine, and bandages, spending over two thousand. Then he returned to the guild and deposited the River-Sinking Stone Hammer.

This thing is indeed precious and powerful, but it's a bit too early to use it as a weapon. Although Luo Jun strong enough, carrying this thing has caused his weight to soar to nearly 800 pounds, and you can hear the floorboards creaking when he goes up the stairs. Moreover, once this thing is out of his hands, its weight immediately increases to nearly two tons, and if it accidentally falls to the ground, it could smash through the dormitory floorboards.

Let's leave it for now. After this trip to the Savage Wilderness is over, when I come back next month, I'll probably have broken through to the next level. By then, this thing will be weightless and convenient to carry around.

Considering both the value and weight of the River-Sinking Stone Hammer, Luo Jun chose the most sturdy bottom safe for it, with the storage fee alone costing 1,000 points per month.

Looking painfully at the money he had left, he tearfully ate another large meal. He had a mission the next day, and he needed to make sure he was getting enough nutrition!

After finishing the meal, I didn't have many points left.

"Brother Kai, thank you so much for your kindness, I will definitely pay you back!"

Back in his dorm, Luo Jun made a promise to himself, then drifted off to sleep with a satisfied burp.

Early the next morning, he arrived at the Hunter Guild with a supply pack, shield, and spear.

The Central Square was unusually lively today, with hundreds of fully armed hunters gathered here, presumably all on important missions.

Luo Jun looked around but didn't see the father and daughter from the Shapeshifting Faction from yesterday. Could it be that they didn't register after asking?

After a short wait, a staff member led several hunters out of the guild gate. "Everyone, I hereby announce that, as of now, a total of 438 hunters have signed up, and this large-scale quest is officially activated!"

"Wow!" Cheers erupted from the crowd.

"Next, our guild's guide will lead everyone to the ant nest. Due to the rampant Firemane Ant, the jungle to the southeast is currently not peaceful, so please don't fall behind!"

"This large-scale mission will last for a month. Starting tomorrow, we will gather at 8:00 AM every morning to head to the anthill, and then meet again at the lakeside in the northwest of the anthill at 5:00 PM to return together! Remember, do not spend the night near the anthill. Firemane Ant live in the dim light of the anthill and mainly rely on pheromones and hearing to transmit information. The darkness has little effect on them, and may even be a boost to it. It is extremely dangerous to be active near the anthill at night!"

"In addition, anyone who wants to join the mission can sign up at any time during the mission period. We will only consider the loot and vouchers to distribute the rewards!"

After explaining the precautions, several staff members dressed in wilderness gear came up; they were presumably the guides.

Led by the guide, the large group of hunters left the square, passed through the southeast gate, and entered the Savage Wilderness jungle.

This was Luo Jun's first formal encounter with the Savage Wilderness. He was positioned in the middle of the group, with a shield in his left hand, a short gun slung behind his back, and the other in his right hand, cautiously observing his surroundings.

The Savage Wilderness jungle, like the Main World, was predominantly green, but the plants were taller, with dense, intertwined canopies that blocked out the sun, and their shapes were more diverse and bizarre. Luo Jun even saw some plants swaying their branches; it wasn't the wind or animals disturbing them, he was certain that the plants were moving on their own.

"Be careful, that's Man-Eating Tree!"

A voice called out beside him, and Luo Jun turned around to see a young guide.

There were seven guides leading the group. They weren't all concentrated at the front of the group, but were scattered throughout different sections to prevent anyone from falling behind. This young man happened to be walking next to Luo Jun.

Although the Wildlands Hunter also hunt in the wild year-round, their understanding of the Savage Wilderness is still no match for the professional guides trained by the guild.

Moreover, the guides selected this time are all top performers, not only experienced but also possessing exploration skills, demonstrating the guild's emphasis on this mission!

"First time in the Savage Wilderness, huh?" Perhaps a little bored, the young man smiled and struck up a conversation with Luo Jun: "The Savage Wilderness jungle is fraught with danger. Some trees prey on their own prey, and are even more ferocious than animals. Be very careful."

"Thank you for reminding me." Luo Jun nodded.

"My name is Su Yun, what's your name?" The young man seemed quite talkative.

"Just call me Ye." Luo Jun never forgets to maintain his persona.

"Night?" The young man smiled, not caring that the other party had concealed their real name. "The danger of the Savage Wilderness lies in its unexpectedness beyond imagination. Many powerful Cultivators have stumbled when they first came to the Savage Wilderness, simply because they did not know enough about the wilderness."

"Here, everything you see—from birds and beasts to flowers and trees, from mountains and rivers to the stones and sand beneath your feet—may conceal deadly dangers in this seemingly beautiful natural world!"

As he spoke, he looked Luo Jun up and down. "Here, it's best not to let your guard down; stay fully alert."

Luo Jun was slightly taken aback, then understood. Su Yun had spoken to him not because she was bored, but because she noticed he hadn't activated his Body Protecting Qi and was kindly reminding him.

Hidden Skill can make one's Qi invisible, but a guide skilled in perception can still distinguish between Hidden Qi and completely unactivated Qi after close observation.

But little did he know that Luo Jun's refusal to unleash his inner energy wasn't intentional; it was simply that his cultivation level wouldn't allow it...

Thanks to the Herrscher of Knowledge who likes to eat melons for the reward of 500 starting coins!

(End of this chapter)