Second-tier Martial Apprentice

Time flew by.

Gu Chen and the others had to return to the Warrior Camp to continue their evening training.

The Logistics Soldiers, on the other hand, didn't have nearly as much training or as many tasks.

They wouldn't be sent back into the mountains to hunt Wild Beasts and clear away miscellaneous debris until the next day.

For now, they only needed to tidy up the camp before returning to their quarters to rest.

The Logistics Camp wasn't very large, and each building could accommodate ten Logistics Soldiers.

To Gu Han, it felt just like returning to the dormitory from his high school days in his old world.

Ma Tie and the others had all returned to their quarters, but Gu Han took up his blade and headed straight out into the wilderness.

Although night had fallen, the body clock he'd developed over many years made it impossible for him to go to sleep so early.

Rather than go back and chat with Ma Tie and the others, he figured he might as well put in some more effort and hunt a few more animals in the wilderness.

Before setting out, Gu Han first checked his Attribute Panel.

Host: Gu Han

Cultivation: Second-tier Martial Apprentice

Blood Qi: 87 (Blood Qi range for a Second-tier Martial Apprentice: 50–200)

Strength: 85 (Strength range for a Second-tier Martial Apprentice: 20–50)

Defense: 24 (Defense range for a Second-tier Martial Apprentice: 20–50)

Speed: 75 (Speed range for a Second-tier Martial Apprentice: 20–50)

Spirit: 20 (Spirit range for a Second-tier Martial Apprentice: 20–30)

Cultivation Art: Qi Guiding Art

Martial Skill: Fierce Fist (slightly accomplished)

"If we're only talking about strength, an ordinary Second-tier Martial Apprentice wouldn't stand a chance against me."

But when he saw how glaringly weak his defense and spirit were, Gu Han couldn't help furrowing his brows.

Hunting Wolf Beasts and rabbits had boosted his Blood Qi, strength, and speed considerably.

But it hadn't brought him any gains in defense or spirit.

If reaching the Second-tier Martial Apprentice level hadn't also increased his defense and spirit attributes, his defense and spirit might still have been stuck at the bottom of the First-tier Martial Apprentice level.

"Seems like cultivators who specialize in spirit or spells are rarely heard of in this world."

Gu Han gazed thoughtfully at his spirit stat, which had reached 20.

"If everyone's spirit is a weak point, then this spirit attribute seems a bit useless."

But if that were the case, there would've been no need for the system to list spirit as an attribute at all.

Gu Han guessed that spirit might only reveal its importance once he reached a certain stage.

"Let's see if there are any Wild Beasts that can raise my spirit."

Gu Han tucked the newly re-poisoned dagger against his leg, then set off through the woods with his blade in hand.

His speed had already surpassed that of a Second-tier Martial Apprentice, so he no longer needed to build a trap and wait like he had before.

Now Gu Han could take the initiative and hunt!

As long as he didn't stray too far from the Military Camp or encounter any overly powerful Wild Beasts, his life wouldn't be in danger.

Happy times always passed quickly.

Two hours flew by in the blink of an eye.

"Good thing I prepared several Snakeskin Bags in advance. Otherwise, I might not have had enough room for all these beasts."

Dragging four stuffed Snakeskin Bags, Gu Han headed back toward camp.

His efforts that night had sent his Blood Qi soaring to 125!

His other attributes had also increased significantly!

But compared to his attack and speed, his spirit and defense had only gone up by two points each.

He'd spent ages trying to raise his defense, and only managed it after killing a Pangolin Rat.

That Pangolin Rat had been by far the toughest enemy Gu Han had faced all day.

Judging from the attributes he'd gained, the Pangolin Rat was at most roughly equivalent to a First-tier Martial Apprentice.

But its claws and fangs were incredibly sharp. If Gu Han hadn't been fast enough, his small frame might really have been in danger.

The Pangolin Rat's scales were unbelievably hard, too. Even with strength comparable to a Third-Order Martial Disciple, Gu Han had only barely managed to break through its defenses with his blade!

As for those two points of spirit, they'd come from a Poisonous Snake.

The snake was exceptionally good at hiding, lurking among a patch of fallen leaves. Even with careful observation, it was hard to spot.

On top of that, it could strike incredibly fast. Anyone else might easily have been caught off guard.

Given the potency of its venom, one bite would probably have been enough to kill a Second-tier Martial Apprentice with ease!

Gu Han guessed that the poison counted as an attack on the nervous system, which was why he'd gained spirit from it.

Unfortunately, both Pangolin Rats and venomous snakes were extremely rare.

He'd only encountered one of each, so for now, he had to give up on searching for them specifically.

He'd hunted plenty of other beasts, but not all of them provided Blood Qi.

So Gu Han still had a long way to go before reaching the Third-Order Martial Disciple level.

But Gu Han was patient. He still had half a year to spend at the border, so there was plenty of time.

When Gu Han returned to camp, most of the Logistics Soldiers had gathered in groups to chat, either with people from their hometowns or with their squads.

By comparison, the distant Warrior Camp was brightly lit, the shouts from training ringing out in full swing.

It stood in stark contrast to the Logistics Camp, where voices could only be heard from inside the various buildings.

This also offered a glimpse of the difference in attitude toward martial training between the War Soldiers and the Logistics Soldiers.

The Logistics Camp kitchen, where the cooks prepared meals, had already been cleaned up.

Only the old cook, who was on night watch to make sure no fires broke out, remained there.

When he saw Gu Han approaching, the old cook frowned and rose to his feet reluctantly.

"There's a little leftover food in the pot. If you're hungry, heat it up yourself."

Although he didn't want to cook for Gu Han, he had to stay by his side. Otherwise, if a fire broke out, he'd be held responsible.

Gu Han had been about to refuse, but his stomach betrayed him with a rumble.

He'd eaten his fill at dinner, but two hours of hunting had still left him ravenous.

"That'll do. Sorry for the trouble, sir. Please take care of these things."

The Logistics Camp's initial assessment was over, but every Logistics Soldier still had to go out regularly to hunt Wild Beasts and submit them as provisions for the Military Camp.

In return, the more prey a Logistics Soldier turned in, the greater the reward he could claim.

The old cook stared in surprise at Gu Han's departing back and the Snakeskin Bags left on the ground.

The night was too dark earlier. He'd only seen Gu Han walking this way and had assumed the young man was simply hungry.

He hadn't noticed the several Snakeskin Bags trailing behind him.

There was a bloody smell on Gu Han, but compared to the stench of beast meat piled high in the kitchen, it was nothing.

Old cook Li Qiang glanced at Gu Han, who was deftly starting a fire. Once he was sure the fire wouldn't burn down the kitchen, he curiously opened the bundle on the ground to register its contents.

The moment he opened the first bundle, Li Qiang froze.

"A Pangolin Rat?"

How long had it been since anyone last hunted a Pangolin Rat?

By comparison, the Short-tailed Viper beside it wasn't nearly so rare.

Every so often, a Logistics Soldier would fall victim to a Short-tailed Viper, while another would manage to hunt one and bring it back.

But the Pangolin Rat's defenses were astonishing. The Logistics Soldiers could hardly break through them, so it was only natural that no one could bring one back after hunting it.