The Small Town

Not long after they started their journey, Dai Mubai noticed that Oscar and Ma Hongjun were acting strangely.

Their stamina was inhuman, like a pair of human-shaped Soul Beasts!

Oscar in particular seemed to have an endless supply of energy. He didn't even break a sweat as he ran, and looked as though he were out for a stroll.

Were these two... looking after him?

With that thought, Dai Mubai kept an eye on the two senior and junior brothers while quietly picking up the pace.

But no matter how fast he ran, Oscar and Ma Hongjun kept up without breaking a sweat.

Sure enough!

They were waiting for me!

Dai Mubai gritted his teeth. He had never been one to admit defeat. He might not say it aloud, but he had never believed himself inferior to his imperial brother!

Even though his brother was six years older, Dai Mubai still wanted to give it his all!

The group of seven picked up speed. As they continued on, Dai Mubai's stamina steadily drained, and sweat soaked through his clothes.

He glanced at Oscar and Ma Hongjun, then lowered his head and kept running in silence.

"If you can't manage, don't force yourself."

Oscar summoned a Recovery Sausage and flicked it into Dai Mubai's slightly open mouth.

"Mm..."

"Swallow it, or you won't last."

Dai Mubai felt insulted, but his body really was tired. He still chewed the sausage and swallowed it.

As it slid down his esophagus into his stomach, Dai Mubai felt a warm current spread through his body.

With Oscar's sausage replenishing him, he was surprised to find that the energy he'd spent running barely amounted to anything.

His heart warmed, and his steps grew much lighter.

For the rest of the journey, he ate one of the sausages Oscar popped into his mouth about every hour, and his energy stayed high.

Until you put them to use, you could never truly understand the importance of Support Martial Souls.

The marvelous effects of Oscar's sausages made Dai Mubai see him in a new light. What surprised him even more was that he was the only one eating them along the way.

Even the chubby eight-year-old looked completely relaxed...

He had to admit, he wanted to bring these two brothers to the Star Luo Empire to help him. He'd gladly even offer them the position of future imperial preceptor!

But he knew the two of them probably wouldn't agree.

Their talents were so absurd they were hard to imagine!

Who had ever heard of an eighteen-rank Spirit Master at eight years old? What the hell—eight?!

And the other one was even more ridiculous. A Support Spirit Master five levels below him had chased down and beaten him, a Spirit Master with a top-tier Beast Spirit!

What the hell kind of Support Spirit Master was that?!

Who would believe it?!

But he couldn't deny the truth. In front of these two brothers, Dai Mubai felt his talents—something he'd always been proud of—shattered into pieces, scattered across the ground and stomped on.

As Dai Mubai questioned his entire life, aided by Oscar's sausages, the group covered more than four hundred kilometers in just one day. By nightfall, Shrek Academy's party was already close to the Star Dou Great Forest.

Seeing that they wouldn't reach their destination that day, Flender ordered them to rest.

They had just arrived at a small town.

When they entered, Ma Hongjun's eyes gradually lit up. The town was much livelier than he'd expected, and it was probably two or three times larger than the village where Shrek Academy was located!

Though it had no city walls, it looked almost like a small city. Shops lined the streets, selling all kinds of goods.

"Dean, let's hurry up and get something to eat."

Ma Hongjun rubbed his stomach. He wasn't sure if it was because of the change in his cultivation method, but he always felt hungry.

Oscar took Ma Hongjun by the hand and looked around carefully. Most of the shops here catered to Spirit Masters.

Some sold weapons, others armor, antidotes, and restorative potions. Even the clothing stores sold special outfits for Spirit Master adventurers, with more than a dozen pockets for carrying all sorts of supplies.

"Don't rush. I'll show you around first."

Flender rubbed Ma Hongjun's head and led the group around the town.

"As the saying goes, people live off the mountain or the river. There are plenty of towns like this around the Star Dou Great Forest. They rely on its resources to survive, while also supplying Spirit Masters who come here to explore.

"When you travel the continent in the future, you'll inevitably visit towns like this. So you should learn the rules ahead of time."

Ma Hongjun was starving. He pulled a long face and said, "Dean, let's hurry up and eat. The Star Dou Great Forest is still nearly a hundred kilometers away, and we'll have plenty of chances to see towns along the way."

Flender chuckled and tapped Ma Hongjun on the head.

"The Star Dou Great Forest is different from the Soul Hunting Forest. The Soul Hunting Forest is full of captive-bred Soul Beasts, which are relatively docile and don't usually attack humans.

"But the Star Dou Great Forest, a gathering place for wild Soul Beasts, is another matter entirely. The Soul Beasts there are extremely fierce, and they often fight among themselves.

"Defeated Soul Beasts are often forced to leave their territory and roam the surrounding area. What do you think would happen if a town were too close to the Star Dou Great Forest?"

Oscar nodded slightly. He still knew too little about this world, and most of what he did know came from Sky Net intelligence and books from Shrek Academy.

As the saying went, traveling ten thousand miles was better than reading ten thousand books. Oscar decided he would travel more in the future and build up some experience.

The group wandered around the town for a long time. Oscar quietly noted down what he saw along the way and got a general sense of what the adventurers around the Star Dou Great Forest were like.

Most of these people lived by the sword, willing to lose a few pounds of flesh to grow stronger.

Someone like him, with a fair complexion and a young face, would definitely be seen as easy prey.

No one might dare make a move against him in town, but once he left, someone could easily follow him.

At last, after making a round of the town, Flender led them to a rather ordinary-looking inn and stopped outside.

"We'll stay here tonight and get some rest. Of course, you'll cover your own lodging and meals."

Aside from Oscar, who had grown poor from constantly trading for swords, everyone else had made a fortune hunting Evil Soul Masters. They were all well-off.

Ma Hongjun pulled out some money and was about to go into the tavern to order food, but Dai Mubai stopped him.

"Let me pay this time. I've only just joined Shrek. How could I let you spend your money?"

On the road, Oscar had already given him the cultivation method for the Classic of the Supreme Response, so this was a chance to return the favor.

"All right," Oscar said, smacking his lips twice. "But rules are rules. You're treating us this time, then it'll be my turn next time, and after that, Ma Hongjun's."