Parsona learned about what had happened in the restaurant right away, but he didn't care. He had a trump card of his own, and he'd only taken on this mission to find some cannon fodder.
He had already ventured into the Super Ancient Civilization ruins several times, and each time he'd fallen just short. Building up his own forces would cost him dearly, so he might as well issue a mission like this.
No matter how much the others gained inside, it would all end up belonging to him.
Reke knew nothing about the schemes between them. Confident in his own strength, he wouldn't meddle in other people's affairs as long as they didn't provoke him.
Reke hadn't heard a word of what Parsona had said that day. His mind was entirely on the food.
The food here really suited Reke's tastes. They had everything that flew in the sky, ran on the ground, or swam in the water. If you could think of it, they could get it.
Reke had eaten his fill during his few days at the castle, so much so that he almost didn't want to leave. In the end, he used his iron will to suppress his appetite.
Before setting out, Reke flew over to Parsona, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Fatty, you've treated me real well these past few days. If anyone gives you trouble later, just leave them to me."
Parsona shot a glance at the unremarkable young man behind him, stopping him from making any further move. He simply watched as Reke flew over to him.
After hearing what Reke said, a flicker of anger passed through Parsona's eyes. A smile spread across his chubby face as he replied ingratiatingly, "Then I'll be counting on you, little brother."
"Sure, sure."
The others had seen Reke's behavior. Some took his words to heart, like the trio led by the Big-Breasted Woman, who had completely given up.
But others didn't take him seriously. Confident in themselves, they didn't pay his words any mind.
The group of several dozen boarded the aircraft with Parsona.
Reke asked curiously, "Is it a long way?"
Everyone was speechless. Hadn't Parsona told them about this a few days ago? Why was Reke asking again? None of them wanted to answer him.
Reke scratched his head, thinking the others didn't know either. Just as he was about to go ask Parsona himself, the Big-Breasted Woman spoke up.
"Little brother, it's fifty thousand miles away. It'll take us more than half a month to get there."
"Got it. Thanks."
Reke nodded at the Big-Breasted Woman, thinking a little better of her.
After leaving Hatton, Pike had kept his Talent Skill active while wandering around the Wild Grasslands. Unfortunately, several months had passed, and he was nearly across the grasslands without finding a single energy reading above 3,000.
Anything below 3,000 was only good for improving the Budaso Adventure Team's combat experience. It was otherwise useless.
Pike wasn't willing to give up. Gritting his teeth, he crossed the grasslands and entered the Rocky Mountains.
After walking about a hundred miles, he stopped, opened his briefcase, and turned on the Energy Detector.
"Beep beep beep—"
Pike was dumbfounded. The Energy Detector was covered in readings, and there wasn't a single one below 3,000 within a thousand miles. The highest was over 20,000, and even the little hill he was standing on gave off an energy reading.
He didn't understand why this was happening. Why hadn't the detector picked up these readings from over here when he'd been in the Wild Grasslands?
At first, he was overjoyed. He'd finally found the monsters he needed. Then he felt a pang of worry, unsure how to lure them over to the Budaso Adventure Team.
The Beast-Luring Incense clearly had no effect on these stone-like monsters.
He racked his little brain, but couldn't come up with a solution. He turned back and headed for home to report the situation to Hatton and see if they could think of something.
Over the past few months, Pat and the others had gained a lot. They'd collected samples from many unknown creatures, and their combat abilities had improved as well.
The younger members of the team had also accumulated plenty of combat experience. They no longer needed the older members to look after them; they could work together to repel wave after wave of beasts.
Lan Xin and Bellis had made the greatest progress. Their combat abilities had not only left their peers far behind but had surpassed those of Pat and the other veterans. They were now approaching 5,000.
"Leader, don't you think we should head back? We're almost across the grasslands," Lan Xin asked after dealing with the beasts that had just attacked them.
He remembered Reke's words well: don't cross the grasslands.
"Why head back now? We've already come this far. Let's go take a look over there." Bellis, who was following behind Lan Xin, pointed toward the Rocky Mountains.
"No. Brother Lei said the monsters over there aren't ones we can handle," Lan Xin said firmly.
Bellis saw Lan Xin bringing Reke up again and immediately bristled. "Only a blockhead like you would take some country bumpkin's words to heart. I'm not going to listen. Besides, the beasts around here are too weak for me."
Lan Xin knew he couldn't persuade Bellis, so he looked to Pat, trusting him to make the right choice.
Pat hesitated. On one hand, Reke's warning echoed in his mind. On the other, curiosity kept urging him to go on.
Seeing this, Lola spoke up. "I'm with Lan Xin this time. We can't take this risk, especially with all these kids following us."
"If it were just us, fine. If we died, we died. But the kids are different. They've still got so much of life ahead of them. We can't drag them into danger."
"If nothing happens, then fine. But if something does, the Budaso Adventure Team is finished. We'd be wiped out, boss."
Lola's words were the final straw, tipping the scales in Pat's mind.
Looking at the children below as they cleared the battlefield, Pat made his decision.
"Fine. We'll head back once we've cleared the battlefield. We've already conquered the Wild Grasslands, so we've completed most of this training trip."
Everyone else smiled happily. Only Bellis looked downcast.
She could argue against what Reke said, but she still had to listen to the leader. And it looked like the older boys and girls in the team agreed with him, so she could only put her little scheme aside.
With Pat and the others leading the way, Hatton and his group had followed the Budaso Adventure Team deep into the Wild Grasslands without encountering any major dangers.
But the longer they followed, the more despairing Hatton became. He couldn't understand why the energy readings of the Budaso Adventure Team members kept climbing higher and higher. He had given up on Pat and planned to find a small place where he could spend the rest of his life.
"Leader, leader! Look who's back!"
A voice called out just as Hatton was making up his mind.
He didn't have to wait long before Pike the dwarf came into view. Hatton's heart leaped.
He had lost hope of getting revenge and was preparing to find somewhere to hide. But now that he needed money, Pike had returned with the latest model of the Energy Detector. That meant a huge sum was about to come in, so it was hard not to be happy.
Before you continue