[Me: Were you an Earthling before you came here?]
Ye Fei knew nothing about parallel worlds. He was completely bewildered and just grasping for something to talk about.
A Junior Schoolmate from a parallel world? How was he supposed to believe something like that?
[Grassland/0090-1144-3656: What do you mean, Earthling? We're Huaxia people, Huaxia people from Blue Star!]
The other man seemed bothered by the term "Earthling" and repeatedly emphasized where he was from.
[Me: Just as I thought. I'm a Huaxia person from Earth.]
Ye Fei sighed and stopped dwelling on it.
A parallel world it was, then. At least that was better than finding out that everyone at Q University had an average combat power of 9 after he graduated...
A little better, anyway.
Although this Junior Schoolmate from a parallel world had now raised his combat power again, bringing it into double digits.
Since they came from different worlds, he could at least comfort himself that it wasn't because he was too useless...
As for whether parallel worlds and alternate dimensions were terrifying revelations in their own right...
He'd already been dragged into this survival world. What was impossible anymore?
[Grassland/0090-1144-3656: So parallel worlds really exist? Is everyone's combat power that low where you're from? Does that mean you don't have to go into the sea to fight marine creatures either?]
A string of questions came through.
The other man seemed to have accepted Ye Fei's combat power of 3 and taken it as the normal standard.
[Me: We don't have to fight like that. Martial arts are pretty rare where we're from now. We've developed all kinds of technological weapons. One artillery shell can blow up a building.]
Ye Fei wasn't sure whether he'd explained it correctly, but that was roughly the impression he'd gotten from some military programs he'd watched.
And that only covered weapons ordinary people were allowed to see. As for those that couldn't be publicly displayed, he'd only caught glimpses in short videos of uncertain authenticity.
[Grassland/0090-1144-3656: Looks like our worlds branched off at some point. But you're pretty impressive too, senior, going out hunting in a place like this with only 3 combat power. Keep at it! Maybe people from your world have potential too, and your genes just haven't been developed yet. I'll head out and take a look now. I'll try to catch a sheep bare-handed and slaughter it. Then I'll send you some mutton.]
This Junior Schoolmate hesitated for a while before replying to Ye Fei.
He seemed to be trying hard to praise Ye Fei, apparently hoping to comfort him.
[Me: Go ahead. Stay safe.]
Ye Fei sent his reply and closed the friend chat interface.
He wasn't feeling dejected or anything else the other man might have imagined. He merely had a few more uncertain ideas about this Junior Schoolmate from another dimension.
But he could explore those things when he had time. He still needed to keep searching for prey and finish today's Random Quest first.
Since this world had dragged in all sorts of people, brought different dimensions together, and included an unknown proportion of nonhumans...
Staying alive and growing stronger were what he most needed to focus on.
"Ying?"
Qingxue the Little Fox didn't know what Ye Fei had been doing, but she had obediently refrained from disturbing him.
Only when he started moving again did she make an inquisitive sound.
"It's nothing. I just suddenly learned a few things. We need to get stronger. Much stronger..."
Even though she couldn't understand him, Ye Fei kept talking to the little fox.
During this conversation, in which neither understood the other and could only sense emotions by instinct, Ye Fei finally found his third prey of the day.
A hare. This one was healthy, and he finally saw the combat power a hare was supposed to have.
[Hare, combat power 4, kick]
Kick?
Ye Fei pointed at the hare and told the little fox to take care of it.
Did "kick" mean the hare had a kicking skill?
"Awooo~"
Qingxue the Little Fox darted out. This time, she didn't even launch a sneak attack. She moved too fast for the hare to make her out.
[Hare killed. Survival Points +1] [Hare carcass: can be harvested]
The hare's carcass fell into the snow after a single strike. Although Qingxue the Little Fox had killed it, Ye Fei still received the Survival Points.
[Today's Random Quest: hunt ×3. Quest progress: 3/3. Quest completion rewards: 9 Survival Points, 1 Level-One Hunting Pack]
The 9 Survival Points arrived, along with the Level-One Hunting Pack.
He now had 10 Survival Points in total. None of the items he'd listed on the trading interface had sold, but Ye Fei wasn't in a hurry. He crouched down where he stood and harvested the hare.
[Low-Level Leather +1, rabbit meat +2, beast bone +1]
The hare apparently didn't yield things like beast sinew because it was too weak.
Ye Fei put the materials away, scooped up the little fox rubbing against his hand, and headed home.
His Inventory was full again. Besides, he wasn't sure what the Hunting Gift Pack contained, so opening it at home would be more convenient.
Of course, there was another important reason. He'd told the little fox they would go home to eat after one more hunt. Even if she might not have understood him, he didn't want to break his word.
"Ying, ying~"
The little fox rolled around affectionately on Ye Fei's shoulder.
She couldn't understand his words, but she knew there would be good food once they got home.
After they returned home and went inside, Little Dumpling jumped down and settled beside the wooden table, quietly tilting her head as she watched Ye Fei.
Anticipation sparkled in her round, inky eyes.
Waiting for her meal...
[Clear-stewed rabbit meat (green): grants the "Beginner Cunning Hare" effect upon consumption. Speed increases by 3 for 1 hour.]
An hour-long speed boost. Although it was only 3 points, that was already quite good.
However, what Ye Fei was considering now was whether the little fox could finish an entire piece of the two portions of rabbit meat he'd stewed.
"Awoo!"
The little fox looked at the whole piece of rabbit meat on the plate in front of her. It was bigger than she was.
She gave Ye Fei a disgruntled glare, raised her paw, and sliced the meat into three pieces herself. One piece that size was all she ate at a time.
"Got it. Eat slowly. It'll be a little hot."
Ye Fei put the other two pieces on another plate and saved them for the little fox's next meal.
Food placed in tableware and left on the dining table didn't display a refresh countdown.
Raw ingredients didn't work that way, though, and the food had to be held in tableware.
He tore his own rabbit meat into small pieces too, added some broth, and slowly ate it with bread.
Once he was full, Ye Fei opened his Personal Panel and took a look. What he'd been hoping for still hadn't happened.
[Name: Ye Fei (ID: Snow Mountain/0099-5111-1111) Race: human Talent: See Through Health: 86 Stamina: 97 Energy: 88 Combat power: 3 Equipment: Five-Piece Warmth Set (warmth +25, defense +2, speed +1), Beginner Cunning Hare effect (speed +3) Pet: Qingxue (level 2 Snow Fox cub), loyalty 100, combat power 10, healthy and active Inventory 10/10: bread 20, water 19, Basic Timber 27, Low-Level Leather 1, Level-One Blood-Replenishing Pill 6, Level-One Spirit-Replenishing Pill 6, wild wolf meat 8, rabbit meat 2, beast bone 1, Level-One Hunting Pack Survival Points: 10]
The temporary food effect appeared under equipment, which also confirmed something for Ye Fei.
Equipment bonuses didn't actually count toward his personal combat power.
So now he could be certain that his Junior Schoolmate's increased combat power really came solely from his own growth.
Before you continue