An instant kill-shocking!

"Jiang Hao, wake up. We're here."

It was Wen Ruxue's voice.

Jiang Hao's eyes snapped open.

He heard Wen Ruxue complain, "You two really don't have a care in the world. How could you sleep through wind that strong?"

Beside him, Chubby was so deeply asleep that even his mother wouldn't have recognized him. Drool had soaked his crotch; anyone who didn't know better would have thought he'd wet himself.

It was downright disgraceful. Jiang Hao couldn't bear to watch.

"Wake up! It's time to eat!"

Sure enough, at the mention of food, Chubby instantly perked up, all his drowsiness gone. "Class is over? That was quick!"

"What are you dreaming about? All you think about is food. We've reached Wuji City."

The three left the way station. Words could hardly describe Wuji City's bustling prosperity: traffic flowed in an endless stream, and people were everywhere. Since Wuji City stood close to the Wuji Mountains, most visitors came for the demonic beasts in the mountains. It was also the largest market for Beast Pet cubs. Where there was a market, there was slaughter; where there was slaughter, there was revenge.

Every ten or twenty years, the demonic beasts would launch a massive beast tide against the human world. That was why Wuji City's walls had been built especially high and sturdy. Standing beneath them, one could feel an aura of slaughter and catch a faint scent of blood.

With limited time, the three couldn't linger in the city. As soon as they left the way station, they headed straight for the Wuji Mountains without stopping.

Drawing on his experience from several survival simulation games, Jiang Hao headed straight down the path where the Flower Civet Cat lived. Every blade of grass and every tree matched the game, making him marvel once again at the Survival Simulator's mystery and power.

But a game was different from reality. In a game, one could start over after dying. In reality, death was death; there was no second chance. Even with experience killing the Flower Civet Cat, Jiang Hao didn't dare let his guard down.

Most importantly, in reality, the better the rapport between a person and their Beast Pet, the easier it was to direct the Beast Pet in battle through thought. These combat techniques were skills every Beast Tamer had to learn.

"This is our first time leaving the academy, so we need to be extra careful about everything. We're in the Wuji Mountains, too. If we encounter any demonic beasts, I hope you two will follow my lead."

He released Big Hen from the space.

"Cluck, cluck!"

It was Big Hen's first time appearing before other people, but the hen wasn't timid. With proud, haughty steps, Big Hen circled Chubby and Wen Ruxue, seemingly memorizing their scents.

Chubby said, "Hao, this chicken..."

Jiang Hao said, "Looks ordinary, right?"

Wen Ruxue said, "Yes."

A little dejected, Big Hen quietly returned to Jiang Hao's side.

Jiang Hao couldn't help feeling sorry at the sight. Big Hen was still a child, hatched only a few days ago. He hadn't been able to accept the hen at first either, but after spending some time together, he had gradually come around.

He took the bread he'd prepared from his backpack, scooped Big Hen up, and fed the hen.

In a little while, you've got to make them see you in a whole new light.

They made their way to the Flower Civet Cat's territory. The moment the cat saw strangers intruding, it adopted an attacking stance.

Wen Ruxue lived up to her reputation as both class president and top student. She recognized the Flower Civet Cat's strength at a glance.

"It's a high-grade Flower Civet Cat on the verge of entering the Fusion Realm. Be careful, everyone!"

The school taught them how to judge a demonic beast's strength and quality from its aura and appearance.

"Meow!" The Flower Civet Cat bared its ferocity.

With a swish, it became a blur and lunged at Jiang Hao, who was walking at the front.

"Hao, get out of the way!"

Panicking, Chubby hurriedly summoned Pang Dudu from his space. But in the next instant-

"Cluck-cluck!"

Sensing the threat, Big Hen spread both wings and rushed in front of Jiang Hao. Guided by Jiang Hao's thoughts, an egg dropped from the hen's rear, curved around, and shot toward the charging Flower Civet Cat.

Crack!

The egg shattered, and two blazing fireballs flew toward the Flower Civet Cat, one after the other. The cat abruptly checked its charge and darted aside, trying to dodge them.

But they came with built-in GPS targeting-how could anyone not panic?

The fireballs followed close behind!

Bang! Bang! Both fireballs exploded.

The Flower Civet Cat let out a wretched cry and collapsed.

If this had been the game, two enormous damage numbers would surely have appeared above its forehead.

The sight left his companions staring, jaws slack.

An instant kill-shocking!

With such tremendous destructive power, was this unremarkable-looking chicken really as useless as they'd thought?

What happened to it being a work companion? This completely overturned everything Chubby and Wen Ruxue thought they knew.

"What are you standing there for? Chubby, hurry and send your Great Silly Bear up front! Wen, activate Magnetic Field Rally."

Neither had recovered from their stunned daze. Hearing Jiang Hao's orders, they instinctively complied, without even stopping to wonder why he looked as though he were facing a formidable enemy.

They soon learned why Jiang Hao had given those orders.

Just as in the game, the Flower Civet Cat revived.

Under the effects of the Seven-Colored Spirit Butterfly's Magnetic Field Rally, Pang Dudu brimmed with fighting spirit. Two Heavy Strikes in succession battered the newly revived Flower Civet Cat down to a sliver of health. Right then, Big Hen's passive skill, Hen and Eggs in Ruin, finished its cooldown.

"Cluck-cluck!"

Another egg appeared, and two fireballs struck the Flower Civet Cat, which had only a sliver of health remaining.

Ding! Your Beast Pet has reached level 23.

Ding! Your Beast Pet, Big Hen, has shown a first glimpse of prowess and successfully killed a level 29 high-grade Flower Civet Cat. Reward: 7 attribute points and skill points. Reality Mode unlocked. In Reality Mode, Beast Pets receive corresponding rewards whenever they kill monsters above their level.

Ding! Reality Mode unlocked. Whenever a Beast Pet kills an opponent, you can obtain one random skill from that opponent. You may choose to learn it or forgo it.

"Hao, the first time I saw your chicken, I knew it was mighty and extraordinary. You really can't judge a person by their looks, or measure the sea with a bucket. You're amazing, bro!"

"Do you even know how to talk? What's all this 'your chicken, my chicken'? The hen has a name, you know! Remember to call Big Hen the Ice Crystal Phoenix from now on."

Chubby: ...

Wen Ruxue: ...

A couple of compliments, and now you're puffing yourself up?

"Go dig out the beast crystal. Don't let your bear eat the whole thing."

"Sure thing, bro."

Chubby eagerly scurried off to work.

Wen Ruxue watched Big Hen preening at Jiang Hao's feet, her eyes brimming with curiosity.

"Jiang Hao, is your Phoenix really just an ordinary hen? Could it be some kind of mutant breed?"

"Take a guess!"

"Tch. If you don't want to tell me, fine." Wen Ruxue rolled her eyes and crouched down, stroking Big Hen's feathers as she examined the hen. Big Hen's performance had been so unexpected that she wanted to see whether the hen really had any other hidden attributes.

But she was destined to be disappointed. Big Hen was still Big Hen, neither a mutant breed nor endowed with any other hidden attributes.

Soon, Chubby wiped a high-grade beast crystal clean and said excitedly, "Hao, this is the first high-grade beast crystal I've ever gotten on a hunt. Can I keep it as a souvenir?"

"As long as Wen doesn't mind, keep it if you like."

Wen Ruxue's attention was entirely focused on Big Hen. At his words, she replied casually, "I don't mind. You two killed the Flower Civet Cat, so you decide what to do with it."

"Thanks, Hao! Thanks, class president!"

"All right, time is short. We need to hurry and find a rare demonic beast."