Sequence, level up!

"Fire Rotbird? How did the two of you manage to kill this Ranked Fierce Beast together?"

At the Hope Convoy, Zhao Chunfeng's eyes widened when he saw the strange bird's carcass Luo Fan had brought back, and he cried out in surprise.

"Ranked?" Luo Fan gave Zhao Chunfeng a questioning look.

"Luo Fan, you know that people who awaken a sequence are divided into levels. For example, you were Lv1 when you first awakened, while I'm Lv10. Once you pass level 10, you enter the Professional Sequence."

"Likewise, Fierce Beasts are classified according to their strength."

"For example, even ordinary people might be able to kill the small Fierce Beasts we usually encounter. Combat-type sequence users have an even better chance."

"But Fierce Beasts that have Entered the Rank are different. Just like Professional Sequence users, Ranked Fierce Beasts all possess wondrous abilities of their own."

"If I had to describe them, something like the demonic beasts, magical beasts, or monsters of ancient legends would be more fitting."

"Take this Fire Rotbird. Because it has Entered the Rank, its body is so tough that even a level 10 melee sequence user might not measure up."

"What's more, it can breathe flames."

"Normally, only a Professional Sequence user might be able to handle it."

Knowing that Luo Fan had only just awakened and understood none of this, Zhao Chunfeng explained it to him.

"In short, it's a Fierce Beast on par with a Professional Sequence user, right?" Luo Fan summarized after hearing Zhao Chunfeng's explanation.

"Exactly. Ranked Fierce Beasts and ordinary Fierce Beasts are entirely different things. Even if the downpour limited its flight and flames, the two of you still shouldn't have been able to kill it together."

Zhao Chunfeng nodded, an inquisitive look on his face. He was clearly curious about how Luo Fan and Niu Dagang had managed to defeat a Ranked Fierce Beast above their level.

"We weren't actually the ones who killed this Fire Rotbird. We only helped a tiny bit."

Lying down while Xiao Wang treated the wound on his chest, Niu Dagang scratched his neck and spoke with some embarrassment.

"What exactly happened?" Zhao Chunfeng gave Luo Fan a questioning look.

Luo Fan hid nothing and told Zhao Chunfeng about the sequence user named Lian Ziqiong.

"In that case, we really did have a scare without coming to harm. A Professional Sequence user? Luckily, she didn't mean us any harm. Otherwise, we would've been in danger."

Hearing that Luo Fan and the others had actually encountered a Professional Sequence user left Zhao Chunfeng feeling some lingering fear.

In this post-apocalyptic world, supplies were scarce, and when two convoys encountered each other, raiding the other for supplies was common.

After all, taking supplies from weaker enemies felt more reassuring than facing unknown anomalies.

"Actually, judging by how Lian Ziqiong killed the first Fire Rotbird but couldn't kill the second, I think she must have reached her limit. She might even have been injured," Luo Fan said, offering his conjecture.

"Yes, you have a point. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so generous as to give us a Fire Rotbird carcass." Zhao Chunfeng nodded in agreement.

"Um, what use is this Fire Rotbird carcass? Can we eat it?" Luo Fan asked curiously after hearing that.

"Aside from a few special exceptions, most ordinary Fierce Beasts aren't edible. Their bodies contain strange substances, and if ordinary people absorb them, they'll undergo uncontrollable mutations."

"But Fierce Beasts that have Entered the Rank are different. Perhaps because they're so powerful, they've already expelled the toxic substances in their bodies."

"There's another thing, too. The meat of Ranked beasts contains their own energy. Eating it helps sequence users grow stronger," Zhao Chunfeng explained.

So that was it!

Hearing Zhao Chunfeng's words, Luo Fan finally understood. In that case, leaving them a Fire Rotbird carcass really had been a favor on Lian Ziqiong's part.

After their brief conversation, they processed the Fire Rotbird carcass, yielding about fifteen jin of meat and bones.

They gave Zhao Chunfeng three jin, leaving twelve jin for Luo Fan and Niu Dagang to split evenly.

The Hope Convoy set off again. After a little over an hour of travel, the rain gradually stopped.

After another three hours or so, the convoy stopped at the foot of an unnamed mountain. According to Zhao Chunfeng's divination, they could rest here tonight until noon tomorrow.

This rare chance for a long rest made everyone in the Hope Convoy very happy.

After all, traveling through the downpour for so long had left everyone exhausted. A few ordinary people were even feeling unwell and thought they might be getting sick.

Still, the downpour hadn't been without its benefits.

Drawing on their experience, the people of the Hope Convoy had collected plenty of rainwater during the downpour, a rare source of water for the survivors.

After several hours of heavy rain, many of them probably wouldn't have to worry about a shortage of water for the next five or six days.

Xiao Wang was preparing dinner, generously using two jin of Fire Rotbird bones to make a pot of broth.

Naturally, Luo Fan and Niu Dagang ate together, each taking out two jin of meat to roast over the fire.

Luo Fan also took out a jin of rice, which Xiao Wang cooked into a pot of rice.

Once the food was ready, Xiao Wang sat to one side with a bowl of rice and a bowl of broth, eating with relish.

Although he wasn't a sequence user, broth made from the bones of a Ranked beast was very beneficial to ordinary people as well.

Niu Dagang even took the initiative to set aside two bowls of broth, letting the other survivors trade supplies for them.

The survivors who had felt unwell after walking through the downpour knew the consequences would be unthinkable if they really fell sick, so they offered some supplies in exchange.

Although it looked like a trade, Luo Fan could tell that Niu Dagang was actually trying to help others as much as he could. Luo Fan saw nothing wrong with this kindness, exercised within limits and with boundaries.

Besides, wasn't that why he felt comfortable teaming up with Niu Dagang?

Once the roast meat was done, Luo Fan and Niu Dagang each had a large bowl of rice and their own two jin of roasted meat.

The rice was fragrant, but the roast meat tasted merely average.

As Zhao Chunfeng put it, the "rot" in Fire Rotbird said it all. How good could the meat of a Fierce Beast that liked eating carrion, much like a vulture, possibly be?

If eating it hadn't helped him grow stronger, Luo Fan really wouldn't have wanted to eat it.

In the apocalypse, everything gave way to survival and growing stronger.

Forcing himself, Luo Fan ate the two jin of roast meat, using the large bowl of rice to help mask the Fierce Beast Meat's taste.

With his belly stuffed, Luo Fan lay down in the vehicle early.

As he digested the Fierce Beast Meat, Luo Fan felt warmth steadily spreading from his abdomen through his limbs and body. It was like soaking in a hot spring, extremely comfortable.

"Check-in successful. Received 10 yuan. Balance: 20 yuan."

At midnight, the check-in notification arrived right on schedule.

Luo Fan opened his eyes. He hadn't spent yesterday's money, so he had accumulated twenty yuan now. Was it time to buy something!?

Bzzz-

Just then, an invisible ripple suddenly spread from Luo Fan's body, as though some barrier had been broken through.

Something stirred within Luo Fan, and he understood that his strength had increased.

Assassination Sequence, Lv2.