The night passed without incident, broken only by the occasional, drawn-out roar of an unknown monster outside the window.
Luo Feng never truly slept.
He devoted all his attention to studying the secret technique and replaying the details of the previous day's battles.
In the early morning, the first ray of sunlight shone through the broken window frame into the dusty room.
Luo Feng quietly rose and stretched his slightly stiff body.
He walked up to the damaged balcony door in the second bedroom.
He pushed it open with a creak.
A cold, damp wind carrying a faint smell of decay immediately struck his face.
Winter had arrived.
The morning air was piercingly cold.
It instantly banished the last traces of drowsiness, leaving Luo Feng refreshed.
He stood at the edge of the twelfth-floor balcony and looked down.
Below lay the wreckage of overturned vehicles and overgrown vegetation.
And those wandering monsters.
In this area alone, as far as he could see, there were twelve monsters of various shapes.
Three of them were enormous, and the energy fluctuations emanating from their bodies far surpassed those of the Beast Soldier Level monsters around them.
They were Beast General-level Monsters!
Luo Feng felt no fear as he stroked the cold Blood Shadow Battle Blade in his hand.
Instead, an indescribable excitement and fighting spirit welled up inside him.
Teacher was right!
Only under the pressure of real life and death, in actual combat where the blade licks blood,
Could I gain a deeper understanding of blade techniques.
That half hour of close calls yesterday, followed by most of the night spent calmly sorting through it all,
Had brought him gains in a single day comparable to ten days of sitting in the training room!
As thoughts filled Luo Feng's mind, soft footsteps sounded behind him.
Gao Feng, Chen Gu, Wei Tie, and Wei Qing had also finished preparing and walked over.
They had given the most valuable materials from the Iron Armored Boar some basic treatment.
And temporarily stored them in a corner of this relatively safe base.
"Brothers."
Gao Feng's voice was not loud, but it carried a weighty force.
"We've rested enough. Time to go out and make some money!"
"That's what I've been waiting to hear, Captain!"
Wei Tie grinned and hefted his weapon.
"There are so many monsters in this godforsaken place. They're all money!"
Chen Gu checked his sniper rifle's magazine, his eyes shining.
Luo Feng also turned and nodded to his teammates.
His morning reflection came to an end.
The half-month hunt had officially begun.
Over the days that followed, the Fire Hammer Squad used the twelfth-floor apartment as a temporary base.
They went out hunting by day and returned to rest at night.
Like a finely tuned killing machine, they moved through the outskirts of the Vanke Dream City residential complex.
Every day was filled with danger and battle.
Beast General-level Monsters were no rarity here, and they often appeared in groups.
Under the pressure, the squad members' teamwork grew increasingly seamless.
Gao Feng's command was steady and decisive, and Chen Gu's long-range sniping was precise and deadly.
Luo Feng, meanwhile, gradually became the sharpest blade in the squad.
And its most reliable early-warning radar.
His secret as a Spirit Reader had already been exposed to his teammates when they faced the Silver Moon Fierce Wolf in County 0201.
Now, in City 003, where danger lurked on every side, he had even less need to hide it.
His perception, far beyond that of ordinary people, had warned the squad of danger countless times.
Allowing them to avoid unnecessary battles or take up advantageous ambush positions.
What surprised his teammates even more was the improvement in Luo Feng's blade techniques.
His blade grew faster and struck from increasingly tricky angles.
He could often strike from an inconceivable angle and land a fatal blow on a monster.
That fierce, precise style, intent on killing in a single strike,
Was noticeably different from before.
Although Luo Feng explained that it was a breakthrough under pressure and the result of his previous training,
Gao Feng and the others could still sense it.
There seemed to be an indescribable artistic conception in Luo Feng's blade techniques.
Half a month flew by amid tense battles and brief periods of rest.
Their gains were astonishing as well.
On average, they successfully hunted more than ten Beast General-level Monsters each day.
They carefully treated a large quantity of valuable materials.
And temporarily stockpiled them in the rooms at their base.
New scratches and bloodstains had appeared on everyone's combat suits.
But their gazes grew sharper, and their auras more concentrated.
That morning, the squad took their spoils
And returned to the base.
Everyone gathered in the relatively spacious living room and began processing them.
A faint smell of blood and sweat lingered in the air, but stronger still was the satisfaction of their gains.
"We had good luck this morning. That Golden-Eyed Leopard Cat's pelt is in very good condition. It should fetch a good price."
Wei Tie carefully wiped a piece of hide marked with strange patterns, a smile on his face.
Gao Feng placed several pieces of valuable Beast General-level material into a specially made sealed bag.
He looked up at Luo Feng, who was silently wiping his battle blade, approval in his eyes:
"Luo Feng, you've improved a lot over the past half month. Your blade techniques are getting fiercer and fiercer."
Luo Feng stopped what he was doing, looked up, and smiled:
"It's all thanks to you and the others guiding me, Captain. The pressure forced it out of me."
"Quit being modest, kid," Wei Qing said with a laugh.
"The way I see it, before long, you'll be the one carrying the Fire Hammer Squad's banner."
Just as the atmosphere in the living room was relaxed and everyone was processing their spoils,
"Captain! Come and look!"
From the balcony, Chen Gu, who was standing guard, suddenly called out urgently in a lowered voice.
There was unmistakable shock and tension in his tone.
The relaxed atmosphere froze in an instant.
Gao Feng, Luo Feng, and the others immediately put down what they were holding.
They gathered at the balcony quickly and silently.
Through the broken glass and gaps in the window, they looked down in the direction Chen Gu was pointing.
Some hundred meters away below, an enormous creature was slowly slithering past.
It was a snake monster, but far larger than an ordinary snake.
As thick as a bucket, its entire body was covered in gleaming black scales with a metallic sheen.
Most chilling of all, two savage heads grew from its neck!
"Double-Headed Black-Line Snake!"
Gao Feng sucked in a cold breath, his voice extremely low.
"Judging by its size, it's definitely at the Advanced Beast General Level!"
"And look at the slightly raised horny layer on its forehead and those faint dark-red markings."
"That beast is probably close to transforming into a flood dragon. It might be only one step away from the Horde Leader Level!"
An Advanced Beast General Level Double-Headed Black-Line Snake that was close to becoming a flood dragon!
The air on the balcony seemed to freeze, leaving only the sound of everyone breathing.
"Do we go for it?"
His gaze fell on Luo Feng.
In Gao Feng's eyes, there was fear, but even more than that, excitement and greed at facing a powerful enemy.
A Double-Headed Black-Line Snake approaching the Horde Leader Level was worth an immeasurable amount!
Most of the Fire Hammer Squad's fighting strength came from Luo Feng alone.
If Luo Feng agreed, they could fight it.
If Luo Feng was unwilling, they could only let it go.
Now that the choice was his, Luo Feng did not hesitate in the slightest.
His own physical abilities had reached the Advanced Warlord level over the past few days.
Did he need to think twice about fighting a Warlord monster that wasn't even at the Horde Leader Level?
"Let's do it!"
Luo Feng said seriously.