Chapter 70: First Encounter

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: First Encounter

’This exam... seems a bit easier than I imagined, doesn’t it?’

After half a day, Li Heng felt that neither the soul beasts he’d encountered nor the "tests" presented by the climate and terrain were particularly difficult. In fact, he’d had a relatively easy time.

Though he felt it was easy, Li Heng didn’t let it get to his head and continued to go about his tasks in an orderly manner.

After gathering firewood, Li Heng stripped off his soaked school uniform and laid it out by the fire to dry. He set some damp wood to dry beside it as well.

He placed his Empty Cicada Longsword within easy reach of his right hand, ready for anything. Stuck in the ground nearby were two smoothly sharpened wooden sticks.

He was roasting wild chicken and rabbit legs over the fire for lunch.

Before entering the Desolate Moon Islands, Li Heng had considered two potential problems: a shortage of fresh water and his fire-starter wearing out.

So he had spent 100 Soul Energy points to upgrade each of them.

Name: Bandit Chieftain’s Waterskin

Type: Soul Energy Items

Rarity: Rare

Effects:

1. Any liquid stored inside can be infused with Soul Energy.

2. Ordinary liquid stored inside has a very low chance of generating Soul Energy Spirit Liquid.

3. Soul Energy-infused liquid stored inside has a low chance of generating Soul Energy Spirit Liquid.

4. Capacity: 1500ml.

[Consume 1,000 Soul Energy to upgrade this item?]

——

Name: Fire Army Flint

Type: Soul Energy Items

Rarity: Rare

Effects:

1. Starts and kindles fires.

2. When used to cook ordinary food, the flames have an extremely high chance of enhancing the food’s aroma.

3. When used to cook ingredients containing Soul Energy, the flames have a very low chance of increasing their Soul Energy and related attributes.

[Consume 1,000 Soul Energy to upgrade this item?]

After spending 200 Soul Energy points to upgrade these two utility items, Li Heng felt he had made a killing.

Putting everything else aside, Li Heng thought the roasted rabbit and chicken legs smelled absolutely incredible.

For a moment, Li Heng even thought that if he used this Fire Army Flint to open a barbecue stand after he got out of here, he’d have people lining up for a late-night snack.

If he really did open a barbecue stand, it would surely become the public enemy of everyone trying to lose weight by jogging at night!

Li Heng was just idly daydreaming about whether his barbecue stand would be a hit, but the aroma was real enough to attract an ordinary wild wolf.

However, before Li Heng could even move, the moment the wolf saw him, it took off, running faster than it ever had in its entire life!

The wolf had been drawn in by the smell of roasting meat, but the sight of the naked human before it struck a terror deep in its soul.

It spun around and fled without a moment’s hesitation!

Li Heng was already used to this. After all, he’d seen wolves flee from him plenty of times. Back in the Wolf King Mountain Dungeon, the scattered Blood Wolves would bolt at incredible speeds the moment they saw him.

Aside from the wolf, a few other ordinary animals approached, but without exception, Li Heng cut them all down with a swing of his sword and tossed their bodies far away.

When the meat was finally cooked, Li Heng raised his waterskin, took a small sip of water, and prepared to dig in.

"Aaaah! Per...vert...!"

!!!

Just as he was about to take a bite of the golden, glistening rabbit leg, a piercing shriek suddenly assaulted his ears. Li Heng instinctively dropped the leg and snatched up his Empty Cicada Longsword.

Hm?

’Whoa... that’s... a bit much!!!’

Sword in hand, Li Heng rose to his feet and instinctively looked toward the source of the voice, only to find himself completely dumbfounded.

Twenty meters away stood a girl, also in a school uniform. But when it came to her figure...

To make a rough comparison, if Bai Shasha was an airfield with a runway, then this girl had built a skyscraper. He wasn’t even sure a D-cup would do her justice.

’Wait a minute!’

’Hold on...’

The girl was covering her eyes with her left hand and holding a long saber in her right, which was pointed directly at him. As he watched her, Li Heng suddenly had a very important realization.

’His uniform had gotten soaked in the rain earlier. So, after gathering firewood, he had stripped it all off to dry by the fire.’

’Though he wasn’t *completely* naked. After all, to make sure he could move at a moment’s notice, he’d kept his shoes on.’

"Hey... uh... Classmate, wait! My clothes got soaked in the rain!"

"Pervert!" the girl shrieked, her voice still high-pitched. Hearing Li Heng speak only seemed to agitate her more.

’This is too much!’

Li Heng’s eyesight had always been good, and after becoming a Soul Apprentice, it was sharp enough to clearly make out the attacking claws of every single wolf in a pack of Blood Wolves.

The girl nearby was breathing heavily from agitation, and Li Heng’s enhanced vision clearly registered the resulting earthquake from the "skyscraper."

’This is supposed to be an exam! Keep it PG!’

"Classmate! Please, calm down! I’m not a pervert! You know what, forget it. Why don’t... you just leave? I was here first. Or... you could just wait a minute!"

Li Heng felt his uniform pants. They were still a little damp, so he called out to the girl with the saber.

"Well... you... just hurry up and put your clothes on!"

"Just a second!"

Li Heng shook his head slightly at the misunderstanding. ’I really didn’t think someone would show up while I was just drying my clothes, let alone a female classmate!’

’Who could possibly resist looking in this situation!?’

「Half a minute later.」

"Okay, I’m dressed! You can open your eyes now, classmate!"

Hearing Li Heng’s voice, the saber-wielding girl skeptically moved her hand away. She peeked through her fingers, squinting to confirm that he was indeed clothed before finally lowering her hand completely.

Li Heng thought the atmosphere would be a bit awkward and was about to say something to break the tension, but before he could speak...

...the girl with the saber started walking toward him with an accusatory look on her face.

’Sigh...’

Seeing her approach so aggressively, Li Heng figured she must still be misunderstanding things. ’I already told her it was because of the rain,’ he thought with a sigh. ’Oh well. For the sake of her amazing figure, I guess I can explain it one more time.’

Li Heng didn’t lower his Empty Cicada Longsword, raising it slightly in a ready defensive stance. He waited for the saber-wielding girl to get closer before he planned to explain.

"So, uh, it really was just the rain. If you don’t believe me, you can feel..."

"Were you the one grilling something just now? It smells incredible! Yes, yes, that’s the smell! How did you get this chicken leg to smell so fragrant? It’s amazing!"

Li Heng: ???