Chapter 26

"Peck it open here!"

Su Yang pointed at the gray-toothed rabbit's skull.

The Storm Eagle pecked twice with its sharp beak, piercing the rabbit's head and pulling out a gray core.

Strictly speaking, this was the Storm Eagle's second battle; it still didn't know where the beast core was located—it needed guidance from its beastmaster.

"Give me the core!"

The Storm Eagle showed no hesitation; it preferred wind-attribute cores. It released its grip, and the core fell into Su Yang's hand.

By the time the Storm Eagle finished eating, little meat remained on the gray-toothed rabbit.

Even if the Storm Eagle hadn't bitten into it, Su Yang didn't want to carry it.

A rabbit half a person's height instantly killed any thought of eating its head!

Su Yang, with the Storm Eagle, continued hunting nearby low-grade beasts!

"Ding~ Your pet Storm Eagle has killed a Black-Iron Low-Grade gray-toothed rabbit, +3 experience!"

"Ding~ Your pet Storm Eagle has killed a Black-Iron Mid-Grade gray-toothed rabbit, +10 experience!"

"Ding~ Your pet Storm Eagle has killed a Black-Iron Low-Grade black plague rat, +3 experience!"

"Ding~ Your pet Storm Eagle has killed a Black-Iron Low-Grade Magically Corrupted Cockroach, +3 experience!"

"…"

The Storm Eagle soared through the sky, overlooking the earth.

Its sharp eyes scanned the ground, and under the boost of its "Eagle Eye" talent, almost no prey could escape its gaze!

Once targeted by the Storm Eagle, prey had to face its lightning-fast ambush and a barrage of wind blades!

To Su Yang, the Storm Eagle was a flying, mobile artillery platform!

Because it had killed too many beasts, Su Yang had to abandon their corpses and simply harvest the cores.

"Ding~ Your pet Storm Eagle has killed a Black-Iron High-Grade gray-toothed rabbit, +30 experience!"

After killing this gray-toothed rabbit, Su Yang looked toward a figure on the distant hillside and waved at it; the figure waved back, then vanished.

Su Yang knew that figure was definitely an instructor's observer.

Looking at the sky, the sun sinking westward, Su Yang knew it was time to head back!

This Black-Iron High-Grade gray-toothed rabbit weighed two hundred kilograms; Su Yang grabbed its fur and forcibly hoisted it onto his shoulder.

After two body enhancements, Su Yang's strength had surpassed that of an ordinary adult.

It's just… the way back is a bit far!

Got too carried away with killing!

Su Yang had only taken a few steps when he suddenly felt lighter.

He looked up and saw the Storm Eagle standing on the rabbit's corpse, its claws dug in, flapping its wings to lighten his burden!

"This guy!"

Warmth filled his heart—he was moved.

At school, teachers had repeatedly taught that pet beasts weren't tools, but loyal battle partners worthy of a beastmaster's life and death; Su Yang now understood.

In the encampment, as dusk fell, the first-year students' squads began returning.

Since it was the first day of practical training, Li Meng and three practical training instructors stood at the camp gate, chatting quietly.

Li Meng said: "What do you think the kids will bring back?"

Tan Guo took a drag from his cigarette and smiled with half-closed eyes: "Maybe they'll bring back nothing…"

Li Meng's smile froze.

Xiong Changfeng didn't dampen Li Meng's spirits; he spoke up: "That seven-member squad might bring back a Black-Iron Mid-Grade beast corpse!"

"Someone's back!"

Li Meng saw Zhang Ruolin's three-member squad returning with a half-person-tall gray-toothed rabbit—its size suggested Black-Iron Low-Grade—and her smile returned.

Three rookie beastmasters, on their first battle, not injured and bringing back a beast—even a Black-Iron Low-Grade one—is already impressive!

"Teacher, hello!"

"Ah, Zhang Ruolin! Good! Good! Keep it up!"

"I will!"

Although Zhang Ruolin knew how cunning Li Meng was inside, their recent interactions had truly been good.

After Zhang Ruolin's squad returned, other squads began arriving one by one.

Those who returned early almost all carried some prey, mostly Black-Iron Low-Grade beasts.

The seven-member squad brought back a Black-Iron Mid-Grade black plague rat; though two students were injured, it caused a stir throughout the entire first-year class.

Xiong Changfeng asked: "Teacher Li Meng, are all first-year students accounted for?"

Tan Guo lit another cigarette and gazed at the sky: "I think there's still one left—the one with the big black bird!"

A big black bird?

Teacher Li Meng glanced at Tan Guo with a dazed look: "Right, Su Yang hasn't returned yet. His strength should be the strongest!"

Inside the supermarket, first-year students lined up to place their spoils on the counter.

"I want a blanket!"

"I want a shower!"

"I want food!"

"…"

The supermarket cashier smiled: "Take your time, one at a time!"

"Thank you for your patronage! One blanket requires one Low-Grade beast core!"

"Thank you for your patronage! Behind the supermarket is a bathroom; one low-grade ferocious beast core can be exchanged for five shower vouchers—hot water and shower gel included!"

"Thank you for your patronage! Our supermarket sells only instant food: one low-grade ferocious beast core can be exchanged for ten buckets of instant noodles and five kilograms of bread!"

"Ferocious beast cores and ferocious beast corpses can be used separately; cores and intact corpses hold equal value!"

"..."

"Damn, is this supermarket a black-market shop?"

"We've never seen such a shady place!"

"A ferocious beast corpse weighs a hundred kilograms, and you tell me it's worth only five kilograms of bread? Why don't you just rob us?"

"..."

Faced with these accusations, the supermarket cashier didn't care at all.

They were running a black-market shop to begin with!

Still, the pretense of legitimacy couldn't be torn away.

So the cashier put on a perfectly standard professional smile: "If you're dissatisfied with our pricing, you're free not to shop here!"