Chapter 11

"I want to become... a traveler of this world!"

【Seeking bookmarks, flowers, and reviews】

3. An eight-year-old body craving the nutrition of meat (3/10)

A gust of wind blew past.

Tree branches swayed, grass and leaves fluttered up into the air.

After Ma Ersi woke up, it was still evening, the sky covered in red clouds.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up. On the grass, Luo En had somehow found a thick wooden stick, and was swinging it with both hands, performing vertical chops over and over.

His black hair was already soaked through with sweat; no one knew how long he had been practicing.

Ma Ersi stared at him blankly.

Luo En caught sight of him from the corner of his eye, stopped, wiped the sweat from his forehead, then looked at him and smiled: "You're awake."

"Mm. After I fell asleep, you've been training until now?"

Ma Ersi asked blankly, staring at him.

"Mm, I guess so."

Hearing this, the look in Ma Ersi's eyes couldn't help but carry a trace of admiration, as if he were getting to know his own friend for the first time.

"I found some fruit. Consider it returning the favor for this morning's bread."

Luo En said as he smoothed his soaked hair upward, to keep it from blocking his view.

Only then did Ma Ersi notice a pile of fruit placed beside him.

He couldn't help but swallow, and his stomach growled at just the right moment.

He immediately picked up an apple and took big bites, saying between mouthfuls: "All this fruit—was it you who picked it, Luo En?"

"Mm."

Luo En continued swinging his stick.

"Where did you pick it? The fruit trees around here should've all been stripped clean."

Ma Ersi asked curiously.

"Mm… went a little way into the woods."

Ma Ersi's hand paused, and he looked at Luo En:

"Isn't that the place Old Man and Aunt Mary and the others forbade us from going? I heard there are fierce wild beasts roaming there. Luo En, you… went there?"

Luo En, still swinging his stick with his back to him, said nothing.

"If Old Man and Aunt Mary found out about this…"

Ma Ersi's hand holding the apple drooped down.

"Just don't tell them, won't that do."

"But…"

"Don't worry. I won't go again next time. Just this once."

"Then… alright."

…………

The next few days.

Luo En would get up at the crack of dawn, dash into the mountains and woods, and start training his body.

He'd come back for breakfast, then disappear together with Ma Ersi, and only return in the evening, drenched in sweat.

After a night's rest, the next morning he'd head out again, full of vigor…

This kind of life continued for ten-some days in a row.

During that time, Harris came looking for Luo En one morning to chat.

After learning of his desire to grow stronger,

Harris said nothing more.

This morning, after Luo En finished his basic training—200 push-ups—he checked his stats.

【Luo En.

Age: 8.

Qi and Blood Value: 21.

Sun Breathing Technique mastery 0% (not mastered).】

"Sixteen days of extreme training, and my Qi and Blood Value only went up by 3…"

Luo En was somewhat dissatisfied with this pace.

But in truth, for an eight-year-old child still in the early stages of physical development, this pace was already considered fast.

"The training intensity is enough. Although I can't yet run the Sun Breathing, just running part of it is enough to let me repair the fatigue and damage in my body's muscles at night."

"Right now, the main issue is this body's limitations are too great. Lacking nutritional supply, just relying on that bread and fruit isn't nearly enough for my consumption. I need meat! Lots of meat."

Luo En thought to himself.

But where would he get meat?

In the mountains, with his current strength it was still too dangerous; if he ran into a wild beast, he simply couldn't handle it.

The sea… also no good.

Looks like the only option is the river.

Luo En thought silently.

He needed to make a fishing tool as soon as possible.

A fishing rod, or would a fishing net be better?

As expected, fishing nets are better; fishing rods are a bit time-consuming.

As for materials, let's go look around the junkyard...

"Luo En."

A voice startled Luo En from his thoughts.

He turned his head to look.

A tall, rough-looking man with a beard all over his face and a big sack on his back was standing by the road.

"Uncle Brian."

Luo En called out in some surprise.

He was Old Man Harris's close friend, a fisherman in the city.

"What are you doing here? Is Harris home?"

Brian said, walking toward him.

"Old Man's gone to the city, not at home."

As Brian drew near, Luo En immediately smelled a strong fishy odor.

"Uncle Brian, is there something you need Old Man for?"

"Haha, nothing much, just that this trip out to sea brought in quite a haul, came by to bring him a fish."

Brian laughed.

Luo En's eyes lit up at the words.

He walked up to Brian, looked up at him, and said:

"Uncle Brian, do you happen to have any fishing nets you don't need?"

"Fishing nets I don't need..."

Brian was thrown off by his sudden question, then thought for a moment and said: "There are some torn-up, broken废弃 fishing nets in the warehouse, why do you ask?"

"Could you give them to me?"

Luo En said expectantly.

"I don't mind giving them, but what do you want those破烂 for?"

"Fishing."

"Fishing? That kind of broken net won't catch any fish. Forget it, since you want them, come by my place and get them later."

"Thanks, Uncle Brian. Oh right, please don't mention this to Old Man."

"Sure."