Zheng Tian leapt down lightly and landed steadily.
Ren Zhong was the last to exit.
His armor was pitted with corrosion damage, and the Shock Dagger and steel cable round shield, each worth 300 points, were long gone.
"Brother Ren, did that thing chase us out?"
Zheng Tian quickly asked.
Ren Zhong shook his head, "No. Let’s go, we should head back first."
En route, everyone took an inventory of their harvest.
Just in the morning, they had obtained a total of 27 Second Level crystal chips and 9 Third Level chips, which was a tremendous score.
But it wasn’t all good news.
It proved true that "if you often walk by the river, your shoes will get wet."
Ten minutes earlier, the group abruptly encountered a Level Four Ruined Beast deep in the pit, known as the Crystalized Pangolin.
This creature wasn’t large, merely a man’s height, but it possessed outstanding offensive and defensive capabilities, feasting on common ants, Second Level Ruined Beast copper ants, metallic worms, and other creatures.
Besides its virtually impenetrable scales, it also had a long tongue reaching up to five meters, coated with highly corrosive slime at the tip.
The group swiftly decided to flee.
Ren Zhong covered the rear while the others advanced first.
The team fought while retreating, nearly escaping the cave into daylight when the Crystalized Pangolin finally gave up on its prey and rushed back.
Ren Zhong was fine, but the others were already quite alarmed.
Though it was still early, Ren Zhong’s damaged equipment made it necessary to return to the town.
On the way back, Zheng Tian tentatively suggested: "Today’s haul is already quite good, so maybe... we try again tomorrow?"
Ren Zhong shook his head, "No, my armor only needs new outer armor plates, which are quick to repair. We’ll go back, find Ju Qingmeng to buy new equipment, and rest. Also, remember to restock ammunition and supplies. I’ll get some more accessories this time, prepare some new things, and then we’ll return to deal with the Crystalized Pangolin."
"What?" Zheng Tian exclaimed, "But that’s a Level Four Ruined Beast! It’s already lucky we escaped. Do we really have to go back?"
Ren Zhong smiled, "In my previous work, this was my approach. At first, I rushed blindly. When I hit a wall, I’d stop, feel the bruise on my forehead, and consider how bad it hurt and what kind of scar it left. Then I’d ponder what that difficulty really was like. Once I understood its form, I could figure out how to overcome it. That’s the principle for all things in the world. Anything that didn’t kill me on the first encounter will eventually become my prey."
He added a thought internally.
Actually, even the ones that killed me the first time still ended up as my prey.
Zheng Tian: "Huh?"
Ou Youning swallowed hard and hesitated, "Brother, I know you have lots of ideas. But even if we manage to kill the Crystalized Pangolin, forcibly extracting the crystal chips devalues them a lot, doesn’t it? It’s quite wasteful. Maybe we should build up a bit more strength first? You always said, ’stock up and fortify before claiming the throne,’ right?"
Ren Zhong shook his head, "You underestimate Chen Hanyu."
As he spoke, he patted Chen Hanyu’s shoulder in the front passenger seat, "You can do it, right?"
He was asking with feigned ignorance.
Chen Hanyu blushed and lowered her head, "I’ll... I’ll do my best. But there’s hope for a perfect extraction."