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墨書 Inktalez
Not long after Fang Lin Kong and his group returned, a commotion erupted in the square in front of the castle. Most of the candidates present witnessed two individuals dragging back a haul that resembled a small mountain. These two were disheveled, clearly having endured a grueling battle.
Regardless of the time or place, outstanding warriors are always the objects of admiration. Soon enough, some people approached to strike up a conversation.
The leader among the two was a chubby figure, with flickering flames surrounding him, indicating his considerable skill in fire magic. Upon noticing the crowd gathering, he became even more smug. However, just as he was about to boast, the chatter from the onlookers brought him back to the sobering reality.
He couldn't understand what the other candidates were saying.
This duo was Wen Yi and his companion. Coincidentally, just as Fang Lin Kong's group departed, Wen Yi and his friend, looking disheveled and weary, embarked on their own journey back to the castle. As a result, the corpses of the Flame-Tailed Wolves discarded by Fang Lin Kong became their trophies. Wen Yi was an avid gamer with an extensive understanding of game manuals, practically at an expert level.
Thus, he immediately recognized the value of these Flame-Tailed Wolves, equivalent to purchasing a large quantity of equipment. He and Chen Mingbin fought tooth and nail to drag back over a hundred Flame-Tailed Wolves to the castle. They endured countless hardships along the way but refused to abandon their hard-won prize.
The rules of this world were quite peculiar; spiritual energy burned like flames in water—impossible to release. However, physical goods could flow freely. Therefore, the pelts and meat of these Flame-Tailed Wolves could fetch a good price in Earth's underground Dark World. Any magical beasts hunted by candidates could also be sold for real-world currency based on their level.
The officials overseeing this exam had not established any game currency for this world; instead, euros served as the circulating currency. If they returned to reality, they were allowed to take any items or wealth obtained here with them. Furthermore, they could exchange these for any form of currency recognized worldwide.
Because of this, they could purchase equipment from the Demon Hunting Team within Zero Boiling Point. If they had enough money, the examination authorities could even order high-priced powerful weapons from the black market on their behalf.
Wen Yi had always been one to flaunt his achievements; having captured so many trophies naturally made him feel elated. However, since the Demon Hunter exam was co-hosted by the Demon Hunting Team and the American Exorcist Guild, most candidates hailed from European and American countries. Very few understood Chinese. Wen Yi had plenty of bragging rights but no one to boast to.
This feeling of isolation gnawed at the chubby boy's heart like an itch he couldn't scratch.
Fortunately, the examiners were mostly proficient in several languages. When Wen Yi and his companions sold the Flame-Tailed Wolf, they encountered no obstacles.
This examination was primarily designed to train candidates in practical experience, unlike certain countries where the authorities exploit exams as a pretext to extort money from students. The Flame-Tailed Wolf that Wen Yi and his team sold was purchased at the international market price, with no deductions based on quality.
The fur of the Flame-Tailed Wolf was exceptionally thick and beautifully unique, three times more valuable than the most expensive mink fur on Earth. A single pelt was worth around one hundred sixty euros, and considering some pelts were damaged, selling a hundred of them amounted to a transaction worth thirteen thousand euros. This price left the lucky duo exhilarated, unable to recover for quite some time.
Before long, Wen Yi and Chen Mingbin finished dividing their spoils and began to act extravagantly, inquiring about available transportation options for purchase.
The examiner, amused by their enthusiasm, casually tossed them a price list. It detailed the latest wholesale prices for various cars in the European market. After reviewing it for a while, Wen Yi and his team’s spirits dampened. Not only was the terrain here complex—making it impossible to navigate without an off-road vehicle—but they also couldn't afford any of the listed expenses.
Wen Yi quietly discussed with the examiner whether there were any cheap used cars available. The examiner replied dismissively, “As the largest car dealer in Europe, how could I sell refurbished second-hand cars? That would ruin my business credibility. I typically serve high-profile individuals; low-priced cars do not align with the identity of modern successful businesspeople. What profit could there be in such unremarkable items? Therefore, I do not deal in them!”
Wen Yi was left speechless but couldn’t find any words to save face. They ended up purchasing several hundred energy bullets, backpacks, tents, and other supplies before leaving. With their newfound wealth, they didn’t forget to prepare something for Fang Lin Kong as well. They hadn’t found him that morning and hoped to team up together this time.
Wen Yi, whose surname was Rash, immediately went with Chen Mingbin to knock on Fang Lin Kong's door. Fang Lin Kong was half-asleep, dreaming of battling beasts when he was startled awake by the knocking.
Upon realizing he was in a room within an ancient castle, he suppressed his surging Silver Flame Qi and lazily opened the door.
Wen Yi and Chen Mingbin burst in, finally finding someone to talk to. Wen Yi immediately began recounting their exploits. However, knowing that Fang Lin Kong wouldn’t believe their claim of slaying a hundred Flame-Tailed Wolves, he decided to rely on luck instead.
Fang Lin Kong’s eyes widened as he listened; he had planned to rest for a few days before checking on his own spoils. Although they might not still be there, there was still hope. Hearing that Wen Yi had taken advantage of their success infuriated him; he lifted Wen Yi off the ground and demanded his share.
When Wen Yi heard Fang Lin Kong recount his battle experiences—struggling hard only to have his efforts overshadowed—he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. This display only further enraged Fang Lin Kong until nearby candidates complained about the noise. Finally, Fang Lin Kong relented and set Wen Yi down but not without imposing several conditions.
The three friends were reunited at last and casually sat in the room sharing their experiences with one another.
The castle-like room was extremely spacious, but because of its size, the furniture appeared sparse.
Fang Lin Kong sprawled across the large bed without any decorum. Wen Yi sat on the sofa, while Chen Mingbin leaned against the window, gazing dreamily at the blue sky outside.
As Fang Lin Kong spoke about seeing the deceased candidates, he was surprised to learn that Wen Yi and the others had also witnessed several other incidents. Every year, a significant number of candidates died during this examination, and this particular stage had the highest mortality rate. Fang Lin Kong felt quite worried upon hearing this, but he realized he was not much better off than Wen Yi and Chen Mingbin. His claims of looking after his friends felt like empty words.
Due to Fang Lin Kong's injuries and Ye Lisha's insistence, their group of five did not prepare food supplies or weapons like other candidates before heading out to hunt magical beasts.
Instead, they spent ten days training in the castle. The unicorn that Ye Lisha acquired was sold to another candidate for six thousand euros, making their group relatively wealthy compared to others.
The equipment available for purchase here was akin to Psycho Weapons in reality, so Ye Lisha carefully compiled an equipment list and submitted it to the Equipment Distribution Center.
When Wen Yi saw this equipment list, he was quite displeased with Ye Lisha's unilateral decisions.
While they gathered in Fang Lin Kong's room to discuss their departure time, Wen Yi erupted in frustration.
"Why is my Flame Sword crossed off? And why are these completely useless items added instead?"
Ye Lisha coldly smiled and replied, "What do you need the Flame Sword for? To show off? Tell me what here is useless? Food? Water? Backpacks? Detectors? Or the Land God Talisman for returning to town?"
Wen Yi countered, "We don't need that much water; there will definitely be springs along the way that we can use anytime. Besides, yours is so expensive—do you think it's a Centaur or Moutai?"
Ye Lisha glanced at the smiling Fang Lin Kong and mockingly said, "This isn't tap water! It's high-quality spring water enhanced with special spells that can restore spiritual energy! Are you really going to haggle over water that helps recover your stamina? After a battle, don't we need to replenish our strength? Last time we were exhausted by the Flame-Tailed Wolf and fell prey to the Eerie Dark Phantom. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been such a tough fight!"
"Wen Yi" argued confidently, "That's just an exception! You won't always encounter such dangerous situations."
"Ye Lisha," furious, refused to speak to "Wen Yi" any longer and turned to "Fang Lin Kong," saying, "Fang Lin Kong, you tell us, what should we do?"
"Wen Yi" continued with fervor, "Fang Lin Kong! This is about whether you choose brotherhood or beauty. Don't forget your roots!"
"Chen Mingbin" remained silent, his expression quite complex.
"Fang Lin Kong" chuckled and said, "Is this little matter worth arguing over? Whoever earns the money can spend it as they wish; why should anyone interfere? Wen Yi, you decide what to buy. But I must state in advance that my share will be managed by Ye Lisha."
Upon hearing the first part of "Fang Lin Kong's" statement, "Wen Yi" was still smug, but when he heard the latter part, his expression turned sour.
"Fang Lin Kong, you can't do this! Isn't this equivalent to abandoning your brother? My share isn't even enough to buy the Flame Sword! Even if we count Chen Mingbin's share, what about our equipment? We can't go without food!"
"Fang Lin Kong" grinned and replied, "You still remember brotherhood!? I thought you had forgotten all about it. If you buy the Flame Sword, you'll be happy. But our equipment will have to be cut back significantly. You're asking everyone to sacrifice for your own benefit!"
"Wen Yi" retorted defiantly, "The game relies on equipment! If I buy the Flame Sword, my strength will increase significantly; isn't that beneficial for everyone?"
With a swift motion, "Fang Lin Kong" reached out and before "Wen Yi" could process what was happening, he was thrown onto the bed.
Everyone blinked in surprise; "Fang Lin Kong" stood casually to one side as if he hadn't moved a muscle.
He addressed the now-irritated "Wen Yi," who had just gotten back up, saying, "You fool! Do you really think this is just a game? Here, strength comes from skill, not equipment! Look at what you've done these past ten days. You haven't improved at all; you can't even withstand one of my moves. We all start from the same point here!"
Wen Yi rubbed his head and shouted, "Who doesn't know you're so peculiar! Of course, I can't compare to you! We'll be stuck under your thumb for life, never able to surpass you! Didn't Old Horse just go back because he didn't even qualify to take the formal exam? You just can't stand to see us doing better than you!"
As soon as Wen Yi said this, Fang Lin Kong's expression changed, but he didn't say anything. He merely raised an eyebrow at Wen Yi, nodded coldly, and walked away.
Wen Yi immediately regretted his words. However, he couldn't bring himself to apologize to Fang Lin Kong. Instead, Chen Mingbin walked gently past him and whispered in his ear, "Fang Lin Kong is right; you've hardly done anything these past ten days. Let me tell you, a day of training here is worth a month of hard work outside, or even more. The Flame Sword not only doesn't help you but also drags everyone down. Have you thought about how dangerous it is to use fire magic in the forest?"
Wen Yi was already feeling quite unhappy, and Chen Mingbin's words made him explode with anger.
"Fine! If I'm dragging everyone down, then let's all act separately! That way, we won't make it difficult for anyone!"
Wen Yi turned and walked away. Seeing this, Chen Mingbin hurried after him. Fang Lin Kong was still fuming and showed no sign of stopping.
Lin Yu and Ye Lisha felt awkward about the situation but knew they hadn't done anything wrong. It was out of the question for these two proud girls to apologize to Wen Yi.
Once Wen Yi left the room, he ignored Chen Mingbin's calls. It wasn't until Chen Mingbin caught up that he angrily said, "Fang Lin Kong looks down on us! Old Chen, let's just do our own thing. Do we really have to rely on Fang Lin Kong to protect us?"
Chen Mingbin felt uneasy but didn't dare to advise Wen Yi at that moment.
As they walked through the ancient castle, suddenly a girl with a long braid blocked their path. She smiled at Wen Yi and said, "Hello! You two handsome guys! Our team is recruiting members; would you like to join us? We are the Dark Alliance, currently the largest team around. Having so many members is a strong guarantee for safety and completing missions."
Just as Chen Mingbin was about to refuse, Wen Yi had already spoken up, "Sure! Beautiful lady, we're willing to join, but what benefits does your Dark Alliance offer? If there's nothing at all, we won't join. You should know that with our skills, many people would want us on their team."
The Braided Girl smiled slightly and replied, "Our captain said that anyone willing to join will receive a Psycho Weapon as a gift. As long as it's priced under ten thousand euros, you can choose any!"
Wen Yi was instantly stunned and hurriedly asked, "One item per person, ten thousand euros for a Psycho Weapon. How does your captain have such abundant funds? Even if we managed to get over a hundred Flame-Tailed Wolves, we wouldn't be so bold as to say that!"
The Braided Girl's eyes sparkled with admiration when she heard Wen Yi mention her own achievements. With a look of adoration, her tone shifted to a sweet, almost childlike lilt. She smiled and said, "So it's you two! Our captain mentioned that there are seventeen candidates worth his attention in this exam, and you two are among them. In this sea of thousands of candidates, those who earn our captain's praise are truly remarkable!"
Wen Yi felt elated by the compliment and immediately replied, "As long as I can get my hands on a Flame Sword, I'm willing to join your team!"
At this moment, Chen Mingbin realized he couldn't stop Wen Yi's impulsiveness and remained silent. The Braided Girl cheerfully led the two toward the south side of the ancient castle, continuously asking how Wen Yi had managed to kill so many Flame-Tailed Wolves. Her words made Wen Yi feel even more buoyant, causing him to forget the unpleasant argument he had with Fang Lin Kong.
Chen Mingbin observed thoughtfully. Although the seemingly innocent Braided Girl didn't appear to seek the spotlight at school, she was certainly not as gullible as Wen Yi. After ten days of intense training, Chen Mingbin's Wind Element magic had returned to about thirty percent of its normal state, and his Spiritual Awareness had significantly improved. He could sense that the aura surrounding the Braided Girl was definitely not weaker than theirs; in fact, it might even be slightly stronger.
This wasn't surprising; here, everyone was equal. They all started from nothing in their training, making it difficult to distinguish levels at the beginning. Only later on would differences in talent and personal cultivation methods reveal who was a genius and who was not.
What puzzled Chen Mingbin was that this candidate of such caliber should have been able to gauge their combat abilities just as he could assess hers. Yet the Braided Girl seemed completely unaware of their true capabilities, which made Chen Mingbin wary.
"Could she have some ulterior motive? Wen Yi is too impulsive!"
Unbeknownst to Chen Mingbin, while he pondered these thoughts, the Braided Girl wore a sly smile that neither of them noticed.
Two days had passed since leaving the ancient castle, and Fang Lin Kong had been feeling somewhat downcast. Wen Yi and Chen Mingbin had left without saying goodbye; although he was extremely annoyed, he was also very worried. Throughout their journey, Lin Yu and Ye Lisha had few opportunities to take action. Fang Lin Kong usually charged ahead when encountering magical beasts, venting his frustrations freely.
(To be continued)
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