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墨書 Inktalez
The empty sun hung in the sky like a massive grinding wheel, each ray of light and heat moving silently like a scythe, unknowingly harvesting the darkness and cold hidden within the earth's time, as well as the moments of growth for all living things.
Time grants this world some beauty, but it also cruelly takes away much of it. Some things, like the rising and setting of the sun, repeat endlessly.
The hunting grounds of this island were no different; the sounds of gunfire did not cease just because the sun had risen.
All of this seemed to have little to do with Lu Fei Fan. He sat leisurely beneath a slanted tree, his backpack and coat casually draped over a horizontal tree trunk behind him. He was focused on turning four roasted rabbits on a skewer, golden butter oozing out from the flames of the stone fire pit, dripping into the fiercely burning firewood below, igniting bursts of flame.
Fortunately, Lu Fei Fan had a good grasp of cooking wild game; it was not his first time doing so. In his previous life as a soldier, despite having spent over twenty years in service, he had often processed the game he caught while lurking in the mountains or executing missions.
So when he felt hungry, he shot a few wild rabbits in the forest, quickly set up a simple stove, skinned them, and began roasting them over the fire. Unfortunately, he couldn't find any salt in the woods.
There was no salt in his military backpack either; aside from medical supplies, all he had were signal flares. He had dismantled one to start his fire. However, he managed to send his mechanical spider into the forest to retrieve two beehives, bringing back plenty of honey—making honey-glazed meat would be delightful.
In the distance, gunfire occasionally echoed through the trees. With about half an hour left until the afternoon exam concluded, at six o'clock it would officially mark the end of the Practical Assessment. In this remaining time, many experiences like Lu Fei Fan's bloody night would continue to unfold on this island where practical assessments took place—hunting or being hunted.
Lu Fei Fan didn’t concern himself with these matters. He had already obtained one of the monsters listed on his bounty card, which should count as a ticket into the Special Training Camp. If he couldn’t get in, it didn’t matter; he had already qualified for the title of Fuser and could carry out missions in safe zones.
With bounty rewards, he could save money to buy a Jinwu Holy Blood Pill; that way, his father lying in the hospital should recover.
Thinking this way, Lu Fei Fan picked up a piece of honeycomb from a nearby leaf and squeezed out its sweet nectar onto the already roasted rabbit meat. The crispy rabbit meat combined with the fragrant honey created an enticing chemical reaction that filled the air with delicious aromas.
Starving and exhausted after not eating for an entire night, Lu Fei Fan tore into the rabbit meat hungrily. If he hadn’t been so famished, he wouldn’t have gone hunting to fill his stomach. After fighting all night long, he naturally needed to replenish his energy. Once he filled up and completed his mission before heading back to camp for a good rest, he expected to see the results of the assessment soon after.
He wondered what Dali and A Teng were doing outside when suddenly two figures emerged from the wilderness before him.
One was a young man carrying an ornate longbow and leisurely fanning himself like a wealthy young master on an outing. The other was a fiery young woman clad in red leather attire.
Lu Fei Fan recognized these two; they were Mei San Shao and his female companion whom he had met earlier at Xing Luo Chamber of Commerce while chatting with the Chairperson.
Lu Fei Fan could only remember the stunning figure beneath the red leather jacket, which was certainly eye-catching. Unable to resist, he stole a few more glances; after all, a beauty would always draw attention.
"Heart follows the southern clouds, form comes with the northern geese. How many flowers bloom today beneath the fence of my hometown?" Mei San Shao approached, folding his fan and giving a slight bow as a greeting. Without hesitation, he plopped down across from Lu Fei Fan and unceremoniously grabbed a piece of the already roasted rabbit meat.
"Delicious, delicious! This is truly a taste of heaven," he exclaimed before starting to tear into the meat.
Lu Fei Fan watched this shameless fellow, who was eating with no regard for manners, and thought he was even more gluttonous than himself. As he chewed, Mei San Shao praised, "Mmm, so tasty! Hey, Hua Tian, come join us!"
He then took another piece of roasted rabbit from the rack and handed it to the fiery woman in the tight red leather outfit who had just sat down beside him.
The woman glanced at Lu Fei Fan for a moment. He continued to focus on his meal, not paying her much mind. After a brief pause, she began to eat with a bit more restraint.
When it came time for the last roasted rabbit, Lu Fei Fan expertly took it down and squeezed honey from a honeycomb onto the meat. This action immediately piqued Mei San Shao's interest.
"Hmm? Is that... honey?" Mei San Shao observed curiously as he watched Lu Fei Fan's technique.
Lu Fei Fan turned the honey-drizzled rabbit over to roast it further. The enticing aroma wafted through the air, making the already devoured pieces of rabbit in his hand seem less appealing by comparison.
"Can you really add honey to roasted game?"
"Yes, it's my exclusive honey-glazed barbecue," Lu Fei Fan replied with enthusiasm as he savored his meal, completely unfazed by the fellow who was now drooling at the sight.
"Ah, this method is indeed unique and extraordinary! Just smelling it makes me feel it's an earthly delicacy. Hua Tian... why don't you go catch a few more game animals?" Mei San Shao suggested while stroking his chin and glancing at the fiery woman who had only eaten half of her portion.
"Why don't you go yourself?" she raised an eyebrow and retorted. Although she had two handguns and ammunition belts strapped at her waist, Lu Fei Fan knew her weapon of choice was likely throwing knives.
After all, several throwing knives were tucked into her thighs.
"I want to talk to this brother about life and ideals. So, I can only trouble you," said Mei San Shao, his face calm and his demeanor unflustered.
"Alright," Hu Tian Er shrugged, glancing at Lu Fei Fan before heading into the woods.
Mei San Shao didn’t waste any time either. He looked around for some dry wood and branches to keep the fire going. The ornate bow slung over his shoulder was casually placed on the ground, as if it were nothing more than a common tool in his eyes.
But Lu Fei Fan was no fool; that bow was intricately carved along its body, adorned with golden accents and inlaid with vibrant green jade. The grip of the bow featured two golden serpents, their tails entwined around the bow's body, tightly coiling it.
The bowstring appeared translucent, made from an unknown material that shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight. It was clearly a remarkable item, yet Mei San Shao treated it like trash, carelessly tossing it aside. He even picked up the bow and used it to poke at the firewood as if it were merely a stick for stoking the flames.
Lu Fei Fan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy; this was far too casual. Indeed, people’s fortunes varied greatly.
Mei San Shao seemed to pretend not to notice Lu Fei Fan stealing glances at his magnificent bow. He focused intently on tending to the fire and set up two roasting racks. Once everything was ready, he sat by the fire, humming an unfamiliar tune.
Lu Fei Fan felt he had heard this melody somewhere before. Occasionally, gunfire echoed through the woods; the closest sounds came from a hundred meters away, suggesting a skirmish had taken place but had quickly ceased. Yet Lu Fei Fan and Mei Xuefeng remained undisturbed, leisurely sitting by the fire.
Lu Fei Fan held a stone in his hand, sharpening the blade of his Fang Tooth Battle Blade. Sparks flew as he ran the stone along the edge; the sharpness of a blade could significantly influence the outcome of a battle—often, a sharp knife played a crucial role in determining victory.
"Not many can wield a Fang Tooth Battle Blade in the Free Federation Army anymore. I recall back when the Free Federation expanded its territory during its centennial celebration; nearly all Expeditionary Forces were equipped with this type of blade," Mei Xuefeng remarked, extending his hand to signal Lu Fei Fan to show him the knife.
Lu Fei Fan handed over the Fang Tooth Battle Blade. Mei Xuefeng weighed it in his hand and nodded, seemingly satisfied with its heft.
"You seem to know a lot about things related to the Free Federation that aren’t found in history books," Lu Fei Fan said curiously.
"Haha! If your grandfather had locked you in a room full of books for several years, where you ate, drank, and lived among them, you’d know plenty of interesting things too," Mei San Shao laughed as he tossed the knife back to Lu Fei Fan. He sighed as if recalling those stories felt like reminiscing about a distant past.
"I don’t have a grandfather," Lu Fei Fan replied, continuing to sharpen his knife with the stone.
“Perhaps not having it is a kind of fortune,” Mei Xuefeng said meaningfully.
“What did you mean by the expansion of the Free Federation's territory after a century of nation-building?” Lu Fei Fan asked, intrigued by this part.
“Oh, that part? It refers to how, after the Big Shots established the Free Federation, the population surged. The higher-ups felt that the existing islands and maritime security zones could not sustain so many people, so they organized what was called an expedition for territorial expansion. But no one expected that this expedition would last nearly a century…” Mei San Shao tossed a few sticks into the fire to keep it burning, but both of their thoughts were lost in that half-buried historical period.
“In these past hundred years, how many heroes of the Expeditionary Force have perished in this sea? Gui Mian Mo Shuai, Luo Dingfang, Humanity's Three Great Kings, Xue Li, Ke, Sun Wuji, Strongest God Wei Zheng, Judgment Empress Hiskemena… each one of them would be considered a formidable Big Shot in both the Alliance Empire and the Free Federation. Their own strengths placed them at the pinnacle of humanity, unmatched in prowess. Unfortunately, many have died or gone missing, with none having a good ending…”
“The Expeditionary Force expanded its maritime territory several times over within a few decades. However, due to cracks appearing in the human alliance, war broke out between the Alliance Empire and the Free Federation. Both sides fell into internal strife and depletion. The century-long expeditions into dangerous maritime areas outside human security zones came to a halt due to this internal conflict. Now, the Expeditionary Force has completely fallen from grace and become a third-tier force. Although there are still Expeditionary Force troops belonging to the Free Federation in the Fallen Zone, their combat power is no longer what it used to be. In fact, even further out in the Marginal Seas and Abyssal Sea, there are still remnants of Expeditionary Force groups lost in those areas.”
As a result, our world’s maritime territory has been divided by ourselves into human security zones. Beyond that are life defense zones, Recovery Zones, Fallen Zones, and even further are perilous seas fraught with danger where battles against monsters are ongoing every moment.
Of course, there are countless strong individuals venturing into the Abyssal Sea, which is a place where opportunities and wealth coexist. Just finding a rare material or treasure there could lead to endless riches and glory. I’ve also heard that passing through the Abyssal Sea into ancient regions might provide an opportunity to find the entrance to the Gods' Forbidden Zone… who knows if that's true? I’ve never been there,” Mei San Shao shrugged nonchalantly.
Lu Fei Fan continued sharpening his knife. This part of the expedition was not recorded in formal textbooks; however, he was certain that what Mei San Shao said was not false. Names like Fallen Zone, dangerous seas, Abyssal Sea, and Gods' Forbidden Zone sounded so far removed from the safe world he had lived in for so many years.
It turned out that the world they inhabited was so vast and boundless…
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