章 16: Chapter 15 Crisis
"Yo, finally arrived, eh? I'm still sitting on two, when will we ever complete the set?"
Upon discovering Tao Yu and his party, Wino stood up and turned around.
One could see not only the keratinized layer of skin on his neck and the back of his head, but also his face adorned with warpaint akin to that of a barbarian.
The whole man exuded an aura of wildness and ferocity.
Over two meters tall with a muscular build, plus a full set of armor, he truly looked like a humanoid weapon, highlighted even more under the flickering firelight, like a demon incarnate.
The burning branches nearby crackled intermittently.
"Lucky, isn't it normal?"
Jose spoke carelessly, seeming quite familiar with Wino.
"But these Pythons do indeed exceed the handling capacity of most newcomers from the outside city; the survival rate these past few times must be pretty low."
"Most? Looks like your B-ranked bumpkin managed to kill a Python."
Wino said with relish then extended his palm,
"Hurry up, how many teeth you got? Let me help complete the set."
Jose glared at him irritably,
"Asking for a favor without the slightest bit of manners, here, five."
After finishing his sentence, Jose handed over the Yuan Force Serpent Fangs to Wino.
"Not bad, adding mine, once we take down the snake nest later, it should be just about enough. If it's still a bit short, I can make up the difference with Yuan Force."
Wino tossed the Serpent Fangs and then tucked them into his chest.
Tao Yu estimated based on Jose's earlier projections that Wino himself must have saved up quite a few as well.
Considering he had found the snake nest, he must have deliberately tracked these giant Pythons.
"So happy over such a Skill? Probably gonna need a breather once you've learned it."
Jose mocked from the side, but when the two bigwigs from the Inner City spoke, the others fell silent.
"Pfft, the path I walk is different from yours. I don't know what Skill the Yuan Force Serpent Fang will bring, but a wild beast filled with a violent aesthetic should be a match for me. Either way, it's a Skill not yet seen in the new Development Zone."
Having received the goods, Wino naturally didn't mind Jose's attitude.
They were all careful when learning Skills because of the potential mental contamination during absorption, so they usually chose something more compatible with themselves. Even if the Skill provided by the Python wasn't that strong, it could still fit Wino very well.
Tao Yu already knew what the Skills were; not to mention "Lurk - Python," but "Burst - Python" might indeed add wings to the tiger if applied to Wino.
The strain it brought on tendons and ligaments might be forcibly endured by his mutated, strong body, resulting in an effect that exceeds that of normal humans.
"By the way, which one's the B-ranked bumpkin?"
Wino then casually scrutinized the four Outsiders among Tao Yu's group.
"There, Tao Yu, a pretty decent lad. He might even enter the Inner City in the future. We'll likely stay in this new gathering spot for quite a while, so let's all get acquainted."
Yose casually picked Tao Yu, but perhaps Tao Yu picked up on his 'good intentions,' so his words were somewhat protective, almost like declaring sovereignty.
With temporal anomalies, cultivating this land from now on wouldn't be too bad with a B-level talent bumpkin under one's command. As long as they are touched by 'joy,' they are easily controlled, and others would have to give face and not just snatch them away.
"Got it, you're so annoying, always wanting to meddle," Tao Yu replied.
Maybe Yose's words had an effect, for although Wino sized up Tao Yu from head to toe, he didn't actually do anything. He just smirked without warmth, saying,
"Not bad, I hope to see you in the Inner City. Don't get killed in an awakening task and waste such talent. You're so skinny—are you not getting enough to eat?"
Then it seemed he remembered something and chuckled,
"Oh, I forgot, you Outsiders don't have much Yuan Force saved up, do you? You probably haven't mastered any skills yet, right? Can you still get support from your family when you go back?"
The condescension and undisguised mockery in his tone made Tao Yu sigh in his heart.
His own self-acknowledged B-level talent had managed to somewhat unsettle the composure of this Inner City guy with sub-par talent.
Indulging purely for emotional release, without caring about actual benefits, they derive complete satisfaction from their mental and emotional state, obtaining emotional value.
These Inner City folks actually acted more like people their age.
Considering everyone was about eighteen years old, but those from the Outer City, including himself, had been dulled by oppressive circumstances, whereas these Inner City folks seemed unconcerned with gains or losses.
They say youth is impetuous, after all...
Tao Yu glanced at the man's shiny bald head, which, unlike Yose, showed no signs of mechanization. It made one curious about just how strong the defensive capabilities granted by mutation were.
He then took another look at the helmet on the ground, concluding that it probably wasn't as durable as that bald head...
"Wino is right, our foundation and accumulated resources are too poor, with mostly Basic Skills, and we don't get much meat to eat regularly—not as good as the food we get here," Tao Yu said with a smile, seemingly unaffected by Wino's previous comments.
Suddenly, feeling a chill on his scalp, Wino listened to Tao Yu's words and seemed to have discovered something new,
"Really? Only basic skills? Don't you have a few dojos out there? Li Le has learned a few moves."
Wino glanced back at the tall and sturdy young man named Li Le, and compared to his scar-covered Outer City companion, Li Le looked much better off.
Noticing Wino's look, Li Le stepped forward respectfully and said,
"You flatter me, sir. I only have E-grade talent with 'Super Strength,' far from enough. I merely have a few basic skills, but now, perhaps my strength is slightly better."
Li Le was perceptive; he recognized Tao Yu because his father worked with Tao Hu, and he even greeted him.
But such verbal promises meant nothing compared to the preferences of Inner City bigwigs!
Tao Yu also glanced at Li Le, perhaps he too found Tao Yu a bit displeasing.
Was it assumed that all he would do was take it lying down?
It seemed that without any accident, against an Inner City offspring, that was indeed the case.
If the factor of 'joy' was added to that, then...
Thinking of some warning images in his mind, people driven by cravings could do anything to obliterate their humanity.
Truly condemned to a life of endless servitude!
"'Super Strength' is at least two levels higher than 'Dynamic Vision,'" if it could go even higher, maybe your generation could make a comeback."
Being a muscle-bound close combat type himself, Wino admittedly provided some care for Li Le with his 'Super Strength.'
The most obvious contrast was the youth from the city outskirts beside them, covered in wounds and too timid to speak.
"It's also our family's lifelong dream."
"Hmm, as it stands, your strength still seems greater than his, so you'll be placed behind him in the ranking."
Wino casually set the tone, but then glanced at Joseph and said,
"No issues with that, right, Brother Joseph?"
"You handle it, it's your snake pit we're dealing with, isn't it? Let's solve the problem and go find Young Master Sun and Miss Sun."
Joseph knew Wino did it on purpose, but he wouldn't disrespect Wino over something so trivial.
Tao Yu wouldn't comment on it, and everyone else thought it was only natural.
This was the way the world worked!
Even Chen Guan and Woll, who were originally on the same team, were now looking at Tao Yu with some schadenfreude.
Zhang Wei was also showing some hesitation.
Now that an Inner City elder had openly shown his stance, he too did not dare to get close to Tao Yu anymore.
When Joseph did not object, Wino looked at Tao Yu with a laugh, feeling very at ease, and said,
"You're not discontented, are you, kid?"
"How could I be? We'll follow the will of the two Inner City elders, our job is to obey."
"Good, you've got some insight."
Seeing Tao Yu's attitude despite his B-grade talent put Wino at ease.
The frustration of awakening a less impressive talent finally seemed to ease a bit.
So what if your talent is great? Outsiders are outsiders! Just country bumpkins who still have to lie down in front of us!
"Let's get moving."
Seeing Wino satisfied, Joseph urged again.
"Sure thing."
When it came to business, Wino couldn't help but grin, and he put on his helmet and looked up at the sky,
"Let's get going. We can get there by evening if we leave now. A quick battle is preferred—we shouldn't drag it out until nightfall. They're probably in their mating season. It's uncertain whether the villagers have been eaten, or if they moved away beforehand, but it doesn't seem to have been abandoned for long."
Wino and his team had been staying in this place for a while, and had already checked everywhere they needed to.
"Oh, right, we also found a weird python carcass on the way; you guys should take a look as well."
Wino's towering figure, cloaked in full armor and with the helmet covering his horn-like skin, now seemed even more imposing.
He casually carried the man-high double-bladed axe on his shoulder and strode ahead with strong, powerful steps that seemed to make the ground quake.
Soon, the group came upon the withered corpse of a python.
"Here it is, this one," Wino pointed out the python found in the village. "Initially, I thought it was shedding its skin, but it seems like it was eaten by something. Yet, it doesn't look like it was our doing."
Wino poked at the snake corpse with the tip of his axe, sensing a hollow feel to it, yet it still retained some elasticity.
Tao Yu also approached to examine the snake carcass.
What in the rainforest could possibly kill a python like this?
What the heck?
They saw that the python's body had a huge gash on the abdomen, with flesh turned inside out; peering into the wound revealed much of the internal tissue and meat were missing.
But…
Tao Yu, with a trace of fear in his eyes, noticed something horrifying about the abdominal wound—it looked as if it had been burst open from the inside.
"The wound was made from the inside out; it must have swallowed something problematic, which then ate its way out."
Wino, who had already studied the snake corpse, nonchalantly pointed out the obvious.
He then seemed to remember something else,
"Oh, right, we also found a dead bug nearby; do any of you recognize it?"
As he finished speaking, Li Le quickly opened his backpack and took out a limp, white insect resembling a spider. Its long stinger hung lifelessly, sending a chill from Tao Yu's spine to his scalp.
Facehugger!
The news he had heard on the broadcast still echoed clearly, '... that Yuan Force creature is good at lurking, very fast, highly explosive, and poses a significant threat to you...'
Big brother!
Come on, be more specific! Acidic blood, strong tail stinger, and a launching sub-mouth—wouldn't that have been clear?
And how did that thing, which was supposed to be on the plains, end up in the forest?!
Yuan Force creatures are typically considered indigenous to the current world.
Wasn't it said that Yuan Force creatures face resistance when moving to other world fragments? How weak is that resistance?!
Facehuggers, a python it successfully parasitized—what a nightmare of a start!
Although the two from the Inner City harbor no good intentions, thanks to the Suns' broadcast order, their safety was somewhat assured for the moment.
But now, what to do when encountering such creatures?
Good thing he hadn't opted to split from the group…
Glancing back at Joseph with mechanical modifications and a shoulder-mounted cannon, and then at Wino wrapped in full armor, Tao Yu could only view them as budget versions of Predators now.
I hope they step up, don't let the Inner City down!
As for Tao Yu himself, he quickly focused his attention on his other relatively affordable skill.
'Basic Shooting'…
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