Igris raised the shield in his left hand to block the attack. The impact sent a shockwave up his arm, but he used the force of the backlash to push off the beast’s snout and create distance. He then used his speed to circle it, his eyes scanning every inch of its armored hide for a gap.

The Earth Armor Pig grew more irritated by the second. It kept panting and growling in a hoarse, rumbling voice, but its attacks were too slow. Igris completely suppressed it with his speed and footwork. The pig went left and right, charged and stomped, but couldn’t land a single hit on the nimble Player.

’Think, Igris, think,’ he told himself, circling the beast like a matador. ’The neck is too thick. The abdomen is protected by those overlapping scales. The eyes are too small a target for a beast that keeps thrashing around. Where’s the gap?’

After a few more laps, observing the way the beast moved, Igris finally found its ultimate weakness.

’The Heart of Martial Arts!’

This was the legendary technique—’Thousand Years of Pain!’

’Howl...’

The long sword shot out and pierced straight into the pig’s backside!

Even a god wouldn’t be able to handle a strike to that area, much less an Earth Armor Pig. When the sword stabbed into the only area on the beast’s body that wasn’t protected by thick scales, Igris’s Energy gushed out and directly froze its internal organs. The pig let out a pathetic, high-pitched squeal that echoed through the forest, its eyes bulging in shock and agony. It collapsed instantly, its massive body hitting the ground with a thunderous ’THUD’ that shook the nearby trees.

Dead. One strike to the vitals.

Lyon looked at his watch and burst out laughing. "Less than a minute! Come on, take out your Crowns!"

Felix and Jin’s expressions turned strange. They sighed secretly and accepted their defeat. Shaking their heads in disbelief, they handed over ten Crowns each to their grinning leader.

Lyra and Yue clicked their tongues unhappily. They had been beaten by Igris’s absolute shamelessness.

’How was he able to use that move? Where did his dignity go? A prodigy who stabs pigs in the ass!’ Lyra thought, resisting the urge to facepalm.

"This move might be a little shameless, but it’s actually the most effective and energy-saving method," Lyon smiled, stretching his hand out. "Pay up, ladies."

"Leader, you’re jackals of the same lair!" The two ladies rolled their eyes and handed over their stones. What a huge loss!

Igris walked over, wiping his Blade on the grass, and saw the exchange. He was speechless. "Here I am fighting for my life, and you guys are using me as gambling material!"

"Cough, cough. The forest is boring. This is just to liven up the mood," Lyon replied shamelessly, jingling the Crowns in his hand with zero remorse.

"Igris, why didn’t you use your Energy for a heavy strike? Why did you use... ’that’ move?" Yue couldn’t help but ask, her cheeks still flushed with secondhand embarrassment.

Most importantly, she wanted to understand his thought process. How sadistic did someone have to be to think of that move in the heat of battle?

"Save when you can. I’m only Level 8. I have a limited amount of stamina and Energy," Igris replied matter-of-factly, his expression completely unapologetic. "If I can finish this battle using the simplest method, why should I waste my resources on a frontal assault? Efficiency is the hallmark of a true warrior."

"Look, Igris understands efficiency better than you so-called seniors," Lyon said proudly, as if he had personally taught Igris this philosophy.

"There are many ways to save Energy. He doesn’t have to use ’this’ method," Lyra grumbled, crossing her arms.

"I feel that this method is excellent, and I find it easy to execute. I might try it again in the future," Igris said, completely unrepentant. "I’ve decided to name this move: ’The Heart of Martial Arts—Thousand Years of Pain!’"

He shamelessly used the name of a legendary move from a manga in his past life, delivering the line with absolute sincerity.

"Go away! Don’t use that move in front of us ever again! It hurts our eyes!" Lyra and Yue immediately looked away in disgust.

The three men laughed uncontrollably. This Igris was a weirdo! He even gave his dirty move a name. Was he afraid people wouldn’t know about it if the name wasn’t loud enough?

"Alright, take the tusks and scales, and we’ll move," Lyon ordered, wiping a tear of laughter from his eye.

Felix walked over to skin the beast. Igris aided him at the side, using his sword to help separate the thicker hide from the muscle. The pig’s scales were incredibly tough and strong; if you wanted to skin it without proficient skills, it would be challenging and time-consuming.

Felix’s actions were skilled and methodical. Very soon, he had stripped the most valuable armor plates from the Earth Armor Pig and stowed them in his bag. His backpack immediately became full. He didn’t take the whole scale armor of the Earth Armor Pig, though—if he did, he wouldn’t be able to stuff it in his bag, and the weight would slow them down significantly.

"Huh?" Felix suddenly made a sound. He had an elated expression as he said, "I think there’s a Mana Core!"

He used his knife to slice open the pig’s abdomen with practiced precision. Then, he reached inside and pulled out a yellowish-brown, uneven round object about the size of a golf ball.

"Hahaha! Leader, come look! A Mana Core!" Felix laughed loudly, holding up the prize.

Lyon and the other team members were shocked when they heard this. They immediately gathered around, their eyes gleaming at the sight of the glowing orb.

"Fuck! Igris, I have nothing to say about your luck!" Lyra exclaimed in surprise. "You’re like a walking go

Igris was stunned too. He had only killed three Monsters in his entire career, and two of them had dropped Mana Cores. Was he really the son of Lady Luck? He felt a little proud of himself.

"Keep it. Don’t reveal your wealth," Lyon reminded him, his tone turning serious for a moment. Then, he added, "Check for a Skill Bone."

Felix tossed the core to Igris and shook his head. "Nope. I’ve already inspected it."

The Mana Core and Skill Bone were both hidden in the Monster’s body. They were like light lamps at night—you would be able to detect them immediately once you used your Energy to scan the insides. Normally, only Monsters with Mana Cores would have Skill Bones. If the beast didn’t have a Mana Core, it shouldn’t be able to give birth to a Skill Bone.

Igris pocketed the core. The loot would be sold after they returned to Earth, and the money split according to a certain percentage. That was how all teams worked.

Of course, the main things Igris received after killing the Monster were the invisible payouts.

’[Strength +4]’

’[Free Stat Points +6]’

The gains were not bad at all.

The team continued their journey to Wind Valley.

•••

Around noon, Igris and his teammates arrived outside a valley.

This valley was shaped like a gourd. The mouth of the gourd was the only entrance, as its sides were lined by unscalable cliffs that rose hundreds of meters into the air, their surfaces sheer and imposing. A burst of strong wind gushed out of the valley constantly, carrying with it a sound like the wails of ghosts and the howls of wolves. The vegetation around the entrance was bent at odd angles, permanently deformed by the relentless gales.

Lyon stood outside the entrance and observed for some time. His expression changed slightly. "Someone has been here."

"Indeed, traces of people can be seen," Jin squatted down to take a look at some disturbed soil and a discarded ration wrapper. He said with a worried expression, "Did we waste our trip?"

"Are we still going in?" Lyra asked, her hand instinctively moving to her weapon.

"If the other party is inside and we meet them coincidentally, we might need to engage in a fierce fight. I wonder how strong they are?" Felix said, gripping his mace.

"Since we are here, we have to take a look. When has the Tiger Vanguard team been scared of anyone?" Lyon scoffed with a cold expression, his eyes hardening.

"Igris, be careful!" He reminded Igris before stepping into the valley first.

Igris and the other teammates followed closely behind him, their weapons drawn and their senses heightened.

The paths in the valley were difficult to walk. The biting cold wind blew hard against them, making it even more challenging to balance their bodies. Their faces hurt from the piercing cold, and the wind carried sharp grains of sand and debris that stung any exposed skin. Fortunately, they were all Players with enhanced physiques, so they could barely handle it.

They walked cautiously for some distance, but they didn’t see any humans. Only the endless, howling wind and the occasional scurry of small, frightened creatures.

"Could they have left already?" Jin frowned and asked.