I Start with a Mysterious Island-Chapter 76: Not Enough to Go Around

"Young people these days! They’ve got plenty of drive, but this kind of recklessness isn’t something to be encouraged..." Liu Jinyang sighed as he looked at the spot where Lin Li had disappeared. He then turned and left, heading for the temporary encampment set up by the Exotic Beast Hunter Guild.

As a representative of the Exotic Beast Hunter Guild, Liu Jinyang was a veteran Exotic Beast Hunter who had seen more than his fair share of life and death.

As a veteran, he felt he had done enough by offering a few words of advice to the rookie Exotic Beast Hunter who insisted on going it alone.

It was up to the other man whether he listened or not. They were all adults, and everyone had to take responsibility for their own choices.

...

The wilderness was bursting with life after the rain. The already dense weeds had grown even more lush and rampant after the downpour.

The terrain in the North District Suburbs was far more complex than that of the East District.

The wilderness of the East District was mostly plains, while the North District was predominantly hills.

The designated area for the clean-up operation was a stretch of rolling hills five kilometers from the safe zone.

According to the intelligence provided by the Exotic Beast Hunter Guild, a large number of Tier One Mutant Beasts that had escaped from Li Mountain Forest had made their home in these hills.

These Mutant Beasts that had settled in the hills were restless. They frequently ventured out, moving toward the North District Suburbs.

Although the Mutant Beasts hadn’t entered the safe zone of the North District Suburbs yet, they were getting closer with each excursion.

Over time, the territory of these numerous Tier One Mutant Beasts would inevitably expand into the safe zone.

This was a situation humanity could not allow to happen. The safe zones were the line in the sand humanity had drawn for itself.

Any Mutant Beast that approached or invaded a safe zone would be met with an immediate and severe counterattack from humanity.

Generally, the more powerful and intelligent Mutant Beasts stayed away from the safe zones around human cities.

It was the weaker, less intelligent Mutant Beasts that were the problem. They figured that since there were no powerful beasts prowling near the human safe zones, settling nearby would protect them from being preyed upon.

As a result, they would establish their lairs and hunting grounds closer to human safe zones.

This simple logic was precisely why the Tier One Mutant Beasts from Li Mountain Forest were doing the same, constantly creeping toward the safe zone in the North District Suburbs.

...

"Quick, look over there! That’s a Wild Boar Beast, don’t let it get away."

"I think I see a Luhua Chicken Beast hiding in that patch of grass."

"Damn it, there’s a Hedgehog Beast over here! Get over here, quick!"

"I found a hornet’s nest! Does anyone have a Flame Superpower? If you do, come torch it!"

Lin Li stood by a small stream, watching the crowd of Exotic Beast Hunters clear out the Tier One Mutant Beasts in the hills, slaughtering them and sending them scattering in panic. He couldn’t help but think to himself.

’There are too many Exotic Beast Hunters on this clean-up mission. Will there even be enough of these Tier One Mutant Beasts from Li Mountain Forest for everyone to go around?

Lately, every Mutant Beast I’ve hunted has been fed to that Magical Little Tree on the Mysterious Small Island. After my recent expenses, I’ve only got a little over ten thousand left in my pocket.

If I don’t earn some money soon, I’ll be broke again, just like before.’

Watching the other Exotic Beast Hunter teams already making their kills, Lin Li knew he had to get a move on. Otherwise, this whole trip would be a waste.

...

RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE...

A patch of dense grass shook, and a figure burst out in hot pursuit of a frantically fleeing Rabbit Beast.

The Rabbit Beast radiated the Spiritual Energy Wave of a First Rank Middle Stage creature. It leaped out of the grass, moving so fast it couldn’t stop in time and slammed headfirst into a large, half-meter-thick tree outside the patch.

THUD.

The Rabbit Beast’s head was instantly gashed and bleeding from the impact, but the injury wasn’t fatal.

As it staggered dizzily to its feet, ready to flee again, a Spiritual Longsword glowing with a faint golden Spiritual Light plunged precisely into its chest, piercing its heart.

SQUELCH.

After suffering the fatal blow, the Rabbit Beast twitched a couple of times, then fell still.

’The other Exotic Beast Hunters have already cleaned out all the Mutant Beasts on the outskirts of the hills. It looks like I’ll have to go deeper to find any prey.’

Having killed the Rabbit Beast, Lin Li looked down at his first kill of the day with a faint smile. He then pulled his Spiritual Longsword from the creature’s body.

RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE...

A rustling sound came from the grass behind him. Lin Li immediately spun around. Within his Spiritual Perception, he detected one Spiritual Energy Wave at the Tier Two Initial Stage and three at Tier One Peak.

Although Lin Li was now at the Tier Two Initial Stage, he figured he’d only have a fifty-fifty chance against a Mutant Beast of the same level. If he used his Superpower, however, his odds of winning would skyrocket to about ninety percent.

But if his opponent had backup, the outcome would be anyone’s guess.

Four figures emerged from the dense grass. Seeing they were human, Lin Li breathed an inward sigh of relief.

’If it had really been a Tier Two Initial Stage Mutant Beast with three Tier One Peak companions, I would’ve had to grab my kill and run for it.’

"Looks like your squad bagged some prey. Congratulations, friend!" the lead Exotic Beast Hunter, a Tier Two Initial Stage, said with a smile as he noticed the Rabbit Beast at Lin Li’s feet.

"Just got lucky," Lin Li replied with a smile to his fellow hunters.

"Where’re your teammates? Why are you out here alone?"

"They went off to find more Mutant Beasts. I’ll catch up once I’m done processing this kill." Lin Li knew the man had mistaken him for being part of a team, but he didn’t bother to correct him. He just went along with it and asked, "Haven’t you guys found anything yet?"

"Not yet! Too many of our colleagues showed up for the clean-up today. We spent ages wandering the outskirts and found nothing," the lead Tier Two Initial Stage Exotic Beast Hunter said with a laugh. "We had no other choice but to head deeper into the hills and try our luck."

More than half an hour had passed since Liu Jinyang, the representative from the Exotic Beast Hunter Guild, had officially announced the start of the operation.

For an Exotic Beast Hunter team that had seen others making a huge haul while they came up empty-handed, anxiety was natural. They were desperate to find some prey.

The two parties exchanged a few more pleasantries before the team of Exotic Beast Hunters moved on.

...