Chapter 9 A Bit Evil

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The effect of "My Companions Are Few" was immediate and profound, with a drastic increase in the four-dimensional attributes, bringing a sensation akin to leveling up on the spot.

Ma Lu could now throw a punch casually and feel the power of an amateur boxer.

Moreover, this blessing was well-suited for the current mode of pairing up in teams of two. Even with Boggy joining, each would still gain a 40% enhancement to all attributes.

As for the idea of one person enjoying a full 50% attribute bonus, Ma Lu had never considered it.

Although it was common in the Meat Pigeon game to have a "Lone Walkthrough" style where players abandoned their teammates, the reality was undoubtedly far more complicated.

Ma Lu had no outdoor survival experience, nor did he possess the necessary equipment or vehicles; he was completely ignorant about the habits and weaknesses of prey.

Even with the newly unlocked No. 29 function to pile up attributes, hunting would still be challenging.

This was precisely why he had been seeking to form a team from the beginning.

Moreover, whether it was Boggy's previous introduction about the Hunting Group or the implications made clear enough already by the two sets of "Choose One" options—the hunt is a team effort.

The motorcycle sped through the endless desert.

The deathly silence and monotonous scenery were identical to five hours earlier, the only difference being the single sun left in the sky, which somewhat lessened the omnipresent heat.

This time, Boggy only rode for 40 minutes before gradually slowing down and starting to survey the surroundings.

Theoretically, the further from the Giant Curtain, the higher the chance of encountering prey, particularly the valuable high-grade ones, but the risks also increased.

Considering there were only two members in the hunting team, and Ma Lu's strength was somewhat questionable, Boggy decided not to venture too far, to be on the safe side.

Many people subconsciously use a hunter's strength in combat as the criterion for judgment, but this is not accurate.

Aside from the final battle, searching for prey, tracking, and setting traps are also essential skills a hunter must master.

There are even hunters who specialize in certain skills; even if they are not good at fighting, they become coveted by Hunting Groups when combined with special psychic powers.

Boggy might not have reached that degree, but he was diligent during his time at Hunter School; he ranked at the top in all subjects and had a strong foundation.

It's just that he had always been down on his luck while with the Harpist, even simple reconnaissance could go awry.

Boggy shook his head, trying his best to banish those unpleasant memories from his mind and prepared to showcase his abilities in the upcoming hunt.

But just then, he heard Ma Lu behind him asking, "Red line tube worm, what's that?"

"Hm?" Boggy replied with surprise. "You mean the Water Deliverer? Oh, locals call it that because its body is filled with water.

"If you lose your water supply in the desert, you just need to find a Water Deliverer and make a cut on its skin to immediately get a bowl of clean water."

"That name is quite fitting," Ma Lu agreed and then humbly inquired, "Does the Water Deliverer taste good?

"No one eats the Water Deliverer, because it has only a very thin skin, with the remaining 97% being water."

"Then let's leave it be; it might come in handy at some point," Ma Lu thought aloud.

Boggy was confused, "What do you mean? Are there Water Deliverers nearby?"

"""

Ma Lu nodded, "Yeah, not just here, we've already encountered several Water Deliverers on the way."

Ever since he had activated the detection mode on his Traveler's Bracelet, Ma Lu never turned it off, so every half a minute the bracelet would scan the circular area within twenty meters around him.

Whenever there was food material, a notification would immediately pop up.

"How is that possible?" Boggy frowned, "Water Deliverers usually hide under the sand at various depths, and it's nearly impossible to spot them from the outside."

"I have a special method of searching," Ma Lu said seeing that Boggy seemed unconvinced, and then added, "Stop, there's something else here, Sand-Spray Qiang, hmm, this is the first time I've seen this name, but it's still only a 1-star."

Although still somewhat skeptical, Boggy stopped the motorcycle, "Are you sure, where is it? Sand-Spray Qiang can sell for a good price in the market, we definitely need to catch it if we come across one."

Ma Lu spread his hands, "I can't say exactly where, but it's definitely not far from us."

Boggy didn't say anything more. He bent down, pressed his ear to the sandy ground, and after a few seconds, he abruptly raised his head and sprinted off towards the right front.

"Hey, wait."

Ma Lu had only spoken half his sentence when he saw Boggy already lunging out, and at the same time, a cloud of dust suddenly rose in front of his face.

Boggy fell into the dust cloud, but when he got up again, his hand was holding an ugly animal with a sharp head and a long tail, its body covered with bone armor, still wriggling and struggling.

"It really is a Sand-Spray Qiang," Boggy exclaimed with joy, "I heard it preparing to flee and took action first. What were you trying to say just now?"

"Never mind, well done."

Holding the Sand-Spray Qiang, Boggy walked back to the motorcycle, secured its limbs with rope, then looked at Ma Lu with a different expression.

"So that Meat Pigeon Series Ability of yours is used for scouting and finding prey?"

"That's just one aspect."

Ma Lu explained in a way that Boggy could understand as much as possible, "What I'm really good at is offering the souls of prey in exchange for enhancements for the team, significantly boosting the members' strength."

"That sounds a bit evil," Boggy spat out the dust in his mouth.

"It does sound a bit evil, but I can assure you, there are absolutely no side effects," Ma Lu stretched out his hand, "So would you like to become my teammate?"

Boggy hesitated for a moment but did not shake hands with Ma Lu, simply saying, "We're already teammates, you provide me with information on prey, I hunt, and later we can split the spoils evenly, hmm, and we can discuss establishing a Hunting Group."

"Then come find me when you change your mind," Ma Lu didn't insist.

Having gained something shortly after setting out put Boggy in a good mood, and Ma Lu continued to use his special telekinetic powers to find quite a few new prey items.

Although some ran away before Boggy could act, and some might be hiding deep underground, requiring special equipment to hunt, the two still had a fruitful harvest.

In just four hours, they caught sixteen Gray Elephant Shrews, four Black-Breasted Chickens, a nest of Jumping Mice, and another Sand-Spray Qiang.

While Boggy hunted, Ma Lu wasn't idle either, continuing to pick up Young Flame Lizards on the side. These little creatures were truly abundant in the desert; you could come across them simply by walking around. Ma Lu picked up another nine, making sixteen including those already in the cage.

It was about time for a sky offering.

The blessings offered by these Young Flame Lizards were generally quite weak, only by amassing a large quantity could one feel the enhancement.