Passing On The Road

Fortunately for me, it turned out that the wolves weren't strong enough to simply overpower me. I may not have been fresh, but it was hardly easy for a cultivator to become winded. It required a great deal of concentration for me to remain unscathed as minor wounds started accumulating on the two remaining wolves, but after a while their attack patterns started to seem quite predictable. As my confidence mounted, they started to hesitate…but they quickly realized that trying to run now would likely result in their deaths. As one, they went more on the offensive, banking on savage fury to break through my defenses. 

I managed to finish them, but not before the sharp points on their tails bit into my chest and my right leg. The wounds didn't get too deep, and I could still walk on the leg, but it was still cause to set up camp and rest. I also decided to take this chance to be more thorough about looting the three carcasses than I'd been with the Sabrefang. I knew I'd need to actually bandage the wounds first, of course—my experience with first-aid coming not from my Dive Gaming for once but through the normal education of my old world. 

Of course, the Academy had given us lessons during Combat Practice period on skinning, carving up, and otherwise extracting useful things from dead magical beasts. I did fine at them, but I still thought of doing this kind of thing as very unpleasant. Well, I couldn't put it off any longer. After about an hour per Speartail Wolf, I'd obtained their furs and tails and stripped off most of their meat. I'd also obtained another intact monster core from the first one I'd killed. My Inventory Menu not only helpfully labeled the 2 cores so far as 1 core of the 1st Stage of the Fourth Earth Realm and 1 core of the 2nd Stage, it even showed me how much Qi could potentially be absorbed from them. I'd gained nearly 200,000 Qi from the three enemies total via the Experiential Physique as well. Not a bad day's work all in all.

At dinner time, I tried the wolf monster meat out of curiosity. At least it didn't taste disgusting, but it was very bland compared even to food I'd eaten in the old world. As the last of the sun sank beneath the horizon, I figured I'd turn in early…before I could though, from the direction of the entrance to the canyon, I heard an extremely loud and ferocious roar.

Tentatively, I went to investigate. I was nowhere close to being able to spot the bear even if it had been daylight, yet somehow I could feel a terrible feeling coming from it. I didn't have any impression of the bear coming at me—and I was certain if it was I wouldn't NEED a mere impression for long, even in the dark—but the feeling made my entire body scream at me not to take another step forward.

This couldn't be the "killing intent" I heard about when researching to enter this world?

My camp was undisturbed when I got back. I slept uneasily, but felt well enough when I woke, plus my System Menu indicated I'd gained back most of the Health points I lost before. I checked back at the canyon entrance, and sure enough, the bear magical beast was once again sleeping, as responsive as a boulder.

I was nervous, so I took my time properly cooking some rations for breakfast along with a small slice of the wolf meat. I was finishing up and just about to dig in when I heard something coming from the direction of the Dark Forest. Quickly, I realized the something was someone—Jue Zhu.

He called out to me as he altered course to approach me. "Zuhui, how's it going?"

"Not bad for a start," I said, gesturing him to sit by the fire I'd made for the cooking. "You finished all the survival training so quickly? It's barely been as long as I took just for the plant identification and monster meat cooking safety lessons since I left."

"Well, for stuff like pitching a tent and building a fire, they basically waved me through, I've never had trouble working out that kind of thing. I spent at least as much time as you on those courses you mentioned…actually I needed a bit extra on cooking in general. I was never good with cooking back in the old life."

"Right, you were in more of a communal situation than I was back then."

Jue Zhu nodded, and glanced at the food I'd just prepared. "Gimme a break…you've got your own, don't you? You did PASS their cooking lessons, I hope? I mean, sure you can use my fire if you want."

Jue Zhu chuckled, and we conversed a little more while he prepared his own meal and I ate mine. "That's right, Hasegawa told me I should tell you something," he said as he finished up his cooking, "in case I ran into you. Anyone who successfully gets a monster core can return to the main camp and they'll teach you how to absorb it. There's also a school store rep there who will buy monster parts, so we can free up inventory space."

"Ah, maybe they usually mention that kind of thing at the end of a normal round of survival courses so I missed it, right? Thanks. Moving on to Mount Bing when you've eaten?"

"Yeah, I'm going to follow the river to the mountain. Good luck to you."