Amber bit her little teeth, steeling her resolve.
She had heard from her colleagues that prisoners exchanged skills in jail, and upon release, their skill sets would upgrade, even developing new ones.
For example, a Level 1 lockpicking specialist might emerge as a Level 3 expert after a stint inside.
By the same logic, Ashley was already bad enough. If she learned from a shady reporter, she would rot through completely, leaking pus—just thinking about it was terrifying.
Sure enough, they set out at night, leaving the Oasis Sentry Post. The Great Raven landed in the fields, and under the faint moonlight, the two mischievous lolis dug up peanuts and sweet potatoes from the soil, stuffing a small bag to roast and eat.
“You’re stealing collective property!”
Amber was furious and rushed over to snatch them back.
But the two naughty lolis laughed and tossed them back and forth—you throw to me, I throw to you—making her run back and forth until she was exhausted, hands on her knees, gasping for breath.
Then, they lit a campfire, roasted the peanuts and sweet potatoes, and munched away with their little mouths smacking, their tiny fingers blackened from peeling.
“I’m going to report you!” Amber shouted anxiously, looking around. “Is anyone there?! Someone’s stealing crops here! Come quick!”
“It must be tough hanging out with her,” Chloe said, popping a peanut into her mouth.
“You’re telling me,” Ashley sighed.
“She’s so lame. How did you even meet her? Did she throw herself at you? That clichéd story where a female cop falls for a criminal.”
“You’re telling me.”
“She wouldn’t be into you, would she? Being liked by a dumb loli like that must be a nightmare.”
“You’re telling me.”
“Does she lecture you on the law about everything? Let me tell you secretly, people like that get terminally ill later on! They stubbornly think whatever they do is right—teachers, cops, executives, they all have that ‘I’m always correct’ occupational disease. It’s fine at work, but at home with family? Who could stand it?”
“You’re telling me.”
“So scary. I’d never marry someone like that—it’s like being in prison, arrested for life.”
“You’re telling me.”
…
Hearing their back-and-forth mockery, especially Ashley’s sarcastic agreement, Amber’s little face paled with anger. She bit her lip hard, suppressing the tears that threatened to spill.
No… Amber… Don’t cry… Don’t cry in front of bad people… Damn it… Why are the tears flowing on their own… Damn it, damn it, damn it…
“Stop crying and come eat,” Ashley coaxed.
“No way!!! You jerk, Ashley! I’m so disappointed in you!” Amber yelled through her tears.
Ashley shrugged, finished eating on her own, gathered the remnants into the pit, covered them with soil, and stomped it down to prevent a fire.
“Let’s head out. It should be nearby.”
With that, Ashley headed toward the nearest jungle, Chloe following close behind. Amber hesitated for a moment, then chased after them.
Not long after the three lolis left, the sound of dense hoofbeats rang out. A bizarre cavalry unit appeared by the fire pit!
Twenty or thirty people, all masked, riding Saurian Giant Lizard Cadavers suited for jungle combat. Their camouflage uniforms blended with the giant lizards’ natural camouflage—even up close, they were hard to spot when still.
They had clearly come prepared!
Under the blanket coverage of Fountain News, everyone knew this pretty loli wanted to hunt mutated beasts to boost her regional fame.
But the wilderness was beyond the Tribunal’s jurisdiction—no one would protect them.
Hunter and prey—the roles could switch at any moment.
–
In the jungle, Ashley gripped her Bowie Knife, casually slashing smooth, flowing arcs that shattered obstructing bushes and vines. She occasionally flicked up an arc of light, bisecting venomous snakes.
“Watch out for the snake heads—they can still bite even when severed,” she warned.
It would have been grueling work otherwise, but after her hematopoietic stem cells were infused with the mysterious light points, her training efficiency skyrocketed a hundredfold, like having a x100 experience gain cheat.
However, the light points were consumable. She could clearly sense their number—126 remaining.
Training slashes had consumed 21, full-body enhancement 78, leaving 27 for visual upgrades, mainly higher refresh rates and stereoscopic vision.
Stereoscopic vision was the bane of all camouflage—it allowed gauging three-dimensional geometry, discerning distance and shape without relying on color for outlines.
She also noticed that training brought massive energy expenditure: rising body temperature, increased metabolism, requiring several times the normal food intake, though it normalized after a day.
So, Ashley moved with ease, clearing the path with her knife while telling the lolis the story of the three little pigs.
“…In the end, the big bad wolf was blocked by the brick house. If it had a steamroller and hurled it at the house, dinner would’ve been tender roast suckling pig.” Ashley’s tone was regretful.
“Why are you siding with the bad guy?!” Amber scolded, but immediately realized she was overreacting—Ashley was just joking.
“Shh!”
Ashley’s expression turned serious as she crouched to examine a long string of foul-smelling feces on the ground.
“It’s fresh. It’s nearby.”
The three grew solemn, tensely scanning their surroundings.
“Traces over there!”
Ashley tracked like a legendary hunter, from one mark to the next, through a small wetland and up the slope. Suddenly, she halted, raising a hand to stop the others.
“There!” Ashley whispered, her voice tinged with excitement.
Following her gaze, a long-limbed, eerie giant monster stood bathed in moonlight atop a moss-covered outcrop!
Pink and purple patterns flowed like water, like laser printing—bewitching and brilliant, constantly shifting.
Towering over three meters, it appeared slender and light on its delicate segmented legs. Yet its insectile hydraulic joints could launch it into supersonic flight!
Its symmetrical, segmented exoskeleton was a chitin-mineral composite: tough, elastic, and smooth—bullets would ricochet off the slopes. Not a single piece, but modular plates stitched with serrated seams; if cracked, it could regrow like molting, hardening to 60-70% strength in half an hour.
Unlike ordinary mantises, it had two extra pairs of legs. Its massive triangular blades were near-crystalline, with uneven edges gleaming deep purple poison—acquired from toxic prey. Its teeth also bore poison glands.
“This beast can strike at supersonic speeds. Our heads would be gone before we heard it. And that impact—even if our necks were iron, it’d sever them,” Ashley whispered.
A shiver surged from deep within Amber. So terrifying, she thought.
She had never faced such a monster up close; animal instinct screamed for her to run!
“The scariest part isn’t decapitation—it’s getting clamped by its raptorial legs. Imagine: venomous barbs piercing deep into flesh, agonizing pain, bones crushing. You can’t resist, just watch it gnaw a hole in your belly and devour the fig inside.” Ashley described vividly.
Though she didn’t know what a fig was, Amber’s legs trembled.
“Alright, Amber, hand over the treasure,” Ashley said, reaching out.
“Huh?” Amber blinked.
“Don’t play dumb. The S-Rank Relic—from the Trial Judge. Why not use it?” Ashley chided.
“I don’t… have it…” Amber suddenly remembered she’d even forgotten to pick up the B-Grade relic from the warehouse.
“You’re kidding, right? A-Rank then… Not even A-Grade?” Ashley’s tone grew tense.
“Really, I swear!”
“Then… let’s back off quietly. Don’t disturb Lord Mantis’s rest.” Ashley’s voice shrank to a mosquito’s buzz.
“Huh? We’re leaving just like that?” Chloe feigned surprise.
“Too early for us to tangle with something like this.”
After retreating some distance, Ashley glanced at Amber reproachfully.
“Aren’t you the Trial Judge’s favorite disciple? She sends you out empty-handed to die? And here I thought you were the main DPS—turns out you’re pure liability, nearly dooming us. Good thing I asked before engaging, or it would’ve chopped our little heads off for spicy rabbit heads.”
Amber’s face burned with shame. “S-Sorry,” she stammered.
The three left the Demon Flower Mantis’s lair and retraced their steps. Suddenly, without warning, gun barrels bristled from both sides of the trail Ashley had hacked out!
