The challenge issued to Yun Shaojing, the foremost expert in Huaxia Base City, was undeniably major news; generals received word, and even the company commanders in the lower barracks were aware, sending ripples of excitement throughout a large portion of the base city.
Amidst the intense exchange and skepticism, the person at the center of it all sat in his residence, leisurely sipping red wine salvaged from the wilderness. It seemed he held complete control over the outside world's reaction.
Not long after, Bailong and the others arrived at the residence.
“We just got back from the wilds and heard the news about you challenging Yun Shaojing—that can’t be true, right?” Yue Heng asked, surprised.
Ye Chen nodded. “It’s true.”
“Why?” Bailong frowned. “This Yun Shaojing is rumored to be a Super Evolver, his physique likely level forty or fifty. Plus, he has the backing of the Information Department, a lot of high-level connections, and a substantial number of major officers loyal to him. Given your nature, you wouldn't challenge him just to steal the spotlight.”
Yue Heng glanced sideways at Bailong. “How do you know so much?”
Bailong blinked, then rolled his eyes. “Every person on Earth knows that.”
“So you’re from Earth,” Yue Heng realized with a sudden clarity.
“You—”
Zhuge Fan sighed helplessly. “Can you two quiet down for a bit? Let Brother Ye finish speaking before you start arguing.”
Bailong shot Yue Heng a glare and said no more.
Everyone turned to Ye Chen, waiting for him to explain the reason. After a brief pause, Ye Chen showed no inclination to speak. Bailong prompted him, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Ye Chen retorted irritably, “What’s there to say? I just don’t like him, so I challenged him.”
“Is it really that simple?” Yue Heng was suspicious, feeling slightly deceived.
“It definitely isn’t,” Bailong mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he chuckled slyly. “I know! It must be for that beautiful woman named Murong Xue, right? She’s so gorgeous, you must really like her, don’t you? Don’t be shy, I get it, we all get it, right?”
Ye Chen gave him a sidelong glance, too weary to bother responding.
The reasons he issued the challenge were straightforward: first, to force Hua Bu Luo to actively expel him; second, to eliminate the nuisance that was Yun Shaojing, preventing further assassination attempts. A visible enemy is easy to guard against, but concealed daggers are hard to defend; perhaps his next meal would be poisoned.
However, issuing the challenge carried a drawback: he would likely remain forever at the General rank, with no possibility of further promotion. The higher-ups would never entrust significant authority to someone as ‘reckless’ as him; they would only want him as a frontline shock trooper. This was precisely why he never revealed his true strength when he was at the Soldier rank.
Still, he had no desire for the Commander position anyway, so this potential drawback had no impact on him.
...
After a short conversation, Bailong and the others departed. Ye Chen activated the spatial link point and extracted the corpse of the Three-Eyed Wolf, using the blood-red War Saber to sever its claws and head, leaving only the headless torso.
Thump-thump.
Suddenly, a knocking sounded.
Ye Chen frowned, coldly stating, “There’s no one here.”
The knocking paused for a moment, then was followed by a silver-bell-like laugh. A melodious voice rang out, “Is General Ye Chen home? Could the friend who spoke please announce me?”
Ye Chen was momentarily stunned, then offered a wry smile and opened the door. Sunlight streamed in, illuminating a girl in green standing outside. Her hair was like clouds, her features exquisitely beautiful, and she wore light blue denim jeans that encased her long, straight legs, their curves still graceful.
Ye Chen rubbed his nose. “Why are you here?”
This girl was naturally Murong Xue. She winked playfully. “Who was just saying there was no one home? Hmph hmph.”
“Was someone speaking just now? I didn’t hear anything,” Ye Chen could only deny it to the end.
“You’re being a cheat!” Murong Xue huffed, then her smile vanished, and she looked at Ye Chen seriously. “I heard you challenged Yun Shaojing?”
Ye Chen nodded. “Yes.”
Murong Xue hadn't expected Ye Chen to be so direct. She froze for a moment, then her pretty face flushed scarlet, and she lowered her head, her slender fingers fussing with the hem of her clothes. The atmosphere instantly became awkward and charged with unspoken feelings.
Ye Chen paused, then realized Murong Xue had misunderstood. He immediately wanted to explain, but didn't know how to start. “Well, actually… sigh, let’s just come inside and talk.”
Murong Xue nodded softly and stepped in, immediately spotting the headless corpse of the Three-Eyed Wolf in the center of the room. She gasped. “What kind of monster is this?”
“One I hunted—a Demon Wind Hound,” Ye Chen vaguely replied. After all, once the head was removed, the appearance of the two monster types was quite similar, and by this stage, Demon Wind Hounds had reached Physique Level 15.
“Where is its head?” Murong Xue asked curiously, as if forgetting the recent awkwardness.
Ye Chen rubbed his nose. “Blown off by a shot. The head was smashed, so I just cut it off.”
Murong Xue didn't dwell on it. She walked over to the Three-Eyed Wolf’s carcass and poked it with her slender, fair fingers, then turned to Ye Chen. “Its hide looks quite supple. It would make excellent soft leather armor.”
Ye Chen nodded. “I was just planning to skin it to make leather armor.”
Murong Xue grinned playfully. “Let me help you.”
Ye Chen hesitated. “Aren’t you afraid?” In his perception, a girl like Murong Xue, who had been sheltered by her father since the apocalypse began, shouldn’t have witnessed much cruelty or gore.
“Even though I haven’t fought in the wilds, I often visit the Research Department. I’ve seen plenty of these monsters. Forget dead—I’m not afraid of them even when they’re alive,” Murong Xue declared proudly.
Ye Chen gave a faint, wry smile. “Alright.” He picked up a nearby knife and began cutting around the short neck of the Three-Eyed Wolf. The raw blood felt sticky to the touch, and there was a thick layer of fatty oil along the membrane, incredibly slick.
The two of them, armed with small knives, started the arduous task of tearing the hide.
“Cut here.”
“Pull this side—tug hard!”
“Almost done with this last bit.”
Time flew by amidst their labor. An hour later, both of them were covered in blood. They had finally managed to peel off the Three-Eyed Wolf’s hide, which was vast enough to create two or three sets of soft armor.
In the spacious room, only the bloody body of the Three-Eyed Wolf remained. With its skin stripped away, the veins and tendons were exposed, creating a shocking sight.
Ye Chen used a pre-prepared coarse cloth bag to collect the monster’s blood, planning to sell it at a high-end hotel the following evening. After all, this was a Level 55 monster; no one at this stage could kill one.
“This monster’s skin is really tough,” Murong Xue said, stroking the pile of brown-hued hide while looking up at Ye Chen. “With such fine material, let me sew it for you. We should be able to make one piece of armor and one battle skirt.”
“I was just going to hand this over to the Production Department to help make it,” Ye Chen said casually.
Murong Xue shook her head. “If the people in the Production Department see material this good, they’ll definitely try to skim some off. That would be a huge loss.”
Ye Chen considered it. “Alright then.”
Murong Xue giggled, clearly pleased.
By evening, Murong Xue took the hide, saying she would deliver the finished pieces herself in three days.
...
After a night of rest, Ye Chen changed into a clean set of clothes the next day and left the base city alone, heading toward the deep mountain forest where he had hunted monsters last time. Along the way, he saw many corpses; the landscape was desolate.
Before long, Ye Chen entered the forest and soon encountered the Carrion Worms dwelling in the outermost areas. These bugs were infant-sized and extremely plump, their bodies like moving clumps, possessing only Level 2 physique. Their mouths were lined with gear-shaped, sharp teeth, and they could spew venom from their mouths to attack enemies.
These were evolved creatures, considered a relatively decent source of ‘mobile food’ during the apocalypse, though they became exceedingly rare in later stages, nearly extinct.
Ye Chen ignored them, his figure blurring as he swept over the swarm of Carrion Worms and ventured deeper into the mountains. As he proceeded further in, the monsters he encountered grew more numerous, with powerful creatures appearing intermittently.
Roar, roar!
Suddenly, Ye Chen heard several furious roars and sounds of intense fighting ahead. He paused, then suppressed his aura and crept forward stealthily.