"Such a bizarre form of life exists in the world... It's unbelievable!" Fan Qingmei exclaimed in awe.
Then, she asked, "How did you get it? What level is it?"
Kent saw that she was genuinely curious, so he narrated the entire process of how he came across it—starting from being followed by a weasel to discovering the underground tomb and the miniature alternate space inside the coffin.
"This is too bizarre. Your luck is truly unbeatable," Fan Qingmei said, her mouth wide open in surprise.
Kent chuckled. "It's all good. I'm someone with great ambitions, so a bit of good fortune doesn't hurt."
He said this with complete seriousness, and even he was convinced by his own words. In fact, it was true: with the Godly Pet Evolution System as his golden finger, as long as he had time to grow and didn't die prematurely, this world would truly become his stage in the future.
"Alright, at least make it sound convincing," Fan Qingmei replied, rolling her eyes at him.
The two of them exchanged a few sweet words before reluctantly parting ways.
"You must be careful, I'll be here waiting for your return," Fan Qingmei said, leaning in for a kiss and blushing.
Kent nodded seriously and then soared into the forest.
The task of stealing the Fire Dragon Blood Flower was too dangerous, and Kent couldn't allow Fan Qingmei to accompany him. She wouldn't be much help, and her presence might even slow him down.
Running through the ancient forest, towering trees blocked most of the sunlight, making the forest floor quite dim. Kent moved through it like a fish in water, clearly at ease.
The forest was filled with many native beasts, diverse in species, form, and abilities.
There were the nearly invisible Needle Spiders, their bodies as thin as needles yet carrying deadly toxins. However, Kent didn't pay them any mind. His battle suit and indestructible body made him impervious to such attacks. How could a needle pierce his armor and break his defenses? It was impossible.
There were also the Ten-Legged Worm Trees, which resembled a mix of earth's winter worm and summer grass. Their lower halves were massive worms the size of small houses, while their upper halves were trees with sharp branches that could move on their own, like someone wielding weapons.
Other beasts included Silver Wolves, Eye-of-the-Tiger Beasts, Dragon Bats, and Two-Headed Foxes. The Eye-of-the-Tiger Beast, in particular, had a third vertical eye in its forehead, capable of shooting powerful laser-like beams.
Kent wasn't moving particularly fast, but with two of his beast companions alerting him to dangers, he avoided the more menacing creatures and only encountered the less threatening ones.
After about an hour of intense travel, Kent reached a large river. He had seen it from the entrance of the cloud cluster earlier. It was about twenty miles wide, like a giant white dragon stretching across the highland mountain range, winding for countless miles.
Kent was stopped by the river and paused to consider how to cross. The river often erupted with giant fish monsters, which were fierce and bloodthirsty. Kent had no doubt he'd be eaten alive if one of them bit him.
"I'll have to find another way around," Kent muttered.
Lacking any immediate solution, he began walking upstream along the riverbank. After about seven or eight miles, he suddenly spotted a figure ahead.
"Wow, SS-class battle gear?" Kent exclaimed. The figure was a middle-aged man clad in a set of SS-class gear worth tens of millions, with a blood-red long sword reflecting cold light. His top-tier alloy combat boots were strong enough to smash a large rock with a single kick.
"This is a stroke of luck, running into a big shot," Kent thought to himself. The man had already walked past, and he was grilling a freshly skinned cow's leg. The rich aroma wafted toward Kent's nose, making his mouth water.
"Who's there?" Before Kent could get within five hundred meters, the man noticed his presence. He turned and coldly shouted, then saw Kent walking towards him.
"Hello, senior, may I speak with you for a moment?" Kent jogged over, a look of joy on his face.
However, to Kent's surprise, the middle-aged man, with an expression of indifference, quickly drew his bow and shot an arrow straight at Kent.
Kent was stunned. "What's going on? We're both human, why would he shoot first and ask questions later?"
He quickly leaped into the air, landing on a tree branch a hundred meters high. Just as he steadied himself, he heard a loud cry of pain. Looking down, he saw a level 54 leopard, still convulsing in death, its life snuffed out by the middle-aged man's swift arrow.
Kent immediately realized he had misjudged the situation. He quickly jumped down from the tree and, feeling a bit awkward, cupped his hands in apology. "Thank you, senior, for saving my life."
Kent had relaxed his guard upon seeing a fellow human, but the leopard, skilled in concealing its presence, had almost caught him off guard. Fortunately, the middle-aged man acted quickly. Though Kent knew the leopard's attack wouldn't have killed him in one strike, his indestructible body ensured he would have survived the encounter.
"It's nothing," the middle-aged man waved his hand, signaling Kent to come closer.
Kent approached within three paces and asked, "Senior, may I ask if you are a patrol envoy?"
He had noticed a golden emblem on the man's shoulder, which was unique to fourth-tier patrol envoys. Although Kent had not recognized it at first, after learning about Li Wanfeng's identity, he had researched patrol envoys online and even studied patrol college materials.
The middle-aged man looked at Kent in surprise, then nodded. "That's right. How did you recognize me? Are you a patrol envoy as well? But you're not wearing the emblem."
Kent hurriedly replied, "I know a fourth-tier patrol envoy. I'm a student at the Patrol Academy of Earthstar University."
"Ah, I see." The middle-aged man nodded in understanding. Then he grew interested in the name Kent had mentioned. "You know that fourth-tier patrol envoy? What's his name? Perhaps I know him."
Kent shook his head. "You probably don't know him. He's from Microglow City like me. His name is Li Wanfeng."
"Ha! You've got me there. Li Wanfeng... I do know him! We were classmates years ago. I'm two years older than him. Who would have thought that after twenty years, he'd become a fourth-tier patrol envoy? Good for him!"
The middle-aged man laughed heartily, his tone unexpectedly warm.
Kent was equally surprised and quickly asked, "I'm Kent. After my parents passed away, Li Uncle became my guardian. May I ask your name, senior?"
"My name is Qian Zhenqian," the middle-aged man replied.