"This guy's gone mad. Does he think the water pool violent salamander is just an iron fire ant?"
"The iron fire ants are only level-one magical beasts. We already beat them half to death before he got lucky and stole the kill. But a water pool violent salamander is completely different—this beast is still in perfect condition…"
Watching Meng Lei ride on the back of the water pool violent salamander and stab it wildly, Allison and the other three were briefly stunned before they all frowned.
The water pool violent salamander was a level-two magical beast, and it was completely unharmed!
Under these circumstances, a kid like Meng Lei—who still looked like he hadn't even grown any hair—actually thought he could kill it?
What a joke!
And the facts proved them right.
Even though Meng Lei was using every ounce of strength he had, he still couldn't sever the salamander's spine. The beast's scales were as hard as iron, and its bones were tougher than diamond. How could they be cut so easily?
Instead, the searing pain on its back drove the water pool violent salamander into a frenzy. This level-two magical beast, which carried a trace of water dragon bloodline, roared furiously and shook its body like a wild horse that had broken free of its reins, desperately trying to throw Meng Lei off.
Meng Lei could feel the terrifying power surging beneath him. He knew that if he kept going like this, he would definitely be flung away. He was almost at his limit!
"Screw it!"
Meng Lei gritted his teeth and roared in his mind: "System, convert all my gold coins into Constitution! I need more strength—much more strength!"
"Ding! Exchange successful. Host's Constitution +23!"
"Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have advanced to First-Level Warrior. Please continue working hard and strive for even greater breakthroughs!"
A powerful, warm current he had never felt before surged through his limbs and bones, rapidly strengthening every part of his body. Meng Lei felt his strength exploding. Every inch of him was filled with explosive power!
"I've finally become a first-level warrior!"
Meng Lei's eyes blazed with sharp, cold light. He gripped the dagger tightly and stabbed down with all his might, slamming it into the water pool violent salamander's spine once more!
Crack——
A crisp sound of bone snapping rang out, like the most beautiful immortal melody echoing in Meng Lei's ears. Immediately afterward, a massive force slammed into him, and he was sent flying uncontrollably!
He crashed heavily to the ground, eating dirt, but Meng Lei was ecstatic. Staring at the violently trembling water pool violent salamander, he laughed darkly. "Die, you beast!"
Boom——
The moment his words left his mouth, the water pool violent salamander collapsed with a thunderous crash, smashing into the ground and falling completely silent.
"Ding! Killed 1 level-two magical beast—Water Pool Violent Salamander. Obtained 270 gold coins!"
As the salamander died, the system's prompt sounded right on time. Meng Lei let out a long breath. "Finally dead. All that effort was worth it!"
"The water pool violent salamander… is dead?"
Allison and the other three were frozen in shock, staring blankly at the corpse. Their brains seemed to have short-circuited.
"How could the water pool violent salamander die?"
"This is impossible! That's a level-two magical beast!"
"Hey! Kid, how the hell did you kill the water pool violent salamander?"
Meng Lei struggled to his feet and smiled as he explained, "I got lucky. I accidentally sliced through its spine, and then it died."
"What?! You severed its spine??"
"No way! That's impossible! The bones of a water pool violent salamander are extremely tough. Its spine is the hardest part of its entire body except for its teeth. How could you possibly cut through it?"
The burly man Bobby, gripping his giant axe, frowned and directly questioned Meng Lei's explanation.
Bobby, Yale, and Allison all nodded in agreement. A level-two magical beast's power was comprehensive—its physical body, speed, bones, and magic were all far superior to a level-one beast.
Meng Lei could kill iron fire ants, but killing a water pool violent salamander should have been far beyond him!
"These guys really aren't easy to fool…"
Meng Lei felt a little helpless and shrugged. "Don't believe me? Go check for yourselves!"
The strongman Bobby glanced at Meng Lei, then walked over and inspected the corpse. Sure enough, the water pool violent salamander's spine had been cleanly severed. He looked stunned. "Kid, how exactly did you do that?"
"I already told you—I'm really strong!"
…
The death of the water pool violent salamander left Allison and the other three looking at Meng Lei in a completely new light. Their attitude toward him improved significantly.
The strong are respected no matter where they go. Even though Meng Lei was still weaker than any of them, he had shown real power—enough to earn their respect.
Of course, it also made the four of them even more wary of him. They could travel with a weak, powerless stranger, but once that stranger displayed decent fighting ability, they had to stay on guard.
Meng Lei noticed the subtle change, but he didn't care. He had never planned to become friends with them. He just wanted to follow along, pick up the glowing orbs they left behind, and earn more gold coins.
That was all.
After dealing with the water pool violent salamander, the four decided to rest for a while and eat something. They had been fighting nonstop and were starting to feel tired.
Besides, the area around the water pool had beautiful scenery and plenty of fresh water—it was the perfect spot to take a break.
Skinning, butchering, cleaning, roasting…
These were all skills Meng Lei had mastered long ago. He also took out the salt and seasonings he had prepared. Before long, an irresistible aroma drifted from the grill.
"It smells amazing!"
"Kid, what did you put in the meat? Why does your roast smell so much better than ours?"
Allison and the others had grilled their own meat, but none of it smelled anywhere near as good as Meng Lei's. Curious, they all crowded around, asking for his secret.
"Because I added these!"
Meng Lei took out the salt and seasonings with a grin. "I prepared them before leaving the village. Try it yourselves. Just rub some on the meat while you grill—the flavor is incredible!"
The four of them were still a little suspicious and took the seasonings cautiously. After all, what if it was poison?
But when they saw Meng Lei happily eating the seasoned meat himself, they finally relaxed and cheerfully started smearing the spices on their own portions.
"These four really are too cautious…"
Meng Lei shook his head, too lazy to complain.
"The taste is really good!"
"No wonder it's a level-two magical beast!"
After a satisfying meal of grilled meat, the group of five set off once more.
Over the next few days, the four continued hunting level-one and level-two magical beasts for practice, while Meng Lei quietly kept collecting the glowing orbs that dropped. He was developing steadily in secret.
In just a few short days, his gains were enormous. His personal stats had improved dramatically!
Host: Meng Lei Race: Human Wealth: 916 gold coins Physique: First-Level Warrior (126/200) Spirit: Magic Apprentice (13/100) Mana: Magic Apprentice (26/100) Magic Spells: Fireball Technique, Thorn Vine, Water Bubble Technique, Earth-Shaking Technique, Wind Blade, Burning Hand