Highway Rule: No Turning Back.
Qi Xu wanted to chase after them but couldn’t. He had even planned to wake up and fight properly, but now the monsters were gone!
He checked the barrel of his cannon—everything was normal, still warm to the touch. It was exhilarating. Just thinking about that parabolic trajectory made him feel pumped.
Before long, the parallel highway vanished, and a new wave of monsters closed in. Only one this time—a massive serpent, as thick as a bucket and about twenty to thirty meters long.
The moment it appeared, it slammed its tail against the vehicle. Thankfully, it was a Level 6 vehicle; otherwise, that single hit could’ve sent both the car and its occupants flying in a perfect arc.
Qi Xu hesitated. Using the vehicle’s weapons would make quick work of the serpent, but not only would it rob him of a training opportunity, it would also drain a lot of energy.
After a brief pause, he charged out with Little Seven and Sweet Girl!
When fighting large monsters, the most important thing was not to rush. You could hack at it ten times with a chainsaw and it might not even flinch, but one hit from it could end you.
As the battle dragged on, Qi Xu frowned. This thing’s defense was insane. Little Seven’s claws and anesthetic needles barely scratched it. Sweet Girl’s venomous fangs couldn’t even pierce its hide.
Only the chainsaw and pistol were effective.
Qi Xu started worrying that if this dragged on, more monsters would gather. If that happened, things would spiral out of control, and the cost of victory would skyrocket.
This serpent was, without a doubt, the toughest monster Qi Xu had encountered so far—not just strong, but fast and agile too.
Luckily, the vehicle provided cover in the middle. Qi Xu kept his distance, using the pistol for ranged attacks and the chainsaw up close, weaving around the cover to avoid letting it close in.
He had no idea how many small geysers of blood he’d opened up on the serpent’s body, but it kept roaring furiously, completely unfazed. The strong scent of blood even attracted another wave of monsters.
Hordes of them were already visible at the edges of the road.
Qi Xu decided he couldn’t afford to delay any longer. Even if it meant wasting a life-saving protection item, he had to end this now. He stashed Little Seven and Sweet Girl into his spatial stone and lunged forward, slipping right into the serpent’s coiled body.
He revved the chainsaw and spun in a circle, hacking wildly. Covered in blood, Qi Xu fought as the serpent tightened its grip. Both of them were desperate to finish the other off.
The serpent shrieked in agony, squeezing tighter, trying to crush Qi Xu to death. But Qi Xu wasn’t worried—he had a backup plan. To win, he had to take the risk.
So he pushed off and leaped onto its body, inching closer to its head. With one final swing, he split its skull clean down the middle. But in that instant, the serpent’s coils tightened around him.
Qi Xu could hear his bones creaking under the pressure. Gritting his teeth through the pain, he hacked at its head a few more times.
If you wanted to make money, you had to be willing to risk your life.
The serpent’s head was a mangled mess, but its body kept squeezing. Thankfully, Qi Xu heard the death notification.
Feeling like he couldn’t hold on any longer, he retreated into the advanced spatial stone.
The moment he entered, his entire body went numb. Limbs weak, he collapsed, gasping for air, unable to even stand.
"I’ll just collect the loot later… and hide from the incoming monsters. Can’t fight anymore…"
Killing monsters of different strengths awarded different points. Just this one serpent was enough to secure him a spot in the top three of the monthly rankings!
Even guns were useless against it—normal monsters weren’t this tough. Without the spatial stone, he wouldn’t have dared to fight like this.
It took him a while to recover. Little Seven and Sweet Girl paced around anxiously.
“I’m fine, just need a break.”
The two exchanged a glance. So this was what their master went through every time he hunted! They wanted to help, but there was nothing they could do.
Qi Xu heard the notification in his mind—both of their affection levels had risen. How heartwarming…
After resting under the relaxation blanket gifted by the Bunny Muscle Monster and eating a Peach-brand sandwich and milkshake, Qi Xu finally felt alive again.
Not wanting to linger too long and risk losing his spoils, he quickly adjusted and exited the spatial stone.
Seeing the serpent he’d painstakingly killed still lying peacefully on the highway, he let out a sigh of relief.
He pulled out a long knife, ready to carve out valuable parts like the gallbladder and fangs, when he suddenly spotted a flash of red hair behind the serpent’s body.
As a seasoned freeloader, Qi Xu reacted instantly. He swapped his title, vaulted over the serpent’s corpse, and landed right in front of the red-haired monster merchant.
“Hey there, Red-Haired Monster Merchant!”
Qi Xu checked the properties of his [Freeloader] title—it had been a while since he last used it.
“Upon encountering a red-haired monster merchant, you may claim one item for free.”
Nice!
The merchant awkwardly tried to hide a piece of snake skin behind its back.
“Ahem, my apologies. I thought this was unclaimed…”
Even the thickest-skinned merchant couldn’t deny that the blood-drenched player in front of it had something to do with the dead serpent, especially with the vehicle parked nearby.
“I was just… examining this snake skin…”
“Keep it! Consider it a gift. What’s a little snake skin between friends?” Qi Xu grinned, rubbing his hands together, hoping the merchant had something good in stock.
[Red-Haired Monster Merchant’s affection toward you has increased by 8 points. Current affection: 8!]
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly… Haha! Looking to buy something, are you? Take your pick—I’ll even give you a discou—”
The merchant’s cheerful demeanor vanished the moment it took a proper look at the player’s stats.
“Holy shit! Freeloader!”
[Red-Haired Monster Merchant’s affection toward you has decreased by 10 points. Current affection: -2!]
Qi Xu was used to this. Affection didn’t matter—what mattered was securing the benefits. So he just flashed a shameless, toothy grin.
The merchant looked like it had just bitten into something foul.
“Ugh, running into you is the worst luck. Take your stupid snake skin back—I don’t want it!”
It tossed the skin aside and turned to leave, but Qi Xu darted in front of it again.
“I wish to purchase goods.”
He remembered from his last encounter that saying this would force the merchant to stay, no matter how furious it was.
......
