Published: February 12, 2025
With a clang, Ye Zhongming used the Mimetic Weapon in its stick form to deflect the sharp claws that came at him. Then, with a push of the energy long pole against the ground, his body leaped into the air. The weapon in his hand instantly transformed into a whip shape, and with a flick of his wrist, it wrapped around the monster's single horn.
Using the momentum, he spun around and, upon getting closer, the whip vanished, replaced by a sword form. However, this time the sword did not appear in Ye Zhongming's hand but rather in the hand of a shadow that suddenly emerged on the opposite side of the monster. With a swift thrust, the sword pierced through a weak spot beneath the monster's arm, causing the shadow to explode and delivering a mental shock to the creature.
At that moment, Ye Zhongming swung his fists repeatedly at the monster's head, obliterating it in a series of strikes. After extracting the grade 8 magic crystal, Ye Zhongming used the water pouch he carried to wash off the blood from his hands, feeling quite satisfied with today's haul.
The monster had a layer of solid bone-like material on it, which was excellent for making armor, even better than the skin of a serpentine creature. Once processed, Ye Zhongming's defensive capabilities would elevate significantly.
After taking the bone armor, Ye Zhongming stood in front of the monster for a moment, choosing to dig out its sharp claws and fangs before quickly leaving the scene.
This was already the third day since his transaction with the colorful man, and he noticed that the anticipated second test had yet to arrive, which puzzled him a bit.
However, he hadn't been idle; over the past few days, he continually hunted the mutated life forms in this area, practicing the double poison shadow skill while searching for poison sources.
Ahead lay a swamp that Ye Zhongming had visited before. It wasn't large, roughly the size of a few football fields, and it was inhabited by a type of poison frog, one of the potential targets for poison sources. However, the toxicity wasn't particularly strong, nor did it have any severe negative status effects, which left Ye Zhongming somewhat unsatisfied.
The swamp was filled with various vegetation, tall and short, effectively covering some of the water pits. In addition to the poison frogs, other dangers lurked, necessitating extra caution while moving through it.
Returning to this area, Ye Zhongming suddenly dove into a thicket of weeds that were taller than a person, making him invisible from the outside.
About a hundred meters away, two figures hid among the dense branches of a small tree, glancing at each other when Ye Zhongming suddenly disappeared.
"What do you think?"
"If he doesn't show up in a while, it means he has discovered us. Then we should just go for it."
"Alright."
After their brief conversation, the two focused intently on the spot where Ye Zhongming had vanished.
These two beings were those who had entered the garbage trial alongside Ye Zhongming; one was an 'old acquaintance,' the half-orc who had punched Ye Zhongming upon entering, while the other resembled a double-sized gollum.
However, only half a minute after their conversation, they both suddenly toppled to the sides. Two gleaming blades swept past the spot they had just occupied.
Unbeknownst to them, Ye Zhongming appeared behind them, wielding his Mimetic Weapon. After the first attack had missed, he swiftly charged towards the gollum that had dodged to the left.
Though the two sharp teeth, which were practically equivalent to green equipment, failed to harm either of them, the surprise attack caused enough intimidation that their dodging became somewhat clumsy. Ye Zhongming's speed was formidable, and just as his sword form aimed at the gollum, a shadow appeared on the opposite side of the opponent.
Faced with a pincer attack, the gollum executed an astonishing dodge, swaying its body left and right before freezing in place. Ye Zhongming's sword and the bone dagger held by the shadow simultaneously struck at "the two of him."