Chapter 128: Hunting Once More, the Golden-Crowned Beaked Chicken

Seeing that Shinnia was preparing to craft his weapon and had politely issued a subtle dismissal, Zhang Ran wisely took the hint. He bid Shinnia farewell and turned to leave the armory.

By the time he stepped out, it was already five in the afternoon. The sky was beginning to dim, making any further hunting attempts unlikely. Zhang Ran stopped at a restaurant in the outer district of Black Hawk City for dinner before returning to his apartment.

Although the late hour prevented him from heading out into the wild, Zhang Ran did not waste his time like most evolvers. Thanks to the chip embedded in his mind, he had a sufficient and effective way to hone his strength.

After locking the door, Zhang Ran sat on his bed, closed his eyes, and shifted his focus. With the chip’s assistance, he entered the simulated combat space as he had done many times before.

Now that the second-generation "Po Jun" (Army Breaker) was in production and would be ready in a week, Zhang Ran needed to train in advance to ensure he could fully master the weapon and unleash its true potential upon completion.

With a thought, a heavy sword appeared in his hand. It was simulated based on the blueprints and materials of the second-generation Po Jun, with a fidelity of at least ninety-nine percent.

After summoning the simulation, Zhang Ran spent his first session training alone, adapting to the weight, sharpness, and other physical attributes of the blade. Soon after, he began summoning various mutated creatures to engage in simulated combat, sharpening his fighting skills.

Because he was using the Po Jun and did not need to worry about damaging his actual gear, Zhang Ran confidently summoned 5th and 6th-level mutated beasts to spar with.

With a weapon that suited him well, Zhang Ran’s strength had reached a new level, making him far more formidable. Even against 5th-level mutated beasts, he could now win with ease. However, when facing 6th-level creatures, he still found himself struggling; even against the weakest among them, killing one would require a tremendous toll, making it hardly worth the effort.

After six full hours of combat training, Zhang Ran had thoroughly exercised his skills and gained a deeper understanding of the second-generation Po Jun. He then drifted into a deep sleep to restore his energy, allowing his cells to undergo natural reorganization and recovery, clearing away genetic impurities from his body.

The night passed without incident. By six the following morning, Zhang Ran left Black Hawk City on schedule to head into the wilderness and continue his hunt.

Although his heavy sword, Po Jun, and his backup blade were both broken, 2nd-level alloy weapons were not prohibitively expensive. Spending the last of his ten thousand Black Hawk coins, Zhang Ran purchased a 2nd-level alloy machete for temporary use.

Lacking a proper weapon, Zhang Ran did not venture into the fringe zones. Instead, he stopped about 110 kilometers outside of Black Hawk City to begin his hunt. He walked at a steady pace, ordering the chip to scan for suitable mutated beasts.

Compared to the fringe zones, the area where he was hunting rarely saw 5th-level beasts. However, the density of 4th-level beasts was also lower, and their numbers were scarce. After a full half-hour, he had no major gains, having only dispatched two 3rd-level creatures to pass the time, which barely moved his evolution point progress by 0.2%.

"Ding! 4th-level mutated creature, Gold-Crested Sharp-Beak Chicken, detected 800 meters to your front-left. Please be advised!"

As he continued running in the opposite direction, the chip’s notification rang in his ear.

"A Gold-Crested Sharp-Beak Chicken? Not bad, a promising start!"

Zhang Ran nodded with satisfaction and looked in the direction indicated by the chip.

To his front-left stood a mutated beast resembling a rooster, but it was many times larger—standing a full meter and a half tall and over two meters in length—with beautiful, striking plumage. On its head sat a brilliant golden crest, and its beak was sharp and glinting with a cold, metallic light, giving it a highly aggressive appearance.

This was a Gold-Crested Sharp-Beak Chicken, a relatively powerful 4th-level creature. Its crest was a vital ingredient for many medicinal formulas and held high value, capable of selling for six or seven thousand Black Hawk coins.

With a thought, Zhang Ran ordered the chip to probe the creature. Once he confirmed its attributes, he drew the alloy machete from his storage box.

Drawing on his memories from before his transmigration and his newfound combat instincts, Zhang Ran was highly skilled with the blade. He didn't need specialized training to wield it with lethal efficiency.

Because the enemy was not particularly strong, he did not waste energy activating his "Blood Boil" ability. Instead, he focused his consciousness on the "Blood Sprint" ability rune within his sea of consciousness.

As he willed it, the final blood-shadow-shaped rune on his Evolution Tree lit up. A wave of mysterious energy emanated from it, and Zhang Ran’s body was instantly shrouded in a faint, bloody mist. His speed surged significantly.

With a flash, Zhang Ran vanished from his spot, transforming into a streak of red light as he charged toward the Gold-Crested Sharp-Beak Chicken.

When he closed within fifty meters, the creature finally noticed him, sensing the killing intent radiating from him.

"Woooo-ooo!"

The Gold-Crested Sharp-Beak Chicken let out a shrill cry, extending its neck. A faint golden light began to gather around its crest, rapidly condensing into a beam of potent energy that shot toward Zhang Ran—the creature’s signature ability: "Energy-Concentrated Blast."

"Too slow!"

Watching the blast streak toward him, Zhang Ran’s eyes flashed with disdain. He sidestepped with ease, effortlessly dodging the attack.

The blast struck the ground fifty meters behind him with a thunderous "boom," gouging out a crater a meter deep and five meters wide, vaporizing everything in the immediate vicinity.

Had that blast landed squarely, even with his 2nd-level alloy heavy shield for protection, Zhang Ran would have been severely injured. But against his current speed, the long-range attack of a 4th-level Gold-Crested Sharp-Beak Chicken was nothing more than a pipe dream.