Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!

Chapter 427 - 419: Uncovering Anomalies

"We’re all brothers here, no need to be polite."

"May I ask which peak you belong to? We couldn’t have taken these Demon Dragons without you. To show our gratitude, we can split the task rewards in half," Yuan Yi said politely.

"Senior Brother Yuan, you’re too kind. I’m just a junior disciple from Yanxia Peak. How could I take half the credit? Let’s stick to the old rule: whoever kills, gets the credit."

Cheng Xiaoxiao already knew the person’s identity from the whispers of the crowd behind her.

The Eighth Prince of Donglie Country, highly favored by the emperor.

Also the second senior brother of Songhe Peak.

"How could that be fair? You deserve the most credit, taking more wouldn’t be too much."

He turned to the other brothers and asked, "Don’t you all agree?"

The group behind started speaking all at once, thanking her for her help and stating that splitting the task rewards half-and-half was perfectly fine.

"See, even if I agree, the others won’t. Just take it! By the way, what’s your name? So I can record it when reporting back."

Cheng Xiaoxiao was quite frustrated. What was the point of reporting her, when she was just using a fake identity?

This person was too enthusiastic.

"In that case, just record it for my squad. Our captain has been good to us, we’ve just been separated after a small incident."

Yuan Yi thought for a moment and nodded in agreement, "To still think of your brothers while on your own, you’re commendable. Let’s record it for your squad."

"Alright, thank you, Senior Brother Yuan. Record the task reward for Yanxia Peak’s third squad, with Rhino as the captain."

"Sure, no problem. Xiao Liu, send up the signal flare."

Yuan Yi readily agreed and instructed for the corpses of the Fierce Beasts to be collected promptly.

Cheng Xiaoxiao learned from Rhino that the corpses of the Fierce Beasts had many uses; for instance, their tough fur could be used for defense weapons, and their blood and bones could be used as ingredients in elixirs.

Their hooves, horns, and hair were also useful.

The giant worms they encountered today were referred to as Demon Dragons.

Their skins could be used to make soft armor, and their corrosive dark green blood could be filled into Thunder Bombs as weapons, catching others by surprise.

A disheveled, bedraggled yet handsome young man asked with a frown and a serious face, "Second Senior Brother, the outburst of Demon Dragons this time is unusual. Ten at once would have been considered many in the past, as they usually hunt alone and don’t group together like this.

Moreover, from my observation, their eye corners are red, as if they are on the verge of frenzy for some reason."

"Exactly. Demon Dragons are usually hibernating this time of year, and it’s hard to trace them down. This time, our junior brothers accidentally disturbed one while digging for herbs, which unexpectedly led to a pursuit by a whole group of Demon Dragons."

The speaker was a tall, thin man with dark skin but sharp, small eyes—clearly a meticulous person at first glance.

Yuan Yi pondered, also feeling that the Demon Dragon outbreak was unusual this time.

"This mass appearance of Demon Dragons indeed feels odd. Everyone must be cautious. If faced with such a large-scale fierce beast attack, we are undermanned and can easily be at a disadvantage. Therefore, try to avoid direct confrontation when possible, and prioritizing safety, split up if unavoidable."

"Yes!"

Everyone agreed.

After treating their wounds and taking a good rest, they set off on a new trek once again.

Cheng Xiaoxiao followed Yuan Yi’s arrangement, moving with them.

She had to stick with them, otherwise, how else would she guide them to find other teams?

Judging from the nature of the task, it’s sure to be more serious than they claim.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been an emergency mission—full defeat might actually be on the cards.

Other teams probably aren’t in better shape either.

She’s quite worried about Rhino and his group; they’ve been very considerate of her along the way.

Mixed in with the group, Cheng Xiaoxiao subtly inquired about the black Fierce Beast she had previously encountered.

After some understanding, she learned that the beast she met before was called Black Roar.

Renowned for its ferocity and might, Black Roar was tough to deal with, and they were gregarious, often appearing in dozens. Should they come across one, they should avoid it, opting only to hunt the solitary or the young ones.

Cheng Xiaoxiao realized that those beasts were indeed tough.

However, she wondered why that Black Roar was alone, while the solitary worms became a group.

Nevertheless, hearing that Black Roar was all treasure, Cheng Xiaoxiao was tempted once more.

And the task rewards weren’t low.

The brothers loved and hated it, yearning to encounter and reap a harvest, yet fearing they might face a group, with little gain for their effort.

Most disappointing for Cheng Xiaoxiao was that she had inadvertently traveled two or three days farther inward instead of out of the mountains.

She regretted heading deeper into the inside, kicking herself—why was she moving further in when she intended to leave?

Now with the new task, it seemed a blessing in disguise. If she’d really exited the forest, getting back in would have taken more time, making things unfavorable.

They continued the journey without any more unfortunate events.

On the third day, they entered the inner forest, where the towering trees grew more magnificent and expansive, blotting out the sky, with piles of decaying leaves everywhere, unfamiliar wild grasses, and creepers at their feet.

They finally found a low hill, surrounded by an endless expanse of rubble and stones.

The place seemed ideal for rest, so they made a fire and addressed their hunger.

On a blazing campfire, a rack had been set up with an unknown bird roasting at its center, roughly the size of a plump goose.

The brother in charge of roasting meat said the bird was an Emu, a flying fierce beast with tender, delicious meat that tasted fantastic even when plain, rendering it a rare edible beast.

Listening, Cheng Xiaoxiao gulped, eager to try the beast’s meat immediately.

"Its feathers are ideal for clothing to stave off the cold; they are especially warm. Its claws are medicinal, and most precious of all, its hooked beak is razor-sharp, making it into fierce weapons like flying daggers with strong penetration. Unfortunately, this is just a juvenile."

"Then how big is an adult Emu?" Cheng Xiaoxiao couldn’t resist asking.

If juveniles were the size of a plump goose, how much larger would an adult Emu be?

Could it be as large as a massive eagle?

Cheng Xiaoxiao couldn’t help conjuring a sketch of an image in her mind.

As she thought, a shadow flitted across the sky—something flew by, appearing quite large.

Their resting place was rather open, with white clouds under blue skies, vibrant and clear overhead.

Cheng Xiaoxiao looked up longingly; the sky was stunning without smog, no dust, with pure and refreshing air quality.

Suddenly a large bird swiftly flew past again.

Whether it was because it flew low to the ground or it was inherently large, the instant it flew by, there was a sense of looming cloud overhead. How could it seem more sturdy than the legendary eagles?

The spread wings cast a shadow at least two meters wide. Typically, a bird flying high should cast only a small shadow on the ground, no bigger than a fist, though larger creatures might appear as if a basketball rolled by.