Chapter 14: Exotic Beasts Zone – Hunting!

"You're progressing so fast, great job!" Eric panted as he looked around.

Around him were numerous craters created by his Magic.

The impressive progress made Eric deeply feel that the future was full of potential!

Half an hour later, Eric finally regained some of his strength after lying on the grass, though a huge wave of fatigue overwhelmed him. He went back to his room and went to sleep.

The next morning, at dawn.

Eric walked toward the jungle surrounded by an iron fence. The jungle was vast, and the iron fence stretched endlessly into the distance.

"So this is the Low-level Exotic Beasts Zone?" Eric thought to himself as he had just taken a taxi here right after waking up, ready to complete the hunting task he accepted yesterday.

"Hunt 1st-level Raccoon, Hunt 1st-level Swift Hare, Hunt 1st-level Ground Armored Lizard," Eric glanced at his list. "Apparently, these three are the most common 1st-level Exotic Beasts."

Exotic Beasts, being mutated animals, have undergone evolution beyond the basic animal forms, making them a much greater threat to humans.

The area that Eric was heading to now, enclosed by an iron fence, was a government-designated Low-level Exotic Beasts Zone, home to Exotic Beasts of level 2 or lower.

Besides being a nature reserve, this place also serves as a training ground for Low-level extraordinary beings.

Soon, Eric arrived at the entrance to the Exotic Beasts Zone. There was a large iron gate with a guard booth nearby, inside of which sat a muscular man who appeared to be the area's guard.

As Eric got closer, he looked through the window of the booth and saw the burly man sitting in his office, a large machete strapped to his waist, and various firearms like shotguns hung on the walls of the office.

"Hello, I'd like to enter the Exotic Beasts Zone," Eric greeted.

The muscular man looked up and glanced Eric over. "First time here?" He asked. "Although the Exotic Beasts Zone doesn't charge a fee, you should know that only extraordinary beings are allowed in here."

The guard then scanned Eric's chest area and shrugged lazily.

Eric realized that the man was looking at his badge. A Low-level Magic user would receive a badge as a symbol of identity, and so would a Physical-Cultivation Practitioner. These badges served as proof of being an extraordinary being.

"I just passed the Low-level Magic user test. The badge hasn't been issued yet, but I am already an extraordinary being…" Eric explained, pulling his Low-level Magic user certificate out of his pocket.

The guard straightened up, nodded, and gave him a respectful look.

"Alright then, before you go in, please register your information here," the muscular man said, pointing to a form in front of him. The form was a list of people entering, requiring details like name, school, and so on.

Eric took the pen and quickly filled out his information.

"Eric, is it? My name is Brutus. If you run into any danger inside that you can't handle, I want you to run as fast as you can. If you can't escape, just call me," Brutus handed him a business card.

Eric paused for a moment when he saw the card. "You can seek the guard's help while hunting in the Exotic Beasts Zone?"

"No, only a rookie like you, coming here for the first time, would need my card. I think it's necessary," Brutus said, his eyes filled with a sense of condescension towards the young man.

He spoke bluntly, "I won't be helping you deal with Exotic Beasts. If you call me, I can only save your life, so you don't end up as Exo-Beast poop!"

His tone carried a certain impatience, clearly annoyed by the idea of a newbie, fresh into the extraordinary beings ranks, jumping straight into a real-life battle.

But Eric, unfazed, pocketed the business card and simply said, "Thanks."

With that, Eric walked toward the iron gate. At that moment, Brutus stood up, revealing black dragon tattoos on his arms. "Hey, one more thing," he called.

Brutus' expression grew serious as he gave a stern warning, "The Exotic Beasts Zone is divided into two sections: the Outer and Inner Areas. Don't cross the warning signs. Your area is the Outer Area. Stay out of the Inner Area."

His voice was flat and emotionless as he continued, "Because the Inner Area contains 2nd-level Exotic Beasts."

Eric nodded seriously, taking mental note of the instructions. He then stepped into the Exotic Beasts Zone.

Inside, it was a vast forest, with enormous trees blocking out the sunlight, casting everything into a gloomy, shadowy atmosphere.

The environment naturally created a sense of psychological pressure, but Eric wasn't afraid.

If it had been him before, he definitely wouldn't have dared to come here. But now, as a newly initiated Magic user, he felt confident enough to handle 1st-level Exotic Beasts.

He pulled out his phone, which displayed the official website of the Magic Guild—only official members could register there.

On the screen, there was information related to his hunting task.

"Apart from the Raccoon, Swift Hare, and Ground Armored Lizard, there are other Exotic Beasts, and the prices are listed next to each one."

1st-level Exotic Beasts were priced at several hundred dollars at the lowest!

Some of the rarer ones, however, could cost much more! Prices could reach thousands, or even ten thousand dollars. Of course, they were also much harder to deal with.

Given Eric's financial situation, besides the three most common Exotic Beasts, he certainly wouldn't let any rarer Exotic Beasts slip by if they appeared.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak."

Suddenly, Eric heard rustling sounds coming from the tree above him.

He looked up and saw a brown Raccoon! It was perched on the trunk, and in the instant Eric looked up, it lunged at him!

"It's not afraid of people at all! Exotic Beasts really are something else!" Eric's expression changed slightly, and he immediately channeled his magical energy.

The Raccoon, while falling through the air, extended its claws.

Its eerie, greenish eyes shot out a cold, piercing light. It was quick, like a Giant Bat soaring through the air!

With those sharp claws and razor-like teeth, it could easily tear through human flesh. And once scratched or bitten, its strong viruses could infect the victim!

"Whoosh!"

Just as the Raccoon was within half a meter of Eric, a water sphere suddenly shot from his palm!

Eric didn't need to chant, and at this moment, his Water Sphere Technique was flawless, both in speed and power.

"Boom!"

The water sphere hit the Raccoon with the force of a cannonball, creating a crisp explosion.

In the next moment, the Raccoon was knocked to the ground, its organs ruptured!

"Phew, that's it?" Eric ran over to the Raccoon's body and kicked it a few times to make sure it was truly down.

This was his first time in actual combat, and even when he first used the Water Sphere Technique, it was powerful enough to break through walls.

After practicing it countless times, the technique's power had only increased. If any other Low-level Magic users specialized in Water-based elements were around to witness this, they would be astounded!

Because Eric's Water Sphere Technique was absurdly powerful—several times stronger than a normal Water Sphere!

And that's why he was able to take down the 1st-level Raccoon in a single hit.

[Ding, you've made your first Magic kill, progress increased!]

[Triggering a tenfold critical hit! Progress +30]

[Skill: Magic User (Beginner)]

[Progress: (220/500)]

Eric's face lit up with joy. "So killing Exotic Beasts also boosts progress and can trigger critical hits!"

He pulled out a bag he had prepared earlier and stuffed the Raccoon's corpse into it. Fortunately, the Raccoon wasn't too large—about the size of a fox.

Eric slung it over his shoulder, feeling quite encouraged.

"One Raccoon is worth 1,000 dollars. That's a nice little profit. Looks like it's not as hard as I thought," Eric smiled to himself and continued on his way.

Compared to the instant of combat, the most time-consuming part was hunting for the prey, and that took up the majority of Eric's time. As he ventured deeper, another hour passed.

"There's the Swift Hare and the Ground Armored Lizard!" But fortune favored the prepared, and Eric quickly found the other two targets on his list.

With the experience of his first kill behind him, Eric was now much calmer. He once again used his Water Sphere Technique to take down a Swift Hare and a Ground Armored Lizard.

"Phew, the intel was spot on. These three Exotic Beasts are indeed the most common," Eric said, sitting down on a patch of grass, leaning against a tree, and panting heavily while clutching his chest.

It was exhausting. Although fighting 1st-level Exotic Beasts had been a one-sided victory for him, he had to admit that things weren't as easy as he had initially thought.

In addition to the magical energy consumed by casting his Magic, the process of hunting, chasing, and catching his prey took a lot of physical effort. He also couldn't avoid missing a shot with his Water Sphere Technique while attacking the prey.

"It looks like I still need to practice my combat experience... But even though it's tough, the rewards aren't bad!" Eric smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the three wrapped-up corpses in front of him.