Chapter 16: Phantom Step!

"Alright." Eric nodded.

He had anticipated their ulterior motives, which was why he purposefully showed off that skill.

With Red Snake's help, the two of them carried the hunted prey among which were a Steel-armored Bear and a Furious Boar out of the Exotic Beasts Zone.

Outside, Brutus, who was on guard duty, was reading a newspaper. When he saw Eric walking out with the prey, he couldn't hide his surprise.

"Well, I'll be damned. A rookie like you managed to bag some game on your first trip here, and you didn't even call me for backup." He clicked his tongue in amazement.

But then his eyes fell on Red Snake, who followed closely behind Eric, casually shouldering the massive corpse of a Steel-armored Bear.

This was the strength of a Low-level Physical Cultivation Practitioner.

Brutus immediately put two and two together. "Oh, so that's why. You teamed up with Red Snake, huh? No wonder."

He greeted Red Snake with a grin. "Hey, Red Snake! Scored big today, didn't you? When did you pick up a new little brother?"

Hearing this, Red Snake was momentarily stunned. It took him a second to realize that Brutus was referring to Eric as the "new little brother."

Red Snake let out a casual laugh. "New little brother? Nah, I'm just helping the guy carry his haul. Anyway, I'm busy, so I'll catch you later."

He then added with a mischievous grin, "Next time I come here, I'll bag something even bigger. Steel-armored Bear? That's nothing! Alright, I'm off! Brutus, let's grab a drink sometime!"

With a wave, Red Snake and Eric loaded the prey onto his modified pickup truck.

It was only then that Eric realized Red Snake was quite well-known even Brutus, the guard, recognized him.

Red Snake's truck was parked just outside the large iron gates of the Exotic Beasts Zone. The spacious cargo bed had clearly been custom-modified, a sign that hunting was a regular activity for him.

"Hey, kid. Hop in. Ride with me," Red Snake offered generously.

Eric nodded. "Alright, thanks."

As the two drove off, Brutus stood behind, his face full of disbelief as he craned his neck to watch them leave.

"Wait a second. Red Snake said he was just helping that kid carry the prey? Are you telling me that Steel-armored Bear and Rampaging Boar were both taken down by that kid?" His eyes widened in shock. "What the hell... That's impossible!"

…

Red Snake drove the pickup truck, heading toward the city with Eric riding shotgun.

As they drove, Eric couldn't help but ask, "Your name's Red Snake, right? You're older than me. What should I call you?"

Red Snake shrugged nonchalantly. "Just call me Red Snake, kid. No need to get formal."

If Eric had been just some nobody, Red Snake wouldn't have bothered treating him as an equal.

But Eric's display back in the Exotic Beasts Zone had completely stunned Red Snake. This kid was the real deal. If nothing else, he was either a prodigy or came from a powerful family. Either way, he was someone worth befriending.

"Red Snake, do you hunt often?" Eric asked.

"Of course. For people like us Low-level extraordinary beings taking on high-level missions is out of the question. So, we stick to hunting Low-level Exotic Beasts," Red Snake chuckled.

"Though…" He gripped the steering wheel with one hand and lifted his shirt with the other, revealing his abdomen wrapped tightly in bandages. "If I weren't injured, I wouldn't be stuck wasting time in the Outer Area."

Eric's eyes widened at the sight, and suddenly, it all made sense. Red Snake was clearly an experienced hunter. If it weren't for his injuries, how could he have performed worse than Eric himself?

"Red Snake, how did you get hurt?" Eric asked casually, trying to pass the time.

"It's all because of that Hatchet Gang Buck, that damn bastard..." Red Snake gritted his teeth.

Eric froze. Buck? So Red Snake got injured in a conflict with Buck's gang?

Red Snake's tone was bitter. "About a month ago, there was a turf war. Buck and his gang trashed the martial arts dojo I was managing. I fought back, but I got hurt in the process. Whatever, it's all underworld business, not worth talking about."

He let his shirt fall back down and didn't say another word. By then, the truck was nearing the Magic Guild.

"You're heading to the Magic Guild, right, kid?" Red Snake asked.

"Yeah. Thanks for the ride."

At the Magic Guild, Eric's first stop was the Mission Area. With Red Snake's help, he sold all the prey he had hunted.

After the transaction and verification, the clerk at the counter nodded. "One Steel-armored Bear, 20,000 dollars. One Rampaging Boar, 8,000. Adding in the other prey…"

"Mr. Eric, that's a total of 40,000 dollars. The funds have been transferred to your account. Congratulations on such an impressive first hunt!" The clerk smiled warmly.

Eric returned the smile, feeling a rush of excitement.

Outside, Red Snake was waiting for him. Eric transferred a portion of the money to him. "Red Snake, here's your fee for helping with the transport."

Red Snake checked his account and frowned slightly. "Didn't I say you didn't have to pay me?"

Eric replied, "Fair is fair. I wouldn't let you go out of your way for nothing."

Red Snake stared at him for a moment, then patted him on the shoulder. "Alright, kid. You're not in college yet, are you? Well, remember this if you're ever in Black City, just drop my name. It'll get you places."

Red Snake gave Eric an approving look before getting back into his truck and driving off. Eric watched him leave, then turned and headed back into the Magic Guild.

The Magic Guild was massive. Besides the Mission Area, there was also a dedicated Magic Store.

The store's inventory was extensive, far better than any of the smaller shops scattered around the city. Eric decided to buy himself a new magic skill.

Entering the Magic Book section, Eric's eyes scanned over the array of spellbooks on display.

After some deliberation, he settled on a movement-focused skill: Phantom Step. Price: 46,000 dollars.

Eric let out a sigh.

This was one of the few affordable yet practical magic skills in the store. Most of the others were priced well over hundreds of thousands, some even in the millions.

"Extraordinary beings might make money fast, but the expenses are just as insane! Relying on beginner-tier Exotic Beasts like these, I'm barely breaking even…"

Suddenly, an idea struck him. "Wait a second. With my current strength, I should be able to take on Exotic Beasts above Level 1!"

Exotic Beasts were classified into 30 levels, with every 5 levels marking a significant leap in difficulty.

Eric recalled that the Outer Area of the Exotic Beasts Zone only had Level 1 beasts, while the Inner Area housed stronger ones, though the most advanced beasts there didn't exceed Level 5.

"Maybe I can try hunting Level 5 Exotic Beasts!" Eric made up his mind, determined to test himself on the next hunt.

Level 5 Exotic Beasts were worth several times more than Level 1 beasts sometimes even tenfold.

Eric needed money badly. He wanted to buy himself a proper staff and drastically enhance his power before the entrance exams.

"I won't forget, Vivian… that wretched woman!" Eric clenched his fist, then strode out of the Magic Guild and hailed a cab home.

Back home, Eric exhaled deeply and collapsed onto the couch.

Although today's hunt hadn't been particularly dangerous, hunting Exotic Beasts was exhausting in itself. The hours of trekking through mountain trails, coupled with hauling heavy Exotic Beast corpses, had left him drained.

Magic users simply didn't have the physical endurance of Physical Cultivation Practitioners.

Lying there, Eric felt like he never wanted to get up again.

"No… I can't just rest like this." But soon, he clenched his fists, forcing himself upright.

"I have a new magic skill to learn. And I have to keep up my daily training. No excuses!"

Determined, Eric made his way to the grassy backyard.

He pulled out his newly purchased movement skillbook Phantom Step which was rated as a C-grade magic skill.

"Let's begin." Eric took a deep breath and started practicing according to the instructions in the book.

It was truly strange. In the past, whenever Eric tried to learn magic, his mind would essentially go blank he simply lacked any natural talent for it.

But now, after advancing to a proficient Magic User…

"Unbelievable! My brain is actually processing everything!" Eric exclaimed in astonishment. For the first time, he could genuinely grasp the essence and logic behind magic while studying it.

At the same time, his body moved instinctively, and his voice began chanting the spell's incantation.

Though Phantom Step was far cheaper than the Water Vortex spell Eric had purchased earlier, he quickly realized something surprising: the difficulty of learning Phantom Step was even higher!

It had taken Eric a good five or six attempts to successfully master Water Vortex.

And Phantom Step…

When Eric tried casting it for the first time, he unsurprisingly failed.

"Alright, let's go for round two!" Though his mana had been wasted, Eric wasn't discouraged. He immediately began chanting the spell again.

As the incantation fell from his lips, something incredible happened!