Chapter 24: In Need of Your Help?

Black Serpent's large blade came crashing down, but in the end, it only cut through the air, severing a few blades of wild grass.

"What?" His expression changed as he looked up and saw Eric standing a meter away.

"Instantly disappearing and reappearing somewhere else... a body movement technique?" Black Serpent was momentarily stunned. Body movement skills were also common among Physical Cultivation Practitioners.

However, he was still surprised to see such a technique in a high school student, as it was a skill that was notoriously hard to master.

Moreover, Black Serpent could tell that Eric's proficiency was incredibly high. He couldn't even see the preparatory movements for the Magic Eric had used before he disappeared.

"Phantom Step, it worked!" Eric let out a sigh of relief, clutching his chest. He wasn't injured, but the situation had been perilous.

One cold fact if Eric hadn't learned Phantom Step, or hadn't practiced it to such a high degree, he would have been dead by now.

"No wonder he's an Intermediate-level Physical Cultivation Practitioner. That was dangerous," Eric muttered to himself.

The students around them were in shock. "What just happened? How did Eric suddenly disappear?" "Did he use some kind of life-saving scroll?"

Alicia's expression shifted dramatically, her mind in turmoil. Did I see that wrong? There were traces of Magic just now, but it happened so fast that I couldn't confirm...

If it really was Magic, then this body movement Magic would be at least C-ranked, and Eric used it with such familiarity...

Alicia's thoughts surged. Could it be that Eric was telling the truth?

After the blade missed, Red Snake, standing behind Black Serpent, suddenly rushed forward and stood beside him, urging, "Boss, calm down. This kid is no ordinary person, and it seems like he still has something to say!"

Red Snake's face clearly showed concern, afraid that Eric and Black Serpent might get into a fight.

Black Serpent snorted, "Get out of my way, don't interfere!"

Red Snake helplessly turned to Eric, his voice urgent. "Eric, you said we would have to ask for your help. What exactly did you mean?"

Eric, hearing the question, replied calmly, "You are hunting the Advanced-level Exotic Beasts in the Inner Area, but you've run into some difficulties. I can assist you."

His words immediately sparked a series of reactions. The once bloodthirsty Black Serpent slowly lowered his blade. "Help us hunt?"

Eric nodded. "Yes, bro. Don't you think having a Low-level Magic user help you would make the hunting much easier? Rest assured, I'll only be providing support."

Black Serpent listened, thought for a moment, and then nodded. "That's interesting, but these people will remain as hostages. If you really can help me hunt successfully, I'll let you all go."

After saying that, Black Serpent sheathed his large blade into his storage ring, and Red Snake immediately seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. At least Black Serpent had saved face.

Meanwhile, behind Eric, Alicia and the others were completely at a loss, unable to keep up with the rapid developments.

"Eric... helping these ruthless characters hunt?? And it looks like they really need help?" A few students were dumbfounded. "Is this really happening?"

The weak Kevin, who was still lying there, was equally stunned. "I feel like... I don't even recognize Eric anymore."

Alicia's eyes were wide in disbelief. "Eric, what exactly... are you doing?"

"He's really impressive," a voice suddenly came from beside Alicia. She turned her head to see Lilith.

"Lilith, what do you know about this?" Alicia frowned and asked.

Lilith glanced at her. "I can only tell you that Eric certified as a Low-level Magic user a week ago. I was there when it happened."

Upon hearing this, Alicia's mind went blank, and she stood frozen, recalling the day she had taken Eric to the car. He had mentioned going to the Magic Guild, but Alicia hadn't thought much of it at the time.

Could it be that day, Eric went to certify as a Low-level Magic user? How is that possible? Alicia was still in shock. This was something even she had dreamed of achieving.

Lilith looked at Alicia's reaction with a smile that seemed unsurprised, almost with a hint of inexplicable superiority, and then said, "Class leader, don't be so surprised, this isn't even the most important part."

Lilith continued, "The real point is, Eric's strength now far exceeds that of an average Low-level Magic user. The Magic he's using, we don't even understand."

Alicia was completely stunned. She didn't know whether to believe what she had just heard. She simply stared blankly at Eric's back as he walked alongside Black Serpent and the others.

Black Serpent spoke up. "Your name is Eric, right? How did you know we were having trouble?"

Eric replied, "I did some research. In the Exotic Beasts zone, there's a Monkey King. If you kill it, you'll receive a hefty reward. It's a level 5 Exotic Beast."

"With your strength, killing it shouldn't be too difficult. But the Monkey King has a whole group of monkeys, and that's the problem you're worried about, isn't it?" Eric said calmly.

After hearing Eric's words, Black Serpent showed a slightly surprised expression. "I didn't expect you to know such details. You're right, I can hunt the Monkey King alone, but the monkey group has around 50 of them. They're a real hassle."

If Black Serpent had to fight the Monkey King while the monkeys kept attacking him from all directions, even though he was an Intermediate-level Physical Cultivation Practitioner, he would surely fail. Furthermore, the sheer number of monkeys would overwhelm his group, leading to significant casualties. That's why, before the hunt, Black Serpent had discussed a battle plan with his men.

But then, Kevin had been sneaking around in the bushes, trying to take advantage of the situation. Naturally, he got caught. Even though he was just a high school student, not even a Low-level Physical Cultivation Practitioner, he wasn't going to be spared.

"Since that's the case, the battle plan is clear," Eric said confidently. "With so many enemies, it would be hard for you Physical Cultivation Practitioners to block them all, but for me, a Magic user, it's easy."

All of Eric's knowledge on this matter came from his prior research, as he had planned to hunt Advanced-level Exotic Beasts before coming here. Such crucial information was easy for him to gather. And dealing with the monkey group, a problem for Physical Cultivation Practitioners, was much easier for someone with large-scale Magic.

Black Serpent thought for a moment, then nodded. "I think that works. Alright, let's do it your way."

Behind them, Red Snake quietly muttered, "Thank goodness, this is the best-case scenario."

Eric didn't speak further and quietly prepared for battle.

He followed Black Serpent and the others, and soon they reached a dense forest where a massive ancient tree stood.

Between each tree hung countless vines, and the vines were covered with silver-gray-haired monkeys. Some were resting, some were scouting their surroundings, and others even held makeshift wooden spears, practicing combat.

Eric raised an eyebrow. "So this is an Exotic Beast... It's clearly a further evolved species. These monkeys seem tougher than the other Exotic Beasts we've encountered."

Looking around the forest, Eric estimated the number of monkeys to be no fewer than 40.

Meanwhile, behind them, Alicia and the other students were forced to stay behind. They couldn't leave because Black Serpent had declared they would be used as hostages. Only if Eric won the battle would they be set free.

"That's the monkey group," Black Serpent whispered, pointing at the massive ancient tree. "See that big tree? There's a large hollow on the side of it. The Monkey King lives in there."

Eric followed Black Serpent's finger and, sure enough, he spotted the outline of a large tree hollow.

Black Serpent continued, "The distance to that tree hollow is about 150 meters. I can get there in just a few seconds, but after that, the monkeys will swarm in, and I'll need you and my men to help me deal with them."

Eric nodded and asked, "How long will it take you to kill the Monkey King?"

The Monkey King was a 5th-level Exotic Beast, a strong opponent for a Low-level Physical Cultivation Practitioner or even for Eric as he was now. But Black Serpent was an Intermediate-level Physical Cultivation Practitioner, much stronger than a 5th-level Exotic Beast.

Black Serpent confidently replied, "It'll only take me thirty seconds to kill the Monkey King, but during that time, I can't afford to be interrupted by the monkeys!"