Chapter 28: Turning Point!

Black Serpent spoke with a tone that left no room for Eric to refuse. With a wave of his hand, he called over one of his men. "Release all of Eric's teammates. We'll head into the cave to clean up the battlefield."

Eric didn't put on any airs in response to Black Serpent's generosity. He took half of the Bluewood Monkey carcasses for himself. While it seemed like a lot, it was entirely well-deserved given his contributions.

The real prize of this hunt, however, was the Level 5 Exotic Beast the Monkey King. But Eric knew he wasn't in a position to claim it.

Before the battle began, Eric had clearly stated that he was only there to support Black Serpent. It was precisely because of this upfront agreement that Black Serpent was willing to let him take the low-level Bluewood Monkeys as compensation.

"Boss, this time we've really hit the jackpot! The Monkey King! I doubt there's a more valuable catch in this entire Exotic Beasts Zone!" one of the gang members exclaimed excitedly.

Black Serpent smirked. "You bet! Pack the Monkey King into a storage item immediately. We'll head into the cave next to loot the place. I noticed earlier that the Monkey King's lair is full of treasures."

While Black Serpent's team busied themselves gathering the spoils, Eric quietly collected the remaining Bluewood Monkey corpses. Half had already been taken by Black Serpent's men, leaving the rest for him.

Eric used a Storage Bracelet gifted to him by Alicia, which was impressively convenient.

'Alicia said this was something the school provided for the event,' Eric thought to himself as he worked. 'But as far as I know, the standard school-issued gear isn't this good. She must've spent her own money on it.'

With so many Bluewood Monkeys in his possession, Eric estimated their worth to be at least 600,000 dollars. That kind of money would finally let him buy his own storage tool, making future travels much easier.

"Eric!"

The call came from Alicia and the others, who had just been freed and were now rushing toward him.

Eric turned to see the four members of his small team approaching.

Alicia spoke first. "Kevin's injuries are pretty severe. There's no way he can keep participating. His team and two other squads have already headed back..."

She hesitated, as if unsure how to continue, but another teammate stepped in. "The other three squads have all stopped hunting. Sure, the unexpected accident played a role, but the main reason is you, Eric. Your performance..."

As they spoke, admiration and awe were evident on their faces. "Eric, your results are unbeatable. Any squad with half a brain knows they can't compete with us."

Another teammate chimed in. "To put it bluntly, even if all three squads combined their scores, they wouldn't come close to ours. Staying here would just be embarrassing for them."

Several teammates couldn't help but feel a mix of awe and embarrassment. They owed Eric a huge debt for their success, especially since they had all, to varying degrees, underestimated him before this.

Meanwhile, Eric had just finished storing all the Bluewood Monkey corpses in his Storage Bracelet. He walked over to Alicia and said, "Class rep, these Bluewood Monkeys are our results for this hunt. They're all here."

His expression was impassive, his tone casual, as if he were discussing something utterly trivial.

Alicia couldn't help but twitch slightly at his nonchalant demeanor. "Alright… Lester, that old geezer, when he hears about this, he's probably going to drop his jaw in shock."

She let out a sigh. "To be honest, Eric, before this trip, that old man specifically told me he was worried about me getting paired with you. He even asked if I wanted to swap you out."

"And the reason he was so concerned is that I'm the top-performing Magic student in class. But now… it looks like when we get back, you'll be known as not just the best in our class but likely the most talented Magic high school student in all of Black City." Alicia gave a wry smile.

Eric shrugged without saying much in response.

"Eric!"

At that moment, Red Snake emerged from the tree hollow and waved him over enthusiastically. "Hey, come here."

Eric turned to him. "What's up, Red Snake?"

Red Snake grinned slyly and gave him a knowing look. "Come over. You won't regret it. There's something good here."

"Alright," Eric replied with a nod. He turned to Alicia and said, "Class rep, I'll go check it out." Then, without hesitation, he walked toward the hollow.

Alicia and the three other teammates watched Eric's back as he left. Their emotions were in turmoil.

The person they had always thought of as a loser had suddenly revealed himself to be extraordinary, capable of holding his own with the likes of Black Serpent and his dangerous crew. It left them all deeply shaken by the unpredictability of life.

Inside the tree hollow.

When Eric stepped inside, he was surprised by the sheer size of the space. It was enormous, about the size of a classroom, with natural stone beds and tables. This was clearly the Monkey King's lair.

"Hah! This beast sure lived the high life, didn't it? But in the end, we, the Black Serpent Gang, took it down! This victory will spread across the entire district!" Black Serpent laughed triumphantly, his hands on his hips.

Eric, however, quickly noticed the most intriguing detail in the hollow. In the corner near the Monkey King's bed, a few flowers were blooming. Their vivid crimson petals looked almost like drops of fresh blood, strikingly bright against the dull backdrop of the cave.

"What's that?" Eric's curiosity was piqued. He had never seen flowers like these before.

It was clear the flowers had also caught the attention of Black Serpent's crew, as they were all gathered around them. This must have been why Red Snake had called him over.

"Oh, Bloodflowers! A single hollow like this only ever has ten of them. Lucky me I got seven this time." Black Serpent laughed with visible delight.

One of his gang members standing nearby pointed at the remaining three flowers. "Boss, what about these three? Not picking them?" he asked, already reaching out to grab them.

"Stop! Don't touch them! I have plans for those!" Black Serpent barked, and the subordinate immediately withdrew his hand.

At that moment, Red Snake stepped forward, placing a hand on Eric's back as he guided him closer. With a grin, he called out, "Boss, Eric's here."

Black Serpent turned around, his face breaking into a warm, almost cheerful smile. The expression seemed oddly out of place on someone with his fearsome reputation, but Eric could sense the genuine goodwill behind it.

"Ah, Eric! Come take a look these are Bloodflowers," Black Serpent said with a big, bold laugh. "We humans use them for bathing, and they're incredible for boosting strength. On the market, each one fetches at least $100,000. They're worth more than gold!"

Eric's eyes widened in surprise. That tiny flower is worth $100,000? That's insane!

Black Serpent continued, "The Monkey King was leagues stronger than the other Bluewood Monkeys, and it's no wonder it must've been eating these. But since it takes about a week to fully digest just one Bloodflower, it couldn't devour them all, lucky for us!"

Turning back to Eric, Black Serpent said, "Brother, there are ten of these flowers in total. My crew and I are taking seven, but the remaining three are yours. Let's call it a gesture of friendship."

Red Snake stepped forward, giving Eric a pat on the shoulder. "Eric, even though these flowers are mainly for Physical Cultivation Practitioners, you can always sell them. It's a token of goodwill from Big Brother Black Serpent!"

Eric nodded. "In that case, thank you, Black Serpent."

It was indeed a generous offer. Black Serpent could have easily claimed all ten flowers for himself.

But instead, he had chosen to give three to Eric a talented Magic user as a way to build goodwill. In his eyes, such an investment might yield greater returns in the future.

In the end, this is the power of strength, Eric thought to himself. As long as you're strong, people will seek your favor.

At the same time, Eric also recognized that Black Serpent wasn't just a brute; he was shrewd and strategic.

"Alright, Eric, we're heading out," Black Serpent said as he prepared to leave. "There's a Heavenly Serpent Martial Arts Hall over in the district. It's mine. Stop by sometime if you're free."

Eric nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

With that, Black Serpent and his crew left the hollow, their voices fading into the distance. The once-crowded space now felt eerily empty, leaving Eric alone.

He stared at the three Bloodflowers before him, their combined worth a staggering $300,000.

But there was no trace of greed in his eyes. Instead, an idea, one he had harbored for some time, grew firmer in his mind. Perhaps… I can become a Physical Cultivation Practitioner.

Eric's face remained expressionless, but his resolve was unshakable.