Chapter 0046: A Poor Man’s Strategy

Half an hour later, Di Ping cautiously returned to the site of the battle with the wild boars. He dared not rush, as he was unsure what powerful mutated beasts might be lurking in the dense forest. He remained on high alert the entire way, which not only drained his mental energy but also wasted valuable time. It was impossible to move quickly under such caution.

Upon arriving at the battle site, all that remained was a blood-soaked ground. The three wild boars were nowhere to be found. However, traces of blood led him to believe that their bodies had been dragged away by some animal. The area was thoroughly cleaned; aside from the bloodstains, no flesh or remains were left behind. Any scavenging animals had long since disappeared, leaving no trace of their presence.

Di Ping couldn't help but feel uneasy. The three large wild boars, which were as imposing as warhorses, had been entirely consumed within an hour or so. If they hadn't been eaten by a giant beast, they were likely taken by a pack of mutated animals. Looking at the dark, endless forest that surrounded him, it seemed to conceal an infinite number of terrors. He didn't want to stay any longer and quickly moved toward the residential area.

He remained cautious, but thankfully, the path remained calm and uneventful. Once inside the residential area, he encountered no further mutated creatures. It seemed the beasts had hidden themselves well—finding one was no easy task. The large snake was still draped across the tree trunk, undisturbed by any other animals. Di Ping mused that its high position might have kept it out of reach.

As the castle came into view, Di Ping suddenly felt a sense of returning home. The intense fear he had felt in the outside world vanished, replaced by a sense of warmth. He watched as the villagers continued to cultivate the fields, and the guards on the city walls moved about with purpose. At that moment, his mind was filled with a deep, calming peace.

"Di Ge!"

As soon as Di Ping appeared on the bridge, the guards on the walls noticed him. The gates slowly opened, and two of the guards walked forward, their faces bright with joy.

"Nothing happened, right?" Di Ping asked.

The two guards nodded in response. Di Ping could tell from their expressions that everything was fine, but he asked anyway for reassurance.

"Everything is normal, Di Ge!" one of them replied.

"Good! You guys have worked hard. Stay alert!" Di Ping said, smiling and nodding, his eyes filled with concern.

"It's no trouble, Di Ge, don't worry! We'll keep our eyes wide open and ensure nothing goes wrong!" the guards enthusiastically promised.

"Master, welcome back!"

At that moment, Barton had already arrived at the castle gate, greeting him with his usual humble demeanor.

"Barton, have the people been settled?" Di Ping asked, smiling as he walked inside.

"They've all been arranged, Master. However, the maidservants who will serve you have yet to be decided," Barton replied, bowing as he followed Di Ping.

"Forget about that for now. We'll discuss it later," Di Ping interrupted quickly. He wasn't interested in having maidservants at the moment—this wasn't the time for such luxuries. The focus should be on securing safety first, and enjoying comforts prematurely was foolish. Barton seemed to sense Di Ping's disinterest in the topic and fell silent, following Di Ping into the lord's tower. After assisting him into the bath and preparing his clothes, Barton quietly left to attend to his other duties. Although the castle wasn't large, there was still much to be done.

Lying in the warm bath, Di Ping felt his entire body relax as the soothing water flowed over him. His exhaustion seemed to melt away, and he couldn't help but appreciate the system for providing such comfort—it truly felt indulgent. He almost found it too easy to get lost in such luxury.

"System, exchange all crystal cores for crystal coins!"

Di Ping remembered the purpose of his outing—to collect crystal cores and recruit heroes. He had no desire to venture out alone again. The silence of the world, devoid of any sounds, was unnerving. Not even insects were present. He cursed silently at the thought.

"Ding... Three crystal cores exchanged for four crystal coins."

"Ahh."

Di Ping sighed with relief. He had been quite anxious, fearing that the three crystal cores wouldn't yield enough energy. If they only provided three coins, along with the one he had left over, he would still be short for recruiting a D-level hero. Fortunately, he received four coins, which, when added to the one he already had, gave him five in total—enough to recruit a D-level potential hero.

In truth, Di Ping wasn't opposed to recruiting higher-level heroes, but he lacked the crystal coins to do so. He had a sense that he might be falling into a trap common in games, where D-level heroes were often dismissed as weak and undesirable. But this was reality, and in this world, unlocking potential was incredibly difficult. Most people were still ordinary humans. A D-level potential hero shouldn't be too bad, Di Ping thought.

Today, he realized that his reluctance was simply due to his financial limitations. If he had more resources, he would undoubtedly aim for B-level heroes or higher. After all, the poor had to think like the poor—every decision had to be carefully considered. Once this thought crossed his mind, it sparked a sudden idea, and he couldn't shake the feeling of wanting to test his theory. After all, he had ten available hero slots, and he only had one hero so far. It would hardly be a waste if he recruited a D-level hero now.