Demon Foxes

With excitement and enthusiasm, Wu Fan arrived at Old Li's house.

"Grandpa Li, I'm here! Is there anything you need help with?" Wu Fan asked cheerfully after knocking on the door. While the village chief could call him "Old Li," Wu Fan didn't dare to.

"It's you? I know you. Grandma Wang said you're a kind-hearted boy," the alchemist greeted Wu Fan with a smile. "I happen to have something that needs help."

Good deeds do bring good rewards. Yesterday, he had worked hard to catch chickens for Grandma Wang, receiving only a bowl of chicken as a reward. However, his reputation had spread through Grandma Wang's praise, increasing the villagers' goodwill toward him. This was far more valuable than any other reward.

"Whatever you need, just let me know," Wu Fan said, thumping his chest.

After all, this was a starter village, so the tasks wouldn't be too difficult. Wu Fan wasn't worried about failing.

"I've been researching a new blood-stopping medicine recently, but I'm missing a few ingredients. I'm old and not very mobile, so I need someone to help me gather herbs. Those herbs can be found in the forest ahead," the alchemist explained.

"I'll take care of it. I'll gather the herbs for you," Wu Fan said immediately.

"You're a good boy, just like Grandma Wang said," the alchemist said approvingly, looking at Wu Fan.

"It's nothing," Wu Fan replied. Then he hesitated and said, "But I don't know much about herbs. I might not be able to recognize the ones you need."

"That's true. While those herbs aren't particularly rare, someone unfamiliar with them might not notice them," the alchemist said. "Let me teach you the Herb Identification skill. That way, you'll be able to recognize them."

Another skill!

Wu Fan was instantly delighted. Although it was just Herb Identification and seemed to have limited use, having more skills was always beneficial. Who knew when it might come in handy?

After learning Herb Identification from the alchemist, Wu Fan set out. A medicine shovel was added to his backpack, given to him by the alchemist for digging herbs.

The destination forest wasn't far from the village. It was home to many beasts, but with the invasion of demonic energy, many of them had become demons, becoming even more ferocious. Before leaving, the alchemist repeatedly warned Wu Fan to be careful, telling him to avoid demons if possible and return if necessary.

Wu Fan hoped he wouldn't encounter any demons. The demon rabbit from before had left a deep impression on him. Although it was just a basic monster, it was still a threat to Wu Fan, who was only level 2. Yesterday, he had been too preoccupied with exploring the scenery and hadn't leveled up. Now, facing a dangerous task, Wu Fan regretted not leveling up yesterday.

"I can't be that unlucky, can I? I shouldn't run into any demons," Wu Fan thought.

However, fear attracts what you fear. Not long after entering the forest, Wu Fan saw two fox-like creatures blocking his path. The foxes also noticed Wu Fan at the same time.

Wu Fan used Appraisal, and some of the fox's attributes appeared before his eyes.

Demon Fox: Level 2

Active Aggressive Monster, High Agility, Weak Defense, No Skills

Unlike Wu Fan's expectations, the Appraisal didn't show specific attributes for the demon fox. He wasn't sure if this was normal or if it was because his level was lower than the fox's.

However, Wu Fan didn't have time to ponder these questions, as the two demon foxes were already charging at him. Wu Fan saw firsthand what "high agility" meant in the description.

The two demon foxes were incredibly fast. The forest's grass and shrubs didn't slow them down. They darted through the undergrowth, appearing before Wu Fan in the blink of an eye.

Wu Fan didn't dare to take chances and quickly drew out the medicine shovel as a weapon.

Li Guangde's Medicine Shovel: Bronze Tier

A medicine shovel used by Li Guangde when he was a medicine boy. It increases the success rate of digging herbs. Attack: 3, Agility: 1.

Wu Fan had thought this rusty shovel, found in some corner by the alchemist, was just a regular medicine shovel. He hadn't expected it to be usable as a weapon, much less a bronze-tier equipment that increased both attack and agility. This was far better than the broken wooden stick he had been using before.

There was no time to marvel at it. As soon as Wu Fan drew the shovel, the two demon foxes were already in front of him, one leaping to attack his upper body while the other attacked his legs from the ground. Their coordination was surprisingly good.

Wu Fan saw his chance and swung the shovel at the airborne fox. Although the fox was very agile, it couldn't change direction mid-air and was hit solidly by Wu Fan's shovel. With a "clang," the fox was sent flying at an even faster speed than before. Wu Fan even saw a streak of blood on the shovel, indicating that he had cracked the fox's skull.

"Ah!"

Wu Fan didn't have time to celebrate. While he had sent one fox flying, the other had already pounced on his legs. Its sharp claws easily tore through Wu Fan's pants and his right leg, leaving three gashes.

"Get away, you beast!" The real pain made Wu Fan forget that this was a game world. After being scratched by the fox, he was enraged and kicked it away. When it pounced again, he swung the shovel and hit its head. The fox was knocked to the ground, struggled twice, and then lay still.

As for the first fox, it hadn't moved after being sent flying, likely having been instantly killed.

Although Wu Fan was only level 2 with low attributes, the medicine shovel added three points of attack. Since the demon fox was also a level 2 monster and had been hit in the head, being instantly killed was understandable.

This gave Wu Fan a better understanding of this world. While it was a game world, it was extremely close to reality. Being hit in vital areas like the head or heart caused massive damage and could easily result in instant death.

"Huh? The demon fox's body didn't respawn?" Wu Fan, who had been about to leave, was surprised to see the dead demon fox still on the ground.