Chapter 9: Life-or-Death Race

A strange scene unfolded before them: the furious, nearly berserk mutated fire lizard was being relentlessly hammered by a little 1.4-meter-tall iron man. As the hammer swung faster and faster, all that remained was a flash of white light.

Each strike left the fire lizard's belly more gruesomely wounded, fresh blood gushing out and staining nearby rocks and grass red — a truly terrifying sight. "Strike while it's down! White Ape, keep hitting it!" Lin Binbin's eyes shone with excitement. This was White Ape's first battle, a chance to show all the other spirit beasts its true power. "Submit, spirit beasts!"

After several circles around the beast, White Ape finally delivered the finishing blow. The fire lizard had nowhere left to dodge.

"Boom!" A loud crash echoed. The furious roar slowly faded as the giant crimson eyes of the beast shut tightly, its massive body crashing down like a small mountain.

At that moment, White Ape halted, stood tall, and looked at Lin Binbin like a proud warrior.

\[Congratulations! Your mech 'White Ape' has won the battle! Reward: 10 free attribute points.]

\[Achievement unlocked: 'Victory in First Battle' — reward: 3 free attribute points.]

\[Level Up! Reward: one synthesis blueprint (can be drawn or purchased).]

\[New character attributes:]

\[Name: Lin Binbin]

\[Age: 7]

\[Profession: Mechanic]

\[Life Profession: Parts Maker]

\[Stamina: 4]

\[Strength: 3]

\[Agility: 5]

\[Mentality: 5]

\[Charisma: 0]

\[Skills: None]

\[Items: None]

\[Note: A level D female fire lizard is searching for her mate within 1,000 meters. Any significant movement in this area may attract her. She'd love to sing you a song of 'Good Luck'.]

Lin Binbin gasped. Three messages in a row, and he thought his luck was good — but then came the bad news.

"A female fire lizard? Forget it, better not get carried away," he muttered. Who knew what mutations might happen with that one? For now, stability was key: first get the Beastmaster certification, then worry about other matters.

Besides, White Ape needed some repairs. The many dents of various sizes gave the mech a strangely defeated look.

"White Ape, come here." Following Lin Binbin's command, White Ape retracted its hammer, transformed back to wheels, and waddled over awkwardly.

"Odd gait... different leg lengths?" Lin Binbin rubbed his chin, "Looks like there's still a lot to improve..."

Pressure was heavy.

Patting White Ape's round head, Lin Binbin turned to leave, but suddenly stopped — a thought struck him. His gaze fell upon the fire lizard's corpse. Its belly wound was now completely torn open, blood streaming out like a river.

"I wonder if its meat sells for anything?" He muttered softly, then turned and approached the body.

Standing beside it, he raised his knife and sliced open its head.

"Hey, there really is a crystal core." Inside the fire lizard's skull lay a glowing, scorching-hot crimson crystal core. Lin Binbin eagerly took it out, but instantly felt a heatwave surge through his hand, forcing him to pull back quickly. He glanced at his palm — a shallow burn scar had formed.

"This thing's really hot."

Suddenly, a furious roar from the female fire lizard sounded nearby.

Lin Binbin had no time to waste. He stuffed the crystal core into his chest, patted White Ape's head, and said, "Go."

White Ape grabbed Lin Binbin with one arm and dragged the fire lizard's corpse with the other, sprinting wildly through the forest.

Shortly after Lin Binbin disappeared, an angry beast roar echoed behind them.

Greedy, greedy. Without carrying the corpse, they might have escaped faster. But if Lin Binbin had abandoned it, he couldn't bear that — it was all hard-earned money.

So, gritting his teeth, he took it along.

A massive shadow approached, exuding oppressive force. Lin Binbin looked up at the blazing beast eyes and shuddered.

Next moment, the fire lizard reared its head, opened its massive jaws, and unleashed a torrent of red flame aimed at Lin Binbin's rear.

"Damn!" Feeling the heat, Lin Binbin quickly ordered evasive maneuvers. Wheels screeched sparks as they barely dodged the attack.

Turning around, Lin Binbin saw his clothes were burned through with a hole, and a cool breeze followed.

"Come on, come on, White Ape, let's take the detour."

White Ape made a sharp turn and darted into the nearby woods.

In the mountains, one beast, one man — racing against death.

Roars echoed continuously. Lin Binbin's face grew pale. He decided to gather all of White Ape's energy into its wheels, fleeing more desperately.

Only after running several miles did the beast's roar fade.

Though their escape was chaotic, they had finally lost the female fire lizard.

White Ape's energy dropped rapidly from 350 to 50.

Lin Binbin's heart pounded with lingering fear. He dared not stop, running straight for the town at the mountain's base.

The fire lizard's corpse was far too conspicuous. He had to dispose of it quickly.

The Teng family was the biggest force in the Dead Nether Mountain area. Even the imperial court in the capital respected their authority — the old truth held: strong local power always rules.

The largest auction house here belonged to the Teng family.

Lin Binbin looked up at the plaque overhead, narrowing his eyes.

The gilded characters "Teng Family Auction" shone sharply. In the lower right corner was the Teng family emblem: a golden snake coiled on a black background, its tongue flicking out coldly, as if able to pierce through any disguise, evoking dread.

He recalled that once his own Lin family had a similar emblem...

"Hey kid, what are you doing here?" Several heavily armed guards eyed Lin Binbin suspiciously. When they noticed the iron man and the fire lizard's corpse behind him, surprise flickered in their eyes.

They appraised Lin Binbin up and down; their expressions shifted subtly.

When they spoke again, their tone was more respectful.

"Honored Beastmaster, please wait here. We will send someone to assess the corpse's value."

Lin Binbin nodded calmly, his youthful face betraying no emotion.

After a while, an old man with a white beard emerged. His gaze swept over Lin Binbin before settling on the fire lizard's corpse.

"You killed this?" he asked.