Chapter Thirty-One: Mission Accomplished (Update Three)

“Take out the divine pill,” Luo Ling said, gently nudging Ke Bei when she saw him staring absent-mindedly at his blade.

“Divine pill?” Ke Bei was taken aback, glancing at Luo Ling in confusion. He knew ordinary zombies carried crystal coins in their foreheads, but he had no idea what a divine pill was.

Seeing Ke Bei’s bewildered expression, Luo Ling rolled her eyes silently. Could it be that this guy doesn’t even know what a divine pill is?

Her gaze was tinged with exasperation as she muttered under her breath, then walked to the corpse of the strange man, slowly crouched down, and with her sword as thin as a cicada’s wing, she gently pried at the center of his brow. Suddenly, a sparkling orb, the size of a longan and shaped like a smooth stone, shot out.

“Here, this is it. It’s similar to a crystal coin, but much more valuable. One divine pill is worth at least a hundred thousand red crystal coins.”

“One hundred thousand red crystal coins?” Ke Bei exclaimed in disbelief, receiving the divine pill from Luo Ling.

Luo Ling chuckled. “It’s not much. I don’t lack money. Keep it for yourself.” With a smile, she turned and walked toward the weakened commander-level beast.

Ke Bei watched her retreating figure and didn’t refuse. He carefully stowed the divine pill away. All the members of the Starlight Squad were dead; as the sole survivor, Ke Bei felt obligated to care for their families.

He needed this money.

When Luo Ling mentioned the divine pill’s value, Ke Bei had already decided in his heart to distribute it evenly among the families of the Starlight Squad members.

Standing side by side, Ke Bei and Luo Ling gazed coldly at the commander-level beast, writhing in agony.

Suddenly, two clear cries sounded. Beneath the beast, two small creatures, their bodies slick with blood and moisture, nestled against it.

“We can make our move now,” Luo Ling said after a long silence, her tone heavy as she watched the weakened beast gaze lovingly at its newborns.

Ke Bei nodded, his expression equally somber.

The sight of the exhausted beast lovingly licking its newborns stirred something within Ke Bei. Yet, there was no choice—beasts and humans were mortal enemies. Today, this beast had to die.

“Let me do it,” Ke Bei said, exhaling deeply as he saw the reluctance in Luo Ling’s eyes.

Luo Ling’s expression was distant as she silently turned away. Though beasts and humans were enemies, such a scene still tugged at her heart.

“I’m sorry. If I don’t kill you today, more humans may die at your hands. So you must die,” Ke Bei murmured as he approached the massive beast, blade in hand.

“Please… don’t hurt my children, I beg you…” The beast, possessing intelligence no less than a human, had understood its fate the moment the strange man was slain. Now it bowed its head, pleading, its once ferocious eyes softened with supplication. Tears, bright as crystals, fell from its lantern-like eyes onto Ke Bei’s palm, the warmth filling him with endless helplessness.

“I’m sorry,” Ke Bei whispered after a moment, slowly shaking his head.

With its final hope extinguished, the beast roared in fury and lunged at Ke Bei with its blood-soaked maw.

Ke Bei sighed quietly, dodged effortlessly—the exhausted beast posed no threat to him.

He leapt high, blade raised overhead, and with a flash of silver, brought it down upon the beast’s enormous head.

In one swift motion, the commander-level beast’s massive head soared into the air.

Blood sprayed out like a fountain, drenching the earth within a twenty-meter radius as if a rain of red had fallen.

“Congratulations, host. You have slain a commander-level beast. One third of the mission is complete. Please continue your efforts.” The crisp chime of the system echoed in Ke Bei’s mind the moment the beast was slain.

Hearing the system prompt, Ke Bei froze, then a barely restrained joy spread across his face. He could hardly wait to immerse himself in the system within his mind.

“Do juvenile commander-level beasts count?” Ke Bei’s voice was urgent.

If killing the juvenile beasts also counted, there were two right here—his task would be complete!

The sadness he felt for slaying the newly-made mother was swiftly washed away by the anticipation of finishing his mission.

“As long as it is a commander-level beast,” the system replied clearly.

Ke Bei couldn’t contain his joy and burst into wild laughter. He had thought this task would be impossible to complete in a short time, yet now, within a single day, it was nearly done.

Completing the mission meant gaining a chance at the lottery, and with that, his strength would soar anew. How could he not be excited?

“What are you laughing about?” Luo Ling had come over at some point, blinking her bright eyes in confusion as she watched Ke Bei laugh uncontrollably.

“It’s nothing. By the way, are these juvenile beasts worth anything?” Ke Bei asked, pointing at the trembling newborns.

“They’re not valuable. Beasts are different from the divine race. The divine race is born with a divine pill inside them, making even their young worth a lot. But beasts are not the same,” Luo Ling explained as she walked to the beast’s giant head and pried out a blood-red horn about a meter long.

“This is what’s valuable on a beast,” she said, handing the horn to Ke Bei. “Different species have different prized parts. The one you just killed is called a ‘Blood-Horned Bull.’ Its horn is the most valuable.”

“This single horn is worth seven or eight thousand red crystal coins,” Luo Ling continued, patting the thick blue scales of the beast’s body. “These are valuable too—probably worth one or two thousand red crystal coins.”

“All together, it’s about as much as a divine pill,” she said. “But juvenile beasts aren’t mature. None of their parts are worth much.”

She gestured at the two small beasts whose eyes were still closed. “Maybe you could sell them to a restaurant. Some rich people want to taste beast meat. They might fetch a thousand or two thousand red crystal coins.”

As Luo Ling spoke, Ke Bei gradually understood. Beast value lay in their organs; the divine race’s worth was in their divine pills. He didn’t know the specifics, but at least he understood a little more.

Looking at the two young beasts, Ke Bei smiled with satisfaction.

“If they’re not valuable, can I kill them?” he asked, his face alight with excitement.

“Of course,” Luo Ling nodded, though she didn’t understand Ke Bei’s excitement. To her, even a mature beast didn’t matter—she cared little for money.

A mature commander-level beast was worth, what, ten thousand red crystal coins? Luo Ling truly didn’t care.

With Luo Ling’s approval, Ke Bei grinned and cleanly struck twice.

In an instant, the two newborn beasts—who had never opened their eyes to the world—were slain.

The system’s crisp prompt sounded again.

“Mission complete. Would the host like to begin the lottery now?”

ps: Today, I tried updating three chapters for the first time. Honestly, I’m exhausted. I have no backlog, and my typing speed is slow. Except for meals, I’ve been at my computer all day. I know updating just over two thousand words per chapter isn’t generous, and some readers might say, “How dare you complain about being tired with just three chapters of two thousand words each?” I don’t want to complain, but I truly am tired. Yet every time I refresh the author’s backend and see the slowly growing collection, my heart fills with indescribable joy and excitement. I love writing. I want to bring the world in my heart to life and share it with everyone. I’ll keep going. If possible, please add my book to your collection, vote, and encourage me a little.