Chapter Eleven: First Encounter with the Little Fairy Doctor

Seeing its path blocked, the Fire Fox’s pupils dilated slightly.

Instantly, it turned with lightning speed, effortlessly dodging the incoming surge of battle energy. However, this maneuver forced it to face the encirclement of the remaining mercenaries.

The wind-attribute mercenary, wielding a curved blade, leaped behind the fox and brought his weapon down in a fierce strike. Alas, the Fire Fox was simply too fast; with a push of its four paws, it side-stepped the blow.

"Hey! Take this!"

Seeing the fox forced into his direction, Wang Meng was overjoyed. He channeled his metal-attribute battle energy, coating his long blade to make it appear even sharper. The other three metal-attribute mercenaries reacted with equal speed, demonstrating remarkable tacit understanding without a single word, as they simultaneously slashed from different angles.

Facing this inescapable encirclement, even with its astonishing speed, the Fire Fox could no longer escape unscathed.

"Squeak!"

The fox let out a sharp cry, its body surging into the air as it kicked off one of the long blades. Though it left behind a bloody wound, it managed to temporarily escape death.

"Entangle!"

"Wind Vortex Strike!"

One wave of attacks had barely subsided when another began. Two voices rang out simultaneously, forcing the Fire Fox back into the center of the most lethal four-man circle. Already wounded, the fox’s speed was severely hampered. Though it managed to break through the encirclement again, a shocking, fatal wound was left across its back.

"Squeak-squeak!"

Sensing the approach of death, the Fire Fox let out a few frantic cries, and suddenly, it burst forth with a speed even more astonishing than when it was in its prime. The mercenaries could only watch as a fiery red shadow streaked toward the valley exit; it was too late to intercept it.

Chen Xiao, who had been observing the entire struggle, had been waiting for this moment. As the crimson shadow came flying toward him, he didn't hesitate for a second, assuming his stance as he suddenly channeled the battle energy within him.

"Swallow’s Return Strike!"

"Bang!"

A dull thud echoed. Chen Xiao felt a massive force travel up his arm, pushing him back several paces before he could come to a stop. Looking at the Fire Fox, there was no sign of life left; it lay flat on the ground, a clear indentation visible on its skull.

Scattered, rapid footsteps approached as the six mercenaries rushed to the valley entrance. Staring at the lifeless Fire Fox and the fatal blow to its head, they looked at Chen Xiao with curiosity, as if asking, "Is this what you meant when you said you were best at defense?"

"If I said it hit itself to death, would you believe me?" Chen Xiao rubbed his reddened arm, his expression one of utter helplessness.

His current body was truly too fragile. While the Swallow’s Return Strike was effective, the physical toll could not be ignored. Great, another area where change required money had appeared.

"Believe it! We definitely believe it! Brother Chen, my name is Wang Xiong. I've been kicking around Qingshan Town for many years. If you have any questions in the future, feel free to ask me."

The wood-attribute mercenary was the first to regain his composure. A hearty smile spread across his rugged face as his enthusiasm surged. The others were not slow to react, offering their own greetings as well.

"Little Brother Chen, I’m Jiang Yang."
"Zhang Huaqiang."
"Liu Rushan."
"..."

Soon, all the mercenaries had introduced themselves, marking their formal acquaintance with Chen Xiao. Living at the bottom of the hierarchy, they might have average strength, but their judgment was sharp. For Chen Xiao to possess strength superior to theirs at such a young age meant his future would undoubtedly be more formidable—perhaps he even possessed a background they couldn't hope to reach. Under such circumstances, building a connection could only be beneficial. Who knew what unexpected rewards might follow?

Chen Xiao returned their gestures with clasped hands, though he laughed helplessly to himself. He was currently more strapped for cash than these mercenaries; what right did he have to pull anyone else up?

"Brother Wang Meng, you handle the Fire Fox."

The man nodded, and with his long blade, he processed the beast with practiced ease. In less than three minutes, he had peeled the fur off completely intact.

"A fine piece of work, only two holes. You don't know, but the nobles in those big cities love this kind of fur. As long as you can hunt them, you never have to worry about selling them." Wang Meng happily tucked the fur into his pack, not forgetting to explain its value to the group. "Too bad our luck is average; no magic crystal."

A magic crystal, or magic core. For low-level demonic beasts, a magic core was not a guaranteed drop; it relied heavily on luck. If you were lucky, you might find one in a first-tier beast; if you were unlucky, you could toil away on a third-tier beast and come up empty. Only upon reaching the Dou Ling level—the fourth tier—did demonic beasts consistently produce magic cores.

"If you really had dug out a magic core, we'd have made you treat us to a feast tonight!" the other mercenaries teased upon hearing Wang Meng's grumbling.

A magic core was, without exaggeration, the essence of a demonic beast, and its value was generally the highest of all its parts. If this second-tier Fire Fox had produced one, its value would have been several times that of its meat and fur combined. Moreover, the marketability of a magic core far exceeded that of a beautiful pelt. This was due to the versatility of magic cores; they were not only essential for alchemists to refine pills but could also be embedded into weapons. Weapons enhanced with magic cores not only possessed superior destructive power but also held the alluring effect of amplifying battle energy, making them highly sought after by the warriors of the Battle Energy Continent.

"Haha, as long as the luck is there, everything is negotiable. Everyone, take a rest. I'm going to scatter some scented bait in the valley and wait for the foxes," Wang Meng laughed, heading into the valley. Having set a goal of hunting four Fire Foxes, he was naturally prepared.

Perhaps because his scented bait was highly effective, or perhaps because the group was just having a lucky day, they completed their goal in only half a day. It is worth mentioning that among the four Fire Foxes, not a single magic core was found.

During the hunt for the subsequent three foxes, Chen Xiao intercepted one more time. As a result, his left arm developed another red patch. One on the left, one on the right—perfectly symmetrical.

"Little Brother Chen, you’d best go to the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion later. Otherwise, it’s bound to swell up. It's nothing serious, but it’ll ache for a couple of days. It's common for newcomers to the Magical Beast Mountain Range; once you're injured enough, you'll be as thick-skinned as us," Wang Meng advised kindly on the way back to Qingshan Town.

Chen Xiao nodded slightly. Using pills to heal injuries was too extravagant for his current situation; he couldn't afford it. In that regard, the affordable and high-quality Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion was a good choice.

The journey back remained smooth. When the seven of them returned to Qingshan Town, it was only the middle of the afternoon. After a brief exchange, they went their separate ways. Chen Xiao grabbed a simple meal in town and headed straight for the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion.

Perhaps because the mercenaries who toiled for a living had not yet returned in large numbers, the spacious pavilion seemed empty, with only a few scattered people visible. Chen Xiao scanned the room, his gaze finally settling on the girl in the white dress standing on a wooden crate, just as she had been the day before.

Seeing Chen Xiao approach and recognizing that delicate, youthful face, a flash of surprise crossed the Little Doctor Fairy's eyes. It vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by her signature smile.

"Where are you hurt?"

Her voice was soft, like moonlight spilling onto a calm lake—gentle, soothing, and carrying a dreamlike tenderness that instantly calmed the mind.

Chen Xiao returned a polite smile, then rolled up his sleeves to reveal the swelling on both arms. The girl glanced at them, and under Chen Xiao’s gaze, she extended a fair, slender finger to poke at the injuries.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little, and it feels hot."

"Mhm, I can feel it. It’s not a big problem. Take this packet of powder home and apply it; the swelling will be gone by morning. However, your body is still very fragile; violent collisions will easily cause injury. Try to avoid them if you can. Three gold coins. You can also pay with medicinal herbs or medical books."

"I'll remember that. Thank you."

Taking the medicine packet from her, Chen Xiao handed over the three gold coins. This was the difference between a physician and an alchemist. If it were an alchemist, even the most common first-tier pill wouldn't be this cheap.

However, the girl's words served as a reminder to Chen Xiao: his fragile body could not withstand high-intensity combat. Perhaps it was time to acquire a weapon to cushion the impact!