The D-rank Mutant Beast Ying Li caught today was called a Silver Hook Beast, a mutated insect. This beast ate grass, was non-venomous, and wasn’t very aggressive, making it a favorite target for rookie Sentinels just starting to hunt outside the city.
It had a lot of meat on its body, very tender, but very little fat. Ying Li had eaten shrimp once in his past life, and he felt the Silver Hook Beast’s meat was similar to shrimp meat, only much, much better. Whether grilled, boiled in a hot pot, or made into meatballs, it had a unique flavor and was incredibly savory.
Between the two of them, Ying Li and Xiang Ye polished off eight jin of meat before they even realized it. They planned to save the remaining two jin for breakfast the next morning. Tomorrow, they could go catch another Silver Hook Beast!
They went to bed early and left the city before dawn the next day. First, they caught a Silver Hook Beast, sealed the meat in a container, and only then headed to the training ground they’d arranged to meet Luo Qiming and the others.
That day, Ying Li instructed Luo Qiming and the group in combat techniques as usual, while Xiang Ye trained on his own nearby. His weight was already approaching eighty jin and his stamina had improved significantly. He could now add some resistance to his training, but because of that, he tired out quickly.
When his body was tired, he’d sit nearby and train his Mental Power. Previously, when he’d observed the Guides at the Calming Center combing Sentinels’ Mental Seas, he noticed their Mental Tentacles were somewhat stiff, as if they required great effort to control. But it was different for him. His Mental Tentacles were easy to manipulate, going exactly where he wanted them to.
Xiang Ye put a movie on a screen nearby as cover and happily spent his time capturing Black Spots.
At noon, Luo Qiming and the others pooled their money again to buy Ying Li a large spread of food. Ying Li shared a good portion of his earnings with them and spent extra time teaching them techniques, so they felt they had to give something back.
The food they bought was varied, a mix of meat and vegetables, beautifully plated and visually appealing. Even though Xiang Ye had been eating Mutant Beast meat, eggs, and a series of other delicacies, he still craved this food. It was all stuff he’d never had before.
Seeing this, Ying Li said, “You can have all of this. I don’t really like it.”
“How could anyone not like this?!” Xiang Ye was incredulous. It was true that Mutant Beast meat was better than Ecological Zone meat. But Ecological Zone meat was definitely better than Nutrient Paste! If Ying Li didn’t eat this, his only option was Nutrient Paste!
Ying Li explained with a smile, “This meat is too soft for me. Doesn’t have any chew and has an odd aftertaste. I dislike vegetables even more. You eat it.”
Xiang Ye had heard Ying Li mention this before but still didn’t quite believe it.
“Eat up. You need to eat more to grow,” Ying Li urged.
Xiang Ye stared at Ying Li for a moment, then didn’t argue any further. The food looked abundant, but all the meat combined didn’t even amount to a single pound. If Ying Li didn’t eat this, he could just eat more Mutant Beast meat later.
Thinking that, Xiang Ye set up his recording device facing himself and started eating. Yesterday, he’d posted a video of their joyride in the wilds to his feed and gotten many likes and even some envious comments. Today, he’d film himself eating this lavish meal and post it too. A feast like this—ordinary people couldn’t just eat it anytime!
Luo Qiming and the others watching this spectacle didn’t quite know what to think. Ying Li’s claim that he didn’t like that food? They didn’t believe a single word. They were Sentinels, just like Ying Li. They, too, could taste those unpleasant undertones in Ecological Zone meat. But Nutrient Paste had an even stronger version of that flavor! The food they’d bought was, no matter what, far better than Nutrient Paste!
Their Captain Ying was definitely just making excuses so he could give all the food to Xiang Ye. Right now, Captain Ying was probably secretly drooling, just like the rest of them!
But Luo Qiming and the others were wrong. Ying Li really wasn’t drooling, secretly or otherwise. He’d eaten all these things in his past life and wasn’t particularly tempted. Watching Xiang Ye start his “eating show,” Ying Li smiled, then pulled out his Nutrient Paste and scarfed it down in a few bites.
Once he was full, he found a spot and lay down, closing his eyes to rest. Or perhaps more accurately, to train his Mental Power.
The vast majority of Sentinels only practiced how to attack with their Mental Power. But Ying Li was different. He practiced using his Mental Power to do precision tasks. For instance, selecting three strands from his recently slightly-longer hair and braiding them together.
This method of Mental Power training was useful for both Sentinels and Guides. The Mental Power training method he’d taught Xiang Ye before was similar. It was just that for Xiang Ye, training his Mental Power by clearing Black Spots from meat was even more effective than braiding hair or anything else.
Ying Li condensed his Mental Power into countless fine threads, doing his best to conceal them, and then controlled them to perform various tasks. A Sentinel’s Mental Power was immense; a B-rank Sentinel could even extend it for hundreds of meters. These Mental Power threads stretched out from Ying Li’s Mental Sea, unfurling throughout the training ground, coating the walls and spreading across the ceiling, enveloping the entire room.
Luo Qiming and the others noticed nothing unusual. But Xiang Ye sensed something. He looked around and, confirming that the Mental Power belonged to Ying Li, paid it no further mind. He continued eating, while simultaneously fighting to suppress his own restless Mental Power, which desperately wanted to burst out of his Mental Sea and cling to Ying Li’s. That would be so… unseemly.
Xiang Ye lost all focus on savoring his food. He quickly finished what was on his plate and turned his gaze to Ying Li, who was lying on the ground with his eyes closed, seemingly in a very good mood. He snapped a photo of Ying Li and filed it away in his “Favorites” album.
And Ying Li was in a very good mood. In his previous life, he’d already reached A-rank Sentinel. Achieving A-rank again this time was far easier than the first. He’d previously told Xiang Ye he could reach A-rank within a year, but that was a conservative estimate—in reality, it could be even faster.
Right now, he felt he was just one step away from A-rank. All he needed was to push his Mental Sea a little further, and he could ascend to A-rank immediately.
But he didn’t plan to do that. It was certainly good when a Sentinel facing great danger unleashed immense potential and broke through, but it also caused some damage to the Sentinel’s body and Mental Power, requiring a recovery period afterward. It was better to just let nature take its course and wait for the natural promotion.
As he was thinking this, Ying Li felt that barrier, which already seemed paper-thin to him, suddenly shatter. He’d been thinking about letting it happen naturally, and now he’d advanced to A-Rank. As an A-rank Sentinel, the things he could do had increased dramatically. But his daily life wouldn’t change that much.
Ying Li sat up from the ground, the Mental Power threads he’d extended swiftly rushing back into his body. There was a smile on his face because he felt great.
Seeing this, Xiang Ye snapped another photo, the more he looked at it, the more he liked it. Did Ying Li just get even more handsome?
Later that night, looking in the mirror, Ying Li also felt that his appearance had improved a bit. His face hadn’t really changed; it was mostly his physique. He was tall, but his build had always been on the lean side. Among Sentinels, he was actually slightly looked down upon—some privately called him “Scrawny Monkey.” Of course, no one dared say it to his face. Though skinny, his strength was solid, his fists hard enough.
In his last life, he had barely put on any weight his whole life, right up until his death. This time, he’d finally filled out a little. It was because he wasn’t overexerting himself as much, and also because he was eating well.
Thinking about the pile of meat he’d get to eat later, Ying Li was in a great mood. Wait. If he kept eating like this, wouldn’t he turn into a giant fat slob?
As he was mulling this over, an enticing aroma reached him. He stepped out of the bathroom, and Xiang Ye immediately handed him a large plate of fried Silver Hook Beast meat.
There was also a small electric pot on the table, simmering a mushroom broth. Dropping slices of the Silver Hook Beast meat into it for a quick boil was divine, flavor so intense it could knock your jaw right off.
“Big Brother Ying, you only had that Nutrient Paste for lunch. Eat more meat now.” Xiang Ye piled the Silver Hook Beast meat into Ying Li’s bowl, urging him to eat.
Seeing Xiang Ye wasn’t paying attention to himself, Ying Li said, “You eat plenty too.”
“Big Brother Ying, my appetite isn’t as huge as it was before!” Xiang Ye noted. Ying Li had also noticed that Xiang Ye’s appetite had diminished slightly these past few days. His body probably didn’t lack nutrition as severely as before.
“Either way, eating more is always good. You’re still way too thin.” Xiang Ye was gaining weight fast, but since he was also getting taller, he still looked like a stick.
“Yeah,” Xiang Ye nodded. He’d been far too skinny in the past, skinny to the point of trauma. Now he’d be thrilled to be a little plump. Plump was attractive!
“By the way, I have some good news to tell you.” Ying Li smiled.
“What good news?” Xiang Ye asked, puzzled.
“I’ve become an A-rank Sentinel.” It was inevitable for him, so he wasn’t overly excited. Still, he wanted to share the news with someone.
“Big Brother Ying, you’re incredible! Shouldn’t we celebrate?” Xiang Ye asked.
Ying Li gestured at the meat on the table. “Aren’t we celebrating right now?” When he reached A-rank in his last life, he’d had nothing, couldn’t even rest properly.
“That’s not enough. Tell you what, I’ll go buy you a present later.” Xiang Ye decided.
Ying Li agreed with a smile. “Alright.” He didn’t refuse.
In the past two days, they hadn’t just caught Silver Hook Beasts on their hunts. When they’d encountered other Mutant Beasts, they’d killed them too, obtaining five Rank-5 Crystal Cores. Ying Li had given these to Xiang Ye. One had been surrendered as tax upon entering the city, so Xiang Ye still had four, enough to last him a while. On the next trip out, Ying Li decided he’d give Xiang Ye even more. The meat was too valuable; next time he’d give him a couple of B-rank Cores.
Full and satisfied, Ying Li retired to his room. After considering it, he increased the support payments to his parents to five thousand credits each per month, ten thousand total. His parents hadn’t been particularly good to him, but that was mostly due to the family’s poverty.
It was typical for ordinary people in the Underground City to have poor relationships with their parents. Until adulthood, they lived on subsidies. The moment they were grown, they’d be kicked out to live alone in a Cage House, so naturally, they didn’t feel any need to repay their parents in kind. His older siblings rarely came home after reaching adulthood; if they did, it was to borrow money. Of course, their parents never lent any—at most, they’d give them a couple of boxes of Nutrient Paste.
Ying Li adjusted the transfer amount, but the transactions wouldn’t process until next month. His parents wouldn’t receive any notification until then and thus hadn’t said anything to him. Their chat page still showed the last message from when he’d previously increased the amount—a generic thank-you message copied from the internet.
Thank goodness he had Xiang Ye.
Opening his Communication Terminal, Ying Li decided to buy some things for Xiang Ye, mostly gear for their hunting trips. He had the experience to know exactly what items would improve Xiang Ye’s quality of life in the wilds.
On the other side, Xiang Ye was also shopping. Many people gave food as gifts, but that was unnecessary here. As for other presents… Ying Li clearly had no interest in clothes or accessories. So Xiang Ye ultimately chose a few pieces of furniture, along with a mattress, sheets, and other bedding.
The day he’d awakened, his Mental Power had drifted into Ying Li’s room. He’d seen that Ying Li’s room was utterly bare, empty of everything. Sentinels might not be picky about their living conditions, but a more comfortable home was never a bad thing.
After finishing his purchases, Xiang Ye went to check his social feed. He’d posted the video of him eating lunch, and it had drawn a flood of envious comments, lifting his spirits even higher.
Both Ying Li and Xiang Ye were in excellent spirits. And so was Wu Nian. He’d run into Yu Mingwei!
Wu Nian couldn’t remember the exact date he’d met Yu Mingwei in his past life, only that it was over a month from now. Back then, he had just been promoted to C-rank Guide. He was out shopping one day when he’d come across Yu Mingwei, whose Communication Terminal had broken, leaving him without the means to buy food. He’d treated Yu Mingwei to a meal.
After that, they’d started spending time together. After a few meetings, Yu Mingwei invited him to come live in the Central District and join the Yu Family’s Hunting Team.
Yu Mingwei was young, handsome, and wealthy. Wu Nian could hardly claim he hadn’t been tempted. But back then, it was just a fleeting thought; he was still in love with Ying Li. Besides, in those early years, his time with Yu Mingwei wasn’t that significant. He did have a Sentinel, after all. Though his repeated attempts to establish a Mental Bond with Ying Li had failed, and they hadn’t truly been together, a Guardian Contract was still legally binding.
Yu Mingwei could only hold back his feelings, visiting him occasionally, bringing him gifts. When he did, Ying Li would inevitably complain. He only found out later that Yu Mingwei had fallen for him at first sight, had loved him for a long time, but never confessed, held back by Ying Li’s existence.
It wasn’t until Wu Nian became a B-rank Guide that Yu Mingwei finally poured his heart out. Wu Nian didn’t agree at first, but after being courted for years, he eventually gave in and began a relationship with Yu Mingwei. Too bad they never had a proper future together, with the Beast Tide hitting and Ying Li dragging him down to his death.
Wu Nian had been miserable since his rebirth, making him miss Yu Mingwei even more. Finally meeting him now, his excitement was indescribable.
But at the same time, he was puzzled. In the last life, they’d met over a month later. Yu Mingwei had said it was his first time in the Upper City District. So why had he run into him early this time? Could Yu Mingwei have also been reborn?
