Harvesting Beasts is my Talent

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

​"He actually wants me dead."

​Mo Fan’s heart turned cold. Having spent years clawing for survival in a zombie-infested wasteland, he was no stranger to the scent of mortality. In that world, mercy was a luxury that usually got you killed. The only person you could rely on was yourself.

​He hadn't died in the zombie waves because he was weak; he had survived because he was cautious and, when necessary, utterly ruthless.

​Lei Wuji had insulted Shen Lang. More importantly, he had openly declared his intent to murder Mo Fan. In a world of warriors, leaving such a threat alive was like keeping a viper in your bedroll. If he didn't uproot this problem now, it would only grow into a catastrophe later.

​Mo Fan wasn't one to go looking for trouble, but he knew how to finish it. He watched Lei Wuji’s retreating back with a hidden, predatory focus.

​If you want to kill me, I’ll just have to make sure I kill you first.

​After a short wait, two instructors—both established Warriors—arrived to lead the class. Once the headcount was confirmed, the students boarded a transport vehicle powered by Yuan Qi crystals. In this post-apocalyptic age, high-tech electronics were dead, replaced by machinery driven by the world's new, mysterious energy.

​As the bus rumbled toward the perimeter of the Shuli Base, a nervous student piped up, "Teacher, where exactly are we going?"

​"The Wildlands," the instructor replied bluntly.

​The cabin fell into a terrified silence. The Wildlands were a death trap, a realm of mutated horrors where even seasoned Warriors walked with their hands on their hilts. For a group of Disciples—most of whom were barely at the early stage—it sounded like a one-way trip to a furnace.

​"Don't panic," the teacher added with a small smile. "We’re heading to the northern sector. The Tier-3 Earth Dragon that used to rule that area was cleared out by the Storm Chasers recently. Afterward, the base sent in over a dozen cleanup crews to wipe out anything above Tier-2."

​"The current twenty-mile radius is a controlled zone, populated only by Tier-1 beasts. It’s the perfect testing ground for the Academy." He paused, gesturing to his colleague. "Besides, Instructor Lin and I will be shadowing you. We won't let things get out of hand."

​The tension in the bus ebbed. With two Mid-Stage Warriors as bodyguards and only Tier-1 threats to face, the danger felt manageable.

​When they reached the drop-off point, Mo Fan stepped out and took his first look at the world beyond the walls. It was a primeval nightmare. Towering ancient trees reached for the sky, and thick, pulsating vines choked the landscape.

​Yuan Qi hadn't just changed humans; it had accelerated nature. Trees that should have taken centuries to grow had reached massive proportions in just decades.

​But where there was danger, there was treasure. The Wildlands were home to exotic herbs that could boost strength or even awaken latent talents—items that fetched astronomical prices back at the base.

​"This trial operates on a points system," the instructor announced. "Points are awarded based on the level and strength of the beasts you hunt. First place receives three bottles of Tier-2 Beast Blood and a Bronze-Level martial arts manual."

​"Second place: two bottles. Third place: one bottle. Anything below that gets nothing."

​He held up a stack of glowing wooden slips. "These are Communication Talismans. If you’re in over your head, crush it. We’ll come running. But remember—this is the Wild. A talisman won't save you if a beast rips your throat out before you can move. You have five days. Good luck."

​The promise of a Bronze-Level manual—a rare and powerful asset—set the students' eyes on fire.

​Lei Wuji was the first to grab his talisman. He paused by the entrance to the forest, shooting Mo Fan a provocative, murderous smirk before disappearing into the brush. Mo Fan remained impassive.

​When it was Mo Fan’s turn, the instructor looked at him with a mix of pity and exasperation. He sighed, handing over the slip. "Look, you have no cultivation physique. Just find a thicket near the entrance and hide. Don't try to be a hero."

​"Thank you, Teacher," Mo Fan said politely. He took the talisman and stepped into the green gloom.

​The forest was a wall of emerald.

​Mo Fan moved with the silence of a ghost, his senses dialed to the maximum. He wasn't looking for rabbits. He was looking for signs of his classmates—specifically, Lei Wuji.

​In this dense, vine-choked terrain, visibility was barely a few meters. Lei Wuji had only a small head start, but the forest had already swallowed him whole.

​"I can't track him yet," Mo Fan mused, crouching low. "Fine. I’ll focus on hunting beasts to sharpen my combat instincts for now. It’s a twenty-mile zone; we’re bound to cross paths eventually."

​He slowed his breathing, moving through the undergrowth with practiced caution. Even with his Thunder Talent making him a heavy hitter, he knew that arrogance in the Wild was the fastest way to become fertilizer.

​Thirty minutes in, Mo Fan froze.

​Through a gap in the ferns, a pair of glowing blue eyes locked onto him. A creature roughly two meters long, built like a slab of muscle and standing half as tall as a man, bared its jagged fangs. It pawed at the dirt, let out a low growl, and prepared to spring.

​"Tier-1 Low-Grade," Mo Fan whispered, recognizing the beast from his studies. "An Ironhound.”

In the ruins of a post-apocalyptic world where bloodline is destiny, Chu Mo is a "trash" student with a talent so low he’s destined for the scrap heap. But when he awakens a god-tier Extraction System, the rules of the jungle change forever.

​With a single touch, he can strip the gifts of geniuses and the strength of high-level beasts. No longer a victim of fate, Chu Mo begins his meteoric rise, turning the corpses of his enemies into the stepping stones of his legend. The hunt has begun, and in a world where only the strong survive, he’s about to become the ultimate predator.