Ai Tutu, surviving two months in a monster-filled forest.
Crushing the skull of a Wood Ferret with her fist, Ai Tutu leaned against a tree in exhaustion—now it was definitely safe. These damn creatures gnaw off part of the bark and mimic it! She always stumbled upon them...
You accidentally brush that part of the tree, and suddenly a chunk of your flesh is bitten off. She learned that the hard way. It was her first use of the armor her boyfriend gave her.
Very sturdy, by the way—at least the Wood Ferret's bite left no scratch. But she'll remind him that she and Mu sister have matching ones! Is she his girlfriend or what?
Well, at least such camouflage is their only decent ace. One-on-one, even Grass Mice kill these ferrets, and they're no stronger than the One-Eyed Rats from Bo City that Mu Bai told her about.
(They're in the trees!)
Thinking of her boyfriend, Ai Tutu smiled involuntarily. Sometimes she didn't know whether to thank the heavens for giving him to her or bang her head against the tree she was leaning on for his thick-headedness.
How could he not notice that Mu sister pines for him? Sure, she doesn't say it outright, but you can tell from her looks and indirect signs! And he tells her she's not interested...
How can that be? Your girlfriend outright allows you to take a second girl, and you turn up your nose. Sometimes Ai Tutu doesn't understand her boyfriend. One moment he's bold as hell—like when he got her into bed with him on their first day. The next, he's hesitant and won't go beyond oral with her. A walking contradiction.
Other guys in his place would rejoice and quickly find a beauty for their harem. Clan heirs would be even worse—they wouldn't even ask permission from their chosen one. Harems in clans are the norm, but only for the strong or those with potential.
And Mu Bai definitely fits the second category, soon matching the first by threatening to breakthrough to High-level within a year, entering the ranks of the world's powerhouses—after all, at that level you can found your own small but full-fledged city.
Her boyfriend claims she's more than enough for him. How can that be!? She was about to latch onto the idea that his body is far more enduring than hers and he owes it to her to get a second girl to ease the bedroom load.
But this... this guy! It's like he read her mind and before training started, boosted her body to his level! Infuriating! And when asked about Mu sister, he said it would be their family technique, and she's an outsider. Ai Tutu doesn't want her dear friend to be an outsider to her.
In the past, Mu Nujiao always helped her, but now she'll help her win her boyfriend! Then they'll become true sisters and never part! And the heavy stone will finally lift from Ai Tutu's heart.
Despite Mu Bai showing her she could reach the pinnacle of human cultivation and rise above 99.99% of mages, Ai Tutu still couldn't fully overcome her past insecurities.
After all, Mu Bai is the reason for her rise, and now she feels unworthy of him. But if she shares him with Mu sister, she'll help her friend and calm her own heart. Together, they're definitely worthy!
At that moment, the one she was thinking of leaned against the neighboring tree, having wrapped its trunk with vines. Each had her own way of dealing with these damn Wood Ferrets. Mu sister checks resting spots with vines. She just punches the spot where she wants to rest. As Mu Bai said—"strength is there, brains not needed."
These two months had been very enlightening for both. If they once thought nothing could surprise them after Dongting Lake, now they knew how deeply mistaken they were.
Everything in this forest wanted to kill them! They learned to survive here, as Dongting Lake rules they'd figured out empirically didn't apply. The new team member Lin Lin helped a lot.
Ai Tutu was initially very skeptical of her—she looked like a regular pretty little girl—but her credentials and demonstrated skills earned genuine respect.
For every monster they met, Lin Lin had a dossier with all weak points and common accompanying species. It helped immensely, though it would be great if she didn't make them memorize it all before bed when they wanted to rest after a hellish day.
But Lin Lin quickly explained their days weren't hellish compared to other Hunters without Mu Bai's insurance. Mortality stats among Hunters and pics of what was left of the unlucky ones reignited their desire to learn and train max effort. They didn't want to be a burden to Mu Bai in the future.
Over these two months, their teamwork skills improved even more, though Mu Bai still sent them on solo forays so they'd rely not just on the team but themselves. As he said, "Team comes and goes, but you're stuck with yourself until your own death."
He said it in such a tone that Ai Tutu thought her boyfriend had once had an important team close to his heart, but Lin Lin's database check on Hunters disproved it.
Besides monster fights, they diligently cultivated four hours a day. Mu Bai supplied so many resources that even she, with mediocre talent, smoothly cultivated her Summon Element.
She'd thought to meet her boyfriend's deadlines, she'd need another injection of foreign cultivation, but was pleasantly surprised she could do it on her own.
Though again, all thanks to his abundant resources. How not to feel insecure? And he gives Mu sister resources too, only fanning her feelings. Against the Mu family always wanting something from her, such selfless care conquers a hardened clan lady's heart.
"Girls, tomorrow we head back to Shanghai! Time to visit the Three-Step Tower. I'll pick up your finished artifacts too." Mu Bai approached and shared the great news. Ai Tutu desperately wanted a proper bath.
Lin Lin trailed him like a tail. Ai Tutu first thought she was smitten like Mu sister, but getting to know her better showed otherwise. Lin Lin just stays in the safest spot—which happens to be near Mu Bai.
If her grandpa were here, she'd tail him. From what Mu Bai said, he's one of the strongest mages in the country. Even stronger than her own grandpa, who Ai Tutu knew was at High-level peak.
Nodding to her boyfriend and smiling faintly, Ai Tutu closed her eyes and continued resting. Today they fought a particularly strong Junior Pack Leader on the verge of Mid-level, so they were exhausted.
But compared to Dongting Lake, Ai Tutu felt much stronger—back then she and Mu sister fled from a similar monster, heels flashing. And her cultivation level hadn't changed. That's what hellish training under pros does.
Though she'd like more breaks.