"This bone is really not bad!"

Su Ran grinned happily, feeling as if the bone in his hand was a fascinating new toy, one he just couldn’t put down.

His unusual behavior attracted the frequent attention of many level-grinding players, who stared at him as if he were a fool. Playing with a bone so addictively, they thought, his brain must have been kicked by a donkey.

"Ahem."

Creamy Youngster, feeling the odd atmosphere, subconsciously stepped back a few paces, distancing himself from Su Ran and putting on an "I don’t know this guy" expression, finally escaping from the gazes of the other players.

"Overturning Water, tone it down a bit, don’t make us the laughing stock!"

Seeing Su Ran acting so foolishly, Creamy Youngster’s cheeks reddened with embarrassment on his behalf, unable to help himself, he spoke up and advised, causing Su Ran to finally stop.

"Sorry, got a bit too excited."

Su Ran pocketed the bone and said to Creamy Youngster, "Come on, let’s change spots. I’ll show you something fun."

"Okay."

Creamy Youngster didn’t look up, her eyes moving covertly as she reached out her hand gently, touching nothing. Only then did she realize, that elm burl had long since scurried away.

"That just makes me want to die!"

Creamy Youngster stomped her foot in frustration, her cheeks slightly flushed, whether from anger or embarrassment.

Before long, Su Ran and Creamy Youngster arrived at a secluded spot, hidden by dunes on three sides, a place few players would notice. Su Ran stopped and sat down on the sand with a plop.

"Overturning Water, what are you up to?"

Creamy Youngster stood opposite Su Ran, curious as he took out the bone again.

"The Buddha said, ’I can’t say.’"

Su Ran chuckled, playing coy, and threw the bone into the Strange Demon Bone Cauldron.

Strangely, the bone, over a meter long, disappeared into the half-meter tall Strange Demon Bone Cauldron without sticking out at all, which was highly unscientific.

"Eh? Are you going to... refine the bone?"

Creamy Youngster immediately grasped the trick, her eyes shining as she asked, "What good stuff can this bone produce?"

"Smart, but no prize~!"

Su Ran closed the cauldron lid excitedly, covered it with his hands, and began pouring his magical power into it, "Guard me. It probably won’t take more than a quarter hour to finish the refinement. I’ll tell you after that!"

"Nonsense!"

Creamy Youngster was first taken aback, a trace of anxiety in her eyes. In such harsh conditions, how could this guy just start refining out of nowhere? He was way too reckless. Although this spot was relatively hidden, what if a player suddenly teleported in or a monster spawned? Wouldn’t the bone-refining process get interrupted?

Such a precious big bone, if he failed to refine it, that would truly be a triumph turned into mourning.

But, well, the fact that this idiot trusted her so much added a little thrill to Creamy Youngster’s heart. She sneakily studied the face behind Su Ran’s mask, but unfortunately, she discovered nothing.

Time passed slowly in the intense atmosphere. Creamy Youngster’s heart began to flutter with unease, so she decisively summoned the Firebird to stand guard before and behind Su Ran, gaining much more confidence.

"Hey, look over there, there’s a strange firebird!"

The appearance of the Firebird was quite conspicuous in the desert and was accidentally spotted by three players. However, Su Ran and his companion were hidden by the dunes and went unnoticed.

"Damn, it really is, could it be that this desert has spawned a rare BOSS?"

"Haha, let’s go take a look, maybe this is a big opportunity!"

These three players hurriedly dispatched the Desert Bone Scorpion in front of them, not even bothering to pick up the several potions that dropped, quickly heading towards the sand dunes.

"Number Two, tread lightly, what if you scare the Firebird away?"

"Right, who’s got a Pet-catching Scroll? My seventh sense tells me this Firebird’s grade is definitely not low!"

The mage player, positioned between the other two, clenched his fists tightly, his spit scattering all over the ground, "Riding a flying pet is so impressive!"

"Haha, sorry, but I actually do have a Pet-catching Scroll, and it’s a gold-level one at that!"

The warrior player who first discovered the Firebird laughed heartily, as if the Firebird was already his, a triumphant glint in his eyes.

"Damn, Number Three is so lucky. Later, we brothers take turns riding this Firebird—good stuff should be shared."

The leader looked enviously at the warrior to his right, speaking softly, "Let’s all keep it down, don’t startle the Firebird. Bird-type creatures with fire attributes have strong attacks, everyone be cautious; we don’t want to capsize in a gutter and become a laughingstock!"

"The boss is right, we don’t want to end up working hard for nothing and have someone snatch the fruits of our labor. Wouldn’t we die of embarrassment if someone else captures it while we’re at it?"

As the mage spoke, he cautiously looked around, only relaxing after confirming that no other players were following them.

"Later, Number Two and I will restrain the Firebird, and when its health drops below a quarter, Number Three will go for the capture!"

The boss, the core of the team, started to arrange the battle plan before the fight had even begun, "The turmoil of the battle won’t be small, and players will definitely come when they hear of it. Number Three, seize the moment to act; if necessary, use the Pet-catching Scroll early to prevent others from getting there first."

"Understood!"

The three of them whispered their plan for a short while and then arrived at the sand dunes, hiding and ready to move.

"Go!"

Knowing they couldn’t afford to delay, the boss uttered a low shout, and all three charged out simultaneously. Especially Number Three, who burst forth with the ferocity of a tiger descending a mountain, leaping high, and launching an assault on the splendid-looking Firebird.

"Boom!"

Before Number Three even hit the ground, a basin-sized fireball streaked through the sky, exploding violently, interrupting his Jump Cut, and like a kite with a broken string, he plunged headfirst into the desert.

"Damn it, it’s a trap!"

Grinding his teeth, the boss shouted in alarm at the sight of the man and woman beneath the hill, "Run, it’s a lure orchestrated by those two, and the player sitting there might be Spilt Water Can’t Be Regained!"

"What?"

"Spilt Water Can’t Be Regained? Screw this fight!"

As the saying goes—the reputation of a person precedes them. Upon hearing the name Spilt Water Can’t Be Regained, Number Three picked himself up from the sandy ground, his expression panicked as he fled, muttering disgruntledly, "Forget about avenging this arrow’s grudge, consider it swallowing a silent loss!"

"Screech!"

The Firebird cried out, glaring angrily at the three alien intruders, its Pair of Wings flapping as it soared into the sky. But just as it was about to pursue its target, Su Ran, looking like a fresh-faced youth, stopped it.

The Firebird landed from the sky, looking confusedly at its master, its fiery-red head tilting to one side.

"Overturning Water, how much longer will you keep refining?"

The fresh-faced youth looked at Su Ran, who was fully focused on refining the bones, and impatiently shook the staff in hand, a hint of anxiety in his gaze. freewebnøvel.com