After dressing Wang Ke’s wound, Logan stood up and looked around the chaotic battlefield.
The copper smell of blood hung heavy in the air.
Several men lay sprawled across the dirt, staining the stream water a dark, muddy crimson.
Logan shook his head and let out a deep sigh.
The water source was ruined now. Even if they hauled the bodies away, the thought of what happened here would turn anyone’s stomach.
They would need to scout for a fresh water supply again.
Two of the thugs were still breathing, lying on the ground and groaning in agony.
Logan didn’t hesitate. He gripped his Miao dao and walked over.
He stopped in front of the first whimpering man, who stared up with wide, terrified eyes, trying to beg for mercy.
Logan’s face remained blank. He raised his blade and brought it down.
*Splat.*
The world went quiet.
He moved on to the second.
With a flick of his wrist, another life ended.
Only after finishing the job did a crushing wave of exhaustion wash over him.
The aftereffects of [Blood Burst Slash] were no joke.
At the same time, faint wisps of warm energy drifted upward from the corpses he had just finished off, flowing straight into his body.
[You have successfully slain ten entities above Common tier. Strength increased by a minor margin. Current: 10]
[Secondary upgrade condition (1/2) has been met.]
A clean surge of physical power settled deep into his bones and muscles.
He raised his hand and flexed his fingers.
His strength had grown again.
Now, upgrading only required fulfilling the second condition: pushing his blade technique to Mastery.
The recent skirmish had deepened his comprehension of swordplay, but reaching full Mastery still felt a step away.
Real combat alone wasn’t enough; he needed targeted, disciplined training.
Leaning on his blade, Logan let out a heavy breath and sat down on a clean boulder.
"Logan, you okay? You’re sweating so much!"
A wave of light perfume drifted over. Gu Xinran had already slipped up behind him, unbiddenly pressing her soft hands against his tense shoulders to massage the knots away.
Her hands were cool and gentle, hitting the exact right pressure to ease his tight muscles.
Admiration filled Gu Xinran’s voice. "Taking down that scar-faced brute in one hit... man, my knees are still shaking."
Logan didn’t push her away. He was genuinely too tired.
"Stop standing around. Go strip everything useful off these bodies," he ordered Tang Yuqing and the others nearby. "Weapons on the ground, gear in their packs—leave nothing behind."
"Oh... right!"
Tang Yuqing and the rest snapped out of their daze. Swallowing their fear and disgust, they began rummaging through the dead thugs.
Before long, they had gathered seven or eight crude wooden clubs alongside a few spare machetes.
Just then, Tang Yuqing—who was searching the scrawny man’s corpse—let out a sharp, involuntary gasp.
"Logan! You... you need to see this!"
Her voice sounded jittery, caught between wild excitement and sheer disbelief.
Logan opened his eyes instantly.
Tang Yuqing stumbled toward him, clutching a dark, strangely shaped piece of heavy iron.
Its familiar silhouette and cold metallic finish made Logan’s chest tighten.
A firearm!
An AK-47!
He snatched the rifle straight out of Tang Yuqing’s grip, feeling its heavy, authentic weight in his hands.
"And this!" Tang Yuqing handed over a canvas pouch stuffed with two spare magazines and a loose stack of ammunition.
A full hundred rounds!
A chill crept straight up Logan’s spine.
These thugs actually had access to military hardware!
Whether they brought it across the barrier during the drop or pulled it from a high-tier chest was anyone’s guess.
The scrawny guy he had executed just moments ago was the owner of the gun.
Thank god he had closed the distance and dropped him before he could process what was happening.
Otherwise, had the guy managed to pull the trigger, the ones bleeding out on the grass right now would have been his own people.
This group wasn’t just a basic street gang anymore.
They had organization, combat-class fighters, and now, firearms.
The sudden surge of mortal danger made his newly relaxed nerves snap right back into place.
"Chief! Chief! Look what I found!"
As the camp atmosphere turned heavy again, Yu Le’s excited shout pierced the quiet from a few yards away.
"I think I just pulled an Epic-tier item!"
Epic-tier?
Logan jumped to his feet, turning his gaze toward the purple-haired twin-tailed girl.
Yu Le was holding a battered, ancient-looking leather tome overhead, bouncing up and down in place.
Logan strode over and took the book from her hands.
The cover was bound in an unidentifiable hide, warm to the touch, embossed with gold lettering in a script he couldn’t read.
The second his fingers brushed the leather, a semi-transparent panel popped up automatically in his field of view.
[Wilderness Bestiary & Flora Guide]
[Quality: Epic (Purple)]
[Function: Identifies all unknown plants, beasts, and minerals. Provides comprehensive data including names, traits, toxicity levels, and practical utility.]
[Note: Knowledge is power, especially when you’re completely clueless.]
Logan’s breathing stalled for a second.
This... this was an absolute game-changer!
Its value was easily on par with the AK-47!
His mind immediately flashed back to the giant toxic mushroom by the stream.
If they had this guide earlier, they would have known its lethal toxicity immediately—and even learned that its crushed juices carried strong corrosive properties that could double as a chemical weapon!
With this book, exploring the hazardous wilderness ahead meant looking through a pair of all-seeing eyes.
Edibles, poisons, medicinal herbs, crafting materials—everything would be laid out plain and clear.
The tribe’s survival rate was about to skyrocket!
He looked at Yu Le, who stood there waiting for praise. The girl’s gacha luck was truly absurd.
First a top-tier pull back at camp, and now she casually loots an Epic-tier encyclopedia off a corpse!
"Yu Le, you’re an absolute lifesaver," Logan praised sincerely.
That single compliment made Yu Le happier than any material reward. She puffed out her chest with absolute pride and grinned.
"Obviously! I’m a girl with S-tier luck! Chief, from now on, any time we open a chest or loot a body, you have to bring me along!"
With the guide secured, the shadow cast by the assault rifle lifted just a fraction.