Going back to the previous topic, though, an unexpected windfall really feels great!
The rewards from just that short amount of time yesterday could already match up to all my hard work from the last few days!
No wonder people say that horses don’t bulk up without feeding at night, and people don’t get rich without unexpected windfalls!
Looks like I need to head toward bustling places more often in the future...
Chapter 16: Fire Dragon Capital City, Three Companions
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In the following few days, the group of five continued on their training journey. They swept through the outer boundary region at an average speed of killing three to four Second-Grade Magical Beasts per day!
Six-Tailed Poison Centipedes, Bloodthirsty Red Ants, Golden-Eyed Demonic Bats, Giant Swamp Crocodiles...
Meng Lei picked up dropped items and collected kills in the day, while at night, he boosted his spiritual power and magic power—and in turn, all of his other stats—through meditation. His battle capabilities were totally different every day!
However, all good things must come to an end!
A week later, Alison and the other three men’s training journey came to an end. The vacation was over, so they were returning to the academy, while Meng Lei also had to return to Magical Beast Village.
Everyone bade farewell reluctantly and went their separate ways.
“You’re finally back, kid!”
Upon Meng Lei’s return, Captain Hudders’ worry finally eased. Meng Lei hadn’t returned for more than 20 days, so he had been really worried that something had happened to him. However, Meng Lei was finally back now!
“I was only moving about in the Magical Beast Forest’s outer boundaries. What kind of danger could there be?” Meng Lei laughed and changed the topic. He asked, “Captain Hudders, can we make it for the magic assessment if we set off now?
“There are only a few days till term begins at the magic academy!” Captain Hudders shook his head and replied, “It’s fortunate that our Magical Beast Village isn’t far from the capital city, so it’ll take only five days to get there. Otherwise, you’d be crying right now!”
“As long as we can make it!”
Meng Lei heaved a sigh of relief. Fire Dragon Kingdom, as the kingdom nearest to Magical Beast Ridge within the Dragon God Empire, had always existed for the purpose of being the empire’s shield in the west. In order to better defend against Magical Beasts’ attacks and harassment, Fire Dragon Kingdom’s capital city was built right at the fringes of Magical Beast Ridge!
Thus, Magical Beast Village was not far from the capital city.
“Have a good rest tonight, Meng Lei. We’ll set off right in the morning tomorrow!”
“Alright, Captain Hudders!”
...
A night of pleasant dreams passed!
Meng Lei woke up early the next morning. After packing his things carefully, he headed over to Captain Hudders’ home. What surprised him when he reached was that Jonah, Joseph, Andrew, and their parents were actually there, too!
“Jonah, why are all of you here?” asked Meng Lei in mild puzzlement while looking at the three of them.
These three little fellows were his companions, the kind where they had grown up together playing with mud and wearing split pants1.
“Hehe, we’re following Uncle Hudders to the capital city to take part in the magic assessment!”
Jonah, who was wearing a long gunny dress, revealed a pair of adorable little canine teeth as she replied to his question with a giggle. She was the only girl among the three. Although her clothes were old and tattered, it couldn’t hide her attractive facial features, nonetheless. If she were to change into the kind of lavish long dresses that nobility wore, she wouldn’t pale in comparison to those rich young ladies at all!
Meng Lei nodded. “Is that so!”
“Big Brother Meng Lei, I heard from Uncle Hudders that you went into the mountains alone. You didn’t meet with any danger, did you?” asked Jonah somewhat anxiously.
“I was only moving about in the outer boundaries. What kind of danger could there be?”
Meng Lei laughed and shook his head. Then, he changed the topic and said, “I’d thought that I’d be the only one going to the capital city. Now that you guys will also be with me, I won’t be lonely on the way there anymore! That’s great!”
“Yes, yes! Since all of us are going to the capital city together, we can look out for each other!”
Jonah clapped her little hands, her face red and rosy from excitement. She said, “Speaking of that, I’ve never been to the capital city even at this age! I wonder what it’s like over there?”
“I’ve heard that the city walls are very high and that there are a lot of Dragon People with dragon heads?”
“There are also big and tall buildings, and a neat and tidy Elysium Avenue?”
Joseph and Andrew’s eyes lit up. Their little faces were full of yearning and anticipation!
“We’ll be able to see them very soon!”
Meng Lei smiled. To villagers living in far and remote places like them, their activity range was solely limited to the villages nearby and Magical Beast Ridge. They might not even be able to go to the capital city even once in their entire lives!
One could say that it was thanks to the magic assessment that Jonah, Joseph, and Andrew could go to the capital city this time. If not for the fact that this concerned their children’s lifelong destinies, how could their parents possibly be willing to pay such a high price to send them to the capital city?
10 gold coins!
That was enough to make up a family of three’s expenses for two to three years!
Moreover, this was
