31: Chapter 31 Each Using Their Own Methods

Although they did not fully explore Vine Town, nor did they go all out to exterminate the Parasitic Fungus Vines, the number of Parasitic Fungus Vines they had killed over the past few days was already no less than two or three hundred.

Even though the vast majority of their remains were useless waste that could only be processed into fertilizer,

with the sheer quantity, there was bound to be a probability of obtaining extraordinary materials. Digging out over thirty extraordinary materials such as emerald leaf essence and vine jade meat from the two to three hundred Parasitic Fungus Vines made the harvest of extraordinary materials alone a massive windfall.

The reason why Zhao Kun was willing to return to Scarecrow Town was undoubtedly partly due to these extraordinary materials.

Scarecrow Town already had some accumulated extraordinary materials beforehand, and with the addition of these, it should be enough.

The speed of the return trip was very fast. Several heavy trucks stirred up billows of dust and smoke, resembling a yellowish-brown dragon winding through a barren desert.

The journey of over ten kilometers was not long, and within half an hour, they had rushed back. The familiar walls and dilapidated gates grew closer and closer. Guard Team members on duty atop the high walls signaled, and then the gates slowly opened as the convoy drove straight into Scarecrow Town.

After crossing the walls, everyone's tense hearts finally relaxed a bit. No matter how dangerous it was outside, Scarecrow Town was currently safe.

"Everyone, move freely and get a good rest for a few days. We don't have many idle days ahead."

Wei Dong and Zhao Hu greeted their subordinates to dismiss them, telling those with injuries to get treated and those with families to go home and report safety.

Zhao Kun didn't give many instructions. After watching everyone gradually disperse, he carried his materials and strode toward his residence.

Even if there were other arrangements, they wouldn't be in these two days. Even he found it inappropriate to demand more from these Guard Team members who had toiled for days.

When Wang Ting returned to his dormitory, he saw that Fu Xing and the other three were also in the dorm. Seeing Wang Ting walk in, they instinctively straightened up and grinned with smiles.

"Brother, you're finally back. Everyone in the team has been talking about you and Captain Zhao, terrified that something might happen to you." Fu Xing stepped forward with a concerned expression. "What's the situation over there? Is it dangerous?"

Ding Yu, Huang Han, and Hu Kang in the same room likewise wore friendly, even somewhat flattering smiles.

Over the past few days, they hadn't been transferred by Zhao Hu to participate in the exploration of the Infinite Building. Instead, they had been continuously patrolling with the patrol team and training in combat techniques.

Their growth speed was also very fast, yet compared to Wang Ting, there was an unbridgeable gap.

Although Wang Ting was not in the town, as the Guard Team members who went to transport supplies returned, the news they brought back became more and more exaggerated: soloing a pack of Lizard Hounds without injury, slaughtering Parasitic Fungus Vines like cutting vegetables and melons, and exhibiting agile skills that were by no means inferior to Zhao Hu's.

Each of these rumors pushed Wang Ting's personal reputation higher and higher.

Now that Wang Ting reappeared before them, they were both surprised and felt a sense of unfamiliarity. At this moment, Wang Ting seemed like a lone wolf walking out of the desert, and the aura about him was somewhat soul-stirring.

In fact, they couldn't be blamed for thinking this way. After fusing multiple traits such as Scarecrow Physique, Photosynthetic Straw, Vibration Perception, Rotten Soil Scent, and Scorpion Skin, Wang Ting had fundamentally changed.

It was not a change in species or bloodline, but rather in temperament, where he had gradually widened the gap between himself and ordinary people.

With such powerful traits gathered upon him, it was no exaggeration to say he was a beast wearing human skin.

Not to mention that days of slaughter had gradually released his momentum and the ferocity deep in his bones.

Such a change was no less than transitioning from an honest, obedient college student toward the direction of "I don't eat beef", releasing instinctive aggressiveness.

Now, as he stood there, compared to those captain-level figures, he probably even had a slight edge.

Wang Ting smiled and said, "It might be a supplies floor, but there are also quite a few monsters, possessing the characteristics of a monster floor. Since it wasn't fully explored this time, I'm afraid we'll need to put in more effort in the future."

None of this was confidential information; as Guard Team members, they would learn of it sooner or later.

Who would have thought that as soon as he finished speaking, Fu Xing with his bald head and shifty eyes darted his gaze and blurted out, "Could it be establishing an outpost? No wonder I saw those vice-captains gathering with people these past few days."

"Is that so?" Wang Ting showed a hint of surprise with a thoughtful look. "In that case, it won't be long before things get lively."

'Why does it feel like he's changed so much after going out for a trip?'

An odd feeling arose in Fu Xing's heart. Clearly, he had only been gone for a few days, yet the person before him seemed somewhat sharp and exposed, no longer as cautious as when they met in the barn.

'My brother's talent probably goes beyond this. I must latch onto his coattails.'

This bald Fu Xing was a cunning fellow; otherwise, even after Tonggu Town was destroyed, he wouldn't have been able to survive well.

He immediately reminded Wang Ting, "You'd better be careful. I heard them say that Ma Ganbo, Nie Quan, Zhao Tianhao, and Chen Qi are all once-broken-limit warriors, and for longer than you. Their combat skills are definitely more proficient than yours, so they probably won't be easy to deal with."

"Bald Xing, stop scaring him."

Seeing Fu Xing talking like this, seemingly trying to elevate Wang Ting to a position of competing against Zhao Tianhao and the others, as if he wouldn't rest until seizing the management position of this outpost, Huang Han spoke up.

He was also afraid Wang Ting would be put on the spot, so he chimed in to interrupt.

"Wang Ting is strong and robust, just slightly lacking in experience, so it's not like he has no chance. But wanting to secure an outpost requires having people under you, right? He just joined the Guard Team, so he's at too big a disadvantage."

Fu Xing didn't see it that way, choosing to stand firmly with Wang Ting: "Aren't we here? We can just borrow a few people from Captain Zhao Hu, and manpower won't be a problem, right?"

Wang Ting didn't delve deeper into this issue. The few of them chatted randomly for a couple of sentences, mostly talking about the changes in the town over the past few days.

As for huge changes, there certainly weren't any, but matters concerning the town were by no means few.

The first matter was about the Scarecrow Farm floor.

Fan Da led the team to roughly clear out the second farm. The boundaries were pinned with sturdy round logs, strung with barbed wire, or nailed with wooden boards as walls.

Although the lookout towers hadn't been built yet, construction on the internal farmland and wooden cabins had already begun.

The laborers from the barn had turned the farmland over and spread a layer of sludge left behind by the Rot Soil Hounds as fertilizer. Meanwhile, the wooden cabins serving as barns and dormitories were also being constructed methodically, taking on a rough shape, though the progress had slowed down a bit because some manpower was reallocated.

The second matter concerned the preparation of trading goods. The Supplies Group was busily preparing materials, with harvested wheat, monster materials, and other items being prepared one after another. It seemed that the transaction deadline was approaching, and they were getting ready to head out to trade supplies.

Aside from these two matters, there wasn't much else to mention.

When Wang Ting woke up the next day, he originally planned to go to the warehouse to see if he could exchange his contributions for some new equipment. However, halfway there, he found two young Guard Team members blocking his path.

"Wang Ting, wait!"

Recognizing their appearances, Wang Ting wore a look of unexpected surprise.

He knew these two people. Although they were in Wei Dong's team, they frequently followed Zhao Tianhao.

The three of them stood still in a corner. Guard Team members occasionally passed by, but kept some distance from them.

Seeing Wang Ting stop, Zheng Yu spoke up: "Please come with us; Brother Tianhao wants to invite you to a meal."

"Lead the way."

Seeing Wang Ting agree, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.

They led the way ahead, and after taking a few steps, the three arrived at the corrugated iron housing area in District 1. These were container-like iron sheet houses. Although they also looked shabby, compared to the collective dormitories, they could be considered small luxury homes, requiring at least 300 contribution points to redeem.

"Ahead is Brother Tianhao's residence."

Zheng Yu brought Wang Ting to Zhao Tianhao's residence. Wang Ting pushed the door open and entered, while the two behind him casually closed the door.

Wang Ting's gaze swept over the situation inside the room, and his pupils shrank slightly.

On the dining table right in the middle of the room, several meat dishes were laid out, and yellowish steamed buns were steaming hot, emitting heat. Seated at the table were two people: one was Zhao Tianhao, and the other was Wei Dong.

Beside the two of them, a pitch-black box was placed close at hand.