Chapter 249, "Sky Pirates"
Wu Heng withdrew his arm and wrapped it around Li Yanhong's shoulder, "What do you mean by stealing his ability? It's just a ring that can release fireballs, and the effect is pretty average."
"This is still considered average? Ma Zhiyong's ability is just like that, and he's ranked second!" Li Yanhong said.
Ma Zhiyong's ability had never been seen by outsiders.
But according to the Flame God Shelter's radio broadcast, he could release fireballs that explode upon hitting a target and ignite flammable materials.
It was probably similar to this effect.
Moreover, Ma Zhiyong had to consume corpse cores like crazy to awaken this ability.
Yet this is just a ring; wear it, and you can release fireballs.
The two can't even be compared.
"So now, you and he are tied for second."
Li Yanhong nudged him with her elbow, "What? Are you trying to take a jab at me?"
Then she looked up at him, "Do you have more? Give everyone one, and we can release a barrage of fireballs to blow up the zombies."
"Do you think these are iron rings, that I can just hand them out endlessly?" Wu Heng paused and continued, "And besides, if everyone had one, it wouldn't be as valuable anymore."
"Hehe! True!" Li Yanhong hugged his waist and gently swayed, "It's so good to have you."
"As long as you're happy." Wu Heng lightly patted her back.
Li Yanhong continued, "Then I'll just say that I've awakened the fire ability to the others."
"Sure," Wu Heng nodded.
In the current environment, having an ability was still important.
It not only represented personal combat power but also prestige.
No one wanted to follow an ordinary person, especially a young woman with no standout traits.
Ma Zhiyong became the district-level commander mainly because of his special ability.
If Li Yanhong now displayed the same ability as Ma Zhiyong, it would definitely cause a stir within the shelter, even if not outside.
In the shelter, the King of Hell was the strongest, and now Li Yanhong had the same ability as the second strongest.
This would inspire the survivors.
It would also solidify Li Yanhong's position.
"Staying the night? I want to properly repay you." Li Yanhong swayed her body as she held him.
Wu Heng turned and hugged her, softly saying, "I want to, but I still have some things to take care of. I'll spend more time with you next time."
It had indeed been a while since he had spent time with Li Yanhong.
But now that he had the second-tier corpse core potion, he needed to conserve his strength to consume it.
With the upcoming trip to Gold-Silver Island, the unknown environment was putting quite a bit of pressure on him.
Taking the corpse core potion to boost his attributes was a good way to ensure his safety.
Li Yanhong didn't insist and said, "I'll save the chance to repay you for next time."
"Alright, I'll make good use of that privilege then."
The two chatted for a while.
Then Li Yanhong went downstairs to continue with her work.
Wu Heng opened the portal and returned to another world.
......
He re-emerged in the other room of the suite.
Outside the window, the noisy street sounds could be heard, along with the cries of vendors selling goods.
Wu Heng walked over to a table and took out all three bottles of corpse core potion.
The first-tier corpse core potion no longer had any effect on his body.
Any future production would be for the few people around him.
The second-tier corpse core, however, was prioritized for his own use.
With that in mind, he didn't hesitate much.
He picked up a bottle, opened the cap, and drank it in one gulp.
The sour, bitter taste flowed from his throat to his stomach.
Immediately, a warm and painful sensation spread from his abdomen, and a surge of energy seemed to tear through his muscles, spreading throughout his body.
Did the first time he used the second-tier corpse core feel like this?
He had somewhat forgotten, but the pain now was truly unbearable.
[Constitution +2, Strength +2, Agility +1.]
The system notification appeared, distracting him slightly.
The pain quickly subsided.
The second-tier corpse core… the effect was indeed significant.
A 5-point attribute boost, equivalent to gaining two and a half levels.
This potion would undoubtedly be incredibly precious in this world.
Becoming stronger was the goal of every Professional.
And attributes were the key to achieving that goal.
He stood up and moved around to ease the soreness in his muscles from taking the potion.
Once he felt recovered enough.
He sat back down, opened the second bottle, and drank it.
The warmth and pain spread throughout his body again.
The system notification appeared right after.
[Constitution +3, Strength +2.]
His attributes increased once more.
He took a couple of deep breaths.
Muttering about awakening an ability.
He opened the last bottle and drank it down.
[Strength +2, Agility +2, Perception +1.]
It was still just an attribute increase.
No ability had awakened.
The consecutive use of three potions had pushed his body close to its limit.
Sitting in the chair, he leaned his arms on his thighs, breathing heavily.
After resting for a while.
He immediately checked his attributes.
[Attributes: Strength 31, Agility 28, Constitution 35, Intelligence 30, Perception 19, Charisma 26.]
His Constitution was now the highest, reaching 35 points.
This value was already on par with a level 15 warrior.
High Constitution meant good physical fitness, and high resistance to toxins and abnormal conditions.
This largely determined his survival.
His Strength had also reached 31 points, giving him significant combat power in close-range fights.
His Intelligence remained at 30 points; the potion hadn't boosted that attribute.
His path as a mage was now shifting towards Constitution and Strength.
But there was no helping it; corpse cores mainly increased the first three attributes, while the latter three were boosted less often.
It was a pity that even after taking all three potions, he hadn't awakened an ability.
His luck couldn't be this bad, could it?
This led him to wonder if there was only one ability to awaken or if the difficulty of awakening a new one increased after gaining the first.
There was nothing he could do now. The potions were gone, and he would have to wait for the next batch to try again.
......
He stood up as a breeze blew in from the window.
The season wasn't particularly cold, but the wind felt icy against Wu Heng's body.
That's when he realized he was drenched in sweat.
"Minnie," Wu Heng called.
"What is it, Master?" Minnie pushed open the door and glanced inside the room.
When she saw Wu Heng's forehead covered in sweat and his wet hair sticking to his brow, she immediately walked over with concern and asked, "Master, what happened?"
"It's nothing, just worked up a sweat from training. Have someone prepare bathwater," Wu Heng said.
"Okay," Minnie responded and quickly left.
Andviel also walked in, tidying up his messy hair with a face full of concern.
Wu Heng pinched her white beast ears, making the girl's face flush slightly.
After bathing and eating dinner downstairs.
Wu Heng took the two girls for a short stroll outside before returning to the room to rest before dark.
......
After freshening up.
Wu Heng changed into his sleepwear and sat on the edge of the bed, opening his arms.
Minnie, dressed in black lingerie, giggled as she jumped into his arms, while Andviel, her face flushed, cautiously came closer, leaning into his embrace.
With one on each side, he held the two sweet-smelling beast girls.
Although he missed his former modern life.
Sometimes, he thought that his old self would never have had the chance to live this kind of life.
Not to mention the money and women, but the feeling of improving himself and changing his body was quite nice.
"Maybe I should sleep in the study," Andviel said shyly.
Wu Heng wrapped his arm around her waist, gently stroking her belly, "Sleep together, nothing to be shy about."
"Yeah, I want to sleep with Sister Andviel," Minnie shouted, jumping over Wu Heng and pouncing on her.
"Ah, stop messing around!" Andviel cried as Minnie pinned her down.
The two played around for a while.
They ended up side by side, lying on the edge of the bed.
Their pale skin glistened.
Wu Heng sat on a chair at the side, admiring the beautiful view from behind—round and white, like two ripe peaches.
"Master, stop staring," Minnie wiggled slightly.
Andviel was completely red all over and said nothing, her drooping fox tail lifting slightly.
Wu Heng took a sip of water and walked toward the bed.
......
The next morning.
Wu Heng woke up, with two figures curled up on either side of him.
The increase in his attributes was evident in every aspect.
Even handling both girls, his stamina and endurance were still dominant.
After a long night of exertion, they were now fast asleep.
Wu Heng yawned as the fox tail resting on him twitched slightly.
He turned to look.
Andviel, with her white hair and beast ears, was fluttering her big eyes and smiling at him.
Andviel reached out, cupped his face, and playfully stuck her red tongue into his mouth.
......
After breakfast.
The group checked out of the inn and headed straight to the port.
At Port 3, they saw a merchant ship with the words 'Nottingradon' docked at the pier.
As they approached.
They saw a dwarf standing on a wooden crate, loudly urging workers to load the cargo.
When the dwarf saw Wu Heng approaching with the two beast girls, he shouted, "Move aside, don't block the others from working. The inn isn't here."
"Why does that old man talk like that?" Minnie muttered.
"I'm only 36! You're the old one. Now get out of here," the dwarf shouted without hesitation.
As he yelled, several crewmembers holding crossbows immediately gathered behind him.
They looked at the group with threatening expressions.
Wu Heng didn't want to cause trouble on the journey, so he pulled out his emblem and pinned it to his chest.
He said directly, "Deputy Steward of Gold-Silver Island. The ship's steward should have informed you."
The dwarf's eyes widened, and the people behind him immediately lowered their weapons, their expressions becoming cautious.
"The ship's steward mentioned it, right?" Wu Heng repeated.
The dwarf quickly reacted, bowing respectfully, "Good afternoon, Deputy Steward. Please forgive my earlier rudeness. The delay in the cargo made me lose my temper. The ship's steward has informed me, and your rooms are already prepared."
"Good. Can we board the ship now?"
"Bars!" the dwarf called toward the ship. A young human crew member leaned over the railing and shouted, "What's up, Captain?"
"Escort these distinguished guests onboard. The two rooms we prepared yesterday."
"Got it, Captain!"
The young crew member hurried down, casting a careful glance at Minnie and Andviel, and said, "Please follow me."
Wu Heng nodded, and with the maids and attendants, followed him onto the ship.
The deck was crowded with crewmembers, either shirtless or wearing oiled leather gear, busily loading crates.
It looked like they were in a hurry.
Following the young man, Wu Heng asked, "What's the ship carrying?"
"Spices, ale, and some weapons and armor."
"Heading to the dwarves?"
"Not necessarily. We'll pass through several cities along the way and try to sell some of the cargo. The rest will go to the dwarves," the crewman said openly, answering everything Wu Heng asked.
"Oh! Looks like business is good, having such a big ship."
The young man just smiled and didn't continue the conversation.
Entering the ship's cabin, he pointed to two rooms, "Sir, this room and the one next to it are for you. Conditions at sea are rough, so please bear with it."
"How long will it take to reach Gold-Silver Island?"
"Our first destination is Gold-Silver Island. If all goes well, it'll take six days."
"And if things don't go well?" Minnie asked.
"If we run into pirates, or need to take a detour, it could take longer."
"Alright, thanks."
The crewman smiled and turned to leave.
Minnie and Andviel tidied up the rooms a bit.
The three of them sat waiting.
By noon, the rocking sensation of the ship began.
Looking out the window, they saw the ship sailing into the sea.
......
After three days of sailing, the three of them had adapted to life on the ship.
They took out the food they had prepared beforehand and chatted while eating.
Just after finishing the meal.
As they tossed some trash into the bin, chaotic footsteps and shouts of pirates approaching came from outside.
The three of them were startled.
Pirates?
Had they really encountered pirates?
Minnie immediately grabbed his arm, "Master, what do we do?"
Andviel also looked at him with concern.
Wu Heng donned his armor and helped the other two put on their gear, saying, "Let's go see what's happening. Be careful."
"Okay!" the two girls nodded.
After putting on their armor and summoning the skeletons, they opened the door and followed a few hurried crewmembers out of the cabin.
As soon as they reached the deck.
They saw crewmembers with crossbows firing a barrage of bolts into the sky.
The three looked up.
Their pupils constricted.
Three massive, winged dragon-like creatures, each carrying a human rider, were rapidly approaching.
Dragons?
Do those things really exist?