When Wang Cheng got up, he noticed that his parents were still curled up in their room. He muttered in his heart, "Don't tell me those two are still not done after going at it like animals?"
As Wang Cheng was considering making breakfast, Leng Yan came out yawning and glowing with energy. Seeing Wang Cheng, she looked shocked and instinctively asked:
"A-Cheng, why are you up so early? Hungry? What do you want for breakfast?"
Wang Cheng glanced at Leng Yan's appearance and silently shook his head: Dad really has it tough.
"Anything's fine. If you're not in the mood to cook, I can do it. How long are you and Dad planning to rest at home this time?"
Leng Yan giggled and patted her son on the head. "Alright, you make breakfast then. Your dad and I won't be staying long—if nothing goes wrong, we'll head out again today."
Wang Cheng was surprised. He hadn't expected those two to head back into the wilderness after just one night of rest.
"Do you guys really need to push so hard? You just got back and now you're heading into the wild again? You must have gained a lot of contribution points from this beast tide, right?"
Leng Yan looked somewhat pleased as she mentioned their gains but then gave a bitter smile.
"So what if we got a lot of contribution points? Even though you can buy plenty of good things with them, the ones that actually improve physical fitness are few and far between. Compared to your dad and me, there are way too many rich and powerful people on this planet. If we don't push hard, we'll never get our hands on those rare treasures."
Wang Cheng was shaken, but he quickly understood—no matter where you are, the privileged always have more resources. Still, he tried to persuade Leng Yan.
"I don't think you need to rush. You're both only just over 30. Why not take a proper rest at home first, and then go back out?"
Leng Yan looked at her son, shook her head, and said mysteriously:
"Dummy, there's a reason we're heading out so soon. Don't forget—this beast tide caused huge losses in both the outer and inner perimeters. Right now, even the inner perimeter has far fewer beasts than usual. With the decreased monster density, the danger drops significantly. This is the safest time for us to explore the inner area."
At that point, Wang Cheng realized his parents were planning to explore the inner perimeter.
After all, the outer areas had already been combed through countless times by beast hunters. Any rare treasures had likely been taken long ago.
But the inner area? Usually only high-level apprentices dared to explore there, so the chances of finding rare treasures were much higher.
"Don't worry. After this beast tide, your dad and I will definitely use our contribution points to upgrade our weapons. We'll be fully prepared before heading in. You think we're the kind of people who'd trade our lives for money?"
Since Wang Cheng couldn't change their minds, all he could do was distractedly make breakfast while worrying.
At the breakfast table, Wang Cheng tried to persuade Wang Hao, but it was clear—those two were set on entering the inner perimeter.
Unfortunately, Wang Cheng couldn't reveal his secrets. Otherwise, whether it was helping Wang Hao with martial techniques or giving them enhanced weapons, he could greatly increase their safety.
After breakfast, the two indeed didn't stay home long. They packed up and Wang Hao patted Wang Cheng's shoulder:
"A-Cheng, just rest at home for a bit. If you feel recharged, head into the wild again. The outer perimeter should be safer than a few days ago, so there shouldn't be too much danger."
"Exactly. Your dad and I won't stay in the inner perimeter too long either. Whether we find anything or not, we'll wrap up as soon as we can. Just take it easy at home for now."
Saying that, the two left hand-in-hand, not even waiting for Wang Cheng's response, leaving him to smile wryly and shake his head.
But Wang Cheng didn't plan to stay at home either. He wasn't tired at all. Since they were heading into the wild—especially the inner perimeter—he couldn't just sit and watch.
If he couldn't help them openly, he'd protect them secretly.
Shortly after Wang Hao and Leng Yan left, Wang Cheng also packed up and headed toward the fortress.
Compared to Wang Hao and Leng Yan, his departure was much simpler—he didn't need to spend time on gear.
This time, though, he didn't plan to leave through the manned gates. Instead, he headed to the aerial vehicle rental area above.
"Hello, I'd like to rent an aircraft. What are the prices?" Wang Cheng asked politely at the counter.
The staff looked surprised at how young Wang Cheng was but still smiled professionally.
"Hello, Beast Hunter. Our aircraft are all part of the official Shuiyuan Star fleet. Apprentice-class aircraft rent for 1,000 contribution points per day with a 10,000-point deposit. The second type, A1-class, costs 10 Shuiyuan credits per day and requires a 1,000-credit deposit. Both types require extra payment if you use their weapons. If you exceed the rental period, the AI will either prompt for an extension or automatically return the craft to the fortress. The onboard AI will go over the full terms with you."
Wang Cheng couldn't help but be shocked. Damn, that's robbery. An apprentice-class aircraft costs as much as the materials from a general-level beast for one day! And the A1-class—100 contribution points a day! If I hadn't earned a ton from this beast tide, I couldn't even afford to rent one.
"What about the radar scanning capabilities? Can they detect beasts in the wild?"
"Yes. Except for special invisible types, our scanners can detect most monsters. However, apprentice-class aircraft cannot detect planetary-level beasts, and A1-class cannot detect beasts above planetary level 2."
"Alright, I'll rent an A1-class aircraft for ten days." Wang Cheng held his wrist device up to the scanner.
Watching his contribution points drop by 2,000 in an instant, Wang Cheng didn't feel too heartbroken. What he did wonder, though, was whether Wang Hao and Leng Yan had also rented aircraft.
After finalizing the rental, Wang Cheng didn't set out right away. He boarded the aircraft but didn't close the hatch immediately.
Instead, he had the AI explain the rules while he kept an eye on the rental counter.
Sure enough, just as he suspected, Wang Hao and Leng Yan also showed up to rent aircraft.
But as expected, they chose apprentice-class crafts—clearly because they had spent most of their points upgrading weapons and gear.
Their aircraft quickly departed from the fortress.
Seeing this, Wang Cheng silently followed. He then instructed his AI to activate the stealth camouflage system to tail them discreetly.
(End of Chapter)