Chapter 49: Off to Misty Cloud City!

“Old Liu…” At this moment, Boss Tian fell into silence.

“That’s enough. I’m hanging up,” Manager Liu said as he set the phone down, took a slow drag of his cigar, and exhaled the smoke. He then picked up his private cellphone and sent a location pin to the contact marked as Mr. Lin.

…

By now, Lin Han had already packed a few things. He glanced at the coordinates on his phone, finally confirming his target. Manager Liu had reminded him that while the location was within a certain range, the exact spot was still unclear.

“Looks like I’ll have to make a trip to Misty Cloud City,” Lin Han said as he stretched lazily. He took out his portable teleportation device and locked onto Misty Cloud City.

Misty Cloud City was some distance from Radiant Moon City, with five city districts spanning between them. It was Lin Han’s first time heading there. Thanks to the teleportation device, he quickly arrived at the city center.

The unfamiliar surroundings pressed in on him. He took out his phone and began to walk in the direction indicated by the coordinates.

According to the location Manager Liu had sent, his destination lay within a forest—Diamond Forest. From the information he’d gathered, it seemed to be a place for leveling up, perfectly suited to his current rank. He could take the opportunity to gain some experience.

Without wasting any more time, Lin Han hurried straight for Diamond Forest.

“This thing is so persistent! I told you, I’m not fighting anymore!”

Suddenly, a shout came from behind him. Lin Han looked back and saw a young woman darting through the trees, her expression tense with worry.

Chasing her was a lizard-like beast. Judging from the aura it exuded, it was clearly a Silver-tier monster.

“A Fire Lizard, eh?” Lin Han observed their chase, debating whether to step in. He could tell the girl’s strength was nothing remarkable; facing the Fire Lizard would be difficult for her.

At that moment, the young woman spotted Lin Han and cried out, “You! Run! There’s a Silver-tier Fire Lizard after me—if you don’t go now, you’ll have no chance!”

Lin Han was taken aback. She herself was in dire straits, yet still found time to warn him.

“Go, hurry!” Du Wanting was nearly at her wits’ end. She’d never met anyone so stubborn—she’d said it clearly, but he still stood there, dumb as ever.

She couldn’t tell if he was a fool or just something else.

Lin Han remained silent, curious to see how she would handle the situation.

Du Wanting quickly reached his side, pushing him aside. “Go, now! This Fire Lizard is more than we can handle. If one of us can escape, that’s better than none!”

She was helpless. She might have escaped on her own, but now, with Lin Han here, she had no choice but to turn back and confront the Fire Lizard.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and leave, or we’ll both be trapped!” Du Wanting was about to break down. Lin Han was like a statue, showing no intention of moving.

“If you won’t run, I will!” Du Wanting shouted, grabbing a stone and hurling it at the Fire Lizard. “You dumb beast, come chase me!”

Then, she dashed off in another direction.

Yet the Fire Lizard seemed to ignore her entirely, fixing its gaze squarely on Lin Han.

Lin Han, for his part, also looked at the Fire Lizard with interest. The Silver-tier creatures he’d previously encountered were all boss-level monsters; this was the first time one of the lesser beasts had caught his attention.

Perhaps the boss here would be Gold-tier!

That thought crossed Lin Han’s mind, making him oblivious to Du Wanting’s growing despair nearby.

By all rights, she should have been relieved when the Fire Lizard shifted its focus, but the thought of someone dying for her was too much to accept. That’s why she had deliberately provoked the beast, trying to draw it back to her.

Yet now, the man and the monster simply stared each other down, ignoring her completely.

If it hadn’t been a wild creature, she’d have suspected the Fire Lizard belonged to that guy.

Lin Han was simply curious, wanting a closer look at the beast. The Fire Lizard, in turn, sensed a stronger aura from him than from Du Wanting, and thus fixed its attention on him.

Suddenly, the Fire Lizard lunged. Du Wanting’s heart leapt in her chest—she wanted to intervene, but at this distance, there was no chance.

Lin Han smiled faintly, reached out, and caught the Fire Lizard by its neck. With a smooth motion, he hurled it into the air and landed a single punch.

In an instant, the Fire Lizard was dead, its body collapsing in a heap.

[Congratulations, Host, for slaying Fire Lizard. Gained 3,654 experience points.]

Relieved, Lin Han noted the notification.

Du Wanting, meanwhile, could hardly believe her eyes. What had she just witnessed?

One punch—it took just one punch!

Sure, the guy looked sturdy, but dispatching a Silver-tier Fire Lizard with a single blow was outrageous. Was such a feat even possible?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

Du Wanting struggled to accept the truth. Moments ago, she’d been desperately urging this man to run.

So he wasn’t foolish—he simply didn’t consider the Fire Lizard a threat at all.

With such a powerful build… could he be a Warrior?

The thought made her hurry over with a smile. “Excuse me, are you also here to train in Diamond Forest? I’m here for training too. How about we team up?”

Lin Han was momentarily taken aback by the sudden invitation, but then thought it wouldn’t be bad to have a companion on the journey.

“I’m also here to train in Diamond Forest. Let’s go together.”

Hearing his response, Du Wanting grew excited. With such an expert leading the way, the difficulty of Diamond Forest would drop dramatically.

“Sir, what’s your rank? Are you a Warrior?” she probed, curiosity shining in her eyes. After all, anyone who could one-shot a Silver-tier Fire Lizard had to be powerful!

He said he was here for training, but how could someone at his level need to train here? There must be something good ahead!

If Du Wanting knew Lin Han’s true goal was to enter the Calamity, she’d probably have run for her life without a backward glance.

“That’s a secret,” Lin Han replied succinctly. He didn’t want to reveal too much. After all, he was in unfamiliar territory and had to be cautious.

Du Wanting was a little disappointed, but didn’t press further.

“By the way, my name is Du Wanting. What’s yours?” she asked.

After a moment’s thought, Lin Han replied, “My name is Wang Qiang. Just call me by my name; there’s no need to be formal.”

“Wang Qiang…” Du Wanting echoed. “Your name suits you perfectly—both your name and your strength are formidable!”