Several students, panic-stricken and blood-soaked, ran towards us, closely followed by a ferocious beast. Its eyes, a glaring red, were filled with deadly intent.
As the beast came into Charles' view, a series of notifications flashed across his system's holographic screen:
—[Steel-Spiked Hedgehog]—
[Attributes]: Metal, Poison
[Quality]: Bronze Division
[Skills]: Ferocious Impact, Venomous Spikes
[Weakness]: Lightning/Electricity, Fire
[Description]: This is a male steel-spiked hedgehog. You have intruded into its habitat, and it is extremely agitated. Beware of its steel spikes, which are coated with a potent poison.
"Two attributes? It's a pity the quality is somewhat poor."
This is the first time Charles has encountered a dual-attribute ferocious beast in the wild. Unfortunately, its Bronze Division quality means it has low potential for training and isn't suitable as a pet.
Upon seeing Charles block its path, the steel-spiked hedgehog appeared greatly enraged. It hunched its body as if gathering strength and then charged ferociously at Charles!
Clearly, it had activated the skill [Ferocious Impact]!
The territorial instincts of the male steel-spiked hedgehog were very strong. Any other animal that intruded into its territory was seen as a competitor. Furthermore, its spikes, all laden with poison, could cause anything from festering wounds to fatal poisoning if they pierced someone, which was truly terrifying.
But that was a concern for others...
After battling the [Resurrecting Serpent] last night, Max had leveled up to Lv7. With his level and quality overwhelmingly superior, the fight was effortless. Moreover, Charles had prepared hundreds of bottles of healing potions and antidotes in his storage space, so he wasn't worried at all.
"Max, enter combat mode!" Charles commanded.
With a sigh, Max braced himself.
Seeing just a little creature, the steel-spiked hedgehog hardly took Max seriously and accelerated in a charge.
Despite being smaller than the steel-spiked hedgehog, Max was far more agile. He deftly dodged the attack with a swift sidestep.
A dull thud echoed as a large tree was uprooted by the steel-spiked hedgehog's charge, crashing down towards the camp and sending the nearby students scattering in panic.
The steel-spiked hedgehog shook its head, slightly dazed. It hadn't expected its skill, [Ferocious Impact], to be so easily evaded by such a small adversary.
This only fueled its rage further, prompting it to use its second skill, [Venomous Spikes]. Its body curled into a ball, shielding its vulnerable parts while simultaneously launching steel spikes all around—
The sound of slicing air filled the area as the spikes, like arrows, shot out from the steel-spiked hedgehog's back.
"Be careful, those spikes are poisonous! Don't engage in close combat! Use the skill [Ice Pick Throwing]!" Charles instructed.
Although the skill [Bone-Achingly Cold] was very effective against the steel-spiked hedgehog, it was a melee skill, and Charles didn't want Max to take that risk.
Now transformed into a 'hedgehog' with its vitals protected, its defense might have increased, but it was immobilized.
This was the perfect opportunity to strike.
Max used the surrounding trees as cover, evading the poisonous spikes from the steel-spiked hedgehog. Meanwhile, he gathered the icy elemental energy around him, forming icicles above the immobilized hedgehog's head. Since it was completely stationary, this gave him enough time to unleash a powerful strike.
With a crisp sound, the icicle plunged from the sky and pierced through the body of the steel-spiked hedgehog, causing blood to gush out continuously.
Max, exhilarated, pranced around the corpse of the steel-spiked hedgehog, then grabbed Charles' trouser leg, eager to show off his trophy.
[Ding! You have defeated the ferocious beast [Steel-Spiked Hedgehog] (Lv6·Bronze Division quality). Your synergy with your pet has increased!]
[Pet Experience Points +50!]
"Well done, Max, tonight we feast on steel-spiked hedgehog meat!"
Charles patted Max's fluffy head, then pulled out his dagger to start butchering the steel-spiked hedgehog.
The students who had fled the campsite, hearing that the battle was over, gradually returned. Seeing Charles harvesting his trophy, they were astounded!
"I was too busy running for my life just now. Can someone tell me what happened? Don't tell me that steel-spiked hedgehog was killed by Charles?"
"Damn, that steel-spiked hedgehog just now... three of us couldn't beat it together, and Charles took it down alone in a flash!"
"Charles' pet is so fast! I didn't even see clearly, just saw a flash of white light, and then the steel-spiked hedgehog was pierced by the icicle..."
"On the [Leaderboard], Charles just added 6 points, which means... it was a Lv6 ferocious beast!"
"Are you kidding me? I can barely manage a Lv1 ferocious beast right now, and even a Lv2 is a struggle. Charles can already one-shot a Lv6?"
"Pfft, if I hadn't worn it down first, reducing that steel-spiked hedgehog's combat strength, would Charles have been able to take advantage of a good deal so easily?"
"Take advantage of a good deal? That sounds easy for you. Why don't you try taking advantage of a good deal today and show me something impressive?"
More and more students gathered around to watch, filled with envy, admiration, and jealousy. However, Charles remained indifferent.
After defeating the steel-spiked hedgehog, he could clearly feel the change in the way people looked at him.
"I didn't see it coming; you've got some skills. I underestimated you before!" Fletcher, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke.
As the team leader, Fletcher was responsible for the students' safety, but considering the effectiveness of the training, he wouldn't intervene unless absolutely necessary.
He had witnessed Charles's fight; the process was clean and efficient, defeating a Lv6 ferocious beast was far from his limit. Initially, Fletcher thought Charles was just clever at gaining by trickery, but now he realized he had underestimated him.
At that moment, a girl suddenly rushed to Fletcher, looking worried: "Mr. Fletcher! You need to check on Aurora; she seems to have been poisoned!"
"Poisoned? Was she hit by the steel-spiked hedgehog's poisonous spikes?" Fletcher's smile faded.
Charles pretended to put the steel-spiked hedgehog's materials into his backpack, then transferred everything into his system's [Storage Space] and cleaned the blood from his hands before standing up.
Following Fletcher, he arrived at a shaded spot in the middle of the campsite, where indeed several pale-faced people lay on the ground.
As his gaze fell on the girl, several lines of information flashed before him.
[Measurements]: 72/55/78
[Health]: Poisoned by steel-spiked hedgehog venom [View Treatment Options]
Fletcher crouched down to inspect the girl's injury. A steel spike from the steel-spiked hedgehog had completely pierced through her right forearm, which was now bruising, indicating the venom was spreading. If not treated promptly, her life could be in danger.
"This is just the outer edge of the ferocious beast mountain range. How could we encounter such a ferocious beast here?" Fletcher wondered.
The route planning for this mountain expedition was clearly flawed; such a Lv6 poisonous ferocious beast wasn't supposed to appear until half a month into the journey.
Ordinary medicines were ineffective against the venom of such a ferocious beast; only an alchemy miracle drug could treat it. But in these remote mountains, where could one find a hospital, let alone a miracle drug?
Despite his reluctance, Fletcher grimly suggested, "We may have to amputate, otherwise the poison will spread to her heart and it'll be too late..."
"What? Amputate!" The students around exclaimed in shock.
She was only 18 years old—losing her right hand for life was far too cruel a fate for a young woman just coming of age!
The faces of the students who had collapsed from the poison turned even paler, and Aurora couldn't hold back her tears anymore: "Teacher, isn't there... isn't there any other way?" she sobbed.
"Even a common snake bite would be too late to treat at a hospital now, let alone venom from a ferocious beast..." As the team leader, Fletcher felt deeply guilty seeing his students poisoned and feeling powerless to help.
With even the team leader at a loss, the students quickly became despondent. However, amidst the crowd, Charles remained remarkably calm.
He glanced at the [Treatment Options] on his screen: for steel-spiked hedgehog venom, administer an [anesthetic pill] to alleviate pain, remove the spike, take a [blood lily pill] to neutralize the poison, and apply a [recovery plaster] externally for 3 days for a full recovery.
After reading, Charles took two miracle drugs from his storage space, placed them in the girl's mouth, and then took out a scalpel to remove the poisonous spike from her arm...
Charles's smooth actions left the surrounding students stunned.
"Charles, what are you doing..." Fletcher was also puzzled. Could it be that Charles knew medical techniques?
Before Fletcher could finish, Aurora, who had been slipping into unconsciousness, slowly opened her eyes and color returned to her pale face.
She gently moved her fingers, looking shocked. "Mr. Fletcher, I suddenly feel sensation in my arm again, and the pain is gone..."
Seeing this, a smile began to form on Fletcher's previously tense face.
Just moments ago, they were preparing for amputation, and now, in just a few minutes, Charles had cured her. What kind of medical miracle was this?