387: Chapter 416 India is Approaching!

Seeing the Giant Forest performing so effectively, it greatly shortened the upgrade time for [Natural Affinity].

An Ke had already made up his mind to personally explore the Giant Forest next.

As long as he stayed in the Giant Forest, he could increase the upgrade speed of [Natural Affinity].

It would also conveniently allow him to avoid the danger from Three Hairs.

With An Ke by his side, even if they really encountered an Indian Player, there was no need to fear.

An Ke was confident he could handle the Indian Contestant who had obtained the A-grade [transcendent gene core].

Three Hairs had already replied to An Ke.

He would follow Oufu back along the original route, and they would probably reach the island in just two days.

It took them two days to enter the Giant Forest, so naturally, it would take the same amount of time to return to the island.

Seeing the reply, An Ke nodded, feeling a bit surprised.

He hadn't expected Three Hairs and the others to actually recognize the way back and not get lost in the Giant Forest.

It's easy to lose your bearings deep in a forest. With trees everywhere obstructing your view, you often end up straying off course.

He figured it must be due to Three Hairs' special nature as an animal, being able to sniff out the path they had taken.

A rat's sense of smell is highly developed, capable of detecting scents ordinary people cannot.

If all went smoothly, he could meet Three Hairs tomorrow night.

An Ke smiled inwardly, missing that little fellow quite a bit.

Gathering his thoughts, An Ke focused his attention on the upgraded [Natural Affinity].

Ever since noticing that [Natural Affinity] had upgraded to level 6, An Ke could feel the difference from before.

Now he could sense the soil beneath his feet, the massive tree roots underground, even the small stones nearby.

They seemed to be cheering, rejoicing, wanting to get close to An Ke.

This gave An Ke an idea—he could control them.

This feeling stirred waves of emotion in An Ke's heart.

In other words, level 6 [Natural Affinity] allowed him to attune to non-living matter?

Wasn't that just incredible?

[Natural Affinity] being able to influence non-living things was something An Ke had never anticipated.

After all, no life meant no consciousness.

How could you influence something without basic awareness?

But An Ke just felt he could influence them, and it wasn't an illusion. The range was about 30 meters.

This made An Ke think of many possibilities, like whether he could use "earth escape" now.

Manipulating the earth, shaping it into whatever form he desired.

An Ke felt exhilarated.

Actually, upon careful thought, it was inevitable that [Natural Affinity] could influence non-living matter.

After all, nature doesn't just represent life; it includes many non-living things.

It's the various substances that make up the complete natural world.

So, being able to influence non-living matter—wasn't that inherently reasonable?

An Ke had a certain premonition that in the future, he could influence all things in the world, making the entire natural world obey his commands.

Thinking carefully, the environment on Earth is called nature. Then, couldn't the various star systems in the universe, composed of countless planets, also be called nature?

Such imagination startled even An Ke himself. If [Natural Affinity] could truly achieve what he imagined...

What difference would there be between him and a god?

"No wonder the golden finger could bestow Tiger Mom with [divine attribute]..." An Ke murmured silently.

For the first time, he felt the terrifying upper limit of the golden finger.

Thinking of this, An Ke couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly.

If the golden finger was such a terrifying existence, then giving Tiger Mom only 20 points of [divine attribute] seemed even more stingy.

Couldn't it have been a bit more?

20 points? Are you trying to fob off a beggar?

He reined in his wandering thoughts.

An Ke had originally intended to try making non-living matter obey his commands.

But in the end, he didn't do it, suppressing his curiosity and impulse.

An Ke decided to keep it as a trump card.

With the global live broadcast leaving almost no secrets, trump cards were even more important.

Now that he had obtained the [black technology core], he should first return to the Camp and simultaneously prepare for his upcoming personal exploration of the Giant Forest.

...

Meanwhile, on Three Hairs' side...

"I never thought someone would want to harm little old me~"

Three Hairs' small body carried a large bundle on its back.

Inside the bundle were the [core]s obtained from recent explorations of the Giant Forest.

Waddling along, it puffed out its cheeks and spoke angrily, "They must be jealous of how adorable I am~"

"What meanies."

Oufu, listening to Three Hairs' complaints beside him, didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

What did it mean, jealous of its cuteness?

They were clearly after its heaven-defying ability to sense [core]s, right?

The most valuable things in the Giant Forest were the [core]s.

Others could only rely on luck, while Three Hairs could sense them. Who wouldn't be tempted?

In just two short days, they had harvested quite a few [core]s.

There were [transcendent gene core]s, [Thousand Times Materialization core]s, [black technology core]s, and [all-purpose upgrade card core]s.

The variety was enough to make anyone envious.

"It's getting late.

Three Hairs, shall we rest here for today?"

Oufu spoke up.

"Little old me doesn't mind, but what about you? Without a sheltered spot, will you be okay?"

Oufu smiled.

He glanced around.

Many insects were following them.

The initial Aphids, plus spiders, bombardier beetles, and so on.

Oufu was now a quite formidable contestant himself.

If any creature approached, his insects would teach them a lesson.

Moreover, Oufu himself now possessed some combat capability.

Because he was wearing a Mechanical Exoskeleton, a D-grade [black technology core] obtained by Three Hairs.

It could greatly enhance an individual's combat power.

Oufu felt that if he fought a tiger now, he could probably beat it down.

Of course! Provided it was a normal tiger.

Oufu was very fond of the Mechanical Exoskeleton.

But unfortunately, this Mechanical Exoskeleton wasn't his; it belonged to An Ke.

He was just using it temporarily.

Oufu didn't mind this. He had already obtained the [Insect Master] [transcendent gene core] and a Thousand Times Materialization. What more was there to complain about?

Just as Oufu and Three Hairs found a random sheltered spot to rest, a man with a thick beard and bronze skin was secretly watching them from the shadows.

Beside him was a toad.

He grinned, clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect, and said, "I've finally found you."

"This way, I'll have enough merit to exchange for more food."

This person was also one of the Indian Contestants.

Because Shalu had obtained a [transcendent gene core], he had almost become a dictator among the Indian Players.

Everyone had to obey his every word, not daring to show the slightest resistance.

This Indian Contestant hesitated no longer and quickly left to report back to Shalu.

It just so happened that Shalu-sama's [Mother Body] ability had refreshed!

...

...

In the Indian Country, at the current stage Camp...

Giant tree roots intertwined and crisscrossed over a pond, forming a natural cave entrance.

Inside one of these cave entrances, a giant Victoria amazonica lay quietly on the water's surface.

The Indian Players had set up Camp here.

Relying on Shalu's Toad Offspring, the Indian Contestants could come and go freely here.

Other contestants, or other creatures wanting to approach, however, needed to pass a test.

Beneath this seemingly calm water surface lurked a great danger—a ferocious aquatic creature inhabited the depths.

"Shalu-sama..."

The Indian Contestant who had been secretly watching Three Hairs and Oufu knelt before Shalu, paying his respects respectfully.

Shalu sat on a meticulously crafted high-backed chair, a table beside him laden with food.

There were mosquitoes, dragonfly larvae, and such.

Of course! There were also some decent-looking fruits and meats, like bird meat and sweet fruits.

By his side, two Toad Offspring stood like guardians, quietly protecting their "father."

"What is it?" Shalu asked loftily, sounding somewhat indifferent.

"I discovered that special mouse belonging to the Dragon Country Contestant."

"Oh?" Shalu's eyes brightened slightly.

He had learned from the bullet comments sent from the outside world last night about the special nature of this Hamster called "Three Hairs."

It could sense the location of [core]s.

This was an ability Shalu desperately coveted.

Ever since obtaining the [transcendent gene core], Shalu had tasted the temptation of power.

Having power meant having authority, being able to reign supreme.

This made Shalu crave strength even more, wanting to obtain more [transcendent gene core]s.

If he was strong enough, he could rule this place, become the king of all contestants from every country, and completely control this world.

As for the real world...

The [National Fortune Game] they were currently in had so many resources. Why bother with the real world?

It was enough to treat this place as the real world.

Beside him, the Fei Hou Country contestant's eyes also lit up upon hearing this.

That Hamster could be considered priceless at this stage!

Whoever obtained that Hamster could quickly dominate the Giant Forest and have a great chance of securing first place in the second stage.

The Fei Hou Country representative's eyes shifted slightly, and he grinned:

"King Shalu, you just received that shocking news last night, and today you've encountered that Hamster."

"This shows you are favored by heaven. Heaven itself wants you to take first place in the second stage."

Originally, the Fei Hou Country had disdained cooperating with India.

These guys who always drink from the "Heng River" were too abnormal, their worldview different from normal people's.

Cooperating with them probably meant any hunted food would have to be messed with by these mentally questionable fellows before you could eat it.

Just thinking about it was disgusting.

But upon learning that Shalu had unexpectedly obtained an A-grade [transcendent gene core], the Fei Hou Country representative immediately changed his mind.

He decided to latch onto India's coattails.

At the very least, it could greatly improve the safety of their Filipino Contestants.

Moreover, Shalu was easy to handle. As someone who had risen from the bottom, he didn't have much scheming ability.

A little flattery would make him overjoyed.

"Hahaha!"

Just as the Fei Hou Country contestant representative had thought, his flattering words immediately made Shalu's heart bloom with joy, and he laughed out loud.

"Well said, Jimny."

"This king will definitely take first place in the second stage. As for that Dragon Country kid, he won't live to see the end of it."

*With a brain like yours... even with strength, you'll never take first place.*

Jimny sneered inwardly, but on the surface, his smile was bright:

"King Shalu, when you get the meat, I hope you'll leave some broth for me."

"At the very least, a little grease would be fine too."

Shalu smiled arrogantly, "Don't worry, brother Jimny."

"As long as you follow me faithfully, I won't be stingy. We'll eat the meat together."

Jimny pretended to be very happy, treating Shalu with even more respect, praising his generosity non-stop.

Shalu was elated but pretended to be calm.

He said solemnly, "But talking is empty without having caught that Hamster yet."

"Jimny, arrange for a few contestants to go capture that Hamster."

"As long as it's successfully brought back, the next time we get a [transcendent gene core], it will definitely be awarded to you."

"Thank you, King Shalu!" Jimny remained respectfully polite.

"I will arrange for my subordinates right away."

"..."

Outside, in the Indian live broadcast room, the Dragon Country Masses present were furious.

Firstly, because the Indian Shalu intended to move against Three Hairs. Secondly, because the Fei Hou Country was involved in this matter.

"Fei Hou Country, your contestants are looking for death!"

"Your country barely survived last time, but you don't know how to cherish it. You're asking for trouble again."

"There won't be any miracle this time."

The Fei Hou Country viewers, seeing the bullet comments, retorted without hesitation:

"Looking for death?"

"Dragon Country, haven't you woken up yet?"

"The Indian Country's Shalu's ability is the bane of your An Ke."

"He can fuse with various animals."

"Our Jimny is taking revenge for us!!"

"The one who will end up dead can only be An Ke!"

The Indian Country masses, seeing this, immediately laughed heartily:

"Hahaha! Well said!"

"Dragon Country's moment in our Indian Country will only be fleeting."

"Fei Hou, you've chosen the right side this time."

"You just need to quietly wait for the satisfaction of revenge."

"You're killing me! India, you guys are so pathetic!" a certain Dragon Country netizen spoke up.

"That Fei Hou Country contestant called Jimny is clearly a smiling tiger."

"He might stab you in the back at any moment, and you actually trust the Fei Hou guys?"

Fei Hou Country masses:

"Dragon Country is trying to sow discord!!"

"Which eye of yours sees us showing disrespect to the Indian Players?"

Indian Country masses:

"Don't worry! Such low-level attempts to sow discord won't affect us."

"Once we get that Hamster, we'll have Shalu give you one of its offspring."

The Dragon Country Masses, seeing the Indian bullet comments, laughed like pigs.

After several rounds of mental development, the Dragon Country Masses were now frighteningly intelligent.

They could see the personalities of Shalu and Jimny at a glance.

The former was practically a local emperor, probably completely indifferent to the outside world's fate. How likely was he to give away Hamster offspring?

The latter was sinister beyond measure, clearly not simple and very likely to lead Shalu to ruin.

But the Dragon Country Masses couldn't be bothered to say more.

Respect others' fate. Besides, what they were most concerned about now was how to notify An Ke and Three Hairs.

Three Hairs and Oufu's location had been discovered by an Indian Contestant. They had to evacuate as soon as possible.

It's just a pity the bullet comments had already been sent. They could only wait for the next weekly update...

...