Infinite Cosmic Cafeteria Chapter 9: A Bit Evil

Chapter 9: A Bit Evil

Translator: Stellar Novels Editor: Stellar Novels

The effect of My Companions Are Few was immediate, bringing a significant and straightforward increase in four-dimensional attributes, which provided a satisfying sense of instant level-up.

Ma Lu now felt that a casual punch from him had the power of an amateur boxer.

Moreover, this blessing suited the current two-person team setup well. Even with Bocchi in the team, each of them would still receive a 40% boost to all attributes.

As for enjoying the full 50% boost alone, Ma Lu hadn’t even considered it.

While it’s common in Roguelike games to have solo runs where you abandon your teammates, the reality is far more complicated.

Ma Lu had no experience in wilderness survival, lacked necessary Equipment and vehicles, and knew nothing about the habits and weaknesses of the prey.

Even if he could stack his attributes with the newly activated Function No. 29, hunting would still be a daunting task.

That’s why he had been seeking a team from the start.

Moreover, whether it was Bocchi’s previous introduction to hunting parties or the choices in the two sets of three options, it had been strongly hinted that hunting is a team effort.

The motorcycle sped through the vast, endless desert.

The dead silence and monotonous scenery around them were identical to what they had encountered five hours earlier. The only difference was that there was now only one sun in the sky, which slightly reduced the omnipresent heat.

This time, Bocchi slowed down after just 40 minutes of riding and began to observe their surroundings.

Theoretically, the farther they were from The Giant Screen, the greater the chance of encountering prey, especially valuable high-grade ones, but the risks were also higher.

Considering that this hunting party consisted of only two people and Ma Lu’s strength was somewhat questionable, Bocchi decided not to venture too far for safety’s sake.

Many people instinctively judge a hunter's prowess by their combat skills, but this is actually inaccurate.

In addition to the final battle, a hunter also needs to master the skills of tracking, trapping, and laying traps for the prey.

There are even hunters who specialize in one specific skill; they may not excel in combat, but with unique Psychic Ability, they become highly sought after by major hunting parties.

Although Bocchi wasn’t at that level, he had always worked hard in hunter school, consistently ranking at the top of his class, with a solid foundation in all subjects.

It’s just that his luck had been particularly bad in the Harpist Hunting Party—so bad that even drinking cold water could cause him to choke. Even the simplest reconnaissance missions could go wrong.

Bocchi shook his head, trying to drive away those unpleasant memories, and prepared to showcase his skills in the upcoming hunt.

But just then, he heard Ma Lu speak up from behind, "What is a Red-Line Tube Worm?"

"Hmm?" Bocchi was puzzled. "You mean a water bearer? Oh, the locals call Red-Line Tube Worms 'water bearers' because their bodies are filled with water.

"If you lose your water supply in the desert, all you need to do is find a water bearer, make a small cut on its skin, and you'll immediately get a large bowl of clean water."

"That’s a fitting name," Ma Lu agreed, then asked humbly, "Is a water bearer edible?"

"No one eats them because they only have a thin layer of skin, with the remaining 97% being water."

"Then let’s keep it. It might come in handy in an emergency," Ma Lu suggested after some thought.

Bocchi was puzzled, "What do you mean? Is there a water bearer nearby?"

Ma Lu nodded, "Yeah, not just here; we’ve encountered several water bearers along the way."

Since Ma Lu had activated the detection mode on the Traveler’s Bracelet, he hadn’t turned it off. So every half a minute, the bracelet would scan a 20-meter diameter area around them.

If there are any ingredients nearby, a notification pops up immediately.

"How is that possible?" Bocchi frowned. "Water bearers usually hide beneath the sand at varying depths; it's almost impossible to detect them from the surface."

"I have special methods for searching," Ma Lu noticed that Bocchi seemed skeptical and added, "Stop. There’s something else here—Yangsha Pangolin. Hmm, this is the first time I’ve seen that name, but it’s only rated one star."

Although Bocchi was still somewhat doubtful, he stopped the motorcycle. "Are you sure? Yangsha Pangolins can fetch a good price in the market. If we find one, we definitely need to catch it."

Ma Lu shrugged. "I can't pinpoint the exact location, but it’s definitely not far from us."

Upon hearing this, Bocchi didn’t say anything further. He bent down, pressed his ear to the sand, and after a few seconds, suddenly sprang up, darting forward to the right.

"Hey, wait."

Ma Lu barely finished his sentence when Bocchi had already leaped forward. At the same time, a cloud of sand suddenly kicked up in front of him.

Bocchi fell into the sand cloud, but when he got back up, he was holding an ugly creature with a pointed head, long tail, and bone armor covering its wriggling, struggling body.

"It really is a Yangsha Pangolin," Bocchi said excitedly. "I heard it trying to escape, so I moved first. What were you trying to say earlier?"

"Never mind, well done."

Bocchi carried the Yangsha Pangolin back to the motorcycle, tied up its limbs with rope, and looked at Ma Lu with a newfound respect.

"So, your... Roguelike ability is used to scout for prey?"

"That’s just one aspect of it."

Ma Lu explained in a way Bocchi could understand, "My real specialty is enhancing the team’s strength by sacrificing the souls of hunted creatures, significantly boosting the abilities of our team members."

"That sounds a bit evil," Bocchi said, spitting out some sand.

"It does sound a bit evil, but I can assure you, there are absolutely no side effects," Ma Lu extended his hand. "So, do you want to be my teammate?"

Bocchi hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn’t shake Ma Lu's hand. Instead, he said, "We’re already teammates. You provide me with information about the prey, I’ll do the hunting, and we can split the spoils afterward. We can also discuss forming a hunting party."

"Then, come find me when you change your mind," Ma Lu didn’t push further.

The early success in their hunt lifted Bocchi's spirits, and as they continued, Ma Lu repeatedly used his special Psychic ability, finding more prey.

Although some of the prey escaped before Bocchi could act, and others were likely hidden deep underground, requiring special equipment to hunt, they still managed to capture a good haul.

In just four hours, they caught sixteen Gray Elephant Shrews, four Black-Breasted Chickens, a nest of Jumping Mice, and another Yangsha Pangolin.

While Bocchi was busy hunting, Ma Lu didn’t stay idle either. He continued collecting Flame Geckos. These little creatures were indeed abundant in the desert, and he found nine more, bringing the total to sixteen, counting those in the cage.

It was almost enough for a sacrificial offering.

The blessings provided by these Flame Geckos were mostly minor, but the more he collected, the more noticeable the improvements became.

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