CHAPTER 388: CHAPTER 379: UNDERSTANDING NEW SKILLS (REQUEST FOR SUBSCRIPTION)

"What’s going on? An ice sphere giveaway?" Han Qiwu stayed on high alert.

Pies don’t fall from the sky.

And certainly not spheres either.

There’s definitely something fishy going on!

"Little Spark, go check it out. Be careful."

"Chirp chirp."

Freshly fed on misty berries, Little Spark reassured him there was no problem—as long as the master remembered everything it had done for the family.

And preferably gave it more berries, please!

Flapping its wings, Little Spark zipped toward the upper ceiling of the mining layer.

"Flutter flutter."

In the silent mining layer, the sounds of its wings echoed alone.

Just as Little Spark approached the cluster of frozen ice spheres, ready to grab one with its beak—

a rock behind it abruptly began to move, lunging straight at Little Spark.

"Move, quick!"

Han Qiwu shouted an urgent warning.

He had known it wouldn’t be that simple!

Luckily, after its wings had evolved, Little Spark’s speed had skyrocketed. Combined with its cautious instinct, it flapped hard to dodge the attack just in time.

"Rumble rumble."

The missed strike caused the rocky body to wobble awkwardly on the icy surface before it eventually re-stabilized itself, pretending like nothing happened, and remained by the ice spheres.

Han Qiwu: "Is this playing defense waiting for prey?"

Dude, your "nothing happened here" vibe—laying it on a bit thick, aren’t you?

[Ice Rock Hermit Crab]

[Level: 80]

[Attack Methods: Impact, Sandstorm Toss]

[Note: Ice Rock Hermit Crabs have extremely high defenses]

"A hermit crab? This deep underground?" Han Qiwu scoffed, wielding his ice bat as he charged forward.

Strong defense? Let’s see how my trusty bat beats you up!

Your head’s about to pop like a melon!

Of course, tough words aside, as Han Qiwu neared, he lobbed an explosive snowball from a safe distance first.

That thing was just too handy for opening fights—packed a punch and made a big scene.

"Boom!"

The explosive snowball detonated directly on the Ice Rock Hermit Crab’s head, leaving a deep dent on the rock covering it.

Ice Rock Hermit Crab: "Well, that was unexpected. My home just exploded."

Injured, the hermit crab still didn’t move, staying resolutely in its "I’m just a rock" disguise.

"Now *that’s* what I call patience," Han Qiwu commented, deciding not to approach just yet. He pulled out his long-neglected crossbow and started shooting, alternating shots with his bonefish arrows and mystical bolts to chip away at it.

Let’s drag this out.

As Han Qiwu gleefully harassed the Ice Rock Hermit Crab, the rock behind him silently lifted off and hurled itself toward his backside at alarming speed.

"Thwip thwip."

Noticing something wrong, Xiao Lai spat a mouthful of venom at the flying rock and hopped twice to alert Han Qiwu.

Han Qiwu glanced back, realized the danger, and did a rolling dodge. Regaining his stance, he spotted three more Ice Rock Hermit Crabs slowly closing in.

Now Han Qiwu got it.

No wonder the first hermit crab didn’t move—it had backup.

Four Ice Rock Hermit Crabs? What are they doing, playing mahjong down here?

Han Qiwu tossed Xiao Lai onto a nearby rock wall and said, "Xiao Lai, hold off those three dumb crabs for me."

"Thwip thwip!"

Xiao Lai confirmed—it was no big deal.

Meanwhile, Han Qiwu gripped his ice bat and charged toward the Ice Rock Hermit Crab guarding the frozen spheres.

With its allies now in play, the arrogant hermit crab dropped its disguise and stood upright. It began hurling its ice-covered rock shell massive chunks in Han Qiwu’s direction, the shards grinding against each other with a terrifying force and speed.

Seeing this, Han Qiwu slammed on the brakes.

No way. If I rush in there, my face’s gonna end up smashed like a pancake.

The thing’s gotta finish using up its skill eventually—might as well let it run its course.

Just then, Little Spark stepped forward once again.

"Chirp chirp!"

Looking smug, Little Spark flew up and made an acorn shape with its claws before boldly plunging straight into the whirling storm of debris.

"Wait, what the heck?" Han Qiwu froze in confusion.

Thinking it over, he vaguely guessed: "Could it be that Little Spark wants the flying debris to help its other feathers evolve?"

Following this train of thought, he glanced again toward Little Spark.

Sure enough, the silly bird purposefully aimed for areas with the most ice shards and hesitated a moment, spreading its wings as if to embrace the barrage.

Confirming his theory, Han Qiwu yelled loudly, "No, don’t!!"

"Chirp chirp!"

Little Spark, firm in its resolve, shook its head decisively. It knew that, to become a bird above all birds, it had to face such trials!

I *will* out-electrocute that damned hen in the end!!!

Han Qiwu was dumbfounded. This stupid bird’s shaking its head like I’m holding it back?

I’m *not* stopping your training or evolution.

The problem is I didn’t bring enough pine nuts!

What if you mess up, get seriously injured, and keel over? What then?

"Little Spark, get out of there! I don’t have many pine nuts left!" Forgetting everything else, Han Qiwu prepared to charge in with his ice bat.

Hearing Han Qiwu’s words, Little Spark froze mid-flight.

What did the master just say??

No pine nuts. Left???

Am I doomed to die here?!?

No way! I haven’t wooed a hen yet!!!

At the brink of life and death, Little Spark suddenly had an epiphany.

Relying on others is useless!

Next time, I’ll bring my own pine nuts!

"Zap zap."

Within the flying debris, an intense purple arc of electricity suddenly emanated from Little Spark.

Seeing this, Han Qiwu helplessly paused again. No way he’d rush in—he wasn’t wearing any insulated gear. Going in would just get him zapped, too.

The purple lightning quickly expanded from Little Spark, forming an electricity field roughly five cubic meters in size.

The sharp crackling of electricity echoed nonstop within the field.

As for the flying debris, it was instantly reduced to dust the moment the electric field stabilized.

"Trash!"

With rage burning in its eyes, Little Spark directed the electric field toward the dumbfounded Ice Rock Hermit Crab.

"Zzzap zzzap."

A flurry of five-digit damage numbers exploded on the crab’s body. Its once-sturdy ice-rock exterior crumbled into fragments, exposing the soft crab inside—which was obliterated in an instant.

Witnessing this, Han Qiwu burst into laughter.

Little Spark’s new skill was absolutely insane.

Taking advantage of the active electric field, Han Qiwu grabbed his fire barrel, ran to the other three Ice Rock Hermit Crabs, and hurled them one by one into the purple lightning zone.

If you’ve got a big skill active, may as well use it fully.

"Boom boom boom boom."

Four flashes of white light appeared consecutively.

With all the enemies eradicated, Little Spark couldn’t hold on any longer. It barely managed to retract the purple lightning field before collapsing from exhaustion, falling toward the ground.

Rushing to catch Little Spark, Han Qiwu grinned with satisfaction and nodded. "Little Spark’s skill makes clearing mobs *so* efficient." Before the bird could pass out, he quickly retrieved pine nuts and spring water from his storage space and carefully fed them to it.

[Your combat/farming pet: Little Spark has learned the High-Voltage Electric Field skill, which consumes all stamina upon use.]