"Where is everyone?"

"Su Yu fruit is also good, and skin melon too; both are unique plants from Mardis. Back when I was on Bull Planet, I heard Uncle Reyna talking about them."

"Red Ghost sis never disappoints. Done deal."

"Shouldn't we buy something else too?"

"Nah, let's stick with this."

Xiu Yi shook his head. Honestly, Xixi's concerns weren't unwarranted, but the Jade Clear Sect items over there are guaranteed to be available—we don't need duplicates. Besides, those big-name folks are probably already well-stocked.

Twenty minutes later, the team, now loaded with goods, was on their way to the spaceport. The first thing they did was pack their purchases securely into the Space Crystal to preserve them. Without proper storage precautions, the items would lose their original taste within a few hours.

"What's wrong, Kevin? Having buyer's remorse?"

"Ahahaha... Not at all."

"Really now."

Xiu Yi smirked silently. He could tell Kevin was indeed feeling a bit of pain—the cost wasn't the main issue, but the fruit purchases had been made using his honor points. Fruits from the west were already expensive and scarce to begin with, forcing Kevin to post a bounty on the Hunter Sky Network, offering high points in exchange. Ultimately...

Kevin had only hesitated briefly back then. Although using up two months' worth of accumulated personal honors felt a bit like trading watermelons for sesame seeds, the urgency of the situation made it all worthwhile.

Xiu Yi comforted Kevin, "Old teammate, points spent are shared equally. Once we're back, we'll all reimburse you."

"Ah, hehe, it's fine; the points don't matter."

"But your smile looks more like you're crying."

Hahaha! Xixi couldn't hold back her laughter, and at the same time Red Ghost chimed in to emphasize that such expenses should absolutely be split among the team. Their voices faded as they walked off...

Five days later, at dusk, the four-person squad arrived as scheduled.

On the Federal Capital Planet, in the Eastern Hemisphere at the Free Bounty Tribe, the travel-weary team had just returned and immediately set their sights on their second "home"—the local chapter of the Free Bounty Tribe.

As seasoned bounty hunters within the tribe, they enjoyed perks like free lodging and significant discounts on internal food and drinks. But their trip here wasn't for leisure—their focus was exchanging intel at the tavern. The walls, plastered with bounty notices, were always an attraction for the crowd. Xiu Yi, who had never been one to idle, decided to pick up a job—not too complicated—since there was still time left the next day. It was a habit he had long cultivated.

Meanwhile, Xixi headed off alone to purchase supplies. Larger cities like this were rare destinations for them, and the range of goods one could trade for points here was far superior. Gazing at the dazzling array of tools, she instantly fell in love with the place!

Earth was a perfect planetary system. It wasn't just developed; its internal goods supply was leagues ahead of other chapters. From detection devices to emergency provisions and exploration gear, whether unfamiliar or familiar, it had everything. However, its excellent security meant fewer bounty hunters roamed here. The population was primarily dominated by students, and the accepted missions were overwhelmingly D- and F-grade—inherently pitiful in points.

It was fair to say that completing a single mission netted these newcomers only a tenth to a hundredth, or even less, of the points earned by seasoned hunters like them.

The clerk at the office was utterly shocked to see Xixi!

"Oh heavens, an S-grade team! This is only my third time seeing such a high-level group, and this gorgeous, youthful lady in front of me—amazing." She exclaimed, "Hunter extraordinaire, clerk number 9582 offers you true sincerity in service!"

"Please exchange for me the best long-range detection device available."

"Understood."

On the other side of the office, Red Ghost began screening her desired gear. Her eyes glinted sharply like a blade. Though she remained taciturn outwardly, inwardly she was awestruck by the combat supplies on display!

Frostflame Twin-headed Snake (Third Gen), laser guns, universal tactical gloves, multi-functional Combat Boots, and the latest Combat Power Tester model—it was all jaw-dropping. But she didn't need the Combat Power Tester since Feng Yi had gifted her an unlimited-upgrade special edition. She simply needed to visit the designated location, where staff would upgrade it for free. Thus, the tester was the last thing Red Ghost needed.

After several hours of meticulous selection, she finally made up her mind and gritted her teeth to exchange the remaining points for the SE Typhoon Mecha.

Kevin, meanwhile, lounged around like a carefree lord—he'd sneakily slipped off to the arcade to play video games. Everyone had their passions, and Kevin wasn't into combat. Exploration and becoming a legendary technician were his true pursuits. With the universal repair kit, augmented by his brother's iron hand and mechanical arm, his world had become rich and colorful, provided Xixi was around.

Kevin immersed himself in a fighting game called "King of Fighters," pumping coin after coin into the console yet never winning. "Damn, this machine is definitely set to the hardest difficulty."

"Knew I'd find you here."

"Xiu Yi, I don't have time to chat."

"Want a drink?"

"Eh? You're not someone who drinks too often."

"Wedding the mood—let's gamble. Bet on who will cover tonight's dinner."

Kevin stopped fiddling with the joystick and pointed to the Frog Machine nearby, "This Frog Machine—I saw one just like it on Mardis. Let's go with this one."

He explained to Xiu Yi that the frog machine had four frogs. Each round featured three frogs, and the topmost frog, Napoleon, had the highest jump frequency but the smallest steps—most players favored this one.

Next was Sand Emperor, whose jumps and movements were average across the board, making it a standard option without any distinctive traits. That was its appeal.

Then there was Caesar, who was bulkier and had vast jumping spans but slower frequency.

Finally, at the bottom was Louis—a frog devoid of jumping ability. Louis relied entirely on crawling, making him the fastest but wildly unpredictable. This oddball frog often stood idle, with rare instances of sudden surges toward the finish line. Few gamblers backed this loose-cannon frog, though its payout odds were sky-high.

Glaring at the mixed bag of frogs, Xiu Yi was utterly exasperated. He had no idea which to pick. Napoleon and Sand Emperor seemed safe bets, Caesar also looked promising, but if Louis somehow reached the finish line… Argh! Too hard to decide.

Kevin chose Napoleon decisively, opting for the frog with the statistically best shot at victory: "Win one round and I'll net 200 points. First to 1,000 wins."

Fine, since Kevin took the safest bet, Xiu Yi decided to gamble on the highest-risk frog, Louis. The frog appeared slow-witted and non-athletic, but Xiu Yi decided to trust both himself and the frog.

The Frog Machine quickly sprang into action, kicking off an intense marathon race. Within mere twenty seconds, Xiu Yi held his breath—only to lose. Predictably, Napoleon was the winner.

Kevin's jubilant grin contrasted sharply with Xiu Yi's frustrated expression. "Oh my goodness, it didn't even cover half the distance. Let's go again. There's still a chance."

Unwilling to give up, Xiu Yi once more wagered on Louis. The outcome? An utter disaster. Louis barely crawled a third of the course before Napoleon reached the finish line again. Once again, Napoleon triumphed.

In the third round, Xiu Yi stubbornly picked Louis yet again. The results? Completely predictable.

Fourth round? Same story! Napoleon was unstoppable. "Damn, is Napoleon invincible?" Xiu Yi bemoaned, clutching his head.

"Louis, no—buddy, if you lose again I swear I'll cook you for dinner."

In that instant, Xiu Yi noticed the frog's eyes fixed on him, lazy yet taunting, sporting a look that screamed, "Look at this idiot."

If he lost one more round, today would be a total washout!

Fortunately, the fifth round omitted Napoleon. Kevin picked Caesar while Xiu Yi doubled down on Louis. Sand Emperor seized the win, so things ended in a tie.

In the sixth round, Napoleon made a comeback, and Louis still stubbornly stayed in the lineup. By this point, Xiu Yi harbored zero hope—one more loss and Kevin would hit his 1,000-point goal.

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