Chapter 46: Forming the Team  

Naturally, Zhang Lie wasn't about to answer this question, at least not before he had finished planning out his team. At this point, telling them about the possibility of a framework breakthrough wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Before Yang Ze could respond, Sun Mengmeng, Sun Xiaowu, and Zhou Ying had finished their preparations and were calling everyone over to eat.

The hunters' eagerness meant that the table was set up in no time.

The dreadtoad carcass had been so large that, even after discarding the parts that couldn't be or were too valuable to be consumed, there were enough dishes to fill the entire table. Sun Mengmeng and Zhou Ying seemed to be well-versed in a dazzling variety of cooking techniques. They had made a dozen dishes from the toad meat, each a delicacy.

However, Zhang Lie still wasn't satisfied, and had supplemented this banquet with a few additional dishes from the inn itself. According to him, toad meat alone would be too monotonous. He had also ordered two flasks of wine.

The trademark liquor of the Blackgold Inn was Inferno, so named for its potency. Even a hunter who boasted superior gene fragments could only consume a flask or two at most. Two flasks would be more than sufficient for the six hunters gathered here.

Fang Yi set a cup of wine by everyone's plate in a fluid, practiced motion.

"Captain, no matter your reason, I, Fang Yi, will be forever grateful that you've given me such an opportunity! You've sped up our growth by at least a few months, and I dedicate this toast to you!" He drained the cup in one fell swoop.

"Captain, we dedicate this toast to you!" With Fang Yi taking the lead, the rest of the gathered hunters quickly followed suit.

"Alright, we're all comrades now, aren't we? There's no need for such pleasantries. I'll accept your toast!" Zhang Lie downed his cup of wine as well. "Now let's dig into this superior-grade feast!"

Zhang Lie motioned for everyone to get started.

All the hunters dug in with gusto, all pleasantries forgotten. As Zhang Lie said, what lay in front of them was a feast of superior gene fragments, and they would be foolish to miss out now. "Slow down, Xiaowu!"

"Hey, Yang Ze, what're you doing? That's my piece of meat!"

"What? It's clearly mine!"

Cheerful bickering filled the room.

Yang Ze and Sun Xiaowu had fought over a small piece of toad meat so furiously that their faces had gone red, causing Zhang Lie to smile at their antics. They were originally from two different teams, and it seemed as though they were already starting to learn to get along.

Of course, he was busily eating himself: he only had nineteen superior gene fragments at this point, after all.

After their first cup of wine, none of the hunters refilled their cup. They were all focused on eating the food laid out in front of them. As they ate, the will of the world announced in their mind:

[For consuming the flesh of a superior-grade dreadtoad, you received one superior gene fragment. Current total: 20]

[For consuming the flesh of a superior-grade dreadtoad, you received one superior gene fragment. Current total: 21]

[...total: 25]

The six hunters had devoured the food in front of them within a quarter of an hour, not sparing even the dregs.

Zhang Lie had obtained a total of six superior gene fragments. The other hunters had gotten more or less the same number. The unluckiest received only five, whereas Sun Mengmeng received seven, essentially the upper limit when the meat was divided among so many people.

It was likely that her body naturally possessed a stronger affinity to the dreadtoad than the rest of theirs.

When they finished the meal and noticed the changes to their constitution, they were all throwing admiring glances at Zhang Lie. ?After all, if not for him, none of them would have been able to get any superior gene fragments so early on.

Hunting for gene fragments sounded like a grand affair, but even the slightest mistake, indecision, or inattention could lead to death. Under usual circumstances, hunters much preferred to hunt safer, low-grade lifeforms. Strength wouldn't matter to them if they were dead, after all. magic The hunters began toasting Zhang Lie again as the mood in the suite rose to a crescendo.

"Captain, doesn't our team need a name? How about my old team's name, Typhoon?" Fang Yi, tipsy and slightly drunk, made a suggestion.

Before Zhang Lie could respond, however, Sun Mengmeng flapped her hands at him. "Nonsense! It's a new team, so we need a new name! Captain, come up with one!"

The other hunters clearly agreed with Sun Mengmeng.

Zhang Lie had actually been considering this question. "What do you think about calling our team Zenith?"

"Zenith?"

"Team Zenith!"

"Captain, tell us the truth! Does this have anything to do with the limit fragments you were talking about earlier?"

"Limit fragments? Are you drunk, Yang Ze? I've never heard of such a thing!"

Except for him and Fang Yi, no one else knew anything about these mysterious limit fragments. However, Yang Ze didn't back down. He stared at Zhang Lie, waiting patiently for a response. Fang Yi did the same.

Upon noticing how serious he and Yang Ze were, Zhang Lie nodded. "That's right. The reason I've chosen the name Zenith naturally has something to do with these so-called limit fragments. Furthermore, as long as you're all willing, you'll be able to get your own limit fragments soon!"

Fang Yi and Yang Ze both brightened at the news, whereas the other hunters just looked at Zhang Lie in stupefaction.

"Captain, what limit fragments? I haven't heard anything about them!" Sun Mengmeng cried out.

Zhang Lie smiled mysteriously. "This is still top secret for now, and all I can tell you is that these limit fragments will elevate you above all other hunters."

Even Fang Yi and Yang Ze hadn't expected that these limit fragments would be such a big deal.

Although they had only known Zhang Lie for a short period of time, he had never claimed something he couldn't accomplish. To be elevated above all other hunters... was such a thing even possible?

They initially expected that this "limit fragment" business was just a little trick that their captain knew about, but it seemed as though this was top-secret information! Furthermore, Zhang Lie didn't seem unwilling to tell them about it—it just wasn't the right time yet.

Zhang Lie smiled as he saw everyone's curiosity piqued. "Would you all like to know how to obtain these limit fragments?"

The hunters all nodded their heads fervently, like little chicks pecking at grain.