After picking up the two tokens from the ground, Han Ming took a moment to steady his emotions and prepared to head back the way he came. Looking at the four packs of food in his hands—one his own, one Wei'er's, and two from the man who had just died—he felt a surge of satisfaction. With three tokens and four packs of food, he had made a decent haul. At least he wouldn't have to worry about food for a while. His steps were light, and his spirits were high.

Despite his good mood, Han Ming didn't dare to walk back carelessly. Who knew if someone might jump out and rob him? With five days left, he could afford to take his time and be cautious. As he walked, he racked his brain for ways to grow stronger. Catherine was right—without strength, survival in this world would be nearly impossible.

As he approached a clearing, he heard the sounds of a struggle. Han Ming quickly hid behind a large tree to observe.

In the clearing, four people were fighting—three of them ganging up on one. Han Ming didn't recognize any of them; they must have been from another group. He considered leaving quietly, but curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to see how people in this world fought, especially since these were likely ordinary people like himself. It wouldn't hurt to learn something.

The situation didn't look good for the lone fighter, a red-haired boy who appeared to be around Han Ming's age. Unfortunately, his physique wasn't much better than Han Ming's—about six feet tall, while his three attackers were all over six and a half feet.

Han Ming watched with interest as the red-haired boy, already wounded, struggled to fend off his attackers. One arm hung limp, blood dripping from it, and his legs were also injured. He wielded a wooden stick, clearly having lost his proper weapon.

"You cowards! Three against one? You shameless bastards! Shameless!" the red-haired boy shouted, dodging and weaving as he cursed. Despite his injuries, he kept up a steady stream of insults, even as he took more hits. The attackers, lacking any real technique, swung their weapons wildly. They were clearly amateurs.

"You idiots! Fight me one-on-one if you've got the guts! Three big oafs like you can't even finish me off. How pathetic! Shameless!" the boy continued to taunt.

Han Ming noticed that, despite the odds, the red-haired boy was holding his own. The attackers, though stronger, hadn't managed to take him down yet. The boy clearly had some skill.

"Dar, just hand over your tokens and food, and we'll let you live," one of the attackers sneered, though his blade never stopped swinging.

Han Ming was surprised. They knew the boy's name? Were they from the same group, turning on each other?

"Hand over your grandmother! You traitors! I can't believe I trusted you!" the red-haired boy, Dar, shot back.

Han Ming frowned. He despised betrayal, but this kid's constant cursing was something else. Even on the brink of death, he couldn't stop running his mouth.

One of the attackers saw an opening and slashed Dar's leg, causing him to collapse.

"Wait!" Dar shouted as the attacker raised his blade for the killing blow.

The attacker paused. "Any last words?"

Dar panted, "Take the tokens and food. Just don't kill me, you shameless bastards." He tossed a pack of food and a token to the ground.

The other two quickly picked them up and nodded to the leader.

The leader smirked. "Should've done that earlier. But now I've changed my mind. Give me a good reason not to kill you."

Dar grinned weakly. "You idiots! Even if you don't kill me, I'll die without my tokens and food. And if I somehow survive and get more, you can just take them again next time. Why waste the effort now?"

The leader chuckled. "Not bad. Fine, we'll let you live. If you somehow survive, we'll just take whatever you get next time." With that, the three left.

Han Ming shook his head, amused. Despite the constant cursing, Dar had a quick mind. He knew how to talk his way out of trouble.

After waiting to ensure the attackers were gone, Han Ming prepared to leave.

"Hey, you! Yeah, you hiding behind the tree! You saw me getting beaten up and did nothing? Now you're just going to walk away?" Dar suddenly shouted in Han Ming's direction.

Han Ming was startled. He stepped out and asked, "You saw me?"

"Of course I saw you! You owe me for not ratting you out. Now, do me a favor," Dar said, sitting up with difficulty and pulling out another token. "Take this. If you see a guy with black hair like yours, give it to him. Tell him Dar says hi, but I got taken down by some traitors. Tell him to live well and that we'll be brothers in the next life." He burst into laughter.

Han Ming quickly hushed him. "Quiet! Do you want to attract more trouble?"

Dar smirked. "You think I care? Just take the token. I don't trust you, but I don't have a choice. My buddy's out there, and I don't want him to die because of me."

Han Ming hesitated, then shook his head. "No."

Dar's eyes widened. "You ungrateful jerk! I didn't sell you out, and you won't even do this for me? You heartless—"

"Enough!" Han Ming snapped. "The black-haired guy you're talking about—I think I've seen him. If he's as rare as you say, then it's probably the guy from my group. I'll take you with me instead."

He tossed a token to Dar. "Here. With this and your own, you've got two. Let's go."

Dar stared at the token, tears welling up. "You... you're too nice, you soft-hearted fool! Help me up, will you? I can't walk, you idiot!"

Han Ming rolled his eyes but helped Dar to his feet. Despite the constant insults, he admired Dar's loyalty to his friend. The kid was tough, laughing through his injuries.

As they walked, Dar told Han Ming about his life. His name was Dar, and his best friend was a black-haired boy named Kaja. They were orphans who had grown up together and were like brothers. A year ago, they had been captured and separated into different groups. Dar had been searching for Kaja ever since.

Despite his injuries, Dar kept up a steady stream of chatter, alternating between praise and insults. Han Ming found it both amusing and exhausting.

Fortunately, they didn't encounter any enemies on the way back. They did run into a few members of Han Ming's group, who gave them curious looks but didn't ask questions.

By the seventh day, they finally reached the base. Dar, weakened from blood loss, was barely conscious, and Han Ming had to half-carry him the last stretch.

"Han Ming!" Wei'er was the first to spot him and ran over, relieved and full of questions.

At the same time, a black-haired boy—presumably Kaja—noticed them and approached with a dark expression. "What did you do to him?" he demanded.

Han Ming, too exhausted to explain, handed Dar over to Kaja and collapsed to the ground, gulping down water.

"Let me take a look," Wei'er said, placing a hand on Dar's chest. Kaja hesitated but didn't stop her.

Wei'er closed her eyes, focusing as she channeled her magic into Dar's body. A faint droplet-shaped mark appeared on her forehead. Slowly, Dar's wounds began to heal, and he regained consciousness.

Kaja let out a sigh of relief and nodded at Wei'er in gratitude.

Han Ming quickly went to support Wei'er, who looked pale from the effort. "Wei'er, did you activate your water mark?" he asked.

Wei'er nodded weakly but smiled. "Yes, but my magic is still very limited. Even a basic healing spell takes a lot out of me. Are you okay, Han Ming? Were you hurt?"

Han Ming grinned and patted his chest. "I'm fine! Don't worry."

Wei'er carefully checked him over before finally relaxing.

"Kaja, you jerk! You're still alive! Hahaha, that's great!" Dar's voice rang out as he woke up, laughing and cursing at the same time.

Han Ming sighed. This guy was truly a troublemaker.