Man-Faced Black Panther

Having settled on the mission, Chu Danqing planned to head outside the city first and deal with the beast infestation at the mine.

1,000 contribution points could directly complete the Trial Mission and earn him the Return Qualification.

It was equivalent to having a means of saving his life. If he truly encountered some irresistible danger, he could flee immediately.

No matter how plentiful or fine the rewards were, the premise was that he had to survive to claim them.

If he moved quickly enough, he could settle it in the morning, visit the Ji Estate at noon to discuss grain, and maintain order at the porridge distribution in the afternoon.

"Attendant sir, this is the mine." The steward lifted the carriage curtain for Chu Danqing.

"If there's a beast infestation, why haven't you stopped work?" Chu Danqing stepped out of the carriage and saw miners working in full swing.

On the way here, Chu Danqing had read the intelligence. More than a dozen people had already been carried off and eaten.

The culprit was a leopard-like mutated beast. It moved with extreme stealth and possessed tremendous strength.

"We can't stop." The steward hurriedly explained, "The mine's business belongs to the authorities. If we delay the schedule, the Lu family won't be able to bear the consequences."

"The government doesn't care what happens at your mine. All they want is enough ore delivered on schedule."

Chu Danqing could not agree with that. He refused to believe the Lu family lacked sufficient mineral reserves; it was simply that during great disasters, human lives were worth nothing.

Plenty of people were willing to come dig in the mine for a single mouthful of food.

"What about that leopard? Are there any clues?" Chu Danqing did not intend to continue discussing the matter and turned to business.

"We don't know. It comes and goes without a trace. It carried off more than a dozen people, but it was only seen once or twice."

"Two Attendants have already come to inspect the place, but they returned empty-handed," the steward said.

Hearing that, Chu Danqing understood that these thousand contribution points would not be easy to earn.

"Da Bao, what do you think?" Chu Danqing looked toward Da Bao, placing his hopes on Da Bao's sharp senses.

Da Bao swept his gaze around, then shook his head. "First... look... for tracks."

He had not found any clues.

"Take us around the locations where it happened." Chu Danqing got out of the carriage and spoke to the steward.

The steward repeatedly agreed. After having someone watch the carriage, he led Chu Danqing and Da Bao onward.

Along the way, he introduced the mine's situation and roughly described what the previous witnesses had seen.

"A black leopard, with fur on the top of its head that looks somewhat like a human face." Chu Danqing muttered.

A leopard that carried people off was indeed rare.

There did not seem to be much wrong with anything else.

After making a full circuit, Chu Danqing found no clues, but Da Bao did.

He tugged on Chu Danqing's clothes, then pointed in one direction. "There... something."

Chu Danqing froze, his gaze falling where Da Bao pointed. From afar, nothing seemed amiss.

He casually picked up a stone and threw it over.

When the stone landed, ripples like those on water surfaced.

"Mimicry?!" Chu Danqing immediately retreated, while Da Bao charged straight forward.

The ripple-covered mimicry slowly rose, and the colors matching the surrounding environment began to reverse, becoming a black leopard.

The leopard was enormous, comparable to a tiger. Most eye-catching of all was the human face atop its head, vivid and lifelike.

After estimating the distance between them, Chu Danqing did not hesitate in the slightest. He flung out five Energy Links, then used Scrutiny Technique while summoning a Summoned Repeating Crossbowman.

Man-Faced Black Panther

Attributes

Health: 100%

Mana Points: 1

Strength: ???

Agility: ???

Constitution: 6

Spirit: 3

Perception: 5

Talents

???

Skills

???

The Man-Faced Black Panther staggered involuntarily, an oddly human expression of shock appearing on its face.

Chu Danqing immediately severed two Energy Links, then added two more, instantly reducing the Man-Faced Black Panther's energy to zero.

It was because the Man-Faced Black Panther had borne Chu Danqing's series of energy expenditures that its energy value in the data sheet had only one point remaining.

The sudden loss of most of its energy was what had made the Man-Faced Black Panther stagger upon rising.

Now that it had been reduced to zero, it suffered a second impact.

After adjusting the mechanism behind him, the Repeating Crossbowman fired every bolt in the chamber in rapid succession.

Da Bao followed close behind the bolts, activating Rending Claws.

"Its Strength and Agility must both be at least 8." Chu Danqing muttered, then saw the bolts strike the Man-Faced Black Panther as Da Bao's claws arrived right after.

The Man-Faced Black Panther was shot full of holes, while Da Bao tore a massive wound open at a vital spot on its body.

It died on the spot.

The Repeating Crossbowman began reloading bolts, while Da Bao prepared to reach for the treasure chest.

Five seconds passed, but the treasure chest still had not appeared.

"There's more than one?" Chu Danqing looked at the Man-Faced Black Panther. It was certainly dead through and through.

If no treasure chest had dropped, then they had not wiped them all out yet.

But black panthers were solitary animals, and this was a male leopard. There could not be any cubs.

Suddenly, Da Bao leaped backward, his gaze fixed dead on the black panther's corpse. He sensed some abnormal aura from within it.

The next instant, the human face atop the black panther's head actually stretched out and snapped at empty air.

If Da Bao had not retreated just then, it would have been too late for him to dodge.

After biting empty air, the human face swiftly melted back into the black panther's corpse and slowly spread outward.

The dead black panther shook its head. The bolts embedded in its body were squeezed out, and it rose to stand on two legs.

Its fur writhed continuously, eventually transforming it into a brand-new monster with a leopard's head and a human body, though its injuries remained.

Chu Danqing severed the Energy Links immediately, but unfortunately, Scrutiny Technique's one-minute cooldown had not ended. He could not inspect exactly what this resurrected leopard-man monster was.

Da Bao did not pause. He closed in and launched an attack at once.

Brutal Beast, Child of the Cave dealt 20 physical damage + 9 rending damage + 9 bleeding damage to the target, restoring 3.8% Health.

The Repeating Crossbowman had reloaded half its bolts and began firing single shots as well.

Repeating Crossbowman dealt 10 physical damage to the target.

The damage was not high, and the lethal damage description that had appeared when it struck vital points had now become physical damage.

The leopard-man monster stiffly extended its right claw and launched its first attack at Da Bao.

The target dealt 17 physical damage to Brutal Beast, Child of the Cave.

Seeing this Combat Log, Chu Danqing understood that this leopard-man monster's Strength and Constitution were likely either 9 or 10.

Its damage data was actually nearly half of Da Bao's.

Moreover, as the battle continued, its initially stiff body gradually became more agile.

Its attack speed grew faster and faster. Fortunately, Da Bao had the lifesteal effect on him and forcibly endured it.

The instant Scrutiny Technique's cooldown ended, Chu Danqing used Scrutiny Technique again without the slightest hesitation.

Yet the result of the inspection was beyond his expectations.