Without the bright flames cast by the torches or the white light of a flashlight, the entire Shelter Number Two was pitch-black. Only a little light shone in through the large hole on the first floor.
Oreo's frantic barking continued outside, but the other two barks had changed in tone.
For some reason, Su Mo could sense a human emotion in those two barks—mockery?
Or contempt?
Step by step, he felt his way up the stairs in the darkness. Su Mo moved steadily, and the human fear in his eyes rapidly faded, replaced by a hint of animalistic calm.
He focused his thoughts, summoned the Game Panel, and selected the bestiary scanning function.
No Mutated Beast detected within one thousand meters of the player Today's scans: 0/3
He had used up his final chance without discovering what the creatures outside looked like, and Su Mo's nerves tightened even further.
Crouching at the corner between the first and second floors, Su Mo rested his crossbow on the railing at the stairway and quietly aimed at the spot beneath the large hole.
"Ow~ ow~"
"Woof~"
Hearing Oreo's frightened, aggrieved cries outside, along with another incomparably contemptuous bark, Su Mo bit his lip hard.
"Oreo, run! Let them in!"
Su Mo silently roared in his heart, hoping Oreo would be smart enough to escape at once.
If there was only one enemy, Su Mo still had the confidence to charge out and fight it head-on.
However, when facing unknown creatures, once their numbers exceeded one, humans could only rely on the intelligence that set them apart from beasts if they wanted to win.
Suddenly, Oreo let out a high-pitched cry, followed by two short yelps and then another high-pitched cry.
Hearing that sound, a trace of joy appeared on Su Mo's normally impassive face.
This was the first letter he had taught Oreo during the two days in which he couldn't leave the shelter.
In Morse code, it was the first letter of "run"—P.
It meant that there were powerful enemies outside and that Oreo should circle around them.
Sure enough, after Oreo made that sound, two barking voices filled with excitement rang out outside.
Along the broken opening, Su Mo kept his eyes fixed on the entrance.
Two sets of footsteps landed on the soil. The wet, squelching sounds of their steps had already drifted faintly into the entrance, and after reflecting off the walls, they reached Su Mo's ears with perfect clarity.
"Their footsteps are lighter than mine. They aren't very heavy. My initial guess is that they're upright-walking animals."
It didn't matter that he didn't know how to identify a person by their footsteps. After listening carefully and comparing the sounds with his own, Su Mo relaxed.
The footsteps were clear and came one after the other, completely unlike the traits of canine mammals. Instead, they seemed more human.
The lightness of the sounds meant they were not heavyweight animals. They would not possess overwhelming strength or speed.
One second. Two seconds. As the sounds drew closer and closer, the two unknown creatures finally reached the entrance.
"Woof-hiss woof sss woof whimper woof drip woof gasp woof?"
"Woof plop woof woof hiss whimper whimper woof!"
The two Iron Blocks and a length of rope had clearly caught the unknown creatures' attention. A headache-inducing string of incomprehensible sounds came through the opening.
I can't understand what they're saying! Su Mo could only concentrate and carefully analyze the changes in the two creatures' emotions through their voices.
"Thank goodness. The second creature's tone is very certain. Although the first one sounds a little doubtful, it doesn't know what the other said, so that doubt has been brushed aside."
Su Mo's heart hung suspended, and he was terrified that the two monsters would wait at the entrance like rabbits waiting for a tree stump, or call more monsters over to use Human Wave Tactics.
The two stupid dogs—no, the two "people"—clearly weren't very intelligent.
They were even bold enough to grab the rope Su Mo had prepared and lower themselves down.
In the bright area of the opening, a black leg covered in fur appeared in Su Mo's field of vision.
At the foot was a boot made from some unknown material.
"They're so thin. They look like two bamboo-pole monsters. They can't be very strong!"
Su Mo gripped the rear handle of the crossbow and placed his finger on the trigger, staring intently at the approaching figure.
Another half a leg descended, and a figure dressed in a primitive animal-hide skirt appeared.
Before Su Mo could continue observing, the monster suddenly dropped down, and its entire body appeared in his field of vision.
"Holy crap!"
Because of the light in the cavern, Su Mo saw the monster's entire appearance clearly.
The shock in his heart nearly forced a cry from him.
"Is that... a kobold?"
The monster that slid down had scale-like skin on its upper body. Its color gradually changed from the dark brown of its lower body to black on its upper body.
If one didn't look carefully, its head resembled a slightly abstract dog head. It had two small, pale horns, bright eyes, and a tail that was straight like a rat's.
Combined with the monsters' earlier voices, Su Mo instantly concluded that these two monsters were the legendary creatures familiar to everyone from the game—the Kobolds!
"Woof hiss hiss!"
Forcibly suppressing his urge to attack, Su Mo calmly watched the Kobold that had just slid down shout and call for its companion.
A long spear was thrown down and caught by the first Kobold. Then a wooden club was thrown down and placed on the ground by the Kobold.
Immediately afterward, the second Kobold began sliding down the rope.
Perhaps because they were of different varieties, the second Kobold's leg was streaked with crimson patterns. They climbed from its ankles all the way up to the side of its face.
The second Kobold's animal-hide skirt also seemed more refined, giving it a faint air of nobility.
Once both of them had descended, Kobold Number One kicked the tragic brother's skull toward the inner side, making way for the Noble Kobold.
After finishing, the Noble Kobold dusted the floating dirt from its body, picked up its wooden club, and began surveying its surroundings.
At the same time, Su Mo completely shifted his gaze away and gently lowered his head, letting the skirt of the stairs block the Kobold's view.
It was difficult to see into the darkness from a bright place.
But Su Mo didn't dare gamble on it.
"This world is insane. What kind of creatures are Kobolds?"
If biologists were here, they would probably have gone wild with delight, shouting that they had discovered a new intelligent animal.
But if they were asked to explain this new creature's habits, they would be completely clueless without extensive experimentation.
Fortunately, the two Kobolds didn't seem to care at all whether anyone was inside. They immediately began rummaging through Shelter Number Two.
"Should I kill Kobold Number One first, or the Noble Kobold?"
After hesitating for a moment,
Su Mo decided to deal with the spear-wielding Kobold first.
In this environment, the crossbow could fire only once. He wouldn't have the chance to reload a second time.
Therefore, the first monster he dealt with had to be the greater threat.
Of the two, Su Mo chose Kobold Number One, who was easier to identify and visibly carried a weapon.
He raised his head and watched Kobold Number One rummage beneath the table.
Su Mo's finger curled around the trigger.
He gently adjusted the crossbow's angle. With every movement, he went as slowly and smoothly as possible, ensuring that not the slightest sound of metal scraping against metal escaped.
The two "adorable Kobolds" showed no reaction at all. They continued chatting foolishly and searching around.
They were trying to find something valuable.
Whoosh!
In the pitch-black shelter, a sharp sound tore through the air.
Immediately afterward, a spray of blood erupted from Kobold Number One's neck.
The acid-rain-coated bolt nearly killed it instantly. Without skin to protect it, the bolt quickly corroded through Kobold Number One's fragile blood vessels.
The next second, the entire shelter was filled only with the gurgling sound of blood bubbling from its throat.
After checking several times and confirming that Kobold Number One had lost its ability to fight, Su Mo took the stairs two steps at a time and entered the first floor.
He hurled the crossbow in his hand at the Noble Kobold, disrupting its vision.
He focused his thoughts, summoned the Beech Spear, and charged forward.
"Take this! You damn mutt! Watch me pierce you! Aaaah!"
Su Mo unleashed all his strength and shouted savagely as he charged.
His thunderous roar echoed throughout Shelter Number One, like rumbling thunder that made the eardrums ache.
On the other side, the Kobold was so startled by the sound that its hands faltered, and it nearly tripped.
However, Su Mo's charge was still too slow. The darkness inside the shelter and the obstacles beneath his feet prevented him from sprinting without restraint.
That gave the Noble Kobold a chance to catch its breath.
A glow of fire began gathering in the Kobold's hand. Before Su Mo could reach it, the light had already condensed into a small fireball.
"Damn! What is that?"
Before you continue