New Home
"..."
The still-shaken Sand Dune blinked.
He was stunned for a few seconds before he realized that he had been rescued.
Without hesitation, the hunter switched to a bow and arrow, aiming at the vulture Devil Beast whose wings had just been severed and which was howling on the ground.
Snap! Snap!
Three arrows in succession.
With its wings broken and unable to fly, the vulture used its feathers, which provided airflow protection, to deflect the two arrows in front of it.
But the last arrow.
While it struggled, the Sand Dune seized the opportunity to fire a third arrow, aiming at the vulture's unprotected eyes and piercing its skull.
"Aww..."
The vulture made a strange sound before collapsing to the ground.
Upon confirming the enemy's death, Sand Dune breathed a sigh of relief.
He then came to his senses, and despite the pain in his chest, went to the nearby woods and retrieved the notebook he had just thrown away.
At that moment, a surprise suddenly occurred.
The hunting skills of the Sand Dune have been refined from the Third Stage to the Fourth Stage.
That vulture Devil Beast was a powerful Fourth Stage creature.
He fought it fiercely until he seized the opportunity to kill it, and the hunter's skills improved as a result.
"Call--"
Sand Dune took a deep breath.
His Essence is the most common and adaptable Basic Essence.
This results in a strengthened balance and harmony, leaving nothing to be missed.
The hunter could feel his physical and mental strength being enhanced in all aspects, and the wound in his chest had also been relieved a lot.
A few more seconds passed, and the hunter's Fourth Stage skills echoed in his mind.
—— [Wilderness Master]
Hunters will be able to carry out all activities more easily and will be protected by nature in the wild.
Rather, it's at the cognitive level.
He also developed a natural, innate premonition about things like terrain, water flow, and flora and fauna, and deduced the whole picture from all sorts of extremely subtle clues.
With this enhancement, their original hunting abilities are strengthened in every aspect.
"..."
Sand Dune felt a surge of excitement.
If his skills are further refined and he reaches the Fifth Stage, he will become Ascender completely different from the past.
Whether it's lifespan, skill, or the sensing and manipulation of the Essence.
They will all receive a completely new upgrade and become true legendary figures!
Looking back on the past.
The Sand Dune craftsmanship has been stuck at Third Stage for almost 5 years.
Unexpectedly, this seemingly uneventful and almost stagnant ability was enhanced during this extremely dangerous adventure.
At this moment, Vivian also came closer and asked with some concern:
"Uncle Sand Dune, are you alright?"
"It's nothing, I just..."
Sand Dune intended to brush it off.
But then he remembered that he was no longer active in the perilous Green Swamp.
Standing before me now is Vivian, whom I can trust and who just saved my life.
The hunter smiled slightly, which aggravated the wound on his chest.
His lips curled down to the right, and he replied, half-laughing and half-crying:
"I just killed this beast, and my skills have improved."
Vivian's face lit up with joy:
"You have advanced to Fourth Stage."
Sand Dune nodded:
"That's right, perhaps this way we can provide more help to the Lord."
At this point, the Sand Dune began to focus their attention on the surrounding swarms of insects.
His newly acquired skill immediately served as a reminder.
These creatures are different from ordinary life forms; they are extremely dangerous!
But at the same time, nature is also hinting at a kind of contradiction, as if these are not things that should exist in nature.
"The Insectoid Tribe over there, and these... types too?"
Sand Dune looked puzzled.
Vivian explained frankly:
"These are indeed the troops produced in Insectfolk Canyon, but they should be somewhat different from what you imagined?"
"Huh?" Sand Dune looked puzzled.
More than a year had passed since he left the Banyan Forest.
Many of his impressions were based on the state he was in when he set off, so he had no idea what was going on.
Vivian smiled and reached out her hand to the Sand Dune.
Seeing this, the hunter flipped over and leaped onto the plump insect.
When this creature moves forward, it uses many legs to adjust its balance, moving steadily and quickly with varying heights, making it feel as if it's on flat ground even when traveling through mountainous areas.
On the way back, Vivian explained to Sand Dune:
"It's Mr. Linsey's skill."
"Three months ago, the Insectoid Tribe completely pledged allegiance to Mr. Linsey. The area was also transformed into the territory of the Banyan Forest, and a base upgrade was completed at the same time."
"These troops are individual worker bees produced in the Cloning Pool and then adjusted in various hives."
As she said this, Vivian took a paper package from her bag and handed it to the Sand Dune behind her:
"Uncle Sand Dune".
"Mr. Linsey said you might want to eat something he makes, so he asked me to bring this over."
Sand Dune stepped forward and took the paper package.
His fingers trembled as he opened the package, and sure enough, inside was a plate of golden-brown roasted meat.
"..."
The hunter was speechless.
Food in the wilderness is appalling, as evidenced by the jerky he ate tonight.
Now, familiar and delicious food is placed before me.
He couldn't resist his physical desire and immediately put it in his mouth.
"Waaah—"
The roasted meat is not only delicious, but also helps restore energy.
Sand Dune felt all his fatigue vanish, and he even had an urge to lie down.
In less than half a day, the Zerg forces arrived at the location of the Insectfolk Canyon.
Sand Dune had just finished eating his barbecue.
He looked ahead and the bone in his hand slipped blankly to the ground with a crisp sound.
The previous Insectfolk Canyon.
It was a beautiful scene of dense fog covering the ground and countless plants growing on it.
But what about now?
In the canyon in front of us, there wasn't even a patch of grass to be seen.
The entire canyon is covered with a thick layer of fungal carpet from beginning to end.
Sand Dune closer inspection, one can see subtle undulations on the surface of the sand dunes, as if the entire canyon had come to life.
In particular, he has just advanced to the Fourth Stage of hunter skills.
With the help of the Wilderness Master, the Sand Dune can distinguish every oddly shaped insect on the creep.
At the same time, you can also feel the omnipresent pressure and threat!
"..."
The Sand Dune couldn't help but compare this place to the Green Swamp.
Then he discovered that this place seemed even more terrifying than the wicked Green Swamp!
That was a natural fear of some kind of dangerous creature, a fear that transcended common human sense!
However, a few seconds later, the unease in the Sand Dune vanished.
Because he saw a crack suddenly appear in the fungal carpet.
Linsey emerged from among them, carrying a longsword adorned with gold and green, and waved to him from afar.
"Sand Dune, you're finally back!"
"You must be exhausted after being away for so long. Let's not talk about work for now, let's have a meal and get some rest!"