Anomaly

A level 1 Divine Nest had three nest chambers, each capable of housing one specific lifeform.

If Zhang Yuan could find three lifeforms and fill every nest chamber,

his strength would inevitably undergo an enormous leap.

He would truly defy fate and rewrite his destiny!

Yet among the countless living creatures in the world, extraordinarily few could earn the Divine Nest's recognition.

Otherwise, Zhang Yuan would not have activated the Divine Nest only now!

He first ruled out the Fawn's corpse on the ground—the genetic host had to be a living creature. Then he carefully searched the ground, eyes wide open so as not to miss any sign of life.

Suddenly, several ants entered Zhang Yuan's field of vision.

These ants were enormous. Each was the size of a thumb, black and glossy from head to toe, with curved mandibles.

Apparently drawn by the scent of blood, they swiftly crawled to the Fawn's wound and worked together to "snip" off a large chunk of fresh meat with their sharp mandibles.

One of the Black Ants then clamped down hard on the meat and dragged it toward its nest.

Such a tiny ant could actually haul venison dozens of times its own weight!

Their astonishing efficiency and immense strength left even Zhang Yuan in awe, while also making him realize that he had found his target.

Without the slightest hesitation, he extended the index finger of his left hand and, with lightning speed, pinned down the Black Ant dragging the venison!

The next instant, the Divine Nest Emblem on the back of his hand emitted a faint glow. An ancient incantation instantly surfaced in Zhang Yuan's mind, then silently blossomed from the tip of his tongue.

The Black Ant beneath his fingertip abruptly vanished, and the Divine Nest Emblem turned scorching hot.

Host: Zhang Yuan

Divine Nest: Level 1 (15%)

Host: Level 1 Black Giant Ant (1%) / 2x Strength

Vitality: 74/75

Source Essence: 0

Success!

The Divine Nest Emblem returned to normal, but Zhang Yuan could sense that one of its nest chambers now contained a black giant ant baring its fangs and brandishing its claws.

Such genetic hosts contained by the Divine Nest could also be called Extraordinary Lifeforms.

Not only could it grant Zhang Yuan twice his strength, but it could also be raised and upgraded through feeding.

Bringing even greater power!

Zhang Yuan could not help clenching his fists and swinging them twice to vent the excitement in his heart.

He was already very strong to begin with. Once he activated the twofold strength boost, killing a Wild Boar would be no problem.

His combat power would likewise multiply!

Suppressing his excitement, Zhang Yuan reached out and grabbed the Fawn's corpse from the ground.

The genetic hosts contained by the Divine Nest required feeding to level up, and the "feed" for them was precisely Source Essence.

Zhang Yuan did not even have a single point of Source Essence at present, but he knew how to obtain it.

Sacrifice prey!

Offering up trophies he had personally hunted to the Divine Nest was the only way to gain Source Essence.

This Fawn before him was undoubtedly a fitting sacrifice.

"Yuan Baby~"

The instant Zhang Yuan's fingers touched the Fawn's corpse, a faint, ghostly voice suddenly entered his ears.

Zhang Yuan instantly snatched his hand back as though he had touched a red-hot iron.

Every hair on his body stood on end. A bone-piercing chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to his scalp, and it felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, leaving him nearly unable to move.

Realizing the danger, Zhang Yuan abruptly bit through his tongue. The sharp pain and hot blood restored control over his body.

He sprang to his feet, pulling out his Firewood Knife with his right hand at the same time.

He turned to face the unknown terror!

Yet the area before him was utterly empty. Apart from trees and grass, there was not a single living creature in sight. Only the creek continued flowing quietly.

But Zhang Yuan's vigilance only increased.

He knew very well that he had most likely encountered an anomaly.

This was the price of rashly venturing into the deep mountains!

"Yuan Baby~"

The same voice rang out again.

Zhang Yuan suddenly looked up and spotted a Crow standing on a tree branch at once!

The pitch-black Crow tilted its head and met Zhang Yuan's gaze with scarlet eyes.

After a moment, the Crow suddenly opened its beak and spoke in human words. "Yuan Baby, Yuan Baby, you eat meat and I eat guts, caw caw!"

Zhang Yuan immediately let out a great sigh of relief and lowered the Firewood Knife in his hand.

He truly had run into an anomaly.

The Crow in the tree was one.

But there were countless kinds of anomalies. So long as one did not deliberately provoke many of them, they were harmless to people.

Some anomalies would even cooperate with humans!

This Crow Spirit clearly bore Zhang Yuan no ill will. It was merely opening its beak to beg for food.

Without any hesitation, Zhang Yuan grabbed the Fawn's corpse from the ground and skillfully slit open its belly with the Firewood Knife.

He dug out all the organs inside.

After washing the blood from his hands in the creek, he picked up the gutted prey and nodded to the Crow Spirit in the tree.

Though Zhang Yuan had no idea how this anomaly knew his childhood name, he did not mind paying these organs as protection money in exchange for peace.

He even suspected that he might have trespassed into the Crow Spirit's territory.

In that case, sharing his prey was only natural.

With the Fawn slung over his shoulder and the Firewood Knife in hand, Zhang Yuan headed toward the mountains' outskirts without looking back.

He had suffered too many shocks today. He could not continue any longer.

The Crow Spirit on the branch silently watched Zhang Yuan's figure disappear into the woods, its scarlet eyes flickering with an indescribable light.

After a moment, it spread its wings and flew down onto the pile of organs, beginning to feast with great relish.

Within the mountain forest, Zhang Yuan hurried onward.

When he burst out of the dense woods and once again bathed in the scorching sunlight, much of the lingering shadow in his heart dispersed.

He looked back at the path he had taken, shifted the prey on his shoulder, then quickened his pace toward Chen Family Village.

For some reason, he always felt as though a pair of eyes was watching him from behind.

Not until he returned to the village

did that feeling disappear completely!

"Mother!"

Pushing open the door to his home, Zhang Yuan eagerly removed the bamboo tube and stepped forward to hand it to Zhang's Mother, who was weaving straw sandals in the courtyard.

"Drink it quickly."

The bamboo tube contained deer blood. There was not much, but it was an excellent restorative medicine.

Back then, Zhang's Mother had worked herself day and night to raise Zhang Yuan, leaving behind the root of an illness. Her body had remained frail and thin ever since.

Over the past few years, Zhang Yuan had done all he could to lessen his mother's burden while trying every possible way to nurse her illness.

But his abilities were limited, and he could not solve the problem at its root.

"Yuan Baby."

Seeing Zhang Yuan return safely, Zhang's Mother was overjoyed. She quickly set down the straw sandals and accepted the bamboo tube.

She drained every drop of deer blood in one breath.

Zhang's Mother knew that refusing would be useless. Zhang Yuan could be stubborn sometimes, and she did not want her son to be angry with her.

In her heart, nothing mattered more than Zhang Yuan's safety.

As long as Zhang Yuan was safe and sound, everything was fine!

After drinking the tube of deer blood, Zhang's Mother's pale, haggard face gained a little color. The effect seemed quite good.

This left Zhang Yuan both comforted and heartsore.

His mother was only in her thirties, yet she looked like someone in her fifties or sixties.

Her body had been drained far too badly.

Burying his sorrow deep in his heart, Zhang Yuan smiled and said, "Mother, I caught a deer in the mountains. Today, let's have braised venison. It's been so long since I've eaten my fill of meat."

His usual hunting targets were mainly small animals such as hares and pheasants.

Of the prey he caught, aside from the portion he gave Hunter Gao in tribute, most was taken to the County Town in exchange for salt, rice, oil, sauce, needles, and thread.

He had almost never eaten his fill of meat himself.

Originally, Zhang Yuan had wanted to sacrifice the Fawn's corpse to the Divine Nest in exchange for Source Essence, but the Crow Spirit's appearance changed his mind.

Today, he would first eat a hearty meal. Tomorrow, he would enter the deep mountains again!

"Alright."

Zhang's Mother naturally agreed to whatever he said.

Soon, wisps of cooking smoke rose beside the thatched cottage. An Earthen Pot filled with venison, water, and ginger slices was set atop the stove, and before long, a rich aroma of meat spread through the air.

It added a touch of warm, lived-in comfort to the humble home.