Waiting

The core of the Frost Forest is densely wooded and dark, with towering ancient trees whose branches intertwine, their layered canopies pressing down and obscuring most of the sky. The snow in the forest is thick and hard, its surface compacted and hardened by long-term wind erosion; stepping on it does not immediately cause it to collapse, but only leaves shallow marks. The entire forest is eerily quiet until the roars of beasts break the silence.

Lu Heng leaped forward and landed steadily between two intersecting, thick tree branches.

Without any unnecessary movements, he immediately lowered his torso, pressing his back against the rough, dry bark, completely blending into the shadow of the tree trunk. There was no panic in his eyes, only an extremely pragmatic calmness, his gaze piercing through layers of branches, locking onto the chaotic scene of the battle in the woods below.

There was no buffer zone below; the entire open woodland had been completely turned into a death trap for beasts fighting.

The two groups of Fang Boar and Giant-Horned Deer went completely berserk.

This is not a tentative struggle between ordinary wild beasts for territory or food; it is a life-or-death battle for extermination.

Dozens of Fang Boar huddled together, their thick, dark hides covered in scratches and gashes. Several of their once short, curved tusks were broken, their jagged edges stained with sticky, dark red flesh and blood. Their charge was utterly chaotic, a fight to the death. Their heavy bodies slammed into each other, their hard hooves stomping relentlessly. With each strike, the muffled thud of flesh being crushed and bones breaking could be heard. The fallen boars ceased their struggle, simply being trampled repeatedly by their companions and rivals, utterly losing their will to live.

The Giant-Horned Deer they faced defied all common sense.

The timidity, avoidance, and instinct for self-preservation that herbivores should possess are completely absent at this moment.

They stand tall and imposing, their massive, bony antlers branching intricately and hard as iron, each tip honed to a sharp, piercing edge. The deer herd moves with lightning speed, their heads and necks thrusting, sweeping, and stabbing with swift, ferocious movements, precisely targeting the wild boar's vulnerable underbelly, eyes, nose, and neck. The wild boar, its fur torn apart, roars wildly, gushing hot blood that spills onto the snow, instantly spreading large, dark, blood-red stains.

The strangest thing was the several Mutant Giant-Horned Deer in the center of the battlefield.

They are much larger than their ordinary counterparts, with strong and muscular bodies. Their fur is covered in blood from the fighting. The most terrifying thing is their eyes—pure crimson without a single other color, staring intently at the creatures fighting around them, revealing a ruthless cruelty.

Taking advantage of the chaos of the surrounding fight, these Red-Eyed Giant-Horned Deer lowered their heads, used their jaws to bite and tear at the flesh of the fallen wild boar.

The subtle sound of muscle fibers being torn by teeth, mixed with the deafening roars of beasts, was particularly eerie.

Lu Heng, perched on a high tree branch, took in the entire scene, and a strong sense of unease instantly rose in his heart.

He had survived in this forest for a long time, witnessing predators hunting and eating, and strange creatures slaughtering living beings, but he had never seen a herbivore actively seeking to kill and eat meat. Moreover, the intensity of the fight between these Giant-Horned Deer far exceeded that of the naturally aggressive Fang Boar.

Carnivorous beasts still retain some instinct and consideration in their battles, but this herd of Red-Eyed Giant-Horned Deer is completely fearless and fights to the death, going completely mad.

Something's not right.

The ecology of the core area of this forest is completely wrong.

Lu Heng quickly weighed the pros and cons and decisively abandoned the idea of evacuation.

The entire forest below was covered by a raging herd of beasts, all of them bloodthirsty and in a frenzied state of heightened senses. At this moment, if he were to land from the tree, even the slightest movement or disturbance would instantly make him the target of all the beasts present.

There's no escaping it, and no way to avoid it.

After a brief moment of thought, Lu Heng reached out and grabbed the snow from the branches beside him.

The frozen snow was icy cold. He grabbed handfuls and vigorously rubbed it onto his coat, cuffs, neck, and hair. Over and over again, he used the snow to completely cover up his body heat and the smell of sweat, suppressing all the scents that might have been detected by wild animals.

A breeze drifted slowly through the woods, passing through the gaps in the trees and brushing against the bloodstains on the ground. He had to eliminate any possibility of the smell spreading.

The icy snow water seeped into his collar, bringing a bone-chilling cold against his skin. His limbs were slightly stiff from the cold, but Lu Heng remained motionless, even suppressing his breathing to the shallowest and slowest level.

The tree branches in the original location were still too low, obstructing the view and not providing sufficient concealment.

He gripped the raised lines of the bark with his fingertips, using it to climb silently. He lightly stepped on the gaps between the branches, moving his body steadily upwards until he finally stopped in a gap in the canopy of a higher level.

From this vantage point, the view is expansive, offering a clear view of the entire battle scene unfolding in the woods. At the same time, the lush foliage perfectly conceals his figure, preventing any possibility of wild beasts below peeking out.

The moment he regained his footing, he sensed that the atmosphere in the forest had completely changed.

The fierce battle between the two major groups below was so loud, with roars and blood splattering everywhere, that it had completely alerted the predators lurking on the outskirts of the forest.

The first to appear was a black bear.

Thick, dark brown fur, covered in fine snowflakes, and a massive body slowly emerged from the dense forest, each step causing the snow to tremble. Its limbs were thick and powerful, its bare claws gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen. The sheer size of its body exuded an overwhelming sense of oppression. It monopolized a clearing on one side of the forest, not rushing into the fray, but instead crouching on the ground, head bowed, its cloudy eyes fixed intently on the chaotic battle of the beasts below.

Lu Heng raised his hand and revealed the black Wristband on his wrist. With a flash of light, data quickly popped up.

[Black-Eyed Bear]

Grade: Black Iron Tier

Description: A solitary predator in the heart of the Frost Forest, with thick hide, overwhelming strength, and incredible endurance.

Not long after the Black-Eyed Bear landed, two lithe black shadows darted out swiftly, skimming the shadows of the trees.

The two leopards had streamlined and well-proportioned bodies, their bluish-black fur covered with irregular dark spots, blending perfectly into the shadows of the woodland. Their limbs were slender yet incredibly powerful, landing silently. Their backs were slightly arched, their pupils narrowed to thin vertical slits, and their cold gazes swept across the battlefield. They occupied the shadows under the trees on the left and right respectively, echoing each other to form a pincer attack.

The Wristband refreshed its information again.

[Dark-Spotted Leopard]

Grade: Black Iron Tier ×2

The two high-level predators did not interfere with each other, and stood in a stalemate with the Black Copper Bear from a distance. The three parties maintained a strange balance, and neither side made a move rashly.

Further out at the edge of the woods, the sound of light footsteps could be heard.

A pack of wild dogs huddled on the outermost edge, numbering a dozen or so. They were thin, with tangled fur, drool dripping from their mouths, and their eyes were both greedy and timid. They dared not approach the territory of the Black Iron Tier ferocious beast, but only lingered at a distance, staring at the carcasses and blood on the ground, waiting for an opportunity to scavenge for scraps of meat, watching with a servile demeanor.

The situation is far from over, and a new wave of oppression is looming.

The sound of orderly footsteps echoed from the depths of the dense forest, deep, regular, and highly disciplined.

A pack of Grayfang Wolf slowly emerged from the woods. Their bodies were long and slender, their grey-black fur clinging to their skin, their fangs bared and gleaming with a pale, cold light, their eyes sinister and icy. The Wolf Pack was neatly arranged, neither noisy nor restless, silently occupying the last blind spot in the entire woodland.

At the forefront of the Wolf Pack, a giant wolf, far exceeding the size of its kind, stepped out steadily.

Its body was robust, its shoulder height far exceeding that of an ordinary Grayfang Wolf, its fur was darker, almost gray-black, its wolf eyes were as cold as Cold Pool, and its aura was calm and domineering, without any unnecessary agitation, yet it carried the intimidation of a leader.

Lu Heng immediately compared and evaluated the results.

[Grayfang Wolf Leader]

Grade: Black Iron Tier

At this point, the entire clearing in the woods was completely divided up.

Below, a frenzied battle raged among herbivores, with carnage and blood flying everywhere. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, their corpses piled up, and the snow was repeatedly soaked and frozen by blood.

In all four corners, black bears, two Dark-Spotted Leopard, Wild Dog Pack, and a pack of Gray-Fang Wolf Pack lay in ambush, surrounding the enemy.

All the carnivorous predators reached a tacit agreement: they would not provoke or fight each other, and would remain completely still.

They are all waiting.

Once the frenzied beasts below have completely exhausted their fighting strength and the battlefield is completely over, then we will enter in one fell swoop and divide up all the spoils in this pool of blood.

Lu Heng hung high in the treetop, enduring the bone-chilling cold, and stood motionless, overlooking the entire scene.

Below was a mindless, bloodthirsty frenzy of slaughter, while all around were a group of extremely patient and calculating predators.

Only one clear judgment remained in his mind.

These carnivores are all incredibly cunning.