Here they came again

The cool river water washed over my ankles, its touch refreshing and reassuring.

Lu Heng retreated to the shallows upstream, finally feeling a sense of relief. This place was completely different from the downstream area where he had just encountered danger. The water was at most half a meter deep, the riverbed was flat and hard, the view was unobstructed, and he could feel solid ground under his feet at any time. He felt no sense of danger from being underwater.

He had already searched extensively for bluestone in this area yesterday, and high-quality Stone were already scarce. In order to gather more materials to upgrade his Shelter, he did not stay in one place, but continued to walk further upstream along the river.

The morning breeze in the mountains is gentle, rippling across the river. The surroundings are excessively quiet, with only the soft murmur of the flowing water and the subtle rustling of pebbles underfoot.

Lu Heng bent down and searched the bottom of the water again and again to identify the stones.

After patiently searching most of the water area and turning over all the protruding piles of rocks on the bottom, they finally selected only five suitable Large Bluestone.

The quantity is pitifully small.

He raised his hand and put the last piece of bluestone into the Storage Space of his Wristband, a sense of helplessness rising in his heart. The downstream deep river had abundant and high-quality Stone, but it also harbored deadly dangers. The sneak attack just now had already served as a warning to him, and he dared not go back to gamble with his life again. For now, he could only guard this safe shallow beach, and even if the efficiency was low, he could only slowly accumulate stones little by little.

Just as he looked up, preparing to move his feet further upstream, the river surface in the distance suddenly moved.

A dark gray shadow flashed across the water's surface, barely emerging halfway up, before suddenly plunging back into the water and disappearing without a trace, as if sensing the gaze.

The whole process was so fast it was almost dizzying.

But Lu Heng's nerves instantly tensed to the extreme.

It can't be an illusion.

Its shape and the speed at which it went into the water were exactly the same as the Water Monkey that had ambushed him downstream earlier.

It caught up?

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, a strange chill ran down my spine.

Something's not right, something's really not right. Ordinary beasts don't cross waterways to track each other, much less fixate on a shallow area. This thing's obsession and intelligence far surpass those of ordinary Black Iron Tier ferocious beasts.

Lu Heng dared not linger for even a moment, and immediately turned around and strode out of the river.

His wet shoes crunched on the dry earth of the riverbank, making a soft, muddy sound. He quickly retreated until he reached a safe area covered by trees. The moment his feet touched the ground, he drew the Giant-Feather Crossbow from his back, nocked an arrow, and tensed his entire body, staring intently at the river ahead.

The wind suddenly stopped, and the entire area fell into an eerie silence.

In just two seconds, the calm river surface suddenly burst into several splashes.

Three or four Water Monkey surfaced one after another, their small bodies standing in the shallow water, their fur soaked and clinging to their ugly forms. They tilted their heads back towards the shore, opened their sharp mouths, and let out piercing, shrill roars. The noise was loud and jarring, piercing the tranquility of the forest, full of ferocity and provocation.

Lu Heng's pupils narrowed slightly.

Not just one, but a whole group.

No wonder that one dared to launch a sneak attack alone; it turns out its entire tribe occupies this riverbed.

Before he could even make a move, the strange beast in the water had already launched its attack.

Several Water Monkey bent down and rummaged through the pebbles on the riverbed, using their short limbs to smash fist-sized stones hard against the trees on the bank.

Bang! Bang!

Stones pelted the thick tree trunks one after another, shaking down a shower of morning dew. The deafening roar of the trembling trunks echoed through the forest. Pebbles scattered and flew about, landing haphazardly. If they hit someone, they could cause anything from minor scrapes and bruises to serious injuries like fractures.

Lu Heng hid behind a tree, not daring to show his face at all.

These beasts may appear small in size, but they possess immense strength and know how to utilize the terrain and launch attacks. Their intelligence far surpasses that of ordinary wild animals; they are cunning and ferocious.

Taking advantage of the moment when a Water Monkey surfaced, threw a stone with all its might, and its head was fully exposed, Lu Heng seized the only opening, steadily adjusted the aim with his wrist, and released the crossbow with his fingertips.

Call out!

The short arrow pierced the air at extremely high speed.

As expected, the arrow pierced the Water Monkey's skull with pinpoint accuracy.

The piercing roar abruptly ceased. Its body stiffened, and it fell straight into the water, floating gently with the shallow current. Blood slowly seeped from the wound, spreading across a small patch of pale red river water.

The remaining Water Monkey, witnessing their companion's sudden death, did not scatter and flee. Instead, they collectively let out an angry shriek, plunged headfirst into the water, and completely disappeared underwater.

Lu Heng kept his eyes fixed on the river, not daring to let his guard down.

He thought that shooting down one beast and intimidating the rest of the pack would end the conflict, but his sense of crisis remained undiminished. These strange beasts were far too cunning and unpredictable; they would definitely not give up so easily.

Sure enough, after a brief silence, the sound of splashing echoed across the water.

Hidden underwater in blind spots, they continued to hurl stones at the shore, the dense pelts bombarding the trees. The noise grew louder and louder, and the entire riverbank was filled with dust and flying leaves from the boulders.

Lu Heng clung tightly to the back of the tree trunk, his heart sinking slightly.

The attack is a long-range throwing attack, not close combat; it's a tactic to wear down the opponent's patience and force them to reveal themselves. Holding out here will eventually result in being hit by rocks, while a hasty retreat leaves them vulnerable to underwater attacks as they can't see clearly.

Instead of running away, he kept his body low to the ground and, using the dense tree trunks as cover, quietly and slowly moved diagonally upstream into the forest area.

Moving extremely lightly, stepping on fallen leaves Withered Branch, avoiding all unusual noises, they gradually increased the distance while maintaining their field of vision, keeping a close eye on the shallow river surface and discreetly observing underwater movements.

After moving to a safe observation position, he steadied himself and stared intently. What he saw next made his gaze sink completely.

In the murky, reddish shallow water, the body of the Water Monkey, killed by a crossbow bolt, floated silently.

The next instant, a familiar dark figure leaped out of the water and headed straight for the corpse.

It was the very Water Monkey that had just been severely injured by his Bronze Hunting Blade and had managed to escape by diving into the water.

Despite its unhealed wounds, it moved with incredible speed, pouncing on the corpse and tearing its own flesh apart with its sharp claws. Immediately afterward, the other Water Monkey hiding underwater swarmed in, frantically tearing and biting at their dead companion.

The water was churning with blood, and bits of flesh and fur were mixed in with the river, a horrifying sight.

Without the slightest hesitation or mercy shown to their own kind, their brutality was appalling.

Lu Heng hid behind a tree, quietly watching this absurd and cruel scene, and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

That's pretty realistic.

Just now, I severely injured the pursuer with a single blow, indirectly helping this beast avoid a deadly situation and saving its life. But then, it turned around and led the way in devouring its own kind, attacking with the most ruthless and decisive ferocity.

While alive, they are companions vying for territory and resources. After death, they are less than a blade of grass, merely food to fill one's stomach.

The rules of the wilderness are straightforward and cold-blooded.

There was no affection, no kinship, only the survival of the fittest from beginning to end.

Within minutes, the tearing and churning on the water gradually subsided.

A complete body was devoured in an instant, leaving only scattered bits of skin and remnants drifting slowly with the current. After finishing their meal, the group of Water Monkey let out a few more low, hoarse hisses, then collectively dived into the deep water and disappeared completely at the end of the river, never to be seen again.

The riverbank finally returned to complete silence, with only the dense marks of pebbles on the tree trunks and the faint traces of blood on the river surface, proving that the battle and cruelty just now were not an illusion.

Lu Heng slowly loosened his grip on the crossbow, his back already damp with a thin layer of sweat.

The two attacks on the river today made him fully realize the dangers of this waterway.

The seemingly peaceful shallow river hides the most primitive and cold-blooded beast tribes. They are intelligent, know how to cooperate, are good at ambushes, and are adept at using the environment. They have no bottom line, and cannibalism among their own kind is commonplace.

In this wilderness, gentleness and affection are the most useless things.

Whether it's a strange beast or other people you might encounter in the future, in dire circumstances, all bottom lines will be crushed by the struggle for survival.

Lu Heng stared at the empty river surface, the last trace of relaxation in his eyes completely disappearing.

To survive and secure his Shelter, he had to be ruthless, steady, and cautious than these ferocious beasts.

He did not immediately approach the river. Instead, he remained hidden in the woods, observing quietly for several minutes. Only after confirming that there was absolutely no unusual activity did he silently memorize the dangers of this body of water.

The upstream quarrying plan has been completely shelved.

We cannot linger here either.