Crisis

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.

Lu Heng stood behind the tree, his fingertips gently touching the crossbow, the cool metallic touch completely calming his chaotic mind.

The images of the Water Monkey throwing stones, gathering in groups, and cannibalism flashed repeatedly through my mind. This seemingly ordinary shallow river was not as peaceful as it appeared. Beneath the surface lurked a group of cunning beasts that knew how to cooperate, how to restrain, and how to use the terrain to hunt. Ordinary wild animals did not have such a mindset. The ferocity and intelligence of this group of Water Monkey far exceeded the level that Black Iron Tier beast should have.

The entire upstream and downstream area was destroyed, and the originally stable quarry site was completely rendered useless.

He glanced across the winding river. The surface was calm and still, with only gentle ripples, showing no trace of the bloody commotion that had just occurred. The quieter it was, the more cautious Lu Heng became. He knew that beneath the calm lay hidden killing intent.

After a brief moment of thought, his gaze settled on the opposite bank of the river.

The woodland on the opposite bank is elevated and densely forested, far from the waters where the water monkeys had been, making it the only new area worth exploring. Rather than risking your life in the restricted riverbed, it's better to move to a completely different territory to gather resources.

Having made up his mind, Lu Heng no longer hesitated.

He slowly walked out of the woods and stepped onto the wet riverbed into the water. The water was icy cold, only reaching his calves, and the riverbed was hard and flat, making it steady to step on.

He remained vigilant throughout, his eyes constantly scanning the water's surface upstream and downstream. With each step forward, he would check for any movement underwater. Having experienced the ambush firsthand, he knew the Water Monkey ' stealth capabilities; the slightest lapse in attention could result in them getting close enough to catch him.

The entire river was deathly silent; no water splashed, and no dark shadows darted about.

The more completely still Lu Heng remained, the less he dared to relax.

He walked slowly across the short stretch of river, taking each step carefully and remaining vigilant throughout. Only when his feet touched the dry mud on the opposite bank did the tension in his heart ease slightly.

After regaining his footing, he looked back at the waters he had just been in, but there was nothing unusual about them.

Lu Heng shook the water off his trouser legs and looked up to survey the entire landscape on the opposite bank.

This place is completely different from the other side of the river.

The riverbank was clean and flat, the soil was compacted and covered with dried leaves accumulated over the years, making no sound when stepped on. The surrounding vegetation grew naturally, with its branches and leaves spread out, offering a wide and open view. The entire area was quiet and peaceful, without the roar of animals, the chirping of birds, or the swaying of the grass, and there was absolutely no trace of any wild animals.

There was no unusual activity, no trace, it was too clean.

But Lu Heng had no time to dwell on the strangeness of the surroundings.

The upstream quarrying failed, and today's harvest was meager; the shortage of Stone for upgrading the Shelter remains significant. All he needs now is resources; as long as he can safely collect bluestone, this temporary peace is a good thing.

He moved slowly along the riverbank, intently searching for Stone.

Unlike the piles of bluestones upstream, the bluestones here are mostly scattered in the cracks of the soil and among the roots of weeds, requiring one to bend down and carefully search for and distinguish the quality of the stones. Lu Heng patiently examined each formed stone one by one, and put all the bluestones that felt hard and had a thick texture into the Wristband Space.

Resources on the shore are limited; you can only find a few scattered pieces no matter how many times you search, making the collection efficiency extremely low.

Despite a lot of hard work, the increase is still meager.

Lu Heng straightened up and stretched his stiff back.

The resources that could be scavenged on the shore were almost exhausted, and staying any longer would be a waste of time. To replenish the materials, the only option was to venture deeper into the forest.

The dense forest behind him stretched far into the distance, its lush trees blocking out most of the sunlight, creating a dark and tranquil atmosphere. The unknown represented danger, but also untapped resources. Now that the old territory was no longer safe, he had no choice but to actively explore new areas.

Lu Heng adjusted his overall condition.

He fastened his arm armor, put his Hunting Blade back in place, and secured his Giant-Feather Crossbow. After confirming that there were no oversights in his equipment, he stepped into the forest.

The thick layer of fallen leaves beneath his feet made each step soft and quiet. A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, masking the sound of his footsteps.

He maintained a steady pace, slowly making his way deeper, his gaze sweeping evenly over the grass and trees on both sides, the blind spots behind the trees, and the dark corners of the bushes, probing the way while keeping an eye out for usable supplies along the way.

His mind was completely focused on searching and being wary of the environment, and he was fully absorbed in exploring the dense forest before him.

Lu Heng was completely unaware.

From the moment he first set foot on the land on the opposite bank, a gaze was already fixed on him from the deepest shadows of the dense forest.

That was spying hidden to the extreme.

At first, when the territory was invaded by outsiders, the creatures in the shadows were only purely wary, lying in wait and observing from afar, sizing up this suddenly appearing stranger.

The unfamiliar, the unknown, the intrusion into its territory—it instinctively keeps its distance and observes quietly.

But as Lu Heng walked deeper and deeper, constantly crossing the boundaries of the forest and stepping into one core area after another, slowly infiltrating its exclusive territory, the initial faint vigilance gradually fermented and intensified.

It turned into extreme vigilance.

It could sense that this human was constantly penetrating deeper and encroaching on its territory.

The being lurking in the shadows completely lowered its body, limbs pressed to the ground, concealing all its presence, its heartbeat, movement, and breath all suppressed to nothing. The shadows of the branches and leaves perfectly concealed its body, and the sound of the wind in the forest perfectly masked its tracks.

It no longer stands still and observes.

They started following silently.

Not too far, not too close, always separated by a safe blind spot, it hung steadily behind Lu Heng in the blind spot of his vision.

Lu Heng took a step forward, and it followed a step further in the shadows.

The entire process was silent and completely concealed.

There were no surprise attacks, no shouts, no demonstrations, only utterly silent following and relentless surveillance.

Lu Heng, focused on exploring and searching, was completely unaware of this.

He continued to cautiously observe his surroundings, wary of the strange beasts in the open, the ambushes in the shadows, and the unusual movements among the plants, but he never imagined that the real danger was never around him, but was always right behind him.

The entire dark, dense forest was eerily quiet.

The road ahead seemed safe and secure, but the shadow behind him had completely ensnared him.