Pursuit

The moment Lu Heng stepped into the Black-Eyed Bear's territory, he sensed something was wrong.

It's noisy.

Birdsong poured in from all directions, not just one or two, but flocks of birds chirping and chattering, sharp and dense. There were light footsteps in the bushes, and some small animal was darting around. Occasionally, there was the sound of wings flapping in the treetops overhead, and the leaves were rustling.

The chirping of insects grew louder. The low-frequency buzzing vibrations came from the grass underfoot, mixed with the dampness of the soil, and clung to my trouser legs.

That's not right.

This area isn't usually deserted, but it's certainly not this lively. The Black-Eyed Bear's imposing presence blankets the entire territory; birds dare not call out loudly within its range, and small animals stay as far away as possible.

There's only one explanation for all this noise—

The bear that had been pinning them down was not there.

Lu Heng did not slow down.

He traversed a strip of fallen, dead trees, crossed a dry ditch, and went straight into the heart of the territory.

arrive.

In a clearing surrounded by giant trees, there is a half-person-high blue stone in the center, its surface polished smooth, which is where the Black-Eyed Bear usually lies down.

Empty.

Lu Heng stood in front of the bluestone and looked around.

There is no Black-Eyed Bear.

There wasn't a soul in the territory.

He squatted down and placed his palms on the ground. The soil was dry, without any fresh signs of footsteps. A few coarse hairs lay scattered on the ground beside the bluestone; they had hardened and weren't recently shed.

They ran away.

Lu Heng stood still for two seconds.

Then a cold glint appeared in his eyes, thin and sharp, like frost on the back of a knife.

You can hide, you can conceal yourself, you can scheme against me.

But you can't escape it.

He turned his head to look at the Bone Demon.

The Bone Demon has already moved.

It stood at the edge of the open space, its nose twitching slightly, its dark red eyes locked on a direction. Then, without waiting for Lu Heng's order, it strode directly northward, its steps slow but its direction extremely firm.

Lu Heng followed.

The Bone Demon's sense of smell was more than ten times more sensitive than his; tracking prey was its instinct, and it didn't need him to guide it. He just needed to follow.

The Bone Demon led him across the northern edge of the territory, around a scree slope. Large patches of fresh trampling marks and crisscrossing footprints began to appear on the ground along the way, but the Bone Demon did not stop to study these traces. It simply sniffed the scent in the air and headed northeast.

After walking for about twenty minutes, Lu Heng smelled a fishy odor.

He slowed his pace, lowered his body, and pushed aside a clump of bushes about half a person's height in front of him.

The field of vision suddenly opened up.

A river.

The river is not wide, about thirty meters wide, and the water is clear but flows very fast, with the pebbles on the riverbed clearly visible. The banks are flat riverbeds, covered with gravel and fine sand, which gleam grayish-white in the sunlight.

Lu Heng's pupils contracted slightly.

On the riverbank and in the river, they were densely packed, lying, standing, and soaking— Black-Eyed Bear.

He counted them quickly.

Eight.

No, nine. There's one in the farthest distance, half-submerged in the water, with only its back and head showing; we almost missed it.

Nine Black-Eyed Bear.

Lu Heng was originally only chasing one.

The Black-Eyed Bear that secretly propelled the leopard to attack the Shelter was alone. The Bone Demon had also sensed only one. But now, there were nine before him.

It didn't run alone; it mingled with the herd.

The smallest of them were as big as an adult water buffalo, while the largest one was in the middle of the river, the water only covering its belly, its shoulders and back protruding above the water like a small black hill. Their fur was jet black and shiny, gleaming coldly in the sunlight, and the most striking feature was their eyes—pure black pupils with no whites, like two obsidian stones embedded in their sockets.

Black-Eyed Bear.

Its name reflects its appearance.

They were scattered across the river; some were fishing in the shallows, some were sunbathing on the riverbank, and some were huddled together, lazily half-closing their eyes. The whole scene looked relaxed, languid, and even somewhat absurdly peaceful.

But Lu Heng was not fooled by this illusion.

He crouched behind the bushes, his gaze sweeping over the first Black-Eyed Bear to the last, twice.

Then he understood.

Of the nine Black-Eyed Bear, one holds a very delicate position.

It wasn't soaking in the water, nor was it lying on the riverbank. It stood on the edge of the river, its body half-hidden behind a crooked willow tree. Its posture seemed casual, but its center of gravity was slightly forward, and the muscles in its hind legs were taut—a posture ready to exert force at any moment.

Moreover, its gaze was not directed towards the river surface, but rather upstream.

That direction is precisely the direction of the Black-Eyed Bear's territory.

It's watching the way it came.

Lu Heng's lips twitched slightly.

Well thought out.

It deliberately ran out of its territory and mingled with the group. It was betting that when Lu Heng caught up with it, he would hesitate in the face of nine Black-Eyed Bear, be wary of a group battle, and be afraid of a lose-lose situation, and would ultimately choose to retreat and swallow its anger.

Lu Heng shifted his gaze from the Black-Eyed Bear that was keeping watch and scanned the remaining eight.

Each one is highly similar in size, fur color, and eye color. They huddle together, some so close that their fur is pressed against each other, making it almost impossible to tell them apart.

I can't tell the difference.

Lu Heng slowly exhaled.

He crouched behind the bushes, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of the Rat King Bone Knife. The icy touch of the bone knife traveled up his fingertips, completely calming his mind.

Then he laughed.

It wasn't a happy laugh; it was the kind of detached, cold laugh that comes from seeing through someone's trickery.

You hide yourself in your tribe, using your tribe as a shield, betting that I won't dare to make a move.

good.

Since you've deliberately brought trouble upon the tribe, I'll go along with it.

You're using your ethnicity as a shield; I'll smash that shield too.

You use your ethnicity as a shield, so I'll take that shield along with you.

This isn't because I want to wipe out your entire clan.

You chose it yourself.

His eyes changed.

That coldness spread from the depths of his eyes to his entire face, like a thin layer of ice covering his skin. There was no anger, no anxiety, only an extremely pure, almost mechanical decision.

Then none of them will need to run around.

Lu Heng released his hand from the hilt of the bone knife and slowly reached for the Wristband.

His fingers grasped a cold, heavy object.

Kiss of Nightmare.

He took it out.

The gun was long and slender, its entire body matte, with no reflective metallic surface. The grip's texture conformed to the palm, cold and steady. Since he acquired this gun, he had never truly fired it at full power. In previous battles, he either hadn't needed to use it, or his opponents weren't worth revealing this trump card to.

But it was worth it now.

Lu Heng stood up.

He did not lower his body, conceal his movements, or seek cover.

He came out directly from behind the bushes.

The sound of footsteps on the gravel was crisp and unhurried.

On the riverbank, the Black-Eyed Bear closest to him was the first to hear the noise, raising its head and fixing its pure black pupils on him. Then came the second, the third... all nine pairs of black eyes turned around and locked onto the human who emerged from the bushes.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The nine Black-Eyed Bear stood up at the same time.

The smallest of them were as big as an adult water buffalo, while the largest one was soaking in the middle of the river, water flowing down its shoulders and back, its exposed back resembling a small black hill. Their fur was jet black and shiny, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

Nine pairs of pure black eyes stared at Lu Heng.

Lu Heng was also looking at them.

His expression was calm, as if he were looking at nine completely dead corpses.

Then he raised his arm.

Kiss of Nightmare pointed its gun at the riverbank.

There was no targeting, no search for weaknesses, and no calculation of the angle.

unnecessary.

Today is a good opportunity to thoroughly test the true potential of Kiss of Nightmare.

Was it Black-Eyed Bear's incredible luck, or the sheer power of the gun in his hand?