Testing the Gun

Bang!

The gunshots exploded like a muffled thunderclap over the riverbank.

Shotgun shells blasted across the river, tearing through the water and creating a fan-shaped spray that rose three to four meters high. Tiny water droplets mixed with pebbles swept across the grassy bank like shrapnel.

This shot was not fatal.

It's a declaration of war.

The nine Black-Eyed Bear trembled at the sound of the gunshot, their pure black pupils suddenly contracting. The closest ones instinctively took a half step back, their claws scraping against the gravel with a harsh, screeching sound.

But Lu Heng didn't give them time to react.

He carried the gun and walked step by step toward the riverbank.

His pace was slow, but each step was extremely steady, the sound of his shoes grinding against the gravel clearly audible. The Bone Demon followed beside him, its dark red eyes scanning the entire riverbank, a low hum emanating from its throat.

One in front of the other.

One person and one devil.

They walked around openly and without any attempt to conceal themselves.

The Black-Eyed Bear on the riverbank were completely enraged.

In all their years of life, they had never seen anything like it—a human, accompanied by a monster, daring to be so arrogant in front of nine Black-Eyed Bear.

Anger overwhelmed instinctive vigilance.

The two Black-Eyed Bear moved first.

They abandoned the shallow fishing area, pushed off the ground with all four limbs, their massive bodies like two moving black hills, charging straight at Lu Heng. The pebbles under their feet were trampled and scattered, and the waves they created slammed onto the bank, mud and grass clippings mixed with water splashing everywhere.

The ground is shaking.

Two Black-Eyed Bear charged at full speed, each the size of an adult buffalo, their muscles rippling beneath their fur, their claws outstretched, their toes carving deep furrows in the mud.

Lu Heng stopped in his tracks.

He did not retreat, dodge, or seek cover.

He stood there, holding the Kiss of Nightmare, the muzzle slightly lowered, aimed at the direction of the charge.

wait.

Wait until they get a little closer.

Fifty meters.

Forty meters.

Thirty meters.

The fastest Black-Eyed Bear had already rushed to the front, its mouth wide open, revealing a mouthful of gleaming white fangs, saliva spurting from the corners of its mouth, forming thin strands in the air. Its eyes were bloodshot, and its pure black pupils were filled only with rage and murderous intent.

Twenty meters.

Lu Heng pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The gunshot rang out.

At a distance of twenty meters, the shotgun pellets barely spread out, hitting the Black-Eyed Bear's entire head with concentrated force, like an invisible giant hammer smashing down on it from the front.

The Black-Eyed Bear's head exploded the instant it was hit.

It didn't crack, it didn't shatter—it exploded.

As the bullet pierced the skull, the immense impact forced its way into the sealed cranial cavity, causing intracranial pressure to surge to its limit within milliseconds, bursting the entire skull from the inside. Bone fragments, brain matter, and blood splattered radially, spraying out over a range of three to four meters, like a flesh-and-blood bomb exploding in the air. The grass below was instantly soaked in thick blood, staining a large area red. Bone fragments embedded themselves in the soil, and a few strands of bloodied fur clung to nearby bushes, still trembling slightly.

The massive body, even after losing its head, did not immediately lose its forward momentum. It staggered forward two more steps, its limbs mechanically stomping the ground, each step creating a deep crater in the mud. Then its forelimbs gave way, and its entire body, like a collapsing wall, crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of mud and gravel.

Completely devoid of life.

Another Black-Eyed Bear had already pounced close.

It witnessed the entire process of its companion's head exploding, but the momentum of its charge was too great to stop it in time. Raising its furious claws high, with a piercing shriek that tore through the air, it slammed its claws straight at Lu Heng's head.

The Bone Demon moved.

It sprang up from Lu Heng's side, its entire body like a dark red lightning bolt, colliding head-on with the Black-Eyed Bear.

Boom!

The two massive bodies collided, producing a dull thud. The Bone Demon's arms gripped the Black-Eyed Bear's forelimbs tightly, its claws digging deep into the ground, forcefully withstanding the Black-Eyed Bear's full-force slap.

The Black-Eyed Bear possessed immense strength; with a single slap, the Bone Demon's shoulder bone creaked. Yet, the Bone Demon remained unmoved, its dark red eyes showing no pain, only pure fighting spirit.

It clung tightly to the Black-Eyed Bear, preventing it from escaping.

Two bodies were entangled together, rolling and wrestling on the riverbank. Gravel was crushed, mud was stirred up, and water splashed everywhere.

During a lull in the fighting, the Bone Demon's massive maw suddenly opened.

The mouth, usually hidden beneath the torso, suddenly split open, revealing layers of serrated teeth, and bit down on the Black-Eyed Bear's belly.

Sharp teeth pierced through fur, tore through muscle, and embedded themselves deep into flesh.

The Black-Eyed Bear let out a shrill scream, its entire body twisting violently, its four paws kicking wildly, desperately trying to break free. Its strength was indeed terrifying— the Bone Demon was flung off the ground, its body tracing an arc in the air, but it held on tightly and refused to let go.

In the end, the Black-Eyed Bear used brute force to create distance.

But the cost was devastating.

A large chunk of flesh was torn from its flank, the wound was half a meter long, the skin and flesh turned inside out, the scarlet muscle tissue exposed to the air, and several sections of intestines slid out from the edge of the wound, covered with mucus and blood, glistening nauseatingly in the sunlight.

His injuries were extremely severe; he was beyond saving.

Without pausing after landing, the Bone Demon pushed off with its four claws and pounced again. Its sharp teeth and claws tore open the wound, making it larger and deeper, completely extinguishing its life force.

The Black-Eyed Bear's struggles grew weaker and weaker.

From violent writhing to slow convulsions, and finally to complete paralysis.

It took less than thirty seconds in total.

Two Black-Eyed Bear, one dead and one crippled.

The remaining Black-Eyed Bear on the riverbank witnessed all of this and were completely stunned.

They stood frozen in place, some still half-standing, some with half a fish in their mouths, and some with their claws still dangling in mid-air. In their pure black pupils, the rage had completely subsided, replaced by a primal, instinctive fear.

Of the nine Black-Eyed Bear, one reacted completely differently from the other eight.

The Black-Eyed Bear standing behind the crooked willow tree—the very same bear that instigated the leopard's attack on the Shelter —witnessed its companion's head explode and witnessed the horrific scene of the Bone Demon tearing open its belly.

Its eyes were completely filled with fear.

Its jet-black pupils contracted violently, and its limbs trembled uncontrollably. Without hesitation for even a second, it turned and ran.

With its limbs pushing off the ground, its massive body unleashed a speed disproportionate to its size, racing wildly downstream along the riverbank, splashing mud and water in its wake.

It wants to escape.

Escape this area completely.

Lu Heng coldly surveyed the entire room.

The remaining seven Black-Eyed Bear on the riverbank remained frozen in place, too stunned to move by the scene they had just witnessed. The severely wounded Black-Eyed Bear on the ground was already dead, barely clinging to life and twitching with its last breath; it was no longer needed.

He turned his head to look at the Bone Demon.

"Go."

One word.

The Bone Demon raised its head from the dying Black-Eyed Bear, blood and bits of flesh still clinging to its mouth. It released its sharp teeth, pushed off with its limbs, and pounced on the remaining bears.

Freedom to wage war.

The entire riverbank was thrown into chaos.

At the same time, beneath Lu Heng's feet

A snake crawled out of Lu Heng's body.

King Snake.

Its entire body was jet black, its scales gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen in the sunlight. It was far more robust than ordinary snakes, its muscles bulging, coiled on the ground like a black iron chain. Its triangular head was slightly raised, its vertical pupils locked on one direction— the Black-Eyed Bear that was running wildly along the riverbank.

"Chase."

The King Snake shot out like an arrow released from a bow.

Its movement wasn't the usual slithering of snakes, but rather a near-ground-hugging dart. The scales on its belly rubbed against the ground, making a soft rustling sound, and its body stretched into a straight black line, moving so fast that it left a shallow trail in the mud.

Pursue at full speed.

Lu Heng picked up the Kiss of Nightmare and began to wander over it.

The entire riverbank was open and flat, with an unobstructed view. The Black-Eyed Bear finally snapped out of their daze and began to scatter and flee. Some jumped into the river, some burrowed into the bushes on the bank, and some ran blindly along the riverbank.

Lu Heng walked at a leisurely pace.

He deliberately let several ordinary Black-Eyed Bear that tried to escape go.

The gun swept across a Black-Eyed Bear crossing the river, but did not fire. It then swept across another Black-Eyed Bear that had disappeared into the bushes, but still did not fire.

His focus remained fixed on one target— the Black-Eyed Bear that was running wildly along the riverbank and causing trouble behind the scenes.

Bang!

One shot.

A Black-Eyed Bear attempting to intercept the Bone Demon from the side was struck in the hind leg by a shotgun shell. The entire leg was blown off at the knee joint, blood gushing out, and the massive body crashed to the ground.

It wasn't a chase; it was a clearing operation.

Cripple the Black-Eyed Bear that try to interfere with the Bone Demon one by one, so that the Bone Demon has no worries.

Bang! Bang!

Two more shots.

Two Black-Eyed Bear that were trying to huddle together were hit by shotgun pellets. One had its shoulder blown off and the other had its abdomen pierced. They screamed and rolled on the ground.

Lu Heng moved about, firing as he went, the sound of gunfire echoing across the riverbank. His steps remained unhurried, as if he were strolling in his own backyard, occasionally raising his hand to fire a shot, precise and ruthless.

At the farthest point of the riverbank, the King Snake had already caught up with the fleeing Black-Eyed Bear.

It relies on its high-speed, low-altitude flight to relentlessly pursue its opponent's escape route. The Black-Eyed Bear is large and fast on the flat riverbed, but it is clumsy in turning. The King Snake is slender and far more agile than the Black-Eyed Bear. It attacks from the side, constantly coiling around, harassing, and restraining the bear.

The Black-Eyed Bear frantically shook its body, trying to shake off the entangled snake, but the King Snake's constricting power was extremely strong, and every time it was shaken off, it would immediately stick back on.

After several rounds, the Black-Eyed Bear's stamina was greatly depleted, and its speed noticeably slowed down.

King Snake seized the opportunity and suddenly sprang up its upper body.

The Poison Fang strike with precision.

It bit down hard on the Black-Eyed Bear's nape.

The Poison Fang pierce the fur and penetrate the muscle, injecting venom instantly.

The Black-Eyed Bear let out a painful roar, its entire body suddenly stiffening. The deadly poison rapidly invaded its circulatory system, its muscles began to spasm uncontrollably, and the strength in its limbs quickly dissipated. It ran forward a few more steps, but its steps became increasingly unsteady and slower, until finally its forelegs gave way, and it collapsed heavily to its knees on the riverbank.

My whole body is stiff.

Unable to move.

In his pure black pupils, fear had thickened to its extreme.

It tried to turn its head, but its neck was too stiff to move. It tried to stand up, but its limbs were completely unresponsive. The venom spread through its veins like countless cold needles, piercing its limbs and bones from the back of its neck.

Footsteps came from behind.

Not in a hurry, not slowly.

Step by step.

Lu Heng walked up to it.

He stood before the Black-Eyed Bear, looking down at the enormous creature collapsed on the ground. Kiss of Nightmare hung limply at his side, the muzzle of his gun still emitting a final wisp of smoke.

His image was reflected in the Black-Eyed Bear's pure black pupils.

Lu Heng spoke.

His tone was flat, even carrying a hint of nonchalant mockery.

"Why did you stop running?"

The Black-Eyed Bear let out a muffled growl, which sounded like a response, or perhaps a dying gasp.

Lu Heng tilted his head slightly as he looked at it.

"You did it yourself, and then you ran away."

He paused.

"You're a real piece of work."

A river breeze swept by, ruffling the hem of his clothes.

Behind them, the Bone Demon was tearing apart the last struggling Black-Eyed Bear on the riverbank. The King Snake coiled beside the collapsed Black-Eyed Bear, its vertical pupils coldly staring at it, a drop of crystalline venom clinging to its Poison Fang.

The entire riverbank was covered in blood.