The hunt

The cold light of the Survival Bracelet flashed briefly on my wrist and then went out.

Several announcements were issued, each word concise and to the point.

The Portal the Blackwater Swamp and the Hill Valley have been breached.

The assault on the Mist Forest failed, and all participating survivors perished.

The regional Portal has malfunctioned, opening up free hunting opportunities Global Region.

Lu Heng's fingertips brushed against the Wristband screen, and the gloom that had been building up in his eyes for three days completely dissipated.

The three-day cycle in Moonview Valley involves sword practice, meditation, and reflection, repeating mechanically day after day.

It has the fighting power to rival anyone.

He harbored murderous intent, but had no outlet for it.

With the targets locked by the rules, all the monsters avoided battle and went into hiding, plunging the outside world into a deadly stalemate.

Now, all constraints are null and void.

He turned and stepped out of the Shelter.

With a slight thought, the Star Wolf solidified and landed on the ground, its starlight contained within its body, and its four feet landed silently.

Lu Heng turned over and sat down, his figure suddenly bursting through the air, heading straight for the dark, Misty Forest in the distance.

As we sped along at full speed, the scenery along the way rushed past.

The surrounding environment is visibly distorted due to its proximity to the forest.

The sounds of wind, insects, and trembling vegetation that normally fill a mountain forest have all disappeared.

The air was cold and sticky, with a thin layer of demonic energy clinging to the skin.

The closer you get to the core area, the thicker the milky white fog becomes, layer upon layer covering the forest, obscuring the sky and blocking out all visibility.

The moment I stepped into the forest, the sensation under my feet changed.

The thick layer of decaying leaves is soft and slippery, falling silently and completely swallowing up any footsteps.

The woods were a scene of utter devastation.

Broken weapons, shattered armor fragments, and torn pack bags were scattered haphazardly. Blackened, dried bloodstains and fragmented remains were everywhere in the gaps between the decaying leaves.

Dead bodies were everywhere.

Lu Heng didn't stop walking. His gaze swept across the surroundings, passing over the tattered equipment, the twisted corpses, and the chaotic traces of battle.

In an instant, all the problems became clear.

The wild animals native to this forest have long since disappeared.

The monsters that overflowed from the Portal spread outwards, taking advantage of their stealth in the fog to hunt in groups. The native wild beasts, with no cover and no coordination, were slaughtered. The original ecosystem of the entire forest area was completely destroyed, and there was no longer any force to restrain them.

Secondly, and most fatally, is the difference in innate abilities.

Human survivors' ability to conceal their presence is a skill honed through hard work, barely enough to mask basic detection, leaving numerous openings.

The Green Demon and the Goblin's ability to hide is a racial instinct.

Dense fog is their natural camouflage, and decaying leaves are their silent backdrop.

The entire Mist Forest is a hunting ground specifically designed for monsters.

The human squad entered this area, but their vision was limited and their formation was disrupted by the fog.

Unable to see the lurking enemy or hear any approaching sounds, they could only passively endure endless sneak attacks, harassment, and attrition.

The complete annihilation was to be expected.

Lu Heng took a step and steadily stepped into the depths of the thick fog.

This place is a death trap for humans; to him, it is simply the purest hunting ground.

At a depth of 300 meters, the fog layer swayed slightly.

Several hunched, dark figures drifted slowly through the gaps in the white mist.

Their movements were extremely light, their bodies moving close to the shadows of the trees, their breath kept very low, almost blending into the surrounding mist.

Black Iron Tier Green Demon Minion.

The lowest-tier overflowing monsters in the forest area are numerous and scattered, specifically hunting lone or wounded survivors.

They lie in wait, patiently lying in wait, waiting for their prey to walk into their trap.

Lu Heng didn't even pause.

The Mycelium spread silently underground, weaving along the shallow layer of decaying leaves without causing any disturbance.

The Green Demon, wandering in the fog, remained oblivious, continuing its silent advance.

The Mycelium suddenly tightened in the next second.

Several hoarse, fragmented roars had just escaped their throats when their bodies were already being torn apart by the silk threads.

Several Black Iron soldiers fell to the ground instantly, completely silent, without making a sound or disturbing the forest area in the slightest.

After clearing out the remaining soldiers, Lu Heng continued deeper into the enemy territory.

The fog grew thicker, reducing visibility to less than three meters.

The intertwined branches of the ancient trees blocked out all sunlight, making the forest dark and oppressive, with unknown, lurking threats hidden in every corner.

A moment later, the movement of the foggy area ahead became regular and orderly.

The six Green Demon stood in staggered positions, blocking each other from the front and back, and protecting each other from the left and right, forming a complete small battle formation.

They advanced in shifts, using the ancient trees as cover, maintaining a unified rhythm and subtly blocking all routes of advance.

Bronze Tier Green Demon Squad.

Compared to the scattered Black Iron minions, these monsters have tougher bodies, more ferocious strength, and basic team tactics.

They know how to conceal themselves, ambush in stages, and use the terrain to encircle and kill.

In this misty forest, this squad is capable of tearing apart any ordinary survivor team.

The moment they spotted Lu Heng, the six Green Demon abandoned their hiding place, roared, and charged forward, breaking through the fog.

Lu Heng stood firm, neither dodging nor retreating.

The Mycelium on the soles of the feet instantly exploded horizontally, spreading rapidly along the ground and precisely blocking the routes of those attempting to flank from both sides.

In an instant, the Bronze Squad's encirclement formation was completely broken.

The momentum of the Green Demon advancing in the front row stalled, and the connection between the front and back rows was completely broken.

Lu Heng conjured Star Blade in his palm, its pale purple light contained within the blade, without any ostentatious display.

He pressed his body forward, delivering a swift, instantaneous slash.

The blade precisely bit into the weak point where the Green Demon's body was connected, breaking through its defenses in one strike and ending it in another.

There were no unnecessary movements, no ineffective pulling.

Taking advantage of the openings in their formation, they systematically eliminated the remaining enemies one by one.

Within moments, all six Bronze Tier Green Demon collapsed to the ground, their bodies limp on the decaying leaves, lifeless.

The forest returned to deathly silence.

Lu Heng swept his gaze across the battlefield, making a swift and decisive assessment in his mind.

Green Demon at the Black Iron and Bronze levels are only a threat because of the terrain.

Once they are no longer able to launch a covert attack, their direct combat capabilities are easily defeated.

The real threat lies deep within the fog.

He took another step, advancing towards the core area where the demonic energy was most concentrated.

The deeper you go, the heavier the fog becomes, the quieter it gets, and the more oppressive it feels.

The entire forest seemed to fall into complete silence, with only the subtle movement of the slowly billowing mist remaining.

After walking several dozen meters, two figures stood silently in the shadow of a giant ancient tree.

He remained completely still throughout, his aura vanished entirely, blending seamlessly into the darkness and thick fog without a single flaw.

As soon as Lu Heng stepped into the critical attack range, the two figures suddenly sprang into action.

Heavy armor rumbled ahead, Black Iron plates clanging as a burly figure wielding a bone battle axe charged forward with overwhelming force, crushing everything in its path.

Silver Tier Goblin Warrior.

From the shadows of the trees behind him, a short figure raised his hand and conjured a dark green magic orb. The sinister aura of magic instantly locked onto Lu Heng's vital points, poised to strike.

Silver Tier Goblin Mage.

These two types of Silver Tier units are the core reason for the collapse of the Mist Forest.

The Goblin ' stealth abilities, tactical awareness, and teamwork far surpass those of the Green Demon.

The warrior, heavily armored and resistant to pressure, locked down enemy movement from the front, forcefully restraining and pulling the enemy.

The mage hides in the shadows, launching ranged spell attacks to exploit weaknesses and vital points.

One is close, one is far; one attacks, one supports.

Utilizing the dense fog to block vision, conceal positions, and launch surprise attacks, it perfectly counters all human team-based push strategies.

Countless survivors in the past have had their formations shattered by this tactic, gradually being devoured one by one, ultimately leading to their complete annihilation.

Lu Heng's eyes were cold and composed, and his response was clear and methodical.

Prioritize controlling long-range targets, then break through short-range ones.

The Mycelium spreads in advance, precisely locking onto the area beneath the mage's feet, instantly binding their limbs and cutting off all routes for retreat, evasion, and stealth attacks.

Suddenly imprisoned, the mage's body stiffened, and the magic orb he had been preparing was forced to leave his hand prematurely.

The dark green ball of light streaked across the air and struck the trunk of the ancient tree, shattering it into countless pieces that missed their target.

The advantage gained through a surprise attack was instantly negated.

At the same time, the heavily armored warriors' charge had already reached them.

Lu Heng dodged precisely to the side, narrowly avoiding the range of the savage battle axe's heavy blow.

Taking advantage of the opponent's momentum during the charge, he closed in and unleashed a short burst of Star Blade.

The blade pierced precisely into the gap between the armor plates, producing a crisp sound, and the heavy iron armor shattered instantly.

The soldier's charge came to an abrupt halt, his body instantly losing strength and collapsing to the ground.

Having dealt with the melee threat, Lu Heng turned to look at the Goblin Mage who was firmly locked in place by the Mycelium.

Having lost cover, teammates, and opportunities for ambush, the Silver Mage is no longer a threat.

A swift and clean finish.

Two Silver Tier combatants were completely eliminated.

The Wristband lit up at the right time, displaying the latest system notification.

[Global Region Warning: The Mist Forest Portal remains unstable.]

[Silver Tier Goblin units continue to overflow and spread within the area.]

Lu Heng glanced down at the text.

The pent-up boredom, frustration, and unreleased fighting spirit of the past few days finally boiled over.

He finally fully understood the logic behind the defeat in this region.

Humanity's defeat has never been due to a lack of fighting power.

It's due to environmental constraints, overwhelming racial Talent, and an absolute disadvantage in terms of innate vision and concealment.

But these so-called game-winning advantages are meaningless in his face.

The thick fog couldn't obscure his senses, his lurking couldn't hide from his detection, and his advantage of the terrain was completely rendered useless.

There are no rules to bind us, and no will to interfere.

A constant stream of monsters overflowed, turning the entire misty forest into his exclusive hunting ground.

From the depths of the thick fog ahead, the faint, low roars of demons echoed, layer upon layer, drawing ever closer.

Lu Heng gripped the Star Blade tightly and took a step forward.

Thick white fog churned on both sides, obscuring the boundless, dark forest.

The grand feast begins.