The Tiger
The snowstorm continued unabated throughout the night, and as dawn broke, the entire snowfield remained a pristine white.
For days, extreme cold has locked the mountains and forests in place. The colors of the world have long been stripped away by the wind and snow, leaving only a depressing, monotonous, and deathly white. Occasionally, the crisp sound of branches breaking can be heard from the depths of the forest, only to be swallowed up by the howling wind in an instant. The entire mountain forest is eerily quiet, and also deeply dangerous.
Lu Heng woke up early.
The stove inside was still warm, and the fatigue from last night's arduous training had completely faded away, bringing him to his peak physical and mental state. He stood up straight and carefully put on the brand-new Tusked Wild Boar hide armor, layer by layer, fastening the shoulder guards, waist guards, and leg guards one by one. The buckles were tightly fastened, and the leather was hard and thick, making it feel secure and reassuring against his body.
The Hunting Blade in his hand was cold and sharp; the Hand Crossbow was loaded.
He carefully stored the Cold Stiff Poison Gland and the Spider Poison Gland in his Storage Slot, just in case.
Once fully dressed, I pushed open the door and stepped outside.
A biting wind swept in, its piercing chill striking the outer layer of his mask but unable to penetrate his skin. The new leather armor offered far greater protection than the old one, a weighty sense of security enveloping his entire body, giving him the confidence to face any danger head-on.
Walking on the snow-covered forest path, the snow crunched underfoot, a monotonous and repetitive sound.
Lu Heng's mind was calm, yet a faint, inexplicable restlessness lingered beneath.
It's the third day.
The first day's opponent was a single-headed Mirror-Image Giant-Antlered Deer, which was brute force and fierce, but its strength lay in its ability to pull, maneuver, and control the pace.
The second day involves a pack of Gray-Fang Wolf Pack, cunning and sticking together, skilled in tactical encirclement, which suddenly doubles the difficulty.
The trials are never lenient; they only get more demanding each day.
Given this increasing difficulty, today's ferocious beast is definitely not to be underestimated.
His fingers tightened slightly around the hilt of the knife, and he sighed inwardly. Living peacefully was too difficult. On this frozen land, every day was a struggle for survival, with no room for laziness, no room for retreat.
Following the red markers illuminated by his Wristband, Lu Heng steadily made his way deeper into the forest.
The closer they got to the target area, the heavier the surrounding silence became. Even the wind seemed to be lowered, and the entire forest seemed to be deliberately holding its breath, brewing an impending fierce battle.
Just tens of meters away from the target open space, a deep, resonant thud pierced through the wind and snow, clearly reaching our ears.
It wasn't the sound of wind, nor the sound of falling snow.
It was a low growl.
The sound was extremely low and deep, accompanied by continuous chest vibrations, a muffled rumble, like a distant, slow-running engine, carrying an extremely strong sense of oppression, making one's eardrums slightly numb.
Lu Heng suddenly stopped, his mind instantly tensing up.
They've arrived.
It's going to be another tough battle.
He lowered his body, moved quietly, and, using the scattered dead trees on both sides as cover, cautiously made his way forward, his movements slow and gentle, without making a sound.
A dozen seconds later, the view suddenly opened up.
A clean, open snowfield appeared before them, and in the very center of the clearing lay a colossal beastly shadow.
The moment Lu Heng saw the figure clearly, a faint, self-deprecating laugh tugged at the corner of his mouth.
That's really ruthless.
This system is truly determined to take my life.
Lying in the center of the snow was a tiger far larger than the Grayfang Wolf King.
Its body is robust and agile, with smooth lines and explosive power. Its fur is covered with a thin layer of snow, yet it does not appear desolate at all. The posture of lying on the ground has an inherent domineering aura that looks down on the mountains and forests. Even when it is lying still, you can feel the oppressive feeling of a top predator in its bones.
Lu Heng stopped approaching and summoned the Wristband for identification.
A flash of blue light, and the animal data was clearly displayed.
[Trial Beast: Mirror Image - Forest Rock Tiger]
[Rank: Black Iron Tier]
[Brief Introduction: The absolute king of the mountains and forests, possessing a powerful physique, terrifying explosive power, and extremely keen senses. His reaction speed, sprinting speed, and instantaneous killing power completely overwhelm wolves and deer. Naturally proud, his robust body is impervious to extreme cold. He lives alone as king, with an extremely strong sense of territory; once war breaks out, it will be a fight to the death.]
After reading the introduction, Lu Heng had a complete understanding of the situation.
The ferocious beasts of the previous two days were just a prelude.
Today, this is the true mountain of the food chain.
If it were me from two days ago, walking head-on into an open area and being discovered, I'm afraid my game would have collapsed instantly from the start.
Having experienced the battle with the Wolf Pack and watched countless survivors' insidious tactics on the channel, Lu Heng was somewhat inspired.
He slowly took half a step back, completely disappearing into the shadows of the trees on the side.
Avoid direct confrontation.
Do not expose your body.
First a sneak attack, then a tug-of-war.
He patiently scanned his surroundings, choosing a concealed spot with thick snow, perfect tree trunks providing cover, and an unobstructed view. This spot allowed him to completely hide while maintaining unobstructed visibility of the center of the open area—an ideal position for a sneak attack.
The Forest Rock Tiger in the center of the clearing still lay lazily on the snow.
It showed no sign of impending battle, its limbs outstretched, its head slightly drooping, its posture relaxed and content. Snowflakes fell on its fur, quickly piling up in a thin layer, but it paid no attention.
The biting cold of minus ten degrees Celsius seemed to have no effect on this king of the mountains.
It lay there quietly, relaxed and at ease, as if all the fighting, crises, and extreme suffering in the world had nothing to do with it.
A king's pride is etched into his very bones.
Seeing the tiger's relaxed and unguarded posture, Lu Heng's eyes flickered slightly, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
When the enemy relaxes their guard, that's your best chance.
He raised his Hand Crossbow, his movements steady and practiced.
This time, he prepared two arrows in advance.
The instant the arrow is fired, without wasting a moment, one immediately raises the bowstring and nocks a second arrow, ready to deliver a series of finishing blows. Giving the ferocious beast no respite, no chance to counterattack, no opportunity to dodge, one launches a relentless, relentless attack.
He wouldn't bother with any of those fair and square duel rules when fighting such a top-tier beast.
In this Survival World, only those who survive are the winners.
Lu Heng held his breath and focused his mind completely, his gaze fixed on the vital points of the tiger's head, and slowly released his fingers.
call out--
The first arrow pierced the air, tearing through the air currents, and shot straight toward the tiger lying comfortably in the center of the snow.
The distance was short, and the speed was extremely fast.
In Lu Heng's prediction, this arrow would definitely hit its target.
Just as the arrow was about to touch its body, the seemingly lazy, sleeping, and unsuspecting Forest Rock Tiger suddenly twisted its body.
There were no prior warnings, no movement to get up; it was purely an extreme instinct and a terrifying sensory anticipation.
His body shifted slightly in an instant.
The deadly arrow grazed the tiger's fur and embedded itself deeply in the snow behind it, kicking up a cloud of snow.
Failed!
Lu Heng's pupils contracted slightly, and his heart skipped a beat.
What a quick reaction!
Without giving anyone time to be surprised, he flipped his wrist with lightning speed, preparing to immediately unleash a second arrow to finish off the opening.
But the next second, the tiger in the middle of the open space suddenly moved.
His previous lazy and carefree attitude completely crumbled.
It pushed off the ground with all four limbs, its massive body instantly launching into the air at such speed that it left only a blurry afterimage. Without hesitation or delay, it instantly switched from a deep sleep to its ultimate battle stance, charging straight towards Lu Heng, who was hidden in the woods!
Its speed far exceeded that of any ferocious beast he had ever seen.
The advantage gained from the surprise attack was lost in an instant.
The carefully planned sneak attack was completely shattered by the tiger's terrifying reaction.