novelraw Chapter 14 The Transformation of Hunter and Prey
Chapter 14 The Transformation of Hunter and Prey
I don't know if it's just my imagination, but once we entered the depths of the Loman Forest, even the air seemed to become heavy.
The afternoon heat, mixed with the smell of earth and a strange, fishy odor, kept wafting into Chen Huai's nose.
At that moment, he suddenly realized that being a superhuman wasn't all that great; this heightened sense of perception compared to ordinary people sometimes meant having to endure more.
Compared to the unpleasant smell, what bothered him more was a faint sense of crisis.
Chen Huai walked behind Zhou Yan, his mind highly focused.
His 34 points of mental energy spread outwards like invisible tentacles.
Ordinary people can only see the dim trees and vines, and hear their own heavy breathing and the faint sound of their feet crunching on fallen leaves.
But in Chen Huai's perception, the sounds that should have belonged to the forest were shrouded in a thin film, making them feel very oppressive.
It was as if the animals in this forest had sensed something in advance; so far, they hadn't seen a single hairy pig, or even a wild rabbit.
"It's too quiet."
Even Lao Lei sensed something was wrong.
He stood close to Chen Huai, his eyes scanning every suspicious shadow nervously. Although he didn't have Chen Huai's sense of perception, his years of hunting experience made him feel uneasy as well.
Zhou Yan led the way, deliberately slowing his pace. Li Qiang and Wang Hu followed in a triangular formation, while Amu and Lao Lei flanked Chen Huai on either side. Da Tian brought up the rear of the group.
Suddenly, Li Qiang, who was walking ahead to the side to scout the way, stopped abruptly.
Before him, a patch of grass had been brutally trampled flat, revealing a clear footprint in the wet, black mud.
It is about the size of an adult man's palm, with three toes, the tips of which are deeply embedded in the soil, leaving several deep holes.
What attracted Chen Huai's attention most was that at the front of the footprint, the soil was cut with three deep furrows, as if plowed by three sharp blades.
A faint, pungent smell, a mixture of rust and blood, wafted from the footprints.
"It's... Razor Claw!"
Old Lei's voice trembled uncontrollably, and his face turned deathly pale instantly.
"Damn it, it's really nearby!"
Zhou Yan's pupils contracted sharply, and he abruptly raised his hand to signal for silence.
He turned around and his gaze briefly met that of Da Tian and the others, giving a barely perceptible nod.
"Sir, should we retreat? This Razor Claw is very ferocious."
Zhou Yan looked at Chen Huai in the middle of the group and said in a deep voice, his worry almost overflowing, but there was a hint of expectation hidden deep in his eyes.
Chen Huai did not answer, but instead turned his gaze to a grove of trees opposite. In a place where Zhou Yan and the others could not see, a lizard-like body covered in scales was lying there, shimmering with a damp and cold light in the dim light.
Including its tail, which lashes out like a steel whip, it is over five meters long and quite enormous.
At the same time, a semi-transparent panel emerged from the shadows in Chen Huai's field of vision:
[Target: Razor Claw (Mutant)]
[Level: LV5]
【Strength: 26】
[Physical Fitness: 21]
[Agility: 30]
【Spirit: 8】
[Skills: Tear Claw Strike, High-Speed Assault]
Threat Level: Medium
LV5!
However, Chen Huai was not afraid. Unlike the cat demon, the Razor Claw in front of him, although high in attribute, was not out of reach.
This is a dangerous predator, possessing both speed and strength, with sharp claws capable of easily tearing flesh apart.
But... it is not invincible.
"It's probably too late to retreat now."
Chen Huai spoke slowly, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
Seeing this, Zhou Yan frowned slightly, then suddenly growled urgently:
"Don't move! Back up slowly..."
Before he could finish speaking, Da Tian, who was at the back of the group, suddenly tripped over a slippery tree root and fell forward with a short cry of surprise!
Just as Dae-tae collapsed, a piercing shriek that tore through the air came from the depths of the dense forest!
From the shadows, a colossal creature suddenly pounced!
It resembles a monitor lizard, but is far more terrifying than any other lizard.
The triangular head has a snout covered with serrated, horny protrusions that opens to reveal dagger-like fangs.
Three hooks, each as long as an adult's arm, gleamed like curved razors and were now pouncing with a devastating force, hurtling straight toward Da Tian, who had just staggered to his feet!
"Ota!"
Zhou Yan's exclamation carried just the right amount of panic, but her gaze was fixed on Chen Huai's face, filled with urgent pleading:
"My lord! Please save him!"
Although the scenario he had envisioned—where the young man was provoked into action—did not materialize, he reacted swiftly and immediately switched to another plan.
Based on his observations over the past few days, and considering Chen Huai's initial act of risking injury to save Lao Lei and the others, he concluded that Chen Huai was not only an unsophisticated scion of a wealthy family, but also an overly kind-hearted person.
According to his judgment, Chen Huai should immediately rise up and heroically stand in front of Da Tian to meet Razor Claw's sharp blade.
[A side quest has been detected]
[Mission: Razor Claw's Assault]
[Description: A deadly attack launched by a hungry razor claw is likely too much for an ordinary person to withstand. Zhou Yan desperately cries for help to you.]
Objective: To stop Razor Claw's attack and protect the lives of the Wild Grass Camp members.
Basic Reward: 200 Experience Points
[Note: Speed is life; hesitation leads to defeat]
The task notification flashed, conveying an undeniable sense of urgency.
However, Chen Huai's gaze swept past the light screen, past Zhou Yan's anxious face, past Da Tian who was struggling to get up, and finally settled on the Razor Claw that was about to pounce.
The faint smile on his face seemed to widen a little.
With a gentle tap of the mind on the virtual screen.
【reject】
Chen Huai did not move under Zhou Yan's gaze.
He stood firmly in place like a cold stone statue.
His expression was frighteningly calm, and even his deep eyes were completely still.
He watched silently as Razor Claw transformed into a deathly gray shadow, carrying a stench as it hurtled towards his companions.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Hold!"
A short curse was squeezed out from between Zhou Yan's teeth.
All the calculations collapsed the moment Razor Claw's deadly blade was less than ten meters from Da Tian!
There was no time to question Chen Huai about why he stood by and watched Da Tian die. He couldn't possibly let Razor Claw kill Da Tian like that, especially since Li Qiang and Wang Hu both knew it was his arrangement.
Zhou Yan suddenly reached into his robes, and as he raised his arm, a black pistol appeared in his hand!
Who would have thought that in a wilderness camp where even unrusted knives are hard to find, there would actually be a decent-quality pistol!
This was clearly his trump card, his last resort, which he would never reveal unless absolutely necessary.
At that moment, the gun barrel trembled violently as it was aimed at the gray figure that was about to reap a life.
boom!boom!boom!boom!boom!
Five deafening gunshots rang out like thunderclaps in the silent, dense forest.
Flames spewed from the gun muzzle, and the immense recoil caused Zhou Yan's arm to swing violently.
He didn't have time to aim carefully; he pulled the trigger entirely on sheer grit and the intuition honed over years of teetering on the brink of life and death.
Five bullets whistled as they hurtled toward Razor Claw's massive body.
Three of the projectiles grazed its rapidly moving scales, striking tree trunks or the ground and splashing wood chips and dirt.
The fourth shot grazed its iron-hard carapace, sending up a blinding spark and producing a teeth-grinding scraping sound.
Only one shot!
The fifth bullet, with a sliver of luck, pierced deep into the relatively soft gaps in the scales near Razor Claw's shoulder blade!
puff!
A muffled thud, followed by a roar of extreme pain and fury!
Razor Claw's attack suddenly faltered, and its massive body writhed painfully in mid-air.
Dark red blood gushed from the bullet hole, staining the gray-green scales.
The excruciating pain completely unleashed the beast's ferocity. Its cold yellow eyes were instantly filled with a violent crimson. It abandoned the nearby field, abruptly turned its head, and its vertical pupils locked onto Zhou Yan, who had fired the shot!
Chen Huai remained standing, looking at the exposed black pistol, then at the razor claws that were furiously turning towards Zhou Yan, a cold smile curving his lips.
The positions of prey and hunter were instantly reversed.