Chapter 005: Danger Approaches
During this journey, Chen Ran was tormented by both the desire for experience and the need for safety.
After nearly a week of fighting monsters far above his level, he had risen to nearly level ten. His level was now inextricably linked to his fate. But as the energy required to level up increased, the process became slower and slower. The tedious grind had always been something he disliked; he usually preferred doing quests, but there was no quest system here. As far as he was concerned, leveling could be put on hold for now. The only thing he wanted was to find a safe place to get a good night’s sleep. He was sick and tired of this godforsaken place.
Regarding the question of whether to go deeper, Chen Ran’s choice was the same as the spear warrior George’s: he advocated for leaving the forest. However, with the Sacred Cross Emblem as a safety net—though he didn’t know if it actually worked—he wasn’t particularly afraid. He didn’t insist on leaving either. Although he was sick of leveling up, he didn’t mind getting his level a bit higher. When you were out in the world, strength was your reputation. This law of survival was true everywhere.
By now, the magical beasts Chen Ran observed were of a higher and higher tier, basically all Tier 3. Continuing deeper like this would sooner or later lead to trouble.
As expected, they finally encountered their first major problem since entering the forest.
Just as the group was chatting and continuing deeper into the dense woods, Chen Ran suddenly spotted a large red dot on his map navigation. The marker indicated that the red dot was a Tier 3 elite creature.
Their current location happened to fall within the massive aggro range of the seemingly patrolling red dot. After sensing Chen Ran’s group, the red dot unhesitatingly rushed toward them at high speed.
“Careful! Enemy attack!”
Chen Ran immediately alerted the team. The well-coordinated group reacted quickly. Hearing a discordant sound, they all turned to face the direction it came from and expertly formed up.
Before long, a rustling sound came from the dense forest. A yellow-striped, saber-toothed demonic tiger appeared before them. Its claws and fangs were sharp, and its body was over a zhang long, an incredibly terrifying sight.
“Roar!” With a loud, resonant roar, the giant tiger approached them at a steady pace.
Chen Ran immediately used his Eye of Insight to observe the creature’s true strength.
Saber-toothed Demonic Tiger (Level 35 Elite): Health Potency 3000, Attack Potency 1000, Movement Speed 600.
A cold sweat instantly broke out on Chen Ran.
This creature was the first elite-level being Chen Ran had encountered here. The rough data already proved its formidable power. The fastest member of the team, Lia, only had a movement speed of 450. Escaping seemed unrealistic. The creature’s immense attack potency and the oppressive aura it exuded were terrifying.
“A Tier 3 magical beast? No, this saber-toothed tiger is much larger than an ordinary one. It definitely has the strength of a Tier 4. It must be a Saber-toothed Demonic Tiger King! Everyone, be careful, form up!” The experienced spear warrior, George, reacted quickly, standing with the shield warrior, Tyris, at the front of the team.
This was no time for hesitation. After a brief observation, the Saber-toothed Demonic Tiger King seemed to conclude that this human team wasn’t very strong. Its behavior became even more arrogant. Its gaping maw was filled with two neat rows of saw-like sharp teeth, from which saliva dripped continuously. Most notably, it had two giant saber-teeth, over thirty centimeters long, on the sides of its mouth, making it look exceptionally ferocious.
With a few agile, accelerating steps, the Saber-toothed Tiger King began its fierce charge. The shield warrior, Tyris, was the first to meet it, his large shield blocking the Tiger King’s initial impact.
Clang!
A loud crash rang out. The Tiger King’s powerful charge was not something Tyris could withstand, even with the double buffs of Divine Power and Inner Fire. He was forced back several steps until he hit a large tree behind him, finally stopping the momentum. The Tiger King’s strength was evident.
The experienced jungle veteran, George, gave orders, “Jakedo and Lia, get into position! This Tiger King’s defense is astonishing. Aim for its eyes and other vital points. Chen Ran, you stay hidden and be careful. Raul, Tyris, and I will engage it.”
Fortunately, although the Tiger King was fast when running, its short-range agility was not as quick. The three melee fighters surrounded the Tiger King in a triangular formation. The shield warrior, Tyris, provoked the Tiger King from the front, while the swordsman Raul and the spearman George kept it occupied so it wouldn’t affect the ranged attackers in the back.
Every strike from the Tiger King was imbued with divine strength. Even the best-defended shield warrior, Tyris, found it hard to parry and was struggling to block. The web between his thumb and forefinger had already split open and was bleeding. If it weren’t for Chen Ran’s healing spells from the backline closing the wound, his shield arm would have long gone numb.
The large fireballs Jakedo unleashed exploded on the Tiger King’s body with scorching heat, singeing a patch of its yellow fur, but they didn’t seem to cause much damage. Instead, they only served to further enrage the beast.
Lia’s crossbow bolts flew like cold stars, but the Tiger King’s reactions were incredibly nimble. It dodged every arrow aimed at its vitals. The bolts either hit the surrounding trees or were deflected by its steel-like body, leaving only a tiny speck of blood, unable to pierce its tough hide.
The battle reached a stalemate. The team barely maintained a balance, but the Saber-toothed Tiger King had yet to truly exert itself. Frustrated by its inability to quickly finish off its opponents, its minor injuries finally provoked its ferocity. A ball of cyan light began to gather in its mouth…
Jakedo’s face changed drastically. He urgently warned, “Not good! The Tiger King is a wind-element magical beast! It’s about to release a wind blade! It’s going to be powerful, everyone be careful!”
Just as he finished speaking, the cyan light grew more solid. A crescent-shaped wind blade shot out and slammed heavily onto Tyris’s sturdy shield. A deep, straight gash immediately appeared on the solid shield’s surface, nearly cracking the heavy shield in two. The powerful recoil sent Tyris staggering backward, creating a brief opening in their formation…
At that moment, a fierce glint flashed in the Tiger King’s eyes. Seizing the opportunity, it pounced, breaking through the hastily intercepting George and Raul, and charged straight for Lia, who was attacking from the backline. Perhaps it felt that this human female was a more annoying threat than the human mage.
A feline’s reactions were far more agile than a human’s. Lia knew she couldn’t outrun the Saber-toothed Tiger King, and running around randomly would likely put her in an even more dangerous situation. She decisively threw down her longbow and drew a short sword. However, the fear in her eyes was impossible to hide. She gritted her teeth, left with no choice but to face it head-on. This would buy the others time to regroup and restrain the beast.
With a resounding roar, the Saber-toothed Tiger King leaped high into the air and pounced toward Lia. Its massive body was like a black cloud crashing down, so heavy it was suffocating. At such a close distance, the fine, sharp teeth in the Tiger King’s mouth were clearly visible, and she could even smell its foul breath…
Lia’s face was pale, but she had no choice but to grit her teeth and give it her all…
***
Translator’s Notes
Zhang (丈): A traditional Chinese unit of length. 1 zhang is approximately 3.33 meters or about 11 feet.
