Chapter 103: Chapter 101: Crawler under the Moonlight_1

Dusk was approaching, and the sky still flushed like a drunk.

The gentle evening wind brought the faint scent of plants, and the earth bathed in the afterglow of sunset was also coated with an intoxicating red glow.

In the distance, a thin wisp of smoke rose.

The gently wafting smoke was merely one of the two signs of human life in the desolate valley.

"So, the third squad is also stationed in this valley?"

"That’s the group led by Miss Xinfei. I wonder how the proud lady is doing these days?"

The sixth squad, as agreed, regrouped and sat beside a campfire, relishing the rare moments of leisure.

"Looking at the wisp of smoke, it doesn’t seem too far from us, probably just four or five miles away..."

"Master Han, how is their condition? Compared to us, who is faring better and who is worse?"

Zhao Li gazed into the distance for a moment before she sat down and asked excitedly.

These past three days, they had been partaking in the trial in accordance with Master Han’s rhythm; the days were hectic but fulfilling.

However, without the other squads to compare with, they couldn’t ascertain if the sixth squad led the pack.

Ye Hanjun glanced at the four people beside him and gave a slight smile.

Solitary hunting throughout the day was by no means an easy task for these freshmen.

Huang Dengshan and Zhang Wu, along with the Big-eyed Deer and Iron Wolf.

Both the men and the beasts had suffered moderate injuries, with several parts of their bodies bandaged. Their faces were filthy and dusty; they looked a real mess.

Zhao Li and the Broom Ghost were not injured, but they were exhausted.

Her clothes were torn and ragged. If it weren’t for Su Mei lending her a suit, she would have been exposed and thus embarrassed.

And Su Mei...

Her face was pale, and she was huddled close to the roaring campfire for warmth.

Originally everything was going well, but unexpectedly on the way back, she was ambushed by the Clay Body’s "Ice Snake".

Although only a small amount of cold poison had intruded into her body, she had already eaten a detoxifying pill to dispel the poison.

However, within the next hour or two, she would be somewhat weak, and it was only normal for her spirits to be low.

"Four are severely wounded, one is semi-wounded."

Ye Hanjun gave a fair assessment and objectively stated.

"However, their condition is too extreme. They wouldn’t be able to resist a sudden danger."

"We have some room; after a little rest, we can quickly restore ourselves to a better state."

His words were true.

The third squad was constantly on edge, they couldn’t even sleep soundly at night.

The sixth squad, probably due to his care, slept soundly, one after the other.

Thus, the third squad might be able to hold off for a short time.

Once the timeline extended, their frail bodies and minds might not be able to bear it.

"Great, that’s great!" Zhao Li’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

Normally, she was a nobody.

In this trial, she was fortunate enough to team up with Master Han.

After four days, when the trial was over.

If they could actually get the first place, the achievement would be of extraordinary significance to her.

"Caw..."

The Pink Ostrich, still spirited during the daytime, was lying on the ground, gnawing on fruit peels and dozing off.

Having never lived in the wild, its performance over these days was impressive, its survival instinct, concealed in its blood, was pretty good.

However, it wasn’t invincible; it could get hurt, and it could get tired.

Without finishing the fruit peels, its head drooped and leaned against Su Mei’s thigh, drooling and falling asleep.

"Let’s rest early."

Ye Hanjun pointed to the cave behind him and said lightly.

He was a bit tired too.

Having dashed around the whole day, his body also needed sleep to fully recover.

"Master Han, should we extinguish the campfire?" asked Huang Dengshan.

During wilderness encampments, a campfire can provide warmth and deter those wild beasts afraid of light and fire.

But there were also those reckless beasts attracted by the light and heat, so the advantages and disadvantages were half and half.

"Tonight, we take turns to keep watch. The campfire doesn’t need to be extinguished."

"Su Mei, Zhao Li, Huang Dengshan, Zhang Wu, follow this order. Each person will guard for three hours."

"I can wake up at any time, you don’t have to worry about me, go to sleep first."

Yawning, Ye Hanjun was the first to enter the cave.

At the place closest to the entrance, he laid down dry hay and dead leaves and lay down, dressed as he was.

Huazhu had just sat down with her knees hugged to her chest when she noticed that Ye Hanjun’s breathing had become long and steady; he had fallen asleep right away.

She was slightly stunned, but then she buried her head and closed her eyes to restore her Witch Power.

"When will we learn Master Han’s way of resting..."

"Yeah, even though the recovery is slower, his alertness doesn’t drop much. If any danger approaches, he can wake up immediately..."

Zhang Wu and Zhao Li whispered, marveling.

This technique sounds simple, but to accomplish it is rather difficult.

God knows how the Assistant Han, who was their age, had managed to master this survival skill commonly possessed by experienced hunters.

"Howl..."

The Iron Wolf and Big-eyed Deer lied down following their masters.

When Zhao Li also lay on the dry grass, attempting to fall asleep.

The cave quieted down; apart from the breathing of humans and beasts, the faint dripping sound of the condensed water droplets was heard.

...

"Roar — Howl!"

"Croak——Croak, croak, croak!!"

As the night grows darker, the valley is home to many nocturnal creatures.

Qingmu Wolves, weird croaking frogs, Earth Rock Rats...the sounds of their movements keep coming.

With her long sword in hand, Su Mei sits at the entrance of the cave, only about five meters away from Master Han.

Since the pink ostrich has fallen asleep, she watches the sway of the forest more vigilantly, ready to wake up her team at any moment.

Three hours go by...and everything is quiet.

By the time she wakes up Zhao Li to take over the watch, a few piercing roars suddenly come from the cliffs in the distance.

In the flickering firelight, Ye Hanjun quietly opens his eyes.

There are faint traces of blood in his eyes, showing that three hours of sleep was far from enough to fully restore his physical functions.

But he shows an uncommonly grave expression, gets up quickly and looks towards the source of the noise.

"One, two, three, four, five... At least ten murderous presences have entered the valley..."

"What kind of Fond Spirits could they be?"

Su Mei thought she could finally rest.

Seeing Master Han’s expression, she had a sense of dread and became even more alert. She cautiously asked.

"Too far to tell,"

Ye Hanjun shook his head, then showed a look of surprise.

Under the bright moonlight, he could see a line of monsters roaring on the cliff.

Their form was not like any normal beast, more like a mutated creature. Ferocious, dark, wicked, sending chills down the spine.

The next second, the monsters jumped off the cliff, quickly climbing down the cliff wall as agile and fast as spiders.

They charged into the valley, scattering in different directions. Trees shook wherever they passed, and flocks of birds flapped to take flight.

Then, the screams of wild beasts kept coming.

It seemed like no living being could withstand their slaughter; their desperate cries echoed in the lonely night.

Zhao Li and Su Mei exchanged a glance, unconsciously swallowing, feeling uneasy.

"Everyone up, prepare to fight!"

Ye Hanjun commanded in a deep voice, suddenly lighting up a torch and holding it firmly in his hand.

Huang Dengshan and Zhang Wu, deep in sleep, were startled awake.

They shook their heads forcefully to clear the sleepiness.

Then, grasping their weapons, they hastily stood behind Ye Hanjun, looking around in search of the source of danger.

"Not many in number, but they’re all very strong."

"One group is approaching towards us. Everyone, light the torches! Assume battle positions!"

"Yes!"

After their previous experience in the wolf’s den and the investigations over the past few days.

The mentality of the four students had greatly improved over before.

Even though they couldn’t help feeling a little flustered.

After settling a little, they teamed up with their Contracted Fond Spirits, quickly assuming a defensive formation in full gear.

"Blood... the scent of blood... Die, die, die, die!"

A shadow rushes forward at great speed, running like a hyena.

The students couldn’t see the specifics of the fast-moving creature.

However, Ye Hanjun had a clear view. He lowered his center of gravity, ready to dodge at any time.

"Bang!!"

The Desert Witch, who stepped forward, gathered sand into a shield, blocking the creature that was coming at full speed.

With the shield shattering, the creature retreated dozens of steps.

Its impetus briefly slowed, revealing its actual appearance to Su Mei and Zhao Li, and the sound of sharp intakes of breath echoed around.

"A Crawler? In the trial ground... there are Crawlers?!"

The creature that appeared in front of them had a human-like figure. Just like the hopping zombies, but different.

It was over two meters tall, with a robust physique.

Rushing on all four claws, its flesh was exposed, revealing dark red sinews and muscles on its arms and legs.

Its chest and abdominal muscles were particularly developed, as if carved by a small knife, tightly arranged, giving off an oddly perfect vibe.

"Die!!!"

The creature had a human skull, but no hair or eyes.

On its bloody skeleton, there was a mouth that took up half its face. Sharp teeth stained with bloody threads, and a tongue half a meter long constantly slithered out of its mouth like a snake’s.

With one roar, Ye Hanjun clearly felt that he had been targeted.

Without eyes or similar organs, the Crawler crawled on the ground at an incredibly fast speed, attempting to bypass the Desert Witch and attack him.

The thirst for blood and flesh was evident in its demeanor.

Zhao Li, not the target of the attack, felt a shiver run through her.

Going off its physique and speed, this was a fully matured Crawler.

And this particularly brutal and murderous Fond Spirit of the Nether, the Corpse Race, was difficult to defeat.

Unless you could restrain it, Crawlers of the same level often ended up the sole survivors.

Could Master Han... handle this?

Suddenly, Zhao Li found herself lacking confidence.

"Die!! Die!!"

Not far from them, a dark shadow roared.

Another two Crawlers rushed over. Judging by their size, these should be young Crawlers.

They didn’t pay any attention to Ye Hanjun. In their minds, the first Crawler had already chosen him.

A subordinate could never snatch food from the leader.