Chapter 54: Hunting Bishubu (Part 1)

The Cold Plain is vast, so vast that sometimes I can't even tell which direction I'm heading. All I see is an endless expanse of grass and forests. Occasionally, I come across a few old, dilapidated stone huts, which, though occupied by monsters, unfortunately, do not house any elite monsters, let alone any chests to open.

One evening, I finally saw a different landscape on the Cold Plain. From a high vantage point, I could see a large, oval lake ahead, about a few kilometers in diameter. The water was a deep, dark blue, shimmering in the light, as if it could suck the souls of nearby creatures into its depths. The faint, damp, and fishy smell emanating from the lake invigorated me, making me almost jump with excitement.

Of course, I was only almost excited. I wasn't foolish enough to shout and make a fuss to vent my emotions. It's a basic common sense that I don't understand why the protagonists in those novels I've read, when they encounter beautiful lakes in the wild, get so excited that they set up camp by the lake and vent their emotions by the water. Some even bring a beautiful companion for a "swim." Clearly, such protagonists are either too powerful or too foolish.

In the wild, especially in a place fraught with danger, the most dangerous spots are not the thorny forests or the cold, dark caves, but the seemingly peaceful water sources, like the lake before me...

However, it seems that danger has already arrived. Hoho, how frustrating. I'm several kilometers away from the lake, in a sheltered spot, yet I see seven dark hunters with fierce expressions running towards me. I shrugged helplessly, a smile playing on my lips. The leader seems particularly pale. Oh, could it be from drinking some unhealthy water? What a pitiful kid, how careless.

A few minutes later, I stood on the corpse of an elite dark hunter, surrounded by the bodies of other dark hunters. Their quick and clean deaths only highlighted my immense power. I picked up a piece of dark gold clothing from the elite boss with a proud air and nodded expressionlessly.

"Hmm, not bad."

Yes, that's what I thought.

But in reality, I am now transformed into a werewolf, racing across the grass of the Cold Plain with the Venomous Vine, with those dark hunters from earlier hot on our heels!

Why is this happening?!

A while later, a wolf's head poked out from a small forest, looking around cautiously like an underground party member. Seeing the dark hunters' figures in the distance, I sighed in relief and stepped out, followed by a trembling vine, which slithered out like a lazy snake just waking from hibernation.

I looked at my once beautiful white wolf fur, now charred black, and felt like crying. It's clear that, just like the thousands of Fallen camps in the Blood Fields, some things are not to be provoked, even with my bug amulet. That damned elite dark hunter had a rare ability—lightning enhancement. One claw, and I was instantly charred black. Fortunately, after some training, my reflexes have improved. Seeing the danger, I immediately dragged the equally electrocuted Venomous Vine and fled. Otherwise, I would have lost my life. No wonder that elite dark hunter dared to charge over from the lake without any other monsters daring to provoke it. If I had noticed this earlier and been more cautious, I wouldn't have ended up in such a sorry state. Sigh, I still need to be more careful.

By nightfall, I returned to the vicinity of the lake. There were no good places to set up camp nearby, so I had to settle in a hidden grove in a sheltered spot. I dared not start a fire, even if it wouldn't cause a forest fire, as many monsters come to the lake to drink at night. Who knows if one or two might pass by? I don't want to fight these creatures with night vision in the dark.

I took a huge risk coming back, mainly because I suspected that Bishubu might be nearby. As is well known, water sources are the most contested areas, and as the ruler of the Cold Plain, Bishubu must have a territory nearby.

Although I didn't start a fire, the grassland was still clearly visible under the night sky. A blood-red moon hung high, its cold red glow seeming to stir the most primal instincts of life. Under the moonlight, the beautiful lake shimmered with an eerie blood-red, as if dyed by blood. It resembled a giant beast with a cruel, single eye, coldly watching over the entire plain. Even though I was far away, I could still hear the roars and screams of the hunters and the hunted echoing by the lake, mingling with the blood-red moon and the blood-red eyes, forming the most essential colors of this world.

The night passed without incident. The next morning, I woke up early. The mist was heavy, especially around the lake, so thick that it was almost impossible to see. I had to wait until the mist cleared before cautiously leaving the grove. Even from a distance, I could clearly see the small red patches on the grass by the lake, the ground stained with blood, a testament to the fierce battles of the previous night.

I didn't have time to lament. I called the Venomous Vine and the crows, ordering them to keep a watchful eye from a distance. There are no long-range attacking monsters on the Cold Plain, and the fireballs of the Fallen Mages have a limited range. As long as the crows don't attack, no monster can harm them. After continuous practice and training, these crows can now serve as a basic early warning system, adding to my safety.

Today, my goal is to find Bishubu's lair. Although I have considered whether it's worth spending so much time to kill Bishubu, I could use the time to level up instead. However, I have about a fifty percent chance of success, and even if I fail, I am confident I can escape. Every man has an innate adventurous spirit, and every class changer takes pride in challenging powerful monsters. Such an opportunity is before me, and if I don't take the risk and try, I might even despise my own cowardice and weakness.