Chapter 13

Gray Cloud Mountain is not a single mountain but a vast range that stretches out, resembling a solid wall when viewed from above. The peak that Xu Dong was about to climb is the main peak of Gray Cloud Mountain.

According to the map where Xu Dong was, it would take three days and three nights of continuous walking to get from the base of the main peak to the summit, assuming no rest. This route was prominently marked on the map. There were also seven small dots marked along the route, indicating suitable spots for camping and resting.

Xu Dong certainly wasn't planning to cross the entire mountain range. Where would he have the leisure for that? Although the flora and fauna of Gray Cloud Mountain were quite different from those on Earth and thus very interesting, the main quest weighing on his mind was like a guillotine that could fall at any moment. Even if he had the thought, time wouldn't allow him to fool around.

His current destination was the forest ranger's residence halfway up the mountain. To get there, he needed to pass through three resting spots and trek for at least twelve hours. Xu Dong was well aware of his limitations. As a novice who had to frequently check the map to continue walking, even if it took him twice as long, it wouldn't be much of a problem.

The only good news was that due to the large number of scout dogs he had killed, he didn't need to worry too much about danger when entering the mountain.

Of course, before officially entering the mountain, Xu Dong still kept a cautious mind. It wasn't that he suspected the old woman, who had been kind to him, of deliberately harming him, but rather that the map itself had been around for a long time. With the exploration of humans, the living ranges of the species in Gray Cloud Mountain had changed, and the map naturally had many updated and revised marks.

This made the map's annotations very clear in terms of the overall route, but the individual environments were quite chaotic. For example, some larger feline animals lived on Gray Cloud Mountain, and the most intimidating of these, the yellow-striped saber-toothed tiger, which was equivalent to the king of the forest on Earth, had three changes in its activity range.

Xu Dong was slightly relieved that he could determine the final modifications by the freshness of the writing. To ensure the credibility of these final modifications, he specifically chose two locations to explore.

These two locations were no more than sixty meters above the base of the mountain. Standing at the eastern position, one could clearly overlook North Corner Village from a close distance, while the western position provided a good view of the fields beside the village.

Was it a coincidence or a deliberate act? If subsonic waves were used to control the dog packs for attacks, these two positions would indeed be ideal for remote control—undetectable and capable of issuing different commands based on different situations. Most importantly, the distance was just right, within the range of sound transmission.

If his guess was correct, the person who last updated the map was likely the creator of this incident—Hui He.

Fate is truly strange; Xu Dong actually had Hui He's map to find him.

There used to be a path on the main peak of Gray Cloud Mountain, but after the incident of the mountain guard dogs attacking passersby, fewer and fewer people dared to climb the mountain, and the path naturally began to grow over with weeds. At this point, if one didn't carefully examine, it would be impossible to discern the path.

Due to the large number of unnatural deaths of the scout dogs, Xu Dong did not encounter any fierce beasts during the journey to the first resting spot at noon. Strictly speaking, it was the remaining few scout dogs who, in their daily mountain patrols, discovered this climber and, driven by their enmity, approached within ten meters to prepare for a bloody attack. However, they were preemptively killed by Xu Dong, who activated his "Quick Steps" skill.

If the area before the first resting spot belonged to the scout dogs, then the area between the first and second resting spots belonged to the large mountain guard dogs that attacked the village.

After replenishing some water and eating a large pancake made from yellow millet flour, Xu Dong, with his strength restored, continued to follow the map's instructions.

Not long after, a leaf caught his attention. The focus was not on the leaf, which resembled an outstretched palm, but on a fresh bloodstain on its surface. The blood was very fresh, like water that had just been sprinkled, with no signs of coagulation. Due to gravity, it had gathered at the tip of the leaf, poised to drop but not yet falling.

At this moment, a rustling sound quickly approached from a distance. With at least thirty dog kills under his belt, Xu Dong was not unfamiliar with this sound. He immediately identified the source as the mountain guard dogs, which could almost dominate the mountain, rushing over.

Fortunately, there was a large, lush tree nearby. After a brief thought, he climbed up and hid in the tree canopy.

As Xu Dong expected, about twenty seconds later, a pack of seven or eight mountain guard dogs rushed over. When they reached the base of the tree where Xu Dong was, they suddenly stopped, seemingly sensing something in the air. Some instinctively raised their noses, while others began to sniff the surrounding plants.

Soon, the bloodstained leaf was found, and these mountain guard dogs, each weighing thirty to forty kilograms, let out low, excited growls and slowly followed the scent of the blood. From their expressions, it seemed they were not in a hurry to catch their prey but rather intended to exhaust the prey's strength.

Just as the last mountain guard dog passed under the tree, a black shadow, like a large bird spreading its wings, suddenly pounced down from the tree. The sleeves flapped in the wind, making a rustling sound.

This shadow, of course, was Xu Dong, who had been waiting for the right moment.

His lips were tightly pressed, and his right hand held a short iron knife that had been polished. He exuded a fierce aura. His feet and hands were slightly spread, and when he landed, he landed precisely on the back of the last mountain guard dog. With Xu Dong's weight of at least sixty to seventy kilograms and the force of the fall from a height of three to four meters, the impact was considerable.

The moment he landed on the mountain guard dog, Xu Dong heard the spine and joints of its limbs snap under the weight. The dog collapsed, deeply pressing into the ground, and vomited a large amount of blood, apparently crushed to death.

The commotion did not go unnoticed by the other mountain guard dogs, which had already run ahead by several meters. They turned their heads and saw a human pressing on their companion. Through the strong smell of blood, they quickly realized that their companion was dead.

As mountain guard dogs that were accustomed to group attacks, they were naturally enraged at the sight of their companion being killed.

In the next second, the closest mountain guard dog turned and pounced at Xu Dong.

Xu Dong was not afraid but instead sneered, his eyes and face filled with cold determination. He gripped the iron knife and charged forward.

The two clashed fiercely. The mountain guard dog first raised its front paws and used its sharp claws to slash two bloody wounds on Xu Dong's chest, then bit down hard on his left arm. This type of mountain guard dog was more skilled in close combat than the scout dogs, and its bite was much more powerful. When it bit down, Xu Dong even heard his arm bones groan in pain.

If it had been before the battle with the scout dogs, Xu Dong might have hesitated to engage in such a brutal fight. But now, after the bloody baptism and learning the Devour skill, he was fully adapted to this kind of life-and-death struggle. With a swift swing of his right hand, he slashed the knife across the dog's neck.

A dull tearing sound was heard, and a gush of hot blood spurted from the carotid artery, splashing onto Xu Dong's arm, and a strong smell of blood rose.

Feeling the bite loosen, Xu Dong immediately grabbed the still struggling mountain guard dog and threw it aside, then rolled on the ground to narrowly avoid a fierce pounce from the second mountain guard dog. The second dog, missing its target, flew out and crashed into a tree trunk with a dull thud, its head shaking and unable to stand steady.

Xu Dong coldly smiled, pounced, and stabbed the dog, piercing through its ribs and twisting the knife wildly. Another dog corpse lay on the ground.

The remaining four mountain guard dogs arrived one after another.

As the saying goes, a dog that bites doesn't bark. These four mountain guard dogs ran to Xu Dong without a single growl and immediately began to claw, bite, and tear, adding four or five more wounds to his body.

It was unclear whether these mountain guard dogs were stubborn or too crazy, but once they bit down, they wouldn't let go until the end. However, Xu Dong was secretly delighted by this. The small, sharp iron knife, though not as sharp as a razor, was still very effective at cutting skin and flesh. He feared the hit-and-run tactics of the scout dogs more, but this kind of close combat was right up his alley.

He stabbed and killed one dog after another. When the last dog realized something was wrong and tried to flee, Xu Dong sneered, "You think you can eat and run? There's no such thing in this world!"

As he spoke, he grabbed the dog's tail and slashed upward with the iron knife, gutting it.

From the moment Xu Dong pounced to the death of the last mountain guard dog, the entire process took less than a minute. Seven mountain guard dogs were gone.

Recalling the initial days when he had to set a trap and spend half an hour to kill ten mountain guard dogs, the speed of his improvement in just a few days was truly astonishing, even to Xu Dong himself.

Taking advantage of the fresh blood, Xu Dong calmly activated the Devour skill and began to consume the blood gushing from the necks of the mountain guard dogs. His injuries, compared to those he had suffered in the small forest, were minor. Moreover, he didn't need to spend time cooking; he could directly extract nutrients during the Devour duration, which significantly accelerated his recovery.

Meanwhile, the wounds on his body were visibly healing at a rapid pace.

Unbeknownst to Xu Dong, a pair of large, black eyes was watching him from less than ten meters away, filled with unbridled curiosity.

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