Chapter 4 Bird's-Eye View <TOC> Chapter 6 Testing Strength
Translator: SumTLMan
With Red Falcon in hand, Zhou Yi’s field of vision expanded dramatically.
He could now clearly observe the surrounding terrain and the myriad creatures active on the surface.
It was already nightfall; the Light Absorber species were mostly at rest, conserving their energy to harness more during the next day. The creatures stirring outside were various small animals, primarily snakes, rats, and nocturnal birds.
But just as A Jin had described, the Claw Boars that stood guard at night were still patrolling everywhere, defending and marking their clan’s territory.
Zhou Yi noticed one that had strayed from the group.
This Claw Boar approached the edge of the Mushroom Forest. It deftly navigated between two Giant Mushrooms, surveyed its surroundings, and then slipped inside.
Clearly, this wasn’t its first visit.
Even the Light Absorbers would be affected by the paralyzing toxins of the Mushroom Forest, not to mention the lethal Exploding Mushrooms within.
Intrigued, Zhou Yi immediately ordered: “Activate Bird’s-Eye View; let’s see what it’s up to.”
On the electronic screen, the image zoomed in. The Claw Boar was still moving, weaving skillfully around the towering Giant Mushrooms, evidently very familiar with the terrain inside.
Above the creature’s head, its thoughts were displayed:
——The toxic mists here are getting thicker; I need to hurry.
——Taking advantage of the leader’s recent injury and harnessing the power of those mushrooms, now is the perfect time to replace him.
The Claw Boar ran all the way to a Giant Mushroom.
On the display screen, it could only be seen rooting around, seemingly eating something, and then it dashed out at lightning speed.
On its return, it was in high spirits.
——I feel stronger than ever before!
——These mushrooms are real treasures! They’ve boosted me to peak condition. Even if it only lasts a day or two, it’s enough.
——I’ll give it my all to become the new leader! Time to take him down!
……
The image became blurry.
Zhou Yi said: “Red Falcon, can you safely enter the Mushroom Forest?”
“Yes,” came the synthesized voice from the remote control: “The toxic mists here have negligible effects on electromechanical lifeforms.”
“Go inside and investigate. Find what the Claw Boar was eating earlier.”
The drone rapidly descended in altitude.
Unfortunately, the screen on the remote control remained pitch black.
Later, Zhou Yi learned that Red Falcon’s [Bird’s-Eye View] was designed to detect active lifeforms and did not possess high-resolution imaging capabilities in dark environments.
Only during daylight could it provide high-definition images.
A few minutes later, Red Falcon returned to Zhou Yi’s side.
Suspended beneath the drone, two mechanical claws held two muddy mushrooms, the survivors of the Claw Boar’s feast.
These mushrooms were about the size of a fist, grayish-brown in color, with grass stems and gravel clinging to their surfaces, resembling clumps of dirt or dung balls.
They had no discernible smell and appeared quite unremarkable.
Zhou Yi squeezed one in his hand; it felt like soil. A slight pressure caused it to dent, and it was difficult to restore its shape.
He asked Red Falcon: “What is this?”
“No relevant information stored,” the drone replied.
There was another way to uncover the origin of these things.
Zhou Yi commanded Red Falcon and the Warrior Crab squad to initiate their first air to ground coordinated operation.
Forty minutes later.
A robust Claw Boar, exhausted and tied up tightly, was dragged over by the Warrior Crab squad.
It had sustained several wounds and was bleeding, but none were fatal. Its stamina, however, was nearly depleted.
The Claw Boar struggled fiercely, baring its teeth with a vicious expression, but its short snout and mouth were bound with ropes, making it difficult to make any sound.
Zhou Yi ordered: “Hold it down.”
Six Warrior Crabs pressed the Claw Boar firmly onto the ground.
Only then did Zhou Yi place his hand on the back of this four-legged creature.
He channeled energy from within himself, slowly transmitting it into the creature through its coarse black fur.
The ferocious expression on the Claw Boar’s face froze, replaced by a look of confusion.
“Now, we can communicate,” Zhou Yi said softly: “I need to get some information from you. If you cooperate, I’ll let you go afterward. If your answers satisfy me, I’ll even provide appropriate compensation.”
This was experience he’d gained from raising crabs.
By infusing energy into a Light Absorber, he could establish a brief connection in a unique way, allowing for telepathic communication. If this process was repeated over time, it could develop into a long-term mental association, like that between Zhou Yi and his subordinate Warrior Crabs, where their minds operated on the same wavelength.
However, supplying energy over the long term was a heavy burden. Currently, Zhou Yi only trusted the Warrior Crab group.
Red Falcon was a different case; it came equipped with a human speech module, so communication wasn’t an issue.
“Speak. Otherwise, I’ll have to eliminate you,” Zhou Yi issued his final ultimatum.
The Claw Boar slightly retracted its fangs and said somewhat cautiously: “This power and skill in manipulating energy… you’re very strong. I’m willing to cooperate with someone powerful.”
That’s more like it.
Zhou Yi raised the mud-ball-like plant in his hand: “Tell me about this mushroom.”
The Claw Boar licked its short snout with its tongue: “I don’t know what it is either. Earlier, we counter-hunted a hunter group that had an Enhancer; the seven of them were cornered by us into the Mushroom Forest.”
“The leader ordered a blockade of the area, determined to ensure they died there. I noticed that a small guy, who had clearly exhausted his strength and had his weapons and backpack knocked away by us, suddenly snuck out at night full of energy, having recovered to an excellent state.”
“My brothers and I severely injured him again, and he fled back into the Mushroom Forest. Eventually, we heard explosions inside. Only I had the guts to go in and saw that the small guy had been blown to pieces.”
“But at that time, I found this strange mushroom not far from his corpse; some of them had been picked. The small guy’s metal hand was still on one of the mushrooms. I suspected his recovery was related to picking those mushrooms. So I tried to take a few bites and found that the mushrooms were indeed good, they actually restored my strength.”
It smacked its lips: “I marked the location of those mushrooms with urine. Then I regularly went to check on them.”
“Later, I figured out that the larger the mushrooms grew, the more power they contained, so I had to wait for them to grow a bit, they have the function of gathering energy. But these mushrooms grow very slowly; I waited several days, and they only grew a little, so I couldn’t resist eating them.”
A hunter group that was blown up?
Zhou Yi immediately thought: “An incident from five days ago?”
The Claw Boar confirmed.
That was the seven-person hunter group A Jin mentioned, who had stepped on an Exploding Mushroom, it seemed they were forced into a desperate situation by the Claw Boar group, leading to their annihilation.
“Untie him,” Zhou Yi ordered.
The Warrior Crabs dispersed and released him.
The Claw Boar slowly stood up. It seemed to realize that the person before it was not to be trifled with and maintained an honest posture, even retracting its scimitar-like claws.
Zhou Yi infused it with a total of 100 energy points and felt the energy starting to leak out; the Claw Boar’s energy storage limit was roughly that amount.
He asked: “You want to compete for the position of leader?”
The Claw Boar was astonished: “How… how did you know…?”
“What happens if you fail?”
“I’ll be exiled,” the Claw Boar replied.
“As a male, after reaching adulthood, I either have to challenge the leader one-on-one or be exiled to establish my own tribe. The leader is old and injured; this time, I have a chance.”
Zhou Yi pondered slightly: “Your answers satisfy me. If you get exiled and have nowhere to go, you can come work for me; I’ll pay you.”
He mused to himself.
After all, this guy is a local; having this native monster makes it easier to understand the local monster group ecology and social conditions.
The fact that he discovered the mushrooms indicates he’s not stupid and has good insight.
Unexpectedly, the Claw Boar was stunned for a moment, then immediately prostrated himself: “I am willing to follow a strong one like you right now! Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it!”
Zhou Yi was surprised.
“You’re giving up a bit too quickly,” he thought.
“You’re not going to challenge the leader?”
The Claw Boar sniffed: “The leader has always been cunning; it’s likely he’s pretending not to have recovered to appear weak. I feel that if I challenge him, it’s hard to win… I might end up seriously injured, and if I’m exiled, I might not survive.”
It grinned, trying hard to make a friendly smile: “Following a strong one who can manipulate energy freely is much more promising than being a leader of a small tribe! For someone like you, who commands a monster army, to take notice of an ordinary E-Class Light Absorber like me, following you is the right path. Of course, I’m making the best choice!”
“……”
Fair enough.
Zhou Yi thought for a moment: “Then you’ll be responsible for overseeing and cultivating these Mud-Ball Mushrooms. Transplant them back to the Mushroom Forest carefully. Keep an eye on them at all times, and stay on standby near the Mushroom Forest. I’ll contact you.”
“Yes, master!”
“What’s your name?”
The Claw Boar bowed its head and said: “This humble one is called Night Claw.”
Dawn was approaching.
Zhou Yi suddenly remembered something.
Air to ground coordinated hunting needed another test.
He asked Night Claw: “Are there any Light Absorber species nearby that like to roam alone?”
“Yes.”
Night Claw said: “The Stinging Antlions; they always act solo, but they are very strong. They’re just west of the Mushroom Forest.”