Chapter 30: Stuck in a Dilemma?
"Danger Zone?" Chen Fan asked, hearing the term for the first time.
"Yep." The bald man turned to glance at him. "Remember that armored rhinoceros we encountered yesterday? Those mid-level carnivorous beasts are common here. Their numbers have surged, and if you're unlucky, you might even encounter high-level beasts."
"High-level beasts..." Chen Fan inhaled sharply.
High-level beasts typically measured three to four meters or larger, capable of destroying small human settlements with their aggression. Rumor held that many villages had been wiped out overnight when such beasts breached their walls under darkness.
"Let's turn back and try elsewhere." Chen Guodong eyed the terrain warily, his knowledge forged through tragic experience.
The group veered southeast.
"Bored yet?" The bald man grinned at Chen Fan.
"Yeah." Chen Fan wiped sweat from his brow, his shirt clinging uncomfortably to his drenched back.
"That's hunting for you." The bald man shrugged. "Sometimes we'd march all day without seeing prey. Other times, they'd vanish before our eyes."
"Yesterday was pure luck," added a big-nosed hunter. "Without your sharp shooting, Xiao Fan, those sightings would've meant nothing."
"I see." Chen Fan smiled ruefully. He'd been too focused on grinding his [Basic Archery] skills. A glance backward at the so-called Danger Zone made him sigh - rich hunting grounds, but far too perilous for his current abilities.
The group trudged onward until distant specks appeared.
"Movement ahead!" someone called.
They hurried forward, expressions shifting to disbelief at the scene: two gray wolves harrying a juvenile bison. The calf-sized beast lunged wildly with arm-length horns while the predators coordinated attacks - one distracting, the other ripping at its vulnerable underbelly.
By their arrival, the bison's intestines trailed through blood-soaked dirt, swaying on failing legs. The wolves retreated, eyes locked on both prey and interlopers.
"Well?" The bald man broke the silence. "Do we take this gift... or take this gift?"
Laughter erupted. "Heaven's bounty! Easily 200 pounds of beef!"
"Thank those mangy butchers doing our work!"
Yet Chen Guodong stood silent, brow furrowed.
"Dad?" Chen Fan nudged.
"End its suffering," Chen Guodong ordered.
Chen Fan's arrow found the dying beast effortlessly. His interface flickered: [Basic Archery] +5 EXP (Total: 8). Disappointing progress, but he noted the still-watching wolves 150 meters out - beyond his 80-pound bow's effective range.
As others butchered the carcass, Chen Guodong watched the persistent wolves. "We're done for today. This bounty's enough."
The group agreed, though their retreat across the plains gained two grey shadows. Chen Fan's attempts to chase them off proved futile - the wolves mirrored his movements with tactical precision.
"Damn clever mutts!" he seethed, longing for his unused 100-pound bow. Meanwhile, the bald man voiced everyone's dread: "Are they summoning the pack?"
Chen Guodong grimly nodded. "Wolves hunt in groups. Two loners? They're stalling until reinforcements come."
Panic rippled through the team. Five wolves were manageable. Twenty meant disaster. Yet abandoning this windfall felt unthinkable.
All eyes turned to their leader. The moment of decision had arrived.
