Chapter 29｜New High-Level Hunting Grounds Open: Unknown Perils Descend

The morning mist slowly dissipated through the mountain woods, like a curtain not yet fully drawn.

The group advanced along a path deep within the rear mountains. The ground beneath their feet grew noticeably harder and unfamiliar, with sparse weeds and a different distribution of trees compared to previous hunting grounds. The forest stood taller here, branches and leaves intertwining so that sunlight could only filter through intermittently.

Li walked at the front, his stride steady and deliberate. He could distinctly sense that this area was unlike any previous hunting ground.

Not because it felt more dangerous, but because the pressure was heavier.

It was as if the entire forest was “watching” them.

The hunting dog suddenly slowed its pace, tail lowered, nose pressed close to the ground, sniffing repeatedly. Yet it didn't emit its usual clear warning sound, only a low, muffled whimper from its throat.

“Something's off with it,” Zhou Yan whispered.

Zhao Yun halted, scanning the surroundings with Desert Eagle already half-raised. “Not a single scent... like it's being disrupted.”

Li Yu held her Type 56 semi-automatic rifle, her gaze fixed on the deep shadows ahead, breathing cautious and slow. She could feel the system's auxiliary interface flickering with unstable warning lights in the corner of her vision.

Zhou Xiaoyu had already silently scaled a rocky vantage point, lying prone as she scanned the distance through her scope. Moments later, she lowered her sniper rifle, her voice hushed.

“Our field of view is fragmented.”

“This terrain... feels unnatural.”

Li Xing raised a hand, signaling the team to halt.

They had crossed the familiar boundaries of the hunting ground.

High-Level Hunting Ground Alert

At that instant, the system interface before Li Xing's eyes suddenly illuminated. Its color shifted from the usual pale green to a darker orange-red.

[Area Analysis in Progress...]

[Entered: High-Level Hunting Ground · Unnamed]

[Danger Level: High]

[System Restriction: Partial Auxiliary Functionality Reduced]

[Warning: Frequent Activity of Unknown Entities]

Li Xing's brow slowly furrowed.

The system rarely used the term “unknown.”

This meant targets existed within this hunting ground that the system database hadn't fully parsed.

“The system has restricted some support functions,” Li Xing murmured.

Zhao Yun's lips twitched, but no smile formed. “Meaning it's for real now.”

Li Yu's fingers tightened slightly on the trigger, her heartbeat accelerating involuntarily. She could feel the system's ballistic correction for firearms weakening, forcing her to rely more on her own judgment.

Zhou Xiaoyu whispered, “The high ground advantage remains, but visibility is severely impaired. It feels deliberately obstructed.”

Zhou Yan crouched to examine the ground, pushing aside fallen leaves as he murmured, “Footprints are mixed—not animals. Quite a few of them.”

Li Xing paused briefly before speaking: “Close ranks. Advance slowly. Do not fire unless provoked.”

The hunting dog seemed to understand the command, staying close to Li Xing's leg as it moved cautiously forward.

The First Anomaly

They had not advanced a hundred meters when a clearing suddenly appeared ahead in the woods.

In the center of the clearing, several animal carcasses lay scattered haphazardly. The bloodstains had already turned black, clearly indicating they had been dead for some time.

Strangely—

the carcasses hadn't been fully removed.

This defied the habits of ordinary hunters.

Zhao Yun took two steps forward before halting. “Doesn't seem like they were after the prey.”

Li Yu scanned the surroundings and murmured, “Looks like... bait.”

The words had barely left his mouth when the hound abruptly stopped, ears pricked, emitting a rapid, stifled growl.

Zhou Xiaoyu spoke almost simultaneously: “Left forest edge. Glint.”

Li Xing didn't hesitate: “Cover!”

The team swiftly dispersed, hugging cover. Seconds later, a bullet whizzed past a tree trunk, striking a rock behind them, sending fragments flying.

Not a warning shot.

A probing sniper fire.

“Human hunters,” Zhao Yun murmured, his gaze hardening.

And extremely experienced ones at that.

The Outline of Unknown Danger

After a brief silence, no second shot came from the woods.

This quiet was more unsettling than continuous fire.

Zhou Xiaoyu lay prone on high ground, sweat beading on her forehead. “They're pulling back, shifting positions fast.”

Li Xing closed his eyes, rapidly analyzing terrain and wind direction. When he opened them again, his gaze had hardened.

“They're testing us.”

“Confirming whether we're worth hunting.”

Zhao Yun muttered under his breath, “Black market dogs. They've got some nerve.”

Li Yu took a deep breath, suppressing his tension, and whispered, “System alert... There's more than one Hunter here.”

The words sent a chill through everyone present.

This wasn't a single enemy.

It was a true hunting ground.

Humans were both the most dangerous prey and the most dangerous hunters.

The Rules of the New Hunting Ground

Li Xing spoke slowly, his voice quiet yet piercingly clear: “From this moment on, this is no longer a simple hunt.”

“This...”