Su Chen picked up a stone from beside the ancient primeval tree. It had the texture of granite and a smooth surface with few sharp edges. It was arguably the perfect throwing stone.
He hefted it a couple of times, feeling its weight.
Once he had a good feel for it, the Rune Power of Flame Burst was awakened once more. A scorching energy surged along an invisible Mana circuit into his palm and then poured smoothly into the stone without resistance.
SIZZLE...
A faint sizzling sound arose as the stone instantly became scorching hot and glowed red. Delicate, fiery patterns appeared on its surface, and the radiating heat even caused the surrounding air to distort slightly.
Su Chen’s indifferent gaze first swept toward a distant patch of jungle. While testing the new Rune’s effect moments ago, he had vaguely heard some movement from that direction. Perhaps intimidated by its destructive power, whatever was there had vanished, leaving only a rustling sound in its wake.
’That one will do.’
He turned his gaze to a nearby ancient tree.
Without much adjustment to his stance, Su Chen casually flicked his wrist, and the stone Enchanted with Flame Burst shot through the air, wreathed in fierce flames.
BANG!
A loud bang reverberated through the woods.
The anticipated precision hit was perfectly executed. Its trajectory was flawless, as if guided by infrared, and it ultimately struck the dead center of the tree trunk—the intended target—without deviation.
Wood chips flew everywhere, and the strong smell of scorched wood spread rapidly.
’Not bad.’
A hint of satisfaction colored his thoughts.
This perfectly expanded the practical use of Flame Burst. If it were only for melee combat, he would inevitably suffer from its limited range.
As for his throwing accuracy, he wouldn’t say it was a sure thing, but he was at least seventy percent confident.
This wasn’t blind confidence. Even as an elementary schooler, he had displayed a talent that amazed his classmates—specifically, for throwing paper airplanes and skipping stones.
Paper airplanes he threw always flew farther and more steadily than his peers’; with the same stone, he could always make it skip more times across the water.
Essentially, this was a perfect demonstration of his own wrist technique and Power.
During his teenage years, after mastering full-body coordination, this talent was elevated even further. Whether it was throwing darts or flicking playing cards, he could achieve an unimaginable level of accuracy.
Even when skipping stones, he could control the stone’s trajectory and direction at will.
’The technique of throwing is a method in its own right.’
Su Chen glanced around the grassy area, but could only find a stone of average quality.
However, he wasn’t limited to using small stones.
’Maybe I should try a brick.’
Near the warehouse wall, the most conspicuous sight was a neatly stacked pile of red bricks. He guessed they were likely scraps left over from the warehouse’s construction.
As the saying goes, even a master fears a blade, and even the toughest guy can be taken down by a single brick.
Su Chen casually picked up a brick. It felt heavy in his hand; in terms of weight, it was no match for the hollow bricks popular today.
Of course, for the pure purpose of throwing bricks at monsters, the lethality after being imbued with the Flame Burst effect would be much greater than that of a small stone. To ensure accuracy, though, he probably couldn’t throw it very far.
’I’ll take two.’
Su Chen noticed a box next to him filled with prizes from the park’s opening a year ago. Among the items was a sports backpack with a "Third Prize" sticker on it.
’Perfect. Now I don’t have to go back to the RV for my gear.’
He had already resolved to make a trip into the mysterious Earth Realm himself.
With a deadly weapon in hand, the will to kill is born.
Besides the fact that skill breeds boldness, Su Chen was also well aware that the trapped city dwellers would have to face the problem of breaking out of this cage. It was only a matter of time; they couldn’t stay imprisoned like birds for their entire lives.
「Soon.」
He stuffed the two bricks and a baseball bat into the sports backpack. After shouldering the bag, he walked toward the woods and pulled out the long-handled axe that was embedded in a stump.
Although the axe head was stained with a bit of rust, its edge still looked sharp.
Su Chen flipped it over a few times to make sure the handle was sturdy. Then, gripping it in one hand, he swung it down hard. With a THUD, the blade sank nearly an inch into the stump.
’Not bad.’
Blunt and sharp weapons each had their uses. He was about to venture into an unknown forest and would need this axe to clear a path.
Once everything was in order, Su Chen followed the bloodstains on the ground to the front of a forest path.
The small path snaked deep into the woods, flanked by towering ancient trees with gnarled branches. Their overlapping canopies formed a tunnel of light and shadow.
The hikers who had disappeared earlier had probably taken this path. Clear footprints of varying depths were visible on the ground, including signs of someone turning back, as if they had gotten scared and retreated.
As for the human femur back in the warehouse, gnawed beyond recognition, there was no telling which unlucky soul it belonged to. It looked like the person had been devoured by a pack of Demon Dogs.
"AHH!"
At that moment, a bloodcurdling scream came from the public campsite on the hill behind him.
In the open air, the sound traveled far on the wind, and the atmosphere in the woods seemed to grow tense.
The campsite bordered the mysterious and perilous primeval forest on three sides. With its defenses wide open, invasions by monsters from every direction were inevitable. Who knew how many tragedies would result.
Without looking back, Su Chen decisively entered the forest. He followed the blood trail, which soon led him to a corpse.
Beneath an ancient tree, thick roots bulged from the ground like giant pythons. In a hollow between them lay a large pool of thick, dark blood, exuding a nauseating, coppery stench.
As Su Chen drew closer, he saw that the body was torn to pieces. Of its limbs, only the left arm remained, twisted at an unnatural angle. A horrifying gash split the center of the torso, its internal organs completely hollowed out.
The gruesome state of the death made even him frown.
This fellow human had likely been devoured by two or more Demon Dogs.
A sports satchel had also been torn to shreds nearby. Amidst the bloody mud, something glinted with a faint silver light in the sun.
Su Chen used the blade of his long-handled axe to fish it out, only to find it was a hardcore short knife.
It was a Victorinox Swiss Army knife made for professional outdoor survival. Lacking the flashy multi-tools, it focused purely on the blade’s sharpness—a style of survival knife currently favored by seasoned outdoor enthusiasts.
His eyes lit up, and he prepared to bend down and pick up the short knife.
Just then.
A sharp whistle cut through the air from the jungle to his left. A Fireball shot menacingly from a low slope behind him. Su Chen’s expression tightened. He sidestepped and dashed forward several steps, dodging the sneak attack.
BANG!
The Fireball exploded violently on the spot where he had been standing, sending up a shower of dirt and shredded leaves.
Su Chen had been on guard the entire time. When he tested the power of Flame Burst earlier, he had sensed there must be monsters in this area, so how could he possibly let himself grow careless?
The moment he regained his footing, he pulled the stone from his pocket. The instant his fingertips found their grip, the Flame Burst Rune activated. An invisible, surging wave of heat poured into the stone as delicate, fiery patterns wrapped around it.
The infused Power made the stone tremble slightly. Su Chen’s eyes were calm as he stared intently at the noisy patch of jungle ahead. The moment a Demon Dog burst out and entered his range, he made his move.
His waist, arm, and wrist moved in a fluid, spring-like motion.
SWOOSH!
The stone, humming with stored power, traced a blazing red arc through the air and struck the Demon Dog square on its forehead.
With a roar and a spray of sparks, the Demon Dog’s pounce came to an abrupt halt, and its body slammed heavily into the grass. The bloody hole on its forehead seemed to have critically damaged its cerebellum, causing its limbs to twitch uncontrollably. In a state of constant muscle spasm, it was unable to struggle back to its feet.

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