chsdbacks Chapter 33 Exploring the Mysterious Realm: First Encounter with Beasts
Chapter 33 Exploring the Mysterious Realm: First Encounter with Beasts
Walking slowly back to the courtyard, the central courtyard was still in a mess. Jia Zhangshi was leaning against the door frame, yelling and cursing at the street urchins, while Yi Zhonghai stood by with his hands in his pockets, watching coldly, clearly wanting to stir up trouble and watch the show.
He completely ignored these unpleasant people and troubles, and without stopping, went straight back to his residence in the backyard. He locked the door and bolted it, and after confirming that there was no movement around, he sat cross-legged on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). With a thought, he instantly entered the Myriad Realms Thief Space.
When he opened his eyes again, he was already in the familiar Thief Space. The originally neatly divided planting area and livestock breeding area had both reached their maximum capacity: the vegetables and fruits in the vegetable garden were lush and green, the tomatoes were bending the branches, the cucumbers were covered with white frost and looked fresh and juicy, and all kinds of green vegetables were growing vigorously, with no room for any more additions; in the livestock breeding area next to it, chickens and ducks were in flocks, pigs and cattle were strong, and the breeding and production of livestock and poultry were completely saturated. The energy accumulated in the space was overflowing everywhere, faintly showing signs of an impending transformation.
What is most striking at this moment is that the entire core area is completely enveloped by a layer of soft, warm white light, forming an absolutely safe zone. Beyond the white light, the previously empty void has suddenly appeared as a boundless primeval forest.
Towering ancient trees rise from the ground, their lush foliage blocking out the sun. A heavy mist hangs in the forest, and the faint growls of unknown wild beasts can be heard, hinting at unknown danger, which contrasts sharply with the tranquility within the white light.
Just as Sun Jingyuan was looking around, a cold system notification suddenly sounded in his mind:
[Detection indicates that spatial planting and livestock production are fully saturated and energy accumulation has reached the target. The Myriad Realms Thief Space has officially been upgraded.]
[Unlock the core safe zone. There is absolutely no danger in this area. You can rest and store supplies freely.]
Unlock the secret forest on the outskirts of the space and unlock new exploration privileges.
[Triggering First Exploration Bonus: Unlock two free opportunities to randomly steal from the heavens, with no cost]
A glimmer of anticipation flashed in Sun Jingyuan's eyes. He immediately focused his mind and triggered the extraction. What he lacked most at the moment was self-protection and the ability to strengthen himself. He would try to make up for his shortcomings by randomly stealing twice.
[First random theft complete! Obtained: One standard hunting rifle, four matching magazines, and 150 rounds of special ammunition]
[Items have been automatically stored in the spatial storage area and can be retrieved at any time by thought.]
A rifle suitable for hunting in the wild, powerful enough to deal with large wild animals, is exactly what's needed for exploring the forest! With a slight thought, Sun Jingyuan instantly produced a heavy, all-black rifle in his hand. The gun was in excellent condition, the parts were sturdy, and the magazine and bullets were neatly arranged to the side. It was ready to use immediately and perfect for dealing with the beasts in the forest. He quickly checked the weapon's condition, confirmed there were no problems, and held it in his hand for any eventuality.
[Second random steal complete! Obtained: One Body Tempering Pill]
[Item Description: Tempers one's physique, enhances strength, speed, and sensory acuity, and stabilizes the physical foundation; has no side effects]
Upon seeing the instructions for the Body Tempering Pill, Sun Jingyuan didn't hesitate for a moment, immediately retrieving the pill with a thought. A milky-white pill, exuding a faint medicinal fragrance, lay quietly in his palm, warm to the touch, without any pungent odor. He knew that when exploring the unknown forest, his own strength was the greatest guarantee of safety, so he immediately tilted his head back and swallowed the Body Tempering Pill directly, prioritizing physical improvement before taking any action, with safety as his primary principle throughout.
The Body Tempering Pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, transforming into a warm and mellow stream of energy that flowed down the throat and into the dantian, before rapidly spreading to every part of the body. The body, originally only at the level of an ordinary adult male, was instantly enveloped by this warm current. Muscles, bones, and meridians were slowly being tempered, and the slight fatigue vanished, replaced by a surge of abundant power. The senses became exceptionally sharp—the subtle sounds of the wind in the forest and the rustling of the grass could be clearly heard, and the vision could penetrate the thin mist to see further into the distance.
Sun Jingyuan clenched his fist and felt it. His strength had increased by at least 50%, and his body coordination and reaction speed had also been greatly enhanced. Even now, empty-handed, he was more confident in dealing with ordinary dangers, not to mention that he was holding a standard-issue rifle.
He steadied himself, refraining from venturing too far, and continued to adhere to the principle of prudence and caution. He gripped his rifle tightly and slowly walked towards the edge of the white-light safe zone.
The moment I stepped out of the white light, a smell mixed with decaying leaves, soil, and a faint fishy odor hit me, far more pungent and acrid than the air inside the safe zone.
Sun Jingyuan stopped abruptly, lowered his body, held his breath, and held his rifle steadily in front of him. He scanned his surroundings warily, observed quietly for a moment, and only after confirming that there was no sudden danger nearby did he slowly walk along the edge of the safe zone, never venturing into the depths of the dense forest rashly.
He would stop every few steps to listen intently, while looking down at the marks on the ground. His feet trod on the thick layer of decaying leaves, and his movements were slow and silent.
Not far along, a series of clear, large hoof prints came into view on the soft soil. The prints were wide and deep with rough edges. There was also soil that had been turned over by wild animals and other traces nearby. It was clear that the prints were left by a large wild boar. Judging from the size of the prints, the wild boar was definitely not light and was extremely aggressive.
Further investigation revealed another set of even larger hoof prints, with regular shapes and thick hooves, several times thicker than the footprints of ordinary oxen. They were clearly left by a large wild bovine animal, whose size alone could pose a great threat to humans.
Sun Jingyuan squatted down to examine the traces carefully, and then sniffed the increasingly strong fishy smell in the air. This fishy smell was not from herbivores; it was pungent and carried a hint of ferocity.
He looked up following the scent and saw several deep claw marks carved into the trunk of a thick tree not far away. The claw marks were sharp and widely spaced, and could not have been left by a small wild animal. They were clearly the work of a large carnivorous beast.
Based on the traces on the ground and the smell, he had already made a judgment: the edge of this secret forest was not only home to large herbivorous beasts such as wild boars and bison, but also to highly aggressive carnivorous beasts, making the danger level far beyond his imagination.
Sun Jingyuan had no intention of recklessly venturing deeper. Now that he had ascertained the presence of large, ferocious beasts in the vicinity, he ceased his exploration. He retreated slowly and steadily, keeping a close watch on his surroundings and his eyes fixed on the depths of the dense forest, preventing any sudden bursts of beasts. He retreated step by step, safely back into the white-light safe zone.
Back in the absolutely safe core area, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, gripped his rifle tightly again, and gazed solemnly at the surrounding forest. This secret forest, though seemingly lush with vegetation, was actually fraught with danger. Venturing in rashly would only lead to peril. Subsequent explorations required thorough preparation, gradually understanding the habits of the beasts and the forest environment, and absolutely could not be rushed.
After confirming his safety, Sun Jingyuan once again experienced the enhanced physical condition after taking the Body Tempering Pill. The abundant power throughout his body gave him more confidence, and the gun in his hand had an extra layer of protection.
He rested briefly, carefully stored the rifle in his spatial storage area, composed himself, and did not linger in the space. With a thought, he exited the Myriad Realms Thief Space and returned to the house.