According to Max Easton, the areas he's explored include the Forest Zone, the Grassland Zone, and even a stretch of "ocean." The Forest Zone is where Max lives—there are trees, water, and stone slabs for grilling, making it a relatively safe area. But the Grassland Zone is much more dangerous, because that's where the most ferocious predators roam.
Jill Young and Max Easton followed the river downstream, and after an hour of trekking, they finally reached a vast grassland. According to Max, since this underground world has no day or night, nor any seasonal changes, it's felt like late spring or early summer ever since he arrived. So the grass here grows like crazy.
Lush green grass stretches across rolling hills, making you feel totally refreshed. The grass is top-quality fodder, reaching just above knee height, vibrant and beautiful. Plus, it seems like the biosphere here is missing 'viruses'—Max hasn't been sick since he got here. Except for the faint, ever-present smell of sulfur in the air, this place is pretty much paradise.
And in this so-called paradise, Jill Young and Max Easton were crawling through the grass, watching the river bend and the shallow banks from afar. There, a herd of herbivores was drinking contentedly.
Looking at those white-furred, four-hooved, long-horned, bearded, bleating creatures, Jill Young asked in disbelief, "Are those things sheep?"
"Judging by their looks, yeah, they do look like sheep."
"But the sheep I know have horns on the sides of their heads!" Jill Young pointed at the weird sheep. "These guys have horns like unicorns—sticking straight out! And they're huge, way bigger than regular sheep!"
That's right—these white beasts had a single horn on their heads, about thirty centimeters long, sticking out like a knight's lance. And they were way bigger than normal sheep; the largest ones were almost the size of a calf.
"These are one of the herbivore species roaming the Grassland Zone. I have no idea what they're actually called, so I just named them Unishear. Maybe they're a new evolutionary branch." Max Easton whispered, "Unishear are strong, alert, and pretty aggressive. Let's sneak around and avoid them."
He was about to get up when Jill Young suddenly grabbed him and pinned him down. "Don't move—look over there!"
Max Easton looked in the direction Jill Young pointed, but all he saw was endless sky and grass. "I don't see anything," he said.
Jill Young pulled out her crossbow, eyes growing serious. "Look carefully—there are a few Shadow Wolves hiding in the grass, getting ready to ambush. One, two, three... looks like seven of them."
"Seven?" Max Easton peered where Jill Young pointed and finally noticed something. "You've got sharp eyes—that's way more useful than muscles. We should get out of here, quick."
"No, wait. It looks like they're about to attack those Unishear. Let's hang back and see if we can swoop in for leftovers."
Max Easton shook his head. "I don't think there's much to swoop in for. There are more than thirty Unishear in that herd, and those Shadow Wolves might not have the guts to make a move."
Jill Young was surprised. "Those sheep are that tough?"
Max Easton nodded confidently. "Not every sheep in this world is afraid of wolves."
Jill Young thought of a certain domestic cartoon and nodded in agreement. "True, there really are sheep that can bully wolves. Actually, that's perfect." She raised her crossbow, squinting one eye to aim. "Makes things more interesting."
Max Easton was horrified. "You're not thinking of—"
With a crisp snap, the crossbow fired, sending a bolt whistling through the air in a perfect arc toward a Unishear drinking at the river. The arrow flew over two hundred meters, landing with a thud—right in the empty ground outside the Unishear herd.
"Uh, first time using this—my aim's not great."
But the Unishear herd was enraged. Led by the head Unishear, they lowered their horns and charged right at them, hooves pounding the earth like a cavalry charge.
But as the Unishear charged, it wasn't Jill Young who got flushed out of the grass—it was seven or eight panicked Shadow Wolves. The wolves had been hesitating between attacking and waiting, but the Unishear were already charging in full force. With no other choice, the wolves howled and decided to retreat—for now.
Once the Unishear herd picked up speed, nothing could stop them—not even the Shadow Wolves' skinny frames.
But without spotting Jill Young and Max Easton, the Unishear just vented their anger on their old rivals. Wherever the Shadow Wolves ran, the Unishear chased, turning the scene into total chaos. Jill Young even saw a wolf get headbutted and sent flying, yelping as it hit the ground, only to be swallowed up by the stampede of sheep hooves.
Sheep in this world are seriously fierce.
Just as Jill Young loaded another arrow onto her crossbow, ready for another shot, a huge green shadow suddenly leapt out of the grass. The flash of green came with a heart-stopping roar, and in an instant, the lead Unishear was sent flying, its head bloodied as it crashed to the ground, struggling to get up.
The Unishear herd instantly turned into a panicked mess, losing all their unstoppable bravado. Jill Young focused and realized the green figure was a panther-like beast, its fur blending perfectly with the grass for top-notch camouflage. Even Jill Young hadn't noticed it before.
"Greenshadow Panther! It's a Greenshadow Panther!" Max Easton's voice was so tense it almost cracked. "Go, go, go! The Greenshadow Panther is the ruler of these grasslands!"
A ruler's entrance is always dramatic—just showing up turned the whole scene upside down. The Unishear scattered in a wild stampede, and even the Shadow Wolves fled in terror from this top predator. The Greenshadow Panther pushed off with its powerful legs, chasing like lightning and unleashing a bloody storm in the blink of an eye.
Even though they were hundreds of meters away, both of them kept hidden, afraid of being spotted. Max Easton's palms were sweaty as he forced a grin. "Heh, welcome to the underground. Any thoughts?"
"My thought is I'm nowhere near its level yet." Greenshadow Panther's speed, strength, and predatory instincts made Jill Young's gaze intense—intense and a little wild. "Which is exactly why I have to hunt such a worthy prey!"
With that, Jill Young gripped her broadsword, crouched low, and dashed ahead.
"Hey, what are you doing? Get back here!" Max Easton hissed urgently, but nothing could shake Jill Young's resolve.
Jill Young quickly reached the spot where the wolves and Unishear had clashed. One wolf corpse was already torn to shreds, but not far away, the lead Unishear was still mostly intact. In this survival-of-the-fittest grassland, fresh carcasses always attract other predators. If you don't want endless battles, you'd better hurry and haul the bodies away.
"Dragging both would be too heavy—needs some prep." Jill Young crouched low, staying alert, and pressed her right palm on the wolf corpse. After a moment, she sliced off a chunk of wolf meat with her sword—the essence was all in that piece, so the rest could be left behind.
"Now for the sheep." Jill Young eyed the calf-sized Unishear. With a beast that big, extracting its life essence would take longer than with a Shadow Wolf. She pressed her right hand to its back, pouring in all her strength. Across the hill, the Greenshadow Panther's roar had stopped—who knew what was going on. Max Easton crawled over, anxious. "Who knows when those things will come back? That sheep's way too big—let's just grab the wolf and run!"
"No way. Just ten more minutes, ten minutes is all I need."
"We've still got food left—we don't need to risk it! Seriously, what are you doing?"
"Why so much chatter? Just do what I say—go keep watch!"
"You must be crazy, totally crazy!" Max Easton muttered, shaking his head, but still jogged up the hill to take a look. One glance, and Max immediately screamed and tumbled back down—five Shadow Wolves had appeared on the hilltop, and he'd just come face-to-face with them.
"Wolves! Run!" Forget about hiding—Max Easton was yelling and sprinting for his life. Five wolves chased after him, eyes blazing as they lunged for his back.
With a snap, a crossbow bolt whizzed past, grazing a wolf's head and startling it into slowing down.
"That aim..." Jill Young quipped, then drew her broadsword and charged. She snatched a rattan shield from Max Easton and barreled forward, slamming into the lead Shadow Wolf!
Bang! The Shadow Wolf yelped and went flying. Jill Young swung her broadsword, slicing open a shallow gash in the wolf's belly with a flash of blood.
The Greenshadow Panther might still be out of her league, but Shadow Wolves? Jill Young wasn't scared of those at all!
When Max Easton turned around, he saw Jill Young kicking Shadow Wolves around like a soccer player, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.
"Die!" she shouted, landing a powerful kick to one wolf that tried a sneak attack, then blocked another with her shield. Tossing the shield aside, Jill Young grabbed the biggest wolf's jaws, clamping them shut so it couldn't bite, while stabbing it repeatedly with her right hand—each strike deadly.
Slash, slash—blade met flesh, white steel in, red steel out. Three stabs, six wounds, blood splashed all over Jill Young. She spun and flung the dying wolf aside, then glared at the four remaining ones, letting out a beastly roar. Anyone familiar with her would joke, "It's like Avatar's huntress possessed her!"
The four Shadow Wolves, intimidated by Jill Young's ferocity, slunk away. Max Easton stood there, mouth agape, hands out, and after a long pause asked, "So, what exactly did you do before coming here?"
"I just wiped out a hundred-member Blackridge Bandits gang with another little girl. Not a soul left—we cleaned them out." Jill Young wiped blood from her cheek, licked it off her hand, and flashed a wicked grin. "So if you ever disobey me again like today..."
"Your Majesty the Queen, allow this humble servant to grovel at your feet!"
(I'm dying today—ran myself ragged organizing a convention, my calves are swollen, and I still have to get up at five every morning. It's like being a high schooler again~~ Luckily it's almost over. Tomorrow night I'm taking the long train home, and I'll try to post another chapter at noon.)