Chapter 42: The True Breakthrough (Part 3)

In truth, the so-called divisions within the region had no clear boundaries, nor was there anyone foolish enough to delineate territories within the radiation zone. Generally speaking, the more powerful the beast, the closer it dwelled to the primeval forest, and the larger the territory it claimed. An area frequented by a beast of B-level strength was known as the B zone, one ruled by a C-level beast became the C zone—these territories moved with their reigning mutated overlords and had no fixed geographic location.

Compared to the C and B zones, the D zone was so vast as to be in a different league entirely.

The desolate wilderness was steeped in an air of despair and decay; everywhere one looked was a bleak, ashen gray. Sparse, mutated trees grew stubbornly, testament to the tenacity of life, while the cliffs above were barren and devoid of birds, as bald and lifeless as an old man clinging to his last breaths.

Le Kai had long since grown accustomed to this solitude. Once he entered hunting mode, the world itself seemed to fade away; nothing existed but his quarry.

The extraordinary perception he’d possessed since childhood was now brought to its pinnacle—his eyes flashed with an inhuman gleam, scanning the surroundings like a precise instrument. Years of inhuman training had only honed this ability further; with a single glance, he could ascertain whether there was danger nearby.

The Professor had always envied this gift. Under his deliberate guidance, Le Kai’s powers would automatically activate in tense combat, assessing threats with a thoroughness and subtlety that surpassed even the most advanced AI.

Now, Le Kai was probing his environment with utmost caution. Unfortunately, his range was limited by his strength; as a novice martial artist, he could only sense within a hundred meters or so.

Still, Le Kai was certain that as his power grew, so too would his range. One of his training goals for the next three months was to expand his perception as much as possible, boosting his ability to escape and to channel his inner energy.

This heightened state persisted for a full two hours, as he searched over a hundred li. Not a single D-level mutant beast appeared, not even a common fly. Instead, the prolonged tension left Le Kai’s mental energy drained, forcing him to rest.

Clearly, the beasts here were truly formidable—so much so that not even low-level mutants dared approach the outskirts for over a hundred li. Le Kai wasn’t discouraged by the absence of prey; rather, he felt a heavy sense of caution. Such a vast, empty stretch could only mean that the creature ruling this domain was terrifyingly strong; ordinary beasts wouldn’t dare to come near.

Once he confirmed there was no immediate danger, Le Kai sat cross-legged and practiced the “Unification Method.” After quieting his mind and restoring his energy, he resumed his search.

This monotonous yet perilous journey—filled with solitude and unknown threats—would have broken even an experienced hunter. But Le Kai relished it; his resilience and focus were precisely what the Professor admired most.

“At last, some movement. Let’s see what kind of D-level overlord you are,” he murmured.

Crossing a ridge, Le Kai crouched behind a boulder, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Below lay a basin of indeterminate size, shrouded in a gray haze that limited visibility to a hundred meters at best, even for his eagle-sharp gaze. Mist clung to the surrounding peaks, dense and unmoving, obscuring everything beyond. Yet at the basin’s center, an aura of immense danger pulsed.

That presence filled Le Kai with a primal dread, as if some ancient behemoth lay in wait, jaws agape, for him to stumble into its maw.

He swallowed hard, tightening his grip on the alloy bow, suddenly unsure if this deadly weapon could pierce the beast’s hide.

After resting to ensure he was at his peak, Le Kai made his move.

The “Unification Method” rendered his aura soft and faint, almost imperceptible. Years of hunting had taught him to move in utter silence, mastering the art of stealth. As he crept closer to the danger, sweat began to bead on his forehead—the pressure from this beast was unlike anything he’d experienced before. Yet, the thrill of challenge sent his blood racing, stirring in him a destructive, conquering urge innate to all men.

A path that should have taken half an hour took him two, the pressure so intense that by the time he reached the base of the slope, his clothes were soaked with sweat.

Crouching behind a rock, Le Kai surveyed his surroundings and began to formulate a plan. Reckless bravado was bold, but ignoring danger for the sake of adrenaline was foolish—those who did rarely lived long.

Only now did he realize the basin, which had seemed small from above, was in fact vast—an endless stretch of gray mist. The air reeked of sulfur, as if he’d wandered into the ruins of a firework factory, and the pervasive haze made it hard to breathe.

The closer he crept, the denser the mist became, and the more acrid the stench.

Le Kai frowned. Something within the fog unsettled him—a lurking threat that somehow felt even more ominous than the mutant beast itself. Was there something in the mist more fearsome than a mutant overlord?

He hesitated. Though eager to test himself against a worthy opponent, he had no intention of gambling his life.

The creature at the heart of the mist hadn’t moved, as if it were sleeping, but D-zone beasts possessed unimaginable abilities, and there was no telling what might happen. After careful consideration, Le Kai decided to test the situation. Although the central aura’s intensity was suffocating, he reasoned that probing from the edge with an arrow should be safe enough—if things went wrong, he could always flee. Wasn’t the “Unification Step” technique designed for escape, after all?

With his mind made up, Le Kai drew back his alloy bow, the string taut with a thousand anks of force.

At nine years old, he could already pull a 300-ank bow with ease. Four years of the Professor’s relentless training had multiplied his strength several times over; now, drawing the custom-forged alloy bow was effortless.

The Professor’s bows had several ingenious features. They were adjustable: for ordinary shots, the bow’s natural tension sufficed. In the second mode, the draw weight doubled, requiring much greater strength. The final setting was unique—it could only be drawn by channeling inner energy. Le Kai hadn’t understood this before, but now he knew: only by infusing the bow with true energy could he unlock its full potential.

Naturally, the bow’s power varied with each mode. According to the Professor, with enough energy, it could even pierce a car. Le Kai had once dismissed this as an exaggeration, but now, having mastered the flow of true energy, he realized it was no idle boast. The destructive force of energy channeled through a specially crafted bow was, indeed, beyond imagination.