Chapter 100: Rampage Demon Ape, Sword Armored Dragon Elephant Beast

Chapter 100: Rampage Demon Ape, Sword Armored Dragon Elephant Beast

Comparing the map provided by the mercenaries with the satellite map on their phones, the four estimated that the group of Iron Arm Black Apes was approximately 150 kilometers away from where they had entered the mountain.

To reach the apes, they would have to cross nine mountain peaks, two small rivers, and the territories of three dangerous mutated beasts.

Or, well, the mercenaries had considered these beasts dangerous. In the eyes of Chen Chu and the others, it was just one level 3 and two level 2 mutated beasts.

Among them, the level 3 mutated beast was a thirteen-meter-long king cobra, swift as the wind, possessing great strength, and extremely venomous. Even bullets from rifles hadn’t been able to penetrate its skin. It had swallowed two of the mercenaries, and they had only been able to shake off its pursuit with over a dozen high-explosive grenades.

The level 2 mutated beasts, meanwhile, were a giant crocodile inhabiting the riverbanks and a nine-meter-long thorn wolf.

"Are we going to kill them?"

As the sun set, on the slope amid the trees, Chen Chu and the other three looked ahead, where a ten-meter-long, completely black snake had coiled itself around the trunk of a large tree.

The snake’s hood was nearly a meter wide; coupled with its fierce head, it emanated a strong, oppressive aura.

The king cobra lifted its head slightly, its black pupils coldly staring in their direction.

Even though they were dozens of meters away, it had still clearly noticed them. As a serpent, its senses were not limited to its eyes; its olfactory and infrared senses were even stronger.

However, since it was only a level 3 mutated beast, Chen Chu and the others didn't pay much attention to it. They were occupied with discussing whether to kill it or to bypass it for now and deal with it later.

A level 3 mutated beast was worth tens of thousands of yuan or more, and exchanging it with the authorities could earn them 20 contribution points, which was much simpler than killing ten Second Heavenly Realm Blood Cultists. It wasn’t a question of if they should kill it, but when.

Li Hao said, "I suggest we bypass this cobra for now and come back to kill it later. Carrying its corpse along would be too troublesome, and it would be a waste if we lose it."

Chen Chu nodded. "In that case, we should bypass the other two mutated beasts as well."

"Okay," Xia Youhui and Li Meng agreed without objection.

"I'll go and lure it away." With that, Chen Chu's figure flashed as he dashed out of the trees and appeared in a clearing about a dozen meters away. He picked up a rock about the size of a human head from the ground.

Thud!

He threw the rock with terrifying force, and it flew like a cannonball to accurately hit the cobra's head with a resounding thud.

Under the immense force, the rock instantly smashed into powder, as the snake’s head violently jerked back.

Hiss!

That certainly got the cobra’s attention. It hissed with a cold, enraged tone, and slid down from the tree in an instant.

As the cobra’s robust body passed through, the grass and shrubs gave way, forming a path behind it. Its speed was like the wind, crossing dozens of meters in the blink of an eye.

The king cobra got its nickname of “Mountain Wind” from its swift movement. After mutation, this cobra’s speed had become even more astonishing.

But Chen Chu was faster. With a loud bang, he burst through the air and disappeared from the spot.

"So fast." The other three were slightly surprised as they watched Chen Chu and the snake disappear into the depths of the forest.

The snake’s speed was impressive, but what puzzled them even more was how quickly Chen Chu, a cultivator of a strength-based art, moved.

Ever since they had arrived in Kyrola, people had noticed how Chen Chu's agility was abnormal, completely unlike that of a cultivator focused on strength.

However, none of them really thought to question this aspect further, including Xia Youhui.

After all, everyone had their own secrets. Though he hadn’t said so out loud, everyone knew that Li Hao’s goal in organizing this hunt was to obtain the essence of the Golden-Backed Rampage Ape. Why else would he target this dangerous group of apes and not another, easier mutated beast?

In the past, an attack like that from the armored beast would have at most shattered the crab’s shell, not completely crushed the carapace or created such a powerful shockwave.

This realization lifted the Sword Beast’s mood. After happily devouring the remnants of the mutated crab, it disappeared into the depths of the ocean with a flick of its tail.

In the pitch-black night of the mountain forest, Xia Youhui, who had been on duty for three hours, stepped up to Chen Chu's tent and called out. "Ah Chu, it's your turn."

Inside the tent, Chen Chu slowly opened his eyes. A glint of icy and fierce light flashed in the depths of his pupils, before they quickly returned to their usual gentleness.

"Alright, you can go rest now."

With that, Chen Chu pulled open the tent and stepped out.

The mountain forests at night were extremely dangerous, even for a group of four that included Chen Chu. As he kept watch, he stood on a large rock with his hands behind his back, wearing his black and red armor to guard against insects. At the same time, he heightened his perceptive senses to their maximum.

Awoo!

Roar!

Chirp chirp chirp!

From afar, various cries and roars incessantly reverberated, danger lurking at every turn. Several dozen meters away, a pair of cruel eyes peered in his direction.

Sensing the malice, Chen Chu turned his head slightly to look over, his gaze sharp and cold. The darkness of the night, however, obscured even his sharp eyesight. He could only vaguely make out that it was a creature resembling a leopard.

This mutated beast, including its tail, was around six meters in length. It stood on a tree branch over ten meters in the air, with most of its body obscured by leaves. However, it seemed to sense that Chen Chu was not to be trifled with, eventually choosing to depart.

Seeing this, Chen Chu couldn't be bothered to pursue and kill it. A level 1 mutated beast would only yield 2 or 3 contribution points, and lugging its body around would be tedious.

The rest of the night passed quietly. When the sun came up, the four of them quickly finished their breakfast, tidied up a bit, and then continued on their journey, traversing mountains and crossing ridges.

After defeating more than a dozen fearless ordinary mutated creatures, they finally arrived at the mountain forest where the Iron Arm Black Apes resided.

The trees here stood at heights of thirty to fifty meters, their crowns lush and dense. Thick vines twined between the branches, hanging down, while black gorillas, three meters tall, climbed and played on them.

Among these black apes were six particularly conspicuous giant ones, each standing five meters tall. Their sturdy arms were even thicker than a person's, and their dark skin emitted a metallic sheen.

According to the information provided, these Iron Arm Black Apes had coarse fur and thick skin. Even the ordinary level 1 Black Apes could ignore smaller bullets. They were agile in their movements, and with a swing of their arms, they could flip a small car.

The level 2 Iron Arm Black Apes were even stronger; bullets from rifles and submachine guns felt like mere tickles to them, and their strength was truly formidable.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, these mutated beasts, like humans, were capable of using weapons. During battles, they would wield tree trunks to swing or hurl stones weighing over a hundred kilograms as projectiles, making them highly dangerous.

The Golden-Backed Rampage Ape, however, was an unknown factor, with no specific information about it available.

Xia Youhui hefted his heavy shield, somewhat excitedly asking, "Should we just attack now?"

Li Meng's expression turned serious. "I don’t see the Golden-Backed Rampage Ape. What if it’s in hiding and ambushes us?"

Li Hao said, "It's simple. We lure down those Iron Arm Black Apes, and once we kill enough of them, the Golden-Backed Rampage Ape will definitely show up.

"When it does, Xia Youhui and I will engage it head-on. Chen Chu, you and Li Meng quickly eliminate the remaining Black Apes so we can avoid being disturbed during the fight. Then, we'll join forces and kill the Rampage Ape together.

"If the Rampage Ape isn't here, even better. We can eliminate all these level 1 and 2 Black Apes, and dealing with the Rampage Ape later will be much easier."

Chen Chu nodded. "Agreed."

It wasn’t much of a plan—more a straightforward frontal assault—but it would work. Though the mutated beasts were numerous, most of them were only level 1 with a few level 2s among them. The four completely outmatched them. The only one truly worth paying attention to was the Golden-Backed Rampage Ape.