Chapter 8: The Sheep-Bone Monster
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
In the heart of the chaos, one combatant was an enormous serpent-like beast over twenty meters long. At its thickest point, its diameter nearly reached two meters, resembling a small mountain that could move.
Its entire body was cloaked in scales as dark as ink, gleaming with a metallic sheen. These scales were tightly interlocked, forming an impenetrable armor-like shell.
The massive triangular head bore a pair of blood-red vertical pupils and a cavernous maw lined with countless razor-sharp fangs.
“An Ink-Armored Anaconda!”
A flash of inherited knowledge surged through Lin Ze’s mind.
An adult Ink-Armored Anaconda could achieve a Life Energy Level of 11 or 12, a genuine Savage Type Monstrous Beast.
Lin Ze felt a chill run down his spine and turned his gaze to the other combatant.
This one was a sleek and majestic giant leopard, five or six meters long. Its fur shimmered in a unique silver-blue hue, as though dyed by ice and snow, exuding an aura of chilling elegance.
But what truly drew attention were the four frost-colored claws, sharp as blades.
“A Frostpaw Leopard!”
“An adult of this species also boasts a Life Energy Level of around 12!”
“Another Savage Type!”
Lin Ze couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement.
Savage Types, rarely seen, had now appeared in pairs, and they were locked in fierce combat.
Such a scene was indeed extraordinary.
Scanning the area, Lin Ze soon spotted five or six bloodied human corpses nearby, their remains scattered alongside supplies of food.
It didn’t take much thought for Lin Ze to deduce what had happened.
These two beasts were clearly fighting over the ownership of food.
He silently mourned the unlucky dead for a few seconds before shifting his attention to the battle between the Ink-Armored Anaconda and the Frostpaw Leopard.
The anaconda’s immense body made its movements somewhat sluggish, leaving deep imprints in the ground wherever it passed. It seemed slow and cumbersome, yet its bursts of speed were astonishing. Each time its coiled body tensed and sprang forward, it shot out like lightning, leaving afterimages in the air.
But the Frostpaw Leopard was even faster. With each agile leap, it easily evaded the anaconda’s lunges, even adjusting its posture midair with uncanny dexterity.
When its frost-colored claws occasionally grazed the hard ground, they left deep scars.
Yet, as sharp as those claws were, they couldn’t pierce the anaconda’s scales, leaving only faint white marks.
The two monsters exchanged blows, ravaging the ground in their frenzied battle. In mere moments, the crossroads had been reduced to a pitted wasteland, resembling the aftermath of a typhoon. However, neither side could gain the upper hand, and the fight settled into a stalemate.
Lin Ze watched in awe, silently assessing his chances. He concluded that if he faced either of them alone, he’d most likely have no choice but to flee.
And that was factoring in the Vampiric Clan’s incredible regenerative abilities. Without that, he might not even escape alive.
[There’s a clear gulf between Savage Types and ordinary monstrous beasts.]
Recognizing the disparity in strength, Lin Ze dared not linger. He cautiously retreated, and once he had put a safe distance between himself and the battle, he turned and ran in another direction.
The night enveloped Lin Ze as he ran, his mind a swirl of emotions.
Just yesterday, he had been riding high, full of confidence.
But witnessing the overwhelming power of Savage Types had been a rude awakening. While he was indeed far stronger than an average human, he still lacked the qualifications for arrogance.
In this terrifying post-apocalyptic world, many beings far stronger than him roamed the land.
[If I want to dominate in this world, I still have a long way to go.]
“I need to master True Qi as soon as possible,” Lin Ze resolved, vowing to redouble his efforts in cultivating the True Essence Art.
Returning to the hospital, Lin Ze navigated its familiar layout with ease. He went straight to the blood bank, packing all the frozen blood plasma into a delivery box. Then he searched the operating rooms and ICU wards, where he fortunately found some emergency reserves of frozen blood in freezers.
After a busy round of scavenging, his delivery box was nearly full.
Satisfied with his haul, Lin Ze prepared to leave. Passing through the courtyard, he glanced at the Martial Dao True Stele, which still stood untouched.
Leaving the hospital, Lin Ze didn’t head back to the apartment complex immediately. Instead, he stopped by a nearby supermarket to restock daily necessities.
Choosing a medium-sized supermarket, Lin Ze dispatched two Blood-Eyed Wolves lingering near the entrance. Then he casually picked up a shopping basket from the floor and began gathering supplies.
This particular supermarket seemed to have been mostly overlooked by survivors, leaving a decent stock of goods.
Lin Ze quickly picked out everything he needed and was about to leave when he heard a strange rustling sound.
It was a mix of chewing noises and the crinkling of packaging.
[Is it a monstrous beast? Or a human?]
Gripping the hilt of his Tang Blade, Lin Ze moved silently through two rows of shelves, his gaze fixed on the cashier counter ahead.
There, amidst a pile of scattered items, sat a small figure.
It was a creature resembling a sheep, covered in shaggy dark-gray fur, no more than thirty centimeters long. Its head was concealed within a sheep’s skull, revealing only its eyes and mouth, with two curved horns curling backward.
The creature was clutching a bag of bread, munching away noisily.
Sensing movement, it clumsily turned its head, locking eyes with Lin Ze.
“Baa?”
The supermarket fell into an eerie silence.
Man and beast stared at each other, wide-eyed and unblinking.
Oddly, the creature showed no reaction to Lin Ze. Tilting its head, it simply continued to gaze at him, motionless.
[Is this… a Sheep-Bone Monster?]
The information that surfaced in Lin Ze’s mind eased his tension.
Unlike most monstrous beasts, Sheep-Bone Monsters were gluttonous but didn’t eat humans. They were omnivorous and notably weak, with a Life Energy Level of only 1, easily handled by any adult.
Of course, weak as they were, they had their own means of survival.
The creature before Lin Ze was merely a projection. Its true body, a sheep bone, was typically hidden in a secure location. Even if its projection was destroyed, it could reappear in no time. Only by destroying the true body could one truly eliminate it.
[No wonder such a weak beast dares to roam freely.]
As Lin Ze watched, the Sheep-Bone Monster seemed to misunderstand his intent. It glanced at the bread in its claws, hesitated, and then extended it toward Lin Ze.
“Baa?”
Lin Ze was momentarily stunned but then understood, waving his hand with a wry smile.
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry.”
The creature appeared to understand and let out a happy bleat before devouring the rest of the bread in a few bites. It then grabbed a bag of chips and struggled to open it.
However, its hoof-like hands, with only two stubby fingers, made it difficult to tear the packaging. After repeated failed attempts, the creature drooped its head in frustration.
Lin Ze’s lips twitched as he walked toward it and extended his hand.
“Here, let me.”
“Baa?”
The Sheep-Bone Monster looked at Lin Ze, then at the bag of chips, before obediently handing it over.
Lin Ze tore the bag open and returned it to the creature.
“Baa!”
The Sheep-Bone Monster happily took the chips and bleated a few times, seemingly in gratitude.
Lin Ze chuckled, shaking his head as he turned to leave.
He saw no reason to harm a harmless creature like this. After all, it was just a projection, and killing it served no purpose.
By the time Lin Ze emerged from the supermarket, it was past two in the morning.
The city was steeped in darkness, shrouded by the deep, silent night.
Yet Lin Ze felt no fatigue. The enhancements granted by Child of Eternal Night provided him with an endless stream of energy, keeping him alert and vigorous.
With the delivery box on his back, Lin Ze strode into the night, disappearing into the shadows.