Chapter 1028: Sprouting of the Sacred Tree

Chapter 1028: The Sprouting of the Sacred Tree

The next day, on the outskirts of Fries Harbor, the Jungle Corps, armed with chainsaws and bolters, were on duty.

Though the rampant vegetation in the forest had ceased its growth, the danger was far from over.

In particular, the unchecked expansion of flora had stirred up the xenofauna active in the area, causing the hazard level around Fries Harbor to skyrocket.

Several patrolling drones had even spotted a large carnivorous xenobeast with a danger rating of 60 within the forest!

Such highly dangerous xenobeasts were normally found deep in the inland forests, but now, driven by the migration of herds, they had been lured close to Fries Harbor.

This situation was beyond the control of the hive mother in the forest; she could not directly command any particular xenobeast to go anywhere.

At present, several checkpoints leading to the inland regions had been closed, accessible only to players and those holding passes.

In truth, at this critical juncture, aside from the ranger squads of the Jungle Corps, few players were venturing deep into the forest.

After all, even if death in the game wasn’t permanent, the death penalty was still a headache.

However, despite the official website and VM having raised the area’s danger rating and recommended level, there were still stubborn players who refused to believe it, diving headfirst into danger wherever it lurked.

Right now, for instance, three players barely over level 20 stood at the checkpoint gate.

The NPC officer on duty checked their VMs, confirming all three were indeed shelter residents.

But seeing their clueless expressions, he offered a word of caution out of goodwill.

“The current recommended level for this map has been temporarily raised to 40. If your player level is 10 levels below the recommendation, insurance only covers half; 20 levels below, only a quarter. Think carefully.”

The leading player grinned.

“Got it, bro.”

The other two chimed in.

“Don’t worry about us.”

“We’ll take responsibility.”

Hearing that, the NPC said no more, stamped their VMs with approval, and then saluted with solemn respect.

“Go on. Good luck.”

[Team: JustWantToBeADog, JustWantToFuckADog, HandsomeToThePointOfFrameDrops. (Approved!)]

The grinning team leader returned the salute, then hurriedly charged into the forest with his two buddies, as if afraid someone might snatch the treasure first.

Watching them vanish into the woods, the officer couldn’t help glancing at a Jungle Corps soldier nearby.

“Will they be okay?”

That fellow, clad like a tin can and a veteran player, could guess with his eyes closed what those rookies were after. Yawning, he said,

“Probably grinding for contribution points. Don’t bother with them. Let them play.”

Just taking photos wouldn’t earn many contribution points, unless they scored high-value specimens or dropped materials.

Simply put, they’d have to actually win a fight.

These kids were too green. A few deaths would knock some sense into them.

NPC officer: “...”

Meanwhile, the three players who had passed the checkpoint were already deep in the jungle.

As the veteran had predicted, these rookies were all after contribution points.

With the recent plant frenzy, many xenobeasts that usually hid deep in the forest had wandered into low-level zones. From another angle, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Never again would so many high-level xenobeasts appear in low-level areas!

To minimize gear loss, they carried only an LD-47 and a few white phosphorus grenades. As for armor, just a stab-proof vest—no basic exoskeleton.

This loadout was extremely frugal, the kind that told other players at a glance these guys weren’t planning to make it back to a save point.

But as they pushed deeper into the jungle, the trio couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

“Hey, why’s it so quiet here?” [JustWantToFuckADog], who had kept silent the whole way while scanning the jungle, finally muttered. “Didn’t they raise the map’s recommended level? Not a sound...”

“Shut up and listen to the footsteps.” [JustWantToBeADog] shot him a glance, fully alert to their surroundings. Yet the more he focused, the more his heart pounded.

Something was very wrong.

After the recommended level was raised, the map had become quieter than before.

The xenobeasts that once roamed here had vanished, as if they’d disappeared.

Or else—

They were hiding.

At that thought, [JustWantToBeADog] felt his heart thumping wildly, adrenaline surging.

But only half of that surge came from fear.

The other half was pure excitement!

There was only one reason for every xenobeast in the forest to go into hiding—

A boss had spawned nearby!

Seeing the fanatical look on their leader’s face, the player named [HandsomeToThePointOfFrameDrops] grew even more panicked.

He was the team’s only perception-type, and though only level 20-something, he was passable as a scout.

Yet even he couldn’t sense any xenobeasts nearby...

That left only one explanation: the trouble they faced now far exceeded their capabilities!

“Bro, do you have a plan? I’m starting to freak out.”

[JustWantToBeADog] narrowed his eyes.

“Ever heard this saying?”

[HandsomeToThePointOfFrameDrops] swallowed hard.

“What saying...”

[JustWantToBeADog] grinned, his voice fierce.

“The bigger the waves, the pricier the fish!”

[JustWantToFuckADog]: “...”

[HandsomeToThePointOfFrameDrops] wailed.

“Is it too late to quit the party now?”

“Too late!”

And indeed it was.

The moment [JustWantToBeADog] spoke those words, a suppressed roar suddenly came from ahead.

“Roar—!”

The roar seemed to shake the entire forest, making even the earth tremble!

The three were startled, and before they could react, they saw over a dozen dark figures darting toward them from ahead.

Each figure was about three meters long, shaped like a cheetah, with sharp fangs jutting out of its mouth like two vertical scythes!

【Handsome to a Fault】recognized the creature’s identity at a glance, and in that instant, he was stunned.

“Shadow Howl Coyote! A level 30 mutant—”

The name was coined by the player who first discovered it, typically active in the deep mountains a hundred kilometers from Fry Port. With teeth that could bite through steel plates and a habit of hunting in packs, their danger level was enough to give even Ranger squads a headache!

Before his exclamation had even faded, 【Just Want to Be a Quiet Dog】had already raised his rifle, the muzzle spewing a long tongue of fire as he sprayed at the onrushing shadows.

“Forget the damn level, open fire!”

Rat-tat-tat—!

Scorching metal shrapnel carved a rain of death through the forest, slamming head-on into a Shadow Howl Coyote that burst from the bushes. With a whimper, it dropped dead instantly.

That burst had landed a critical hit, striking the head by sheer luck.

“Nice shot—!”

Seeing his buddy take down a level 30 Shadow Howl Coyote solo, 【Just Want to Quietly Pet the Dog】let out an excited shout. Taking advantage of the chaos, he snatched the kill, spraying wildly at the fleeing shadows.

But the good times didn’t last.

The death of their packmate made the scattered Shadow Howl Coyotes realize the threat was right on their heels!

Their animal instincts warned them: if they didn’t take out these two-legged beasts first, they wouldn’t even make it past the predators chasing them—they’d die right here!

Driven by survival, the leading wolf king howled. The coyotes, which had been scattering, regrouped after dodging a round of gunfire. Instead of fleeing, they swarmed the obstacle blocking their escape route!

Seeing the shadows lunging at him, 【Just Want to Quietly Pet the Dog】was frozen in terror. With a cry of “Holy shit!” he reached for the white phosphorus grenade at his belt.

But before he could yank it free, a three-meter-long giant wolf leaped into the air, sinking its jaws into his shoulder with a guttural snarl, swallowing his entire head into its throat.

Crunch—

The sound of fangs tearing through flesh mingled with the crack of bones being chewed. Hot blood sprayed three meters high, staining a broad-leafed shrub a vivid red!

Driven wild by the blood, the Shadow Howl Coyote threw back its head and howled, then turned to attack the other dog.

【Just Want to Be a Quiet Dog】was paralyzed by the bloody scene, but his hands kept moving. He tore off a white phosphorus grenade, pulled the pin, and hurled it.

A blinding white light flared, forcing the beast to instinctively shut its eyes.

At the same moment, searing flames burst in the air like scattered stars, blanketing half its body in thick white smoke and igniting its fur!

“Howl—”

The Shadow Howl Coyote let out a pained shriek, its three-meter frame crashing to the ground. It thrashed and rolled in the bushes, trying to extinguish the flames.

But what it didn’t realize was that the more it struggled, the fiercer the fire grew! Within seconds, it had engulfed its entire body!

Watching the coyote go still, 【Just Want to Be a Quiet Dog】didn’t let his guard down. His right hand already clutched two more white phosphorus grenades, ready to strike again.

Right beside him, three Shadow Howl Coyotes glared with murderous eyes.

If not for their fear of the sudden burst of fire, they would have already swarmed and torn him apart.

“Growl…”

The lead coyote crouched low, its front claws scraping the ground as it let out a threatening rumble.

【Just Want to Be a Quiet Dog】refused to back down, staring it straight in the eyes while sneaking a glance to the side for his teammate’s help—only to see that 【Handsome to a Fault】was gone.

“Damn… can’t rely on randoms,” he muttered to himself, abandoning any hope of escaping with help.

But just then, the situation seemed to shift.

The three coyotes facing him suddenly sensed danger, their fur bristling as they snarled and backed away a few steps.

Then, without warning, they spun around and vanished into the bushes behind them.

Only when the rustling sounds confirmed they were truly gone did 【Just Want to Be a Quiet Dog】finally exhale, letting his tense muscles relax.

“Damn… what a shitty day.”

Running into a migrating beast pack—and of all things, Shadow Howl Coyotes!

But what puzzled him was what could scare these wild dogs, who’d even bite armored vehicles, so badly.

As he wondered, the earth-shaking roar rang out again.

But this time, it was different. Along with the roar came a scorching blast of wind.

That searing gust felt like the breath of some colossal beast, snapping his relaxed nerves taut in an instant. He tore off two white phosphorus grenades and spun around.

But the moment he turned, he froze as if struck by lightning.

It was a lizard, as tall as a five- or six-story building.

Its body was clad in iridescent scales, and its two massive eyes were like clock faces.

Rearing up half its body in the forest, it stood like Godzilla, every inch of its scales radiating a suffocating pressure!

“What… the hell is that?!”

【Just Want to Be a Quiet Dog】was dumbstruck, momentarily forgetting to capture the awe-inspiring moment with his VM.

The lizard didn’t seem to notice him; it simply took slow, lumbering steps forward. With each step, the entire forest shook as if in an earthquake.

But then, as if summoned by some voice, the lizard stopped advancing and turned around on the spot.

That turn was anything but harmless. As its massive rear swung, its barrel-thick tail whipped around like a sweeping lash, cutting through a hundred meters of forest in an instant.

“Ho—”

【Just Want to Be a Quiet Dog】had no time to react, not even to scream, before the cataclysmic tail sent him flying, disintegrating midair along with countless splintered wood chips.

Meanwhile, 【Handsome to a Fault】, who had dug a foxhole and pressed his face flat to the ground, survived by sheer luck.

He didn’t know what possessed him at the time—seeing the fleeing beasts, his first instinct wasn’t to open fire but to find cover.

Whether it was cowardice or his perception stat, somehow he made it through.

Surveying the wreckage around him, he couldn’t help but twitch his brow.

“Holy crap… Did a typhoon hit?!”

He clicked his tongue and lifted his head, only to hold his breath instantly.

There, in the middle of the devastated forest, stood a colossal lizard. Its crested head shimmered with iridescent colors under the afternoon sun.

Its sheer size made Trash-kun look like an ant in comparison!

Dragon Lizard!

The word flashed through 【Handsome to a Fault】’s mind.

He raised a trembling hand to the camera-equipped earpiece, snapping several photos of the unbelievable creature, then uploaded them to his VM.

Data archived.

Mutant named…

Done!

Watching the “Naming Successful” pop-up on his VM screen and the massive reward for unlocking the bestiary entry, 【Handsome to a Fault】finally breathed a sigh of relief. This adventure had been worth it.

A creature of this level is probably not something a single player can hunt; it might force the Alliance to deploy strategic weapons.

Just as [Handsome to Frame Drop] was brushing the mud off his pants and planning to slip away from the vicinity, he was soon stunned by the sight before him.

There, behind the patch of trees that were leaning every which way, a towering giant tree stood at the very center of the forest!

It seemed not to be a single tree, but many trees of different species growing together in a cluster!

It was the only thing in the entire forest that rose higher than that enormous lizard.

What astonished him even more was yet to come.

The gigantic dragon lizard approached the towering giant tree.

Like a child to its parent, it lowered its cockscomb-like head and nestled against the tree's side, licking the roots with its forked tongue, and from its constantly heaving cheeks came a purring sound.

Gazing at this unbelievable scene, [Handsome to Frame Drop] was momentarily speechless.

He suddenly recalled a post he had seen on the official forum.

It was an account written by the master Night Ten about the Gaia planet in the Alpha Centauri system.

This giant tree seemed somewhat familiar...

Snapping back to reality, his eyes widened in an instant.

"Holy shit..."

Could this be...

The sacred tree of the Doma people?!

It's been replicated here on Earth!