Chapter 8: Chapter 7 Gunshot
“Ah, Mom and Dad probably never imagined I’d be doing long-range shooting.”
Tao Yu slid down from the tree and looked at the fire that had been extinguished by the python’s writhing and the scattered items nearby, realizing he had to focus and start looking for any useful items that might remain.
It wasn’t that his parents had neglected the quality of firearms, but in this survival-focused environment, burst fire from a distance was almost never necessary; the first choice when facing a far-off threat was usually to hide rather than to make noise by opening fire.
This AK-like rifle was powerful with a low rate of failure; although it might not be as good as a submachine gun at close range, in the hands of Tao Yu, who had a basic understanding of firearms, it was still pretty decent.
He just never expected that he would be firing from a tree branch…
Fortunately, the water bottle had been left on the fire to boil, and although the metal bottle was a bit deformed, it was still usable.
Aside from the water bottle, the only things left were the equipment on his body.
The cowhide armor made by his mother provided some defense, and it even had a small holstered pistol attached, as well as two full 30-round magazines.
On the outside of his thigh, he also had a multipurpose dagger with flint attached, along with this N-series assault rifle known for its elegant trajectory and two fragmentation grenades.
After surveying his surroundings, Tao Yu’s current dynamic vision and reaction speed meant he didn’t have to worry too much about any sneak attacks.
For protection, the places where the world’s will dropped newcomers on their Awakening Day were usually ‘low-danger’ zones.
Based on the experiences of his parents, elder brother, sister-in-law, and Uncle Hu, most of the time during Awakening Day, one probably wouldn’t even need to use a weapon; the main challenges were environmental and about survival.
The dangers outside of the environment were often from wild animals such as jackals, wolves, tigers, leopards, and bears, as well as various poisonous insects and snakes.
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That python could certainly be considered a fierce beast but was also somewhat above average in terms of danger.
“I hope there isn’t anything even more outrageous around.”
Tao Yu’s eyes flickered slightly—if this was indeed a fragment of that movie world from his memory, then these pythons were surely Yuan Force creatures!
Although as a mere mortal, his Yuan Force reserves might not be much, having an extra fifteen to twenty points was still a very decent gain for the current Tao Yu.
The starting thousand units of Yuan Force were a gift from his parents; it was what they could save from not spending anything from their salaries for at least three or four months together.
Even though they both held relatively low-risk jobs, as veterans who had been in the field for decades, they only managed to earn about ten units of Yuan Force per day combined.
Tao Yu wouldn’t underestimate the Yuan Force carried by that python just because he had already spent a thousand units cavalierly.
Being able to gain Yuan Force during this standard period of acclimation for newcomers on Awakening Day was already a good thing.
Moreover, if it was the world fragment he anticipated, those pythons could be related to another type of Yuan Force item, the Blood Orchid!
Yuan Force items could not only be absorbed directly as Yuan Force, but they might also have various functions. Blood Orchid seemed promising—it was possible he might even be able to consume it directly.
First, he had to confirm that he couldn’t reach the company’s gathering place, not just for this half-month, but also for a while after, he might need to play wilderness survival in this rainforest!
These giant pythons, with their sensitive reactions and strength far exceeding that of a normal snake, posed a danger beyond that of ordinary wild beasts, but they also brought corresponding benefits.
He had fired three shots from the tree earlier and, along with his spare magazine, he was left with eighty-seven bullets for the rifle and seventeen for the small-caliber pistol.
Maybe he could try to convert these remaining bullets into some kind of advantage before they were all used up.
“Those two from the Floating City, I wonder where they are. They’re probably not in the rainforest, and I’m likely quite far from that place with the radio they mentioned. I’ll still prioritize gathering resources and improving myself.”
Turning potential into actual strength as soon as possible is of the utmost importance.
When I return, I’ll stay in the Outer City. Within this damn company’s sphere of control, only strength is the best bargaining chip!
He looked down at the bloodstains left by the python after it was shot, and the direction in which they extended, and after taking a deep breath, Tao Yu started moving in that direction.
“Python, here I come! If you’ve eaten my share, you better spit it out double!”
…
An hour later, Tao Yu looked up at the dimming light filtering through the leaves and frowned.
Though his enhanced vision wasn’t affected here, the rainforest at night was obviously going to be more dangerous.
The practice of the “Basic Breathing Technique – Modified” and the fragmentary time had also dragged on until evening.
“Shot and still running so fast.”
After all, in the rainforest, Tao Yu couldn’t rush on his way; he had been following the blood trail left by the python.
Even for a python, a gunshot wound wasn’t so easy to heal, and Tao Yu had kept up closely, wanting to see if the creature would die from excessive blood loss on the way. He didn’t want to give up now that he had followed it this far.
Looking at a drop of thick blood on the fallen leaves on the ground, as well as the snake trail made by the other party, Tao Yu also looked around.
The rainforest, growing darker by the moment, had sporadic noises and strange sounds, and the environment became more and more like the Underworld as the light faded.
“I’ll chase for another half hour; if I haven’t caught up by then, I’ll have to start a fire and rest.”
Although Tao Yu’s visual abilities were extremely strong and he wasn’t afraid of not seeing clearly, he wasn’t complacent either.
Walking over to a tree trunk nearby, he casually cut into the bark with a bayonet and then tore off a loose piece of bark with his bare hands, revealing several plump white grubs which he then stuffed into his already bulging pocket.
The rainforest was great for this, food was everywhere, and these were all high-quality proteins, ready to be eaten after a bit of roasting over the fire.
He could eat them raw, actually, but his physique couldn’t immunize against diseases yet; if he got diarrhea, it would be troublesome.
Although diarrhea wouldn’t affect his strength and he could recover by eating, it was a waste of energy and time, so it wasn’t worth the risk.
It was at that moment that he faintly heard a series of gunshots, causing Tao Yu to pause.
He then realized that he might have run into some others from his group, as even though the teleport was anchored incorrectly, the distances between them might not be too far apart.
There was also a small chance of encountering some characters native to this fragment of the world, but in the midst of the rainforest, that possibility was slim. Worlds like this opened randomly, and they wouldn’t necessarily drop him right into the unfolding story.
After some consideration, Tao Yu still decided to stealthily approach the direction of the gunshots, to observe the people involved and make a targeted decision accordingly.
No matter what, in an environment like the rainforest, it wouldn’t be bad to encounter someone who could band together temporarily to watch over each other and ensure rest.
The fatigue on a mental level wasn’t simply about whether one could recover or not.
However, as Uncle Hu had advised, if he encountered someone from the Inner City or those twins, he would have to think twice.
Hm~
Actually, the current situation had already deviated greatly from the initial estimates.
If it was the twins, now would be the time they were seeking to establish a new gathering place and were in need of hands.
If he couldn’t avoid them, he could just say his “Dynamic Vision” was at (MAX) level, which would likely result in being temporarily recruited as a talent.
Valuable talents would be utilized, and the greater the value, the greater the leverage.
Adjusting the contingency plan according to different situations was the best choice.
He would keep “Divinity” to himself for sure, and he wouldn’t mention “Bullet Time.”
But “Dynamic Vision” wasn’t something that couldn’t be revealed, as its ability at (MAX) level was most likely inferior to the innate talent inherited by the twins.
However, based on the information heard from previous broadcasts, they were probably not in the jungle, so it shouldn’t be them…