Chapter Six: The Mission of Certain Death

The Behemoth, a creature in the game world on par with dragons, titans, and angels, possesses the head of a hippopotamus, the legs of a lion, the back and tail of a crocodile, and stands over ten meters tall. From birth, they hold a minimum level of Lv3, and upon reaching adulthood, their strength is at least above Lv5. Even a Behemoth on the verge of death, weakened by age, maintains the power of Lv3. They are the physically mightiest race; in pure hand-to-hand combat, not even dragons are their match. Thus, provoking a Behemoth, inciting its fury, is nothing short of courting death.

Yet this was precisely what Liu Zong was about to do. After conversing with the girl named Xiaolin, he removed all the gear he’d borrowed from the school, took the potions Xiaolin had prepared, and set off toward the Behemoth. Xiaolin was a remarkable individual; despite lacking sufficient materials, she managed to concoct the very potions an archer would desire.

Of these potions, only one was meant to deal with the Behemoth, which Xiaolin termed “Fanatic.” It was a modified blend of bloodlust and frenzy alchemical brews, even infused with a touch of madness. Any monster injected with this potion would become bloodthirsty and berserk, attacking all living things in sight with reckless abandon. The rest of the potions included a stealth elixir to mask Liu Zong’s scent, an ultra-sprint potion that boosted speed by 200% for thirty seconds, and a life-saving draught capable of withstanding a fatal blow. These would be crucial for Liu Zong to traverse the beast pack and approach the Behemoth.

The archer also kindly provided a leaf, claiming it would effectively reduce the attention of wild beasts. Additionally, as Liu Zong prepared to depart, the cook handed him a portion of rice wrapped in leaves. The rice was freshly made, devoid of any aroma, and within the sticky grains were bits of preserved meat and leafy greens. The portion was small, just enough for a bite, but upon consumption, one would feel a comforting warmth and boundless energy. According to the woman, this was a battle meal, the most basic culinary skill; eating it before combat would boost health and stamina.

[Battle Meal - Preserved Meat Rice: Restores 100 health and 100 mana over thirty seconds. If eaten thoroughly in fifteen seconds, grants +1 Constitution for fifteen minutes.]

After finishing the meal, Liu Zong didn’t linger. He checked his belongings one last time and set off toward the Behemoth. Though his target was clear, his strength was still too meager for this area. He was forced to skirt around some of the stronger beasts, cautiously approaching the Behemoth from the side.

Before he came within a hundred meters, the scavenger beasts trailing the Behemoth noticed him, all eyes falling upon Liu Zong. Hurriedly, he doused himself with the stealth potion and took out the archer’s leaf, sprinting toward the Behemoth.

Perhaps the potion and the leaf worked, for while the scavengers didn’t regard him as one of their own, they also didn’t see him as an enemy. Thus, Liu Zong swiftly closed the distance to within fifty meters of the Behemoth.

Only now did he truly see the monstrous terror before him. This Behemoth stood around ten meters tall, bearing a massive hippopotamus-like head from which several tusks, thicker than Liu Zong’s own arms, protruded, still stained with blood. Its arms resembled a gorilla’s forelimbs, with claws nearly two meters long extending from its hands. Beneath its white fur lay thick scales, and its five-meter tail whipped back and forth, raising clouds of dust with every lash. In Liu Zong’s eyes, a red warning signal flickered above the Behemoth.

[Dying Behemoth]
[Race: Beast]
[Level: Reduced from Lv5 (7 stars) to Lv3 (9 stars)]
[Attributes: Strength 29, Agility 18, Constitution 20, Spirit 11]
[Description: A Behemoth at death’s door. At the end of its life, consciousness nearly gone, it moves on instinct toward its final rest. Any who impede its return will be torn apart…]

Liu Zong moved with the Behemoth, ever wary of the scavengers around him, noticing that the stealth potion’s effect was fading and the beasts’ attention was returning to him. Now only thirty-five meters from the Behemoth, he knew he could wait no longer. He seized the syringe filled with “Fanatic,” downed the ultra-sprint potion, and charged toward the Behemoth.

His sudden movement disrupted the scavenger pack’s plans. They didn’t know what was happening but still gave chase, and some brainless creatures even prepared to attack Liu Zong. But thirty-five meters was not far for him; even without the sprint potion, he could cover fifty meters in under ten seconds. With a 200% speed boost, he reached the Behemoth’s back in just three seconds.

In that instant, muscle memory from years of martial practice flashed through his mind. With a sidestep and leap, he soared over ten meters high, landing on the Behemoth’s back and plunging the syringe into its flesh. Only a few of the swiftest vultures managed to catch up to him, but they could not prevent the injection.

Watching the potion empty into the Behemoth, Liu Zong knew his mission was complete.

He wasn’t about to close his eyes and wait for death, however. With the ultra-sprint potion still in effect, he gulped down the life-saving draught and, ignoring all else, dashed along the Behemoth’s tail toward its upper back.

At that moment, the dying Behemoth let out a furious roar, slashing down two nearby vultures with a swipe of its paw. Then it lunged at the scavenger herd behind it, each massive claw strike claiming a beast's life.

The blood and chaos drove the scavengers mad. None fled; instead, they attacked the Behemoth from all sides. Though each blow from the Behemoth took down a scavenger, its wounds multiplied, and at last, it could no longer support its own massive body, slowly collapsing to the ground.

Seizing the moment, vultures and jackals pounced on the Behemoth’s vital points, and Liu Zong, who had just leapt onto its back, also became the target of the scavenger pack.

Faced with their attacks, Liu Zong had no thought of resistance. He glanced at the sky and saw the two-headed vulture had been lured away by the archer. A faint smile appeared on Liu Zong’s face as, ignoring the blows from behind, he gripped a wound on the Behemoth and began chanting a spell.

Guided by the incantation, the Behemoth’s blood surged into Liu Zong’s hands, transforming into cards as it entered his body. Such fortune could not last long; with a final wail from the Behemoth, Liu Zong was flung off, crashing heavily to the ground.

The Behemoth, now on the ground, began to roll and thrash, crushing any creature daring to approach as it convulsed in its death throes. Its weakness only further inflamed the scavengers’ frenzy, and they swarmed over it, engulfing the giant in an instant.

Thrown to the earth, Liu Zong was barely conscious, relying on the life-saving potion to keep his eyes open. Only when the notification of the Behemoth’s death washed over him with a wave of warmth did he finally allow a faint smile to cross his face and slowly closed his eyes.