Chapter 19: The Joy of the Hunt
Jié Jié, after claiming victory in a battle, began to make his way back from the other side. After exerting himself considerably, it was about time for a stroll before indulging in the leftover Savage Jaw Dragon.
Thus, the first half of the territory patrol had been handled by the Savage Jaw Dragon, while the latter half was taken over by the Black Wolf Bird.
However, the daylight made him somewhat drowsy and irritable, as Black Wolf Birds are usually nocturnal creatures. Still, seeking shelter within the forest would alleviate this discomfort.
The path beneath his feet gradually ascended, with roots climbing up to the hillside.
From atop the hill, he spotted an even higher trail, which startled him into realizing that he hadn’t yet entered the Ancient Tree Forest.
Stepping on sturdy roots, he ventured into the true, three-dimensional expanse of the Ancient Tree Forest, once again marveling at nature’s incredible craftsmanship.
For a moment, he forgot his original purpose, which paled in comparison to the allure of exploring the Ancient Trees.
Delving deeper into the forest, Jie Jie’s attention was drawn to a cluster of flying gravel fruits. He thought they might be edible.
The Black Wolf Bird casually pecked at one of these seemingly hard fruits. Indeed, it was hard, but when crushed, it turned into powder that stuck to its tongue, becoming increasingly pasty.
Not bitter, but very dry.
His tongue swirled in his mouth, eventually swallowing the paste after forming it into a lump, leaving behind only the pit, which he dropped from his beak, inspecting it closely before stepping on it and burying it in the soil.
Looking up, he saw walnuts hanging from vines. Jie Jie flapped his wings slightly, causing the vines to shake, and some cracked walnuts fell to the ground with a clatter.
He picked through them on the ground, eating some walnut meat.
These could also be found occasionally in the forests by the coast, but not as abundantly as here.
Speaking of such abundance, Jie Jie couldn’t help but think of an old acquaintance.
Carefully scanning the surroundings, the sight of green feathers confirmed his suspicion.
Recalling that Poison Demon Birds possess Dragon Jade, which enhances physical strength and constitution in the case of Savage Jaw Dragons, he wondered if the Avial Jade could make him more agile.
At least it would simplify the process of re-adapting to flight.
With this thought, Jie Jie spread his previously gathered-in wings and flapped them. The injured parts still caused discomfort, but with the strong recovery ability of monsters, he should be able to attempt flying in a couple of days.
A honeybug carrying a ball of honey flew past Jie Jie’s field of vision. He slowly approached and swallowed both the bug and the honey.
How convenient for a monster to have seasoning ready at hand!
After expressing gratitude towards the honeybug, Jie Jie flapped his wings and perched on a high vine, patiently waiting for his target to pass below.
It wasn’t long before a medium-sized Poison Demon Bird emerged from around the corner behind the tree wall, apparently catching Jie Jie’s scent and looking around cautiously.
When the Poison Demon Bird turned its back, Jie Jie glided down from above.
Unfortunately, the Poison Demon Bird’s vigilance was too keen, and the subtle air currents during the glide carried Jie Jie’s scent to it.
As it retreated, its swollen tail sprayed out a dense poisonous mist.
Jie Jie flapped his wings, dispersing the poison mist even further.
But no matter, calculating the trajectory of the fleeing Poison Demon Bird, a fireball shot from his open beak, exploding upon impact, accompanied by a painful groan.
Landing, Jie Jie continued to fan his wings, driving the poison mist away from himself while firing another fireball in the direction of the sound.
Though lacking in combat experience, Jie Jie’s advantage lay in his knowledge of when to use what skills, combined with human wisdom for calculation.
Other less intelligent monsters wouldn’t be able to do the same. The Poison Demon Bird, not severely injured, took advantage of the poison mist to catch its breath and attempted to flee, leaving terrestrial monsters helpless.
The fireball burned through the Poison Demon Bird’s defensive poison mist, allowing Jie Jie to clearly see the damage inflicted by the flames.
As expected, the Poison Demon Bird was flipped onto the ground, its body covered in burn marks.
Fire is fire, and it proved highly effective against these ordinary monsters.
What then constitutes an extraordinary monster?
Naturally, those skilled in flight, or possessing special abilities like spitting fire or manipulating lightning, or excelling in brute force and agility.
Ecological niches are demonstrated in these aspects. Jie Jie first experienced the long-range suppression capability of aerial attacks, akin to liberators clearing farmers, one at a time.
Alright, maybe “one at a time” is a bit exaggerated; this Poison Demon Bird took two hits and still needed a finishing blow.
Jie Jie flapped his wings to disperse the poison mist, pounced on the Poison Demon Bird, and aimed for its head.
One hit, two hits.
The Poison Demon Bird met its end, the scene so gruesome it could only be described as “pixelated.”
Jie Jie wiped the blood from his beak and looked up, recalling what he had said when he left.
Something about not fighting this time and there being a large Savage Jaw Dragon left uneaten?
Well, the fight with the Thunder Wolf Dragon happened because their gazes met, sparking joy in the hunt. As for the Poison Demon Bird, it wasn’t really a fight, more like hunting, though it did spark the same joy.
Hmm, he gets along well with monsters, today just being exceptionally joyful in the hunt. Freeing himself from mental exhaustion, clarity of thought starts with him.
Perhaps he has been influenced by the brutal nature of the Black Wolf Bird.
Jie Jie glanced at the pixelated area, finding no brain jade. His beak then proceeded downward, pecking open the Poison Demon Bird’s back, extracting a bright blue crystal.
It was rather small, likely not an Illusion Bird Jade, but rather ordinary Avial Jade.
Was it his good luck or simply a high drop rate? There wasn’t enough data to confirm. At least the previous Scratcher Bird didn’t have any jade in its body.
He swallowed the Avial Jade. The Poison Demon Bird’s Totem was completed with the Dragon Jade, but the physical enhancement wasn’t as noticeable as when he consumed the Savage Jaw Dragon Jade. However, the sensation of enhanced agility was indeed felt.
So, does he need Illusion Bird Jade after all?
Within the Poison Demon Bird’s body was an organ named the poison sac. Theoretically, he could dip his tail in the poison, but the Poison Demon Bird’s venom wasn’t as potent as his own, so he decided against it.
Instead, he carefully extracted the lump containing the poison sac, taking care not to contaminate the meat.
First, he ate all the nutritious parts of the Poison Demon Bird, then tore off a few choice pieces of meat to carry in his beak.
That’s enough exploration for today. Tomorrow, he’d continue, returning to the scenic lakeside to try grilled meat.
Turning around, Jie Jie headed back, leaping off the edge of this level of the Ancient Tree and gliding in the direction he came from.
In his previous life, he was directionally challenged, but now he inherited the exceptional sense of direction of the flying Black Wolf Bird.
Landing with a slight stumble, he sniffed the air, confirming he hadn’t flown off course.
Perhaps he hadn’t fully marked his territory with his own scent, but other scents served equally well as reference landmarks.
The wind truly contributes so much to this world!
