Just as Wang Kui was busy interacting with his audience, there was a sudden rustling in the forest foliage nearby.
Something was definitely moving!
Definitely!
After all, everyone could differentiate the sounds of the wind and the sounds of a living body moving through the grass!
Wang Kui slowly closed his mouth. Easing his breaths, his pupils began to tighten while his right hand somehow had already reached the spear he had just made. Indeed, his entire body was tightening, and he was ready to spring into action if anything even marginally unusual occurred.
Rustle.
It moved again!
And it was closer now!
"Left side, five to six meters ahead!"
His ears wiggled twice, and his whisper could not have been quieter.
The six hundred or so viewers in his livestream all held their breaths, their hearts almost leaping up to their throats. With the trauma of the wolf's howl lingering from before, they were truly afraid that a wild animal would spring out in the next instant and lunge directly at Wang Kui!
[Are you sure you can do this, Old Kui?]
[Yes, streamer! You should run!]
[It's so scary… be careful, Old Kui!]
[I think our streamer should have came up the mountain with a companion! This is too dangerous!]
[…]
Everyone was worried over Wang Kui's life.
After all, fear of the unknown was the most frightening!
On the other hand, back in the forest…
That thing without a name did not move again, but the deathly silence was a further torment to the heart!
Amidst the extreme tension, every sound in the immediate environment was infinitely magnified, and everything—a gust of wind, a shifting blade of grass, a falling leaf, and a crawling bug—became more terrible the further time passed.
Wang Kui even felt that the temperatures around him had somehow dropped drastically even though he was right beside his bonfire!
***
Tigerfish TV, the outdoors genre.
Zhang Kai was randomly swiping through livestream channels. He worked at an MCN for net celebrities and famed online organizations which was basically a guild of streamers. Usually, he would be logging in to the guild's Emperor account to increase the trending rate and popularity of streamers under their banners.
Even so, many people were not aware of that trickery and would even lick his boots as if he was a real self-made millionaire, which satisfied many an ego.
That was how he had brainwashed so many people into joining his guild.
"Hmmm? Hunting a man-eating wolfdog?"
Although Zhang Kai was convinced that it was a bait title, he could not help but click into the stream channel.
A newbie streamer who had barely leveled up was actually that popular?
He was quite surprised.
Still, something like trending rates could be farmed via agreements or just by paying some money.
Hence, Zhang Kai waited silently for that streamer named Old Kui to greet him, the Emperor, since no streamer would remain unmoved toward his Level 120 Emperor account. After all, an Emperor account did not even have to do anything in a channel. By just being there, the channel could increase over ten thousand in trending rate!
However…
Three seconds… five seconds passed.
Not only did the streamer ignore him, he wasn't even looking at the screen!
Am I lagging?
No way, right?!
Zhang Kai promptly refreshed the stream channel, but the streamer was still ignoring him.
Fine, you will eventually see me if I'm talking, right?
Being a pinnacle existence which monthly fees costs up to one hundred and twenty thousand dollars, one of the Emperor's special privilege was to live comment with special effects, and it would always be pinned at the top.
Zhang Kai: [Has the dog been caught yet?]
A dazzling golden comment floated through the screen of the livestream channel.
He then waited for a moment…
However, the streamer was still staring at the forest without moving an inch.
That was not all either—the audience, some of whom often bootlicked the Emperor, was actually ignoring him!
What?!
Is this a blind person's stream channel?!
***
Another half minute passed.
Just as Wang Kui thought that the unknown creature had left…
Rustle!
It moved again!
And it was closer this time!
He even saw with his own eyes that the grass at the edge of flames' illumination had shaken twice!
It's coming!
Some of the viewers with weaker tolerance had already narrowed their eyes, afraid of the jump-scare!
Suddenly.
The grass was parted, and a small, sharp head poked out. Everyone looked closer through the light to find that it was actually a wild rat!
[I was so scared! That was such a false alarm!]
[Those with a bad heart really should not be out in the wild!]
Wang Kui breathed a sigh of relief as well, a smile soon appearing on his face. "Animals are afraid of fires in most situations, and most would not approach a bonfire near our camps. That is why there is no need to be afraid since it's the same for this wild rat—it only dares to come to the edge of the fire's illumination, and not actually come in!"
Truly…
The rat was much smaller than the ones seen in the city. With its short gray fur, it was at best a dozen centimeters long even with its tail included.
Right now, it was arching its back, its two little paws twiddling its cheek whiskers as its little black eyes darted left and right like a thief.
"I've been working the whole night without eating anything and this rat had come right to my doorstep—it would be a good dinner!"
His audience was not actually all that surprised by his statement, since most of them did not believe that he could catch the rat so easily. Those living in bungalows and had seen those critters would know that rats were not easily caught, otherwise, they would not have to go through the pains of buying various rat poisons or mousetraps.
"You don't believe me?"
Wang Kui was looking at the watch interestedly. "Yes, this brown house mouse is quite the burglar. However, its vision is lacking where its smell is sharp, and I would definitely get it if I could get within three meters of it!"
[Stop it, Old Kui! Don't brag anymore!]
[To tell the truth, I'm a little doubtful this time!]
[This streamer is really suffering from success!]
He picked up his camera and swiped it a few times.
"How about this? I'll put up a fishball tray, you guys can pick!"
Wang Kui was not about to miss out on such a fine chance at interaction.
[Can Old Kui kill the rat?]
[Yes/No]
However, he did not expect that the 'No's would instantly squeeze out the 'yes' at a rate of 1:20. Almost everyone was betting their fishballs on Wang Kui failing, presuming that it would be a total win.
Foolish mortals.
Wang Kui sighed and shook his head. Elevating his camera tripod, he then picked up his spear and slowly approached the wild mouse.
As expected, he caught the critter's attention.
Still, he did not move any quicker, and instead, he quickly paused.
The smoke billowing from his bonfire covered his scent to some extent.
The wild rat sniffled and continued to scratch its head when it noticed nothing.
Wang Kui inched ahead once.
And then again.
When he was finally around three meters away, Wang Kui slowly raised his spear, holding the pole a third of its length from the back. He then took a deep breath and exhaled, causing the hair beside his lips to sway slightly.
Just then, a breeze from the forest pressed down on the bonfire. The flames shook, and the light darkened in an instant, elongating his shadow as he held his spear, like a dragon-slaying warrior of legends.
Clenching his teeth, he twisted his hips and shifted his body, charging his strength from his core.
Suddenly, his eyes flashed, and like a hungry tiger, his thigh and rump mustered their strength while his upper body propelled above. The momentum erupted once it reached his back, and driving his triceps, Wang Kui swung his arms!
His body moved like a meteor, and his eyes seemed to spark lightning!
Whoosh!
The flint spear was released in the blink of an eye like a bolt from the blue, shooting out rapidly and fiercely!
Splat—!