Under the bright moonlight and twinkling stars, the gentle breeze made the dense forest look perfect for dreaming. However, not everyone felt this way. At least, Leon Chen didn't. If this was a dream, it would surely be a nightmare.
Leon was running wildly through the forest, deftly avoiding obstacles in the moonlight.
Behind him was a pursuing shadow. If not for the faint breath and barely audible sounds, it would have been impossible to distinguish it as a living being.
The roar of a wild beast shattered the tranquility.
The shadow lunged forward. The moonlight tore away its disguise, revealing a terrifying Siberian tiger.
Leon made a sharp turn. Using the forest for cover, he quickly climbed a tree with a speed and agility that surpassed a leopard. Only after confirming the tiger was gone did he dare to catch his breath.
"What a terrible situation," Leon muttered, feeling helpless about his current predicament.
The events began forty-eight hours earlier. He had agreed to join Lucas Luo in capturing the legendary Sea Eagle. As the son of the military district commander, Lucas acted swiftly, deploying helicopters to move them from Beijing to the northeastern primeval forest within twenty-four hours.
As the convoy bulldozed through the forest, Leon had barely had time to appreciate its mystery when the legendary Sea Eagle appeared, much to his surprise.
He had thought this Sea Eagle was extinct. Holding onto his initial playful mood, Leon was stunned when the Sea Eagle directly attacked him, causing Scarlett Ning and Lucas Luo to marvel at Leon's apparent affinity with animals.
Leon, however, felt like dying. He found that his No. 96 Animal Control ability couldn't control the Sea Eagle, which only excited Lucas further.
The result was Leon getting separated and lost in the primeval forest.
Cursing his bad luck for the umpteenth time, Leon, who had failed to capture the godly bird, was now being stalked by the king of beasts, the Siberian tiger. He cautiously observed his surroundings, following the tracks until he reached a makeshift camp. A seemingly delicate girl sat by the campfire, lost in thought. "Scarlett, a tiger is coming," Leon called out.
Scarlett jumped up in fright. Seeing Leon, she sighed in relief. "You're not dead. Hmph."
"Would my death benefit you?" Leon retorted, annoyed. He wouldn't have lost contact if he hadn't pulled Scarlett up in the first place. "It's good you're not dead," Scarlett said with a chuckle.
Leon detected the concern in her voice and smiled.
"When are we heading back?"
"Depends on when he finds us," Leon shrugged, knowing it was unlikely. From Scarlett, he learned that Lucas was obsessed with birds, and having encountered the legendary Sea Eagle, he had probably forgotten all about them.
"This is such bad luck. I knew this would be trouble," Scarlett grumbled, scratching her head. Not having bathed for two days was killing her.
At first, she regretted such a short trip, but now it seemed too long and unbearable.
"Don't worry. Just think of it as an adventure," Leon said casually. He checked his pocket and handed Scarlett the last bit of dried beef. "Here, you eat."
Scarlett's mouth watered, but she waved it off. She knew they had little food left. Most of it had already been given to her, and the remaining bit was Leon's share. Despite her hunger, she resisted. "I'm not hungry."
"Don't be polite. If you pass out from hunger, I can't carry you," Leon joked.
Scarlett snorted.
"Take it. I've already eaten," Leon said, tossing the bag of meat to her.
Scarlett caught it instinctively. "You always say that, but I never see you eat." Leon drank water and shrugged. "Believe what you want." Scarlett didn't believe him, knowing she could tell the difference between eating and not eating, even if he had just eaten leaves. To her, Leon was just being considerate, not wanting her to go hungry. Didn't he know this level of concern could easily move a girl?
Scarlett was mistaken about Leon. He didn't have any particular thoughts about Grace Wang, let alone Scarlett. The reason he shared his food was that he had indeed eaten.
Leon's No. 97 ability, Nutrient Absorption, allowed him to convert anything he ate into nutrients. Even eating leaves would fill his stomach. Since Scarlett couldn't eat leaves, he had to give her his share.
It was getting late. Nighttime in the primeval forest was the most dangerous. Leon didn't plan to take any risks. Fortunately, the camp was relatively safe, and there was no worry about attacks from birds of prey.
Lying in his tent, Leon looked at the dense forest canopy. Scarlett, seeing Leon's lack of concern, felt frustrated. "This is a primeval forest, not your backyard," she complained.
"Is your watch valuable? You're always fiddling with it," Scarlett asked irritably.
Leon glanced at his watch, lost in thought, and didn't answer.
Late at night, the slight heat from the watch woke Leon. He checked the watch and was instantly alert. The indicator showed an ability nearby.
Leon looked at the sleeping Scarlett. Confident in her skills, he silently left the hidden camp.
The forest was pitch dark. Leon activated his No. 109 ability: Holy Night Noble, feeling a wonderful sensation. When he opened his eyes, they glowed like rubies. The Holy Night Noble granted him night vision, negating the need for any other abilities to see in the dark.
Smiling, Leon followed the watch's indicator.
Tonight, he should catch it.
Like a shadow, Leon moved effortlessly through the forest. He looked up and saw an eagle circling above. As he moved, the eagle seemed to track his path.
In less than ten minutes, Leon reached an open area and stopped, staring at the giant bird above.
With white feathers and golden claws, it was the Sea Eagle.
His watch indicator was nearly at its peak.
The Sea Eagle's red eyes radiated hostility. With a piercing cry, it attacked. Folding its wings, it dived like a thrown dart, creating a pressure that was hard to breathe. It was hard to believe a bird could exude such an imposing aura.
Leon, anticipating this, dodged effortlessly. The Sea Eagle, worthy of being a divine bird, was incredibly fast. After Leon dodged the first attack, its claws came at him again. Leon grabbed its claws, trying to pull it down.
The Sea Eagle was powerful, pulling back and tearing Leon's hand. Like lightning, it struck at Leon's glowing eyes.
Leon slid back, avoiding the attack, amazed at the bird's strength.
The Sea Eagle was formidable. Even Leon's Holy Night Noble had trouble keeping up. He wondered if its strength came from the ability parasitizing it.
Recalling Lina's words that abilities, when parasitizing, would show hostility towards him, Leon noted the indicator showing a parasitic ability on the Sea Eagle's back.
He didn't know what ability was parasitizing the Sea Eagle. After several encounters, his biological electricity, Holy Night Noble, and mind reading had failed to affect it.
Tonight might be the last encounter. By tomorrow, Lucas should have found them.
As Leon pondered, the Sea Eagle's eyes glowed, its sharp beak opened, and a piercing sound broke the silence.
Just as Leon was about to dodge, he felt a crushing pressure, an invisible force binding his limbs, filling him with a paralyzing fear.
Overcoming the terror by biting his tongue, Leon dodged and threw a water bag at the Sea Eagle.
The water drenched the bird.
The Sea Eagle screeched, its claws attacking fiercely.
Leon wondered if he had encountered the legendary "Royal Aura." How else could he feel such absurd fear? Resisting the pressure, he used another ability, "Cold and Ice Manipulation."
The temperature around the Sea Eagle dropped sharply. Its wet feathers quickly froze. The once imposing bird suddenly shrank. Realizing the danger, the Sea Eagle let out a few cries before freezing and falling to the ground.
Wiping his cold sweat, Leon sighed in relief. He felt a bit sorry for the divine bird as he walked over and, without hesitation, used his watch's laser to extract the ability chip. He was curious about the ability that made the bird so fierce.
With the chip successfully extracted, the Sea Eagle lay weakly.
"NO.49 Psychic Shock successfully loaded," the watch chimed.
Psychic Shock?
Leon understood.
The Sea Eagle, no longer the majestic divine bird, lay trembling. Leon murmured, "Alright, considering you're a legendary bird, I'll take you back and defrost you." He picked up the Sea Eagle, using "Mind Reading" to control it.
Leon chuckled, thinking the trip had been fruitful after all.