Chapter 129: An Effortless Kill, Tracking the Werewolves

Even as he evaded the Energy Shot, Zhang Ran did not falter. He surged forward, rapidly closing the distance until he was less than a hundred meters from the Golden-Crowned Beak-Chicken.

Having just unleashed a powerful Energy Shot, the creature’s reserves were depleted; it could not fire another in the short term. Consequently, it spread its wings, accelerated abruptly, and streaked toward Zhang Ran in a blur of afterimages. Its razor-sharp beak, honed like a blade, lunged wildly at his chest.

Watching the attack, Zhang Ran remained calm. With a fluid, agile twist, he moved like an eel, carving an arc through the air that allowed him to slip past the creature’s side. The lethal beak didn't even graze his skin.

"My turn! Die, you beast!"

Once he had cleared the attack, a cold glint flashed in Zhang Ran’s eyes. His speed spiked, his figure vanishing like a phantom only to reappear instantly behind the creature.

Sensing that its prey had vanished from its field of vision, a flicker of alarm crossed the bird’s eyes. Zhang Ran, wearing a look of ferocity, swung his heavy machete. The blade descended with a concentrated, awe-inspiring force, slashing viciously toward the creature’s neck.

Caught off guard, the bird sensed a sudden gust of wind behind its neck. A shiver of ice-cold dread surged through it, and it jerked its head downward in a desperate attempt to dodge the blow.

Although the Golden-Crowned Beak-Chicken was a peak 4th-level organism and agility was one of its strengths, it was no match for Zhang Ran while he was empowered by Blood Sprint. Its evasion was entirely futile.

*Snap!*

With the sound of snapping vertebrae, the 2nd-level alloy machete slammed into the back of the creature’s neck, decapitating it instantly. Under the pressure of the arterial spray, the massive head soared high into the air, while warm blood erupted from the severed neck, painting the surrounding ground red for several meters.

*Thump!*

The head hit the ground with a dull thud. Driven by instinct, the headless body stumbled forward a few paces, wings flapping erratically, before finally collapsing, its vitality extinguished.

As the creature died, a stream of pure evolutionary energy flowed from its body, surging into Zhang Ran’s frame toward the nascent core of his evolutionary points.

"Killed one 4th-level Golden-Crowned Beak-Chicken. Absorbed evolutionary energy. Evolutionary point condensation: +1.12%. Current progress: 15.62% (1/3)."

"Killed one 4th-level Golden-Crowned Beak-Chicken. Body strengthened by evolutionary energy: Strength +0.004, Constitution +0.004, Agility +0.004, Spirit +0.003."

As the absorption finished, the chip’s notification chimed in his ear.

"So little! Still, my second-generation 'Breaker' hasn't been completed yet, and it’s not wise to confront 5th-level entities. I’ll just have to make do with hunting 4th-level mutants for a while."

Zhang Ran shook his head in resignation. He walked over to the severed head, picked it up, and used his machete to slice off the golden crest. He placed the crest into a storage box from his utility kit, then proceeded to harvest other valuable materials from the carcass.

With that done, he continued his trek across the wilderness in search of his next prey.

*Ding!* "Large quantity of werewolf tracks detected 800 meters to your front right. It is estimated that a large pack is nearby. Please be cautious!"

About an hour passed without any further sign of 4th-level mutants. Just as he was growing bored, the chip’s notification finally triggered again.

"Oh? A large pack of werewolves? Not bad!"

Zhang Ran gave a satisfied nod and looked toward the direction indicated by the chip. Unlike mutant beasts, killing demi-humans provided significant evolutionary energy, and he could plunder their wealth—or perhaps find rare herbs and materials.

Of course, unlike beasts, demi-humans worked in groups. A large pack would contain individuals with high spirit attributes and others with superior physical traits, allowing for complex coordination. They were more dangerous than typical beasts, but as the saying went, the greater the risk, the greater the reward.

Observing the area indicated, Zhang Ran finally spotted the signs of werewolf activity. Had he not been looking, he might have overlooked them, but under the chip’s meticulous scanning, every trail was laid bare.

"Chip, continue scanning the surroundings. Track the movements of this pack and analyze the direction of their settlement."

Half a minute later, Zhang Ran arrived at the site where the tracks were first detected and issued his command.

*Ding!* "Command received. Analysis in progress..."

As the chip processed the subtle traces in the environment, it deduced the likely location of the pack. Werewolves could not teleport; since they had left tracks here, they would have left more elsewhere. Compared to humans, they were careless and rarely bothered to hide their passage, making them easy to track.

*Ding!* "Analysis of tracks complete. Probable direction of the werewolf tribe found!"

Less than ten seconds later, a red marker appeared in Zhang Ran’s vision, pointing toward the most likely location of the tribe.

"Away from Black Hawk City? That's not a major issue. Even without my proper gear, I’m not in any real danger, even if I encounter a 5th-level beast—it would just be difficult to kill."

After a moment of deliberation, Zhang Ran set off, following the guidance of the chip. As he moved, the chip continuously gathered new traces and updated his route, leading him ever closer to the werewolf pack.