A Pungent Scent of Blood Fills the Quiet Forest
"Roar…"
Suddenly, the roar of a tiger echoed through the mountains. Flocks of birds took to the sky, flapping their wings as they scattered into the distance.
Liu Yuan was cursing as he ran through the forest. Upon hearing the tiger's roar, he instinctively shrank his neck.
The tiger had arrived!
"Brother, don't stop, keep going!"
Zhang San jabbed Liu Yuan in the back with his spear.
He had also heard the tiger's roar just now.
That rich, pungent scent of blood was bound to attract a ferocious beast.
But right now, the forest was dense with towering trees, leaving little room to maneuver. For these five spearmen, it was a difficult place to fight.
That's why Zhang San urged Liu Yuan to move ahead—to find an open area to set up an ambush and slay the tiger!
"Third Brother, it really is a big cat!" Li Jia, nearby, heard the roar and his eyes lit up.
The "big cat"—a term for tigers—was a ferocious beast, its entire body filled with treasures.
If they could kill one and bring it back to camp, they'd surely receive a reward from the general—perhaps even a promotion or a title.
He still remembered the last time a fellow soldier ambushed a black bear in the wild and presented it to the general. That man had been promoted to a centurion on the spot.
Now, this great opportunity was finally falling into the laps of their five-man squad!
"Kill a tiger? Sounds more like you're offering yourselves as tiger food," Liu Yuan muttered in his heart.
He recalled the map given to him by Zhang Yingjun.
If he remembered correctly, there was a small stream not far ahead—the only source of water in the area.
An idea suddenly came to mind, and Liu Yuan quickly began to formulate a plan.
You really think just because I can't beat you that I can't deal with you?
And you dare use me as bait to lure in a tiger?
"My five elder brothers, to the west of here lies an open area, scattered with rocks and sparse shrubs. It's the perfect spot to ambush the big cat."
Liu Yuan turned back and spoke to Zhang San.
The five of them were brave and confident in their skills. They suspected nothing and simply told Liu Yuan to lead the way.
The six of them soon arrived at the place Liu Yuan had described.
Just as they reached the spot—
A foul wind swept past them, aiming directly at Li Jia at the rear.
Li Jia was shocked. He quickly raised his spear to block in front of his chest.
The next moment, a tremendous force hit him. His spear snapped in two, and his body was thrown into the air, crashing against a boulder. Blood poured from his mouth.
When he finally looked up, he saw a striped, ferocious tiger crouching on all fours. Its chest was heaving violently, as if it couldn't catch its breath.
"A tiger… this weak?"
Liu Yuan's mouth twitched. In his heart, he cursed out every game developer he could think of.
Come on—it's a tiger! The king of all beasts! Have some dignity!
How could it be designed to be no stronger than a grunt infantry unit?
It couldn't even insta-kill a spearman?
What a disgrace to tiger-kind!
Wait a second—something's wrong with this tiger!
Liu Yuan soon noticed blood on the tiger's hindquarters, and faint traces of afterbirth clinging to its fur.
This was a newly birthed tiger!
He quickly pulled up its stats.
[Mystic Shadow War Tiger (Postpartum)
Level: 29
Overview: A war tiger left behind in the mountains, bearing an extraordinary lineage!
Postpartum State
Attack Power ↓ 80%Defense ↓ 80%Speed ↓ 80%
…]
Gulp…
Liu Yuan swallowed hard.
Sorry to disturb you.
A tiger with all its stats reduced by 80%, and yet it could still severely injure an 11th-level spearman in one strike?
That combat power… wasn't bad at all.
Liu Yuan thought silently.
Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine.
In that instant, he could feel the tiger's hungry, predatory gaze locked onto him, filled with greed.
Damn it—I almost forgot!
You five enjoy your game. This young master's out of here!
While Zhang San and the others were still focused on the tiger, Liu Yuan threw down the fresh meat he'd been carrying and leapt into the stream with a swift bound.
By the time the five of them realized what had happened, Liu Yuan was already in the water. It immediately became clear that all of this had been set up by Liu Yuan in advance!
"You little bastard! Once we kill this beast, I'm tearing your head off!" Zhang San roared.
But before he could shout any more, the Mystic Shadow War Tiger pounced again—this time aiming for the heavily injured Li Jia.
After giving birth, the tiger's top priority was to find food and restore its strength.
Liu Yuan had been its first target.
But since he had fled, the wounded Li Jia would have to do as a substitute.
Seeing the tiger's movement, Zhang San was startled. He quickly led the remaining three to rush back and block in front of Li Jia.
Four men versus one tiger—the battle began.
Though the Mystic Shadow War Tiger was weakened postpartum, a skinny camel was still bigger than a horse.
It was a [Level 29 BOSS] after all. Against four level-11 spearmen, it still had the upper hand.
Pouncing, biting, ramming, slashing, swiping…
The tiger used its body's abilities to the fullest, almost like a martial arts master in action.
Behind a boulder near the stream, a figure was stealthily crouching.
It was none other than Liu Yuan—now washed clean of blood and dressed in dry clothes.
Escape by water?
That's not the style of Lord Liu Yuan!
Even if I run—
I have to see the outcome of this fight first!
Of course, Liu Yuan still held onto a sliver of hope.
What if I get to loot the winner?
…
Not far away, the Mystic Shadow War Tiger was battling four men alone. Even in its weakened state, it was still dominating them.
Meanwhile, behind the four, the seated Li Jia suddenly opened his eyes. Grabbing the broken spear in front of him, he lunged forward.
With Li Jia's sudden reentry into the fight, the battlefield changed in an instant.
At a glance, it was just one more man in a five-on-one.
But Liu Yuan saw it clearly—Li Jia's addition made the group's presence blend into one.
Each strike and retreat flowed in perfect rhythm; every thrust of the spear landed with impeccable timing.
This was… a battle formation!
Liu Yuan's pupils contracted. He instantly recognized it from the game's official data—this was the Flying Wild Goose Formation!
Five form a formation, like wild geese in flight—graceful and fluid, capable of both attack and defense. It specialized in using the weak to defeat the strong and excelled in prolonged combat.
The Mystic Shadow War Tiger was ferocious, but its strength was explosive and short-lived.
In a battle of attrition, the tiger would surely fall!
The five stood firm, spears weaving a net to seal off the tiger's every move.
One strike after another, the tiger's movements began to slow, its reactions dulled, and more wounds appeared on its body.
"Kill!"
Seeing this, the five's confidence surged. Their spears moved faster and faster.
The Mystic Shadow War Tiger let out a low growl, slamming both front paws into the ground. Its mouth opened wide—an ear-splitting roar echoed through the forest. Visible soundwaves rippled outward, crashing into the five men.
The sound hit their ears, stunning them in place. For a moment, they lost focus.
The tiger seized the opportunity, pounced forward, and pinned Li Jia, sinking its fangs into his throat.
Li Jia was dead before he hit the ground.
The other four snapped out of it. Seeing their comrade killed, they cried out in grief.
"You beast! I'll kill you!"
"Kill it!"
Zhang San and the remaining three roared and charged the tiger with all their might.
A bloody battle began.
A fight to the death!