Chapter 402 - 185: Monster Territory

Chapter 402: Chapter 185: Monster Territory

The gunshot enraged the bear. It charged straight at Xu Mo with even greater speed, the distance between them shrinking rapidly.

Xu Mo gritted his teeth and kept firing.

"BANG! BANG! BANG!"

Three consecutive shots, all of them finding their mark.

The first shot struck the bear’s chest. Its massive body shuddered, a trickle of blood seeping from the wound, but its speed didn’t diminish in the slightest. Xu Mo’s second shot hit its abdomen. The bear let out a pained roar as more blood appeared, but it only grew more furious, its charge accelerating.

For his third shot, Xu Mo aimed for the bear’s head.

The bullet struck the bear’s forehead, punching a small hole through its armor. Blood streamed down as its head snapped back. It let out a thunderous roar but remained on its feet, charging forward with even greater speed.

Xu Mo’s heart sank. ’It didn’t even pierce the skull. This thing’s defense is terrifying.’

But Xu Mo didn’t give up. He still had one last chance.

’No matter how tough the bones are, the eyes are always vulnerable. If I can just hit an eye, the bullet can pass through the socket and into the brain.’

The bear was getting closer and closer. Xu Mo held his breath, his scope locked firmly on the massive creature’s head. He only had one chance.

Thirty meters, twenty meters...

As the distance between them shrank, the bear raised a forepaw, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.

In that exact instant, Xu Mo pulled the trigger.

"BANG!"

The .50 caliber bullet screamed out, carving a deadly path through the air.

The bear seemed to sense the danger, its head tilting slightly in an attempt to dodge. But at this distance, it was too late. The armor-piercing bullet drilled precisely into its left eye socket.

"AWOOOO—!"

The bear let out a piercing shriek. Its body convulsed, and the layer of grayish-white Rock Armor covering it instantly vanished, revealing its brown fur. The massive body stumbled forward two more steps on momentum alone before collapsing with a thunderous crash.

It had fallen less than ten meters from Xu Mo’s SUV.

Its right forepaw was frozen in a striking pose, less than twenty centimeters from the front of the vehicle. On that paw, claws over twenty centimeters long glinted menacingly in the sunlight.

Xu Mo had no doubt that if that claw had connected, his SUV would have been torn to shreds.

But now, the paw lay limply on the ground, posing no threat at all.

Xu Mo stood his ground, gasping for air.

His back was soaked in a cold sweat, and the hand holding the rifle still trembled slightly.

’Too close! That was way too close!’

’If that last shot hadn’t found its eye, if the bear had been just a fraction faster, he would be the one lying on the ground right now.’

Xu Mo took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

He walked over to the bear’s corpse and examined the massive beast.

Up close, it was even more terrifying. The bear’s hide was as thick as armor, its claws as sharp as blades, and its cavernous maw was filled with fangs. A bloody hole marked its left eye socket where the bullet had entered, and blood was still trickling out.

Xu Mo took out his Triangular Spike and probed inside the bloody hole, stirring it around for a moment. Soon, he felt something hard.

It was a Crystal Core, but unlike any he had seen before. This one was diamond-shaped and gray, with a surface as smooth as a mirror. A faint luster seemed to flow within it. It was a size larger than a Level 3 Crystal Core, and he could feel a gentle warmth as he held it in his hand.

"So this is the Crystal Core of a Level 4 monster."

Xu Mo muttered to himself.

He had never seen a Level 4 monster, but he was certain this bear was far beyond Level 3. Its Rock Armor ability and terrifying defense surpassed any monster he had ever encountered.

After storing the Crystal Core safely, Xu Mo took another look at the bear’s corpse.

’Bear Gall and Bear Paw are valuable ingredients.’ Though Xu Mo’s medical knowledge was limited, he knew that much. ’And even if I don’t know how to use them, there’s no harm in taking them.’

Xu Mo used his Triangular Spike to slice open the bear’s abdomen and remove its gall bladder. It was the size of a fist, dark green, and emitted a pungent odor. He then hacked off all four paws, wrapped them in a cloth, and tossed them into the trunk.

Once that was done, Xu Mo got in his car and sped away from the area.

He didn’t know if there were any other Level 4 monsters in the area, and he had no desire to find out.

To Xu Mo’s surprise, the rest of his journey was completely unobstructed.

The monsters that had relentlessly attacked him before now only watched from a distance; not a single one dared to charge. They hid in the tall grass or behind earthen mounds, their wary eyes tracking Xu Mo until he was gone.

Xu Mo soon understood why. He had just killed a Level 4 monster, and he still carried the beast’s scent.

To these lesser monsters, a Level 4 creature was an absolute sovereign, a being they feared instinctively. Now that Xu Mo was covered in the bloody scent of such a creature, the lesser monsters wouldn’t dare approach. It was an unexpected bonus.

Xu Mo breathed a sigh of relief and picked up the pace.

For the rest of the journey, he faced no further attacks. The monsters merely watched from a distance as he passed through their territory, not even daring to let out a single roar.

As the sun began to set, the silhouette of buildings appeared on the horizon.

He had finally arrived at Anping Town.