The next day, outside Potato Harbor, the Jungle Corps, armed with chainsaws and bomb guns, was on duty.

Although the rampant plant growth in the forest had stopped, the danger was not fully resolved.

Especially since the crazily expanding vegetation alarmed the active Variants in the area, raising the danger level around Potato Harbor significantly.

Several patrolling drones even discovered a large Level 60 carnivorous Variant in the forest!

And these extremely dangerous Variants originally only appeared deep within the inland forest, but were now drawn near Potato Harbor due to the migration of beast swarms.

This situation is also beyond the Lair in the forest's control, as it can't directly command a Variant on where to go.

Currently, all access points to the Inland Area have been closed, with only players and those holding passes able to enter or exit.

In fact, aside from the Jungle Corps' Patrol Forest Team, hardly any players venture deep into the forest at this critical time.

After all, even though you can't truly die in the Game, the death penalty is still a real headache.

However, even though the official site and VM have raised the danger level and recommended level for this area, there are still stubborn players who refuse to believe it and head straight for danger.

For example, right now, three small players around Level 20 are standing at the checkpoint's door.

The NPC officer on duty checked their VM, confirming all three were indeed Residents of the refuge.

But seeing their naive expressions, he kindly reminded them.

"The recommended level for the map is temporarily raised to Level 40. If your player level is 10 below the recommended, insurance only covers half; 20 below, only a quarter. Think it over carefully."

The leading player laughed and said.

"Got it, bro."

The other two players also shouted.

"We don't need your worry."

"We'll take care of ourselves."

Hearing this, the NPC said no more, marked their VM for approval, and then solemnly saluted.

"Go on, good luck."

[Team: Just Want to Quietly Be a Dog, Just Want to Quietly Say Dog, Handsome to the Point of Dropping Frames. (Approved!)]

After completing the map registration, the team leader returned the salute with a smile, then hurried into the forest with his two brothers, afraid their treasure would be taken by others first.

Watching them disappear into the forest, the officer couldn't help but glance at a Jungle Corps comrade beside him.

"Are they going to be alright?"

The guy dressed like a tin can, an experienced player, could easily guess what those rookies were up to, yawned and said.

"Probably trying to farm Contribution Points, don't bother with them, let them play on their own."

Just taking photos doesn't earn much Contribution unless you get high-value specimens or dropped materials.

Simply put, they have to be able to handle it.

These youngsters still have a lot to learn, they'll come to their senses after dying a few more times.

NPC officer: "..."

On the other side, the three players who passed the checkpoint had already delved into the jungle.

As that old player predicted, these rookies were indeed in it for the Contribution Points.

Due to the rampant plant growth, many high-level Variants that used to hide deep in the forest had moved to low-level areas, but thinking conversely, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

There would never be another chance where so many high-level Variants appeared in a low-level area!

To minimize equipment loss, they carried only an LD-47 and a few incendiary bombs. As for protective gear, they had only a stab-proof vest, without even the basic exoskeleton.

This gear was extremely economical, the kind that other players would look at and know these guys had no intention of returning to the save point alive.

However, as they ventured deeper into the jungle, an involuntary sense of dread crept into their hearts.

"Why is it so quiet here?" Searching the jungle's corners carefully, the one who remained silent all the way, [Just Want to Quietly Say Dog] finally couldn't help muttering, "Wasn't the map's recommended level raised? There's no sound at all…"

"Shut up, listen to the footsteps." [Just Want to Quietly Be a Dog] glared at him, staying on high alert, yet the more he did so, the more anxious he became.

This was not right.

A map raised to a higher recommended level should not be so much quieter than before.

The active Variants in this area seemed to have vanished.

Or—

They were hiding.

Realizing this, [Just Want to Quietly Be a Dog] felt his heart pound wildly, adrenaline soaring.

However, only half of the adrenaline rush was due to fear.

The rest was purely excitement!

The only possibility that could make all the Variants in the forest hide was—

A BOSS had spawned nearby!

Seeing the captain's fanatical expression, the player with the [Handsome to the Point of Dropping Frames] ID grew increasingly uneasy.

He was the only perception-type player in the team, and though just in his 20s level-wise, he was a passable scout.

However, even he couldn't sense any Variants nearby…

There was only one explanation: the problem they faced far exceeded their power!

"Bro, are we in over our heads here?"

[Just Want to Quietly Be a Dog] squinted his eyes.

"Ever heard this saying?"

[Handsome to the Point of Dropping Frames] gulped.

"What saying…"

[Just Want to Quietly Be a Dog] cracked a wicked smile and said.

"The bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish!"

[Just Want to Quietly Say Dog]: "..."

[Handsome to the Point of Dropping Frames] said with a mournful face.

"Is it too late to leave the party now?"

"It's too late now!"

Indeed, it was too late.

Just as [Just Want to Quietly Be a Dog] said it, a suppressed roar resounded from ahead.

"Roar—!"

The roar seemed to shake the entire forest, even making the Earth tremble!

The trio was taken aback, unable to react in time before seeing over a dozen dark figures dart toward them from ahead.

The shadows measured about three meters long, resembling cheetahs, with sharp teeth protruding like two vertical sickles!

[Handsome to the Point of Dropping Frames] instantly recognized the Variants, and he was stunned on the spot.

"Shadow Hunting Wolf! Level 30 Variant—"

The name was given by the player who first discovered it, commonly active in mountains 100 kilometers from Potato Harbor. With teeth capable of piercing steel and often hunting in packs, even Patrol Forest Teams found them tricky!

Before his exclamation ended, [Just Want to Quietly Be a Dog] raised his rifle, spouting flames from the barrel, and fired at the charging shadows.

"Never mind their damn level, fire away!"

Ratatat—!

Scorching metal fragments draped a curtain of death through the forest, colliding head-on with a Shadow Hunting Wolf leaping from the bushes, which was slain instantly with a yelp.

This burst of bullets was a critical hit, coincidentally striking the head.

"Well done——!"

Seeing his good buddy solo kill a Level 30 Shadow Hunting Wolf, [Just Want to Peacefully Call "Dog"] excitedly shouted, and while speaking, he took advantage of the chaos to grab the kill, spraying bullets at the fleeing black shadow.

However, the joy didn't last long.

The death of their companion alerted the fleeing Shadow Hunting Wolves to the imminent threat!

The beasts' instincts warned them that if they did not eliminate these two bipeds, they might not survive until the pursuing predators caught up to them!

Driven by survival instincts, the leading Wolf King howled, and the previously scattered Shadow Hunting Wolves regrouped after dodging a round of gunfire. Instead of running away, they charged at the stumbling blocks on their escape route!

Seeing the shadows charging forward, [Just Want to Peacefully Call "Dog"] was dumbstruck, exclaiming "Damn" as he freed his right hand to grab the incendiary from his waist.

But before he could pull the incendiary from his waist, a giant wolf over three meters long leapt into the air, its jaws clamping down on his shoulder, swallowing his entire head.

Splurt——

The sound of sharp teeth tearing into flesh mixed with the crunching of bones, as scalding blood sprayed two to three meters high, dyeing a broad-leaved shrub bright red!

Fired up by the blood, the Shadow Hunting Wolf raised its head and howled, then turned to attack the other dog nearby.

[Just Want to Peacefully Be a Dog] was petrified by the gruesomeness of the scene, but fortunately, his hands didn't stop moving. He pulled out an incendiary, removed the fuse, and threw it.

A dazzling white light burst forth, causing the beast to instinctively close its eyes.

Simultaneously, the scorching flame exploded in mid-air, scattering like stardust, enveloping half its body along with thick white smoke, igniting its fur!

"Howl——"

The Shadow Hunting Wolf let out a pained wail, its three-meter-long body crashing to the ground, thrashing around in the bushes, desperately trying to extinguish the flames.

But what it didn't realize was that the more it struggled, the fiercer the flames burned! Within mere breaths, the fire had consumed it entirely!

Staring at the lifeless Shadow Hunting Wolf, [Just Want to Peacefully Be a Dog] dared not lower his guard, his right hand clasping two more incendiaries, ready to strike again at any moment.

Meanwhile, three Shadow Hunting Wolves were glaring at him with ferocious intent from close range.

Had it not been for the fear of the suddenly erupting flames, they might have already rushed forward to tear him apart.

"Woo…"

The leading Shadow Hunting Wolf crouched, its front claws scraping the ground, growling and intimidating.

[Just Want to Peacefully Be a Dog] was unwilling to be outdone, staring intently at the wolf, while cautiously glancing sideways for support from his teammates, only to realize that [Elegant Frame Drop] was nowhere to be found.

"Damn…Can't rely on randoms," he internally scoffed, abandoning the hope of help from teammates to escape.

However, at that moment, the situation seemed to take a turn.

The three Shadow Hunting Wolves, confronting him, suddenly sensed a dangerous presence and backed away, their fur bristling.

Then, without warning, they turned around and retreated into the thickets.

Once [Just Want to Peacefully Be a Dog] confirmed the rustling sounds were truly fleeing far away, he finally exhaled in relief, releasing the tension in his body.

"Damn…Today's been really unlucky."

To encounter a beast migration, moreover, Shadow Hunting Wolves!

He was puzzled about what kind of presence could terrify these wild dogs, bold enough to bite armored vehicles, this much.

Just as he was pondering, a ground-shaking roar resonated once again.

However, unlike before, along with the roar came a sweltering breeze.

The heat in the air resembled the breath of some gigantic beast, making him tense anew instantly, pulling out two incendiaries and whirling around.

But as he turned, he was frozen on the spot, as if struck by lightning.

A lizard roughly five or six stories high stood before him.

Its body was covered in multicolored scales, with two massive eyes like bell towers.

Rising half its torso in the forest, it resembled Godzilla, with each inch of scales exuding a suffocating pressure!

"What… what is this?!"

[Just Want to Peacefully Be a Dog] was stunned, momentarily forgetting to document this awe-inspiring moment in VM.

The lizard seemingly didn't notice him, but slowly advanced ahead. With each step, the entire forest trembled like an earthquake.

However, at that moment, the lizard seemed to receive some call, and instead of proceeding, it turned around in place.

When it turned, its huge tail, thick as a barrel, swung like a sweeping whip, instantly flattening hundreds of meters of woods.

"Whoa——"

[Just Want to Peacefully Be a Dog] had no time to react, not even a chance to scream, before being flung away by that earth-shattering tail, disintegrating mid-air amidst countless wood splinters.

Meanwhile, back on the ground in the dugout, [Elegant Frame Drop], having dug his head into the dirt, survived by pure luck.

He didn't even know what he was thinking at the time; upon seeing the fleeing beast herd, his first thought was to hide rather than fire.

Whether due to cowardice or Perception Attributes, he survived by chance.

Looking around at the disaster-stricken terrain, he couldn't help but twitch his brows violently.

"Holy crap…Was this a typhoon?!"

He clicked his tongue and lifted his head, holding his breath in an instant.

A giant lizard stood in the devastated woods' center, its crested head radiating multicolored light under the afternoon sun.

That colossal size, if Trash Lord were placed in front of it, would probably seem like an ant!

Dragon Lizard!

The term instantly flooded [Elegant Frame Drop]'s mind.

He raised his trembling hand, clasping the camera-functional earphones, snapping several photos of the unbelievable creature and uploading them to VM.

Data archived.

Variant naming...

Done!

Seeing the "Naming Successful" popup on the VM screen and the enormous reward for unlocking the gallery, [Elegant Frame Drop] finally exhaled in relief, deeming this adventure worthwhile.

Creatures of this magnitude are likely beyond an individual player's capability to hunt, possibly requiring the Alliance to deploy strategic-level weapons.

As [Elegant Frame Drop] dusted off his pants, preparing to slip away from the vicinity, he was again awestruck by the scene ahead.

Amidst the tilted woods lay a towering Giant Tree in the forest's center!

It seemed less like a single tree, more like numerous different trees clustered together!

It was the only entity in the woods taller than the colossal lizard.

Moreover, what astounded him came next.

The immense Dragon Lizard approached the towering Giant Tree.

It seemed akin to its offspring, bowing its crested head beside it, using its forked tongue to lick the base of the tree, emitting a purring sound from its constantly moving jaws.

Staring at the astonishing scene, [Elegant Frame Drop] momentarily lost words.

Suddenly recalling a post on the official forum.

A report penned by Night Ten about the Gaia Planet in the South Gate II Star System.

This Giant Tree seems familiar...

Coming to his senses, he abruptly widened his eyes.

"Damn..."

Could it be...

The Sacred Tree of the Doma?!

Replicated on Earth!

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