Fang Zhou led the massive Skeleton Army, traversing the rugged Frozen Tundra toward a higher-elevation hill. The clattering footsteps of the skeletons were particularly distinct in the silent night.

Sporadic Night Demons occasionally flashed out from the darkness. Some peered cautiously from afar, while others boldly launched probing attacks, but all were swiftly repelled by Fang Zhou's precise Skills and the relentless march of the Skeleton Army.

Seeing these once-hideous Night Demons, Fang Zhou breathed a silent sigh of relief. Away from the Town Ruins, everything seems to have returned to normal.

When the Skeleton Army reached the foot of the hill, Fang Zhou carefully surveyed the terrain. The hill, though not high, was tall enough to provide a view of the vast Frozen Tundra below, especially the eerie Town Ruins in the distance. Choosing this place as a temporary camp not only offered a broad field of vision for observing the ruins but was also an ideal location for encampment, being elevated for both offensive and defensive maneuvers.

Upon reaching the peak, a cave caught Fang Zhou's attention. A foul stench wafted from its entrance with the wind. Evidently, this was the lair of a powerful Demon.

As expected, a Fierce Bear at the Middle Apprentice rank sensed the intruders and charged out of the cave with a furious roar. It was massive, with thick fur and eyes gleaming with ferocity, a clear sign that it had dominated this area for a long time. However, faced with the Skeleton Army under Fang Zhou's command, the Fierce Bear's rage seemed utterly powerless, like a moth drawn to a flame.

The skeletons, like precise war machines, launched a coordinated and efficient siege. Claws and fangs intertwined, tearing into the bear's flesh with precision.

The battle was over in moments.

The Fierce Bear fell in a pool of blood, its roars swiftly swallowed by the cold wind of the Frozen Tundra.

"Hunting Points +7."

"Soul Power +0.2."

After clearing the battlefield, Fang Zhou also gained Demon materials worth 2 contribution points. He did not relax after this victory, instead commanding the Skeleton Army to enter the cave.

Compared to the Goblin Cave where he had stayed the previous night, this Bear Cave was much smaller, but it was sufficient for Fang Zhou alone to spend the night.

The skeletons tirelessly moved the bear's corpse and other usable stones and ice blocks, quickly building a crude barricade to block potential raids from other Demons. At the same time, they cleared a relatively dry area within the cave to set up a temporary camp.

Despite the cave being filled with the bear's stench and the bones of various Demons—an extremely harsh environment—a hint of relief appeared on Fang Zhou's face. This messy environment is proof that the Fierce Bear has occupied this place for a long time, with no stronger threats able to challenge its position. Compared to the unknown dangers of the Town Ruins, the enemies here are at least predictable.

After everything was set up, a somewhat fatigued Fang Zhou retreated to a corner of the makeshift camp, leaning against the cold rock wall for a brief rest. Then, he activated the Hunting Recorder. Its screen lit up, displaying lines of text and graphs. Although the recorder was barely functional, its signal remained unstable, which was a common occurrence in the Caves.

Fang Zhou swiped his finger across the screen, browsing information on the activity patterns of Demons at the Town Ruins, environmental changes, and potential hidden Demons, hoping to find clues about the town's eerie changes. Unfortunately, he found nothing.

No point in worrying about it now; things will work out. Since there are no clues, I might as well not waste any more energy on it. At worst, I'll just report it to the instructors after the Cave Hunting is over. With those heavy hitters around, it's not my place as a mere apprentice to be worrying about the sky falling.

In truth, I'm not particularly interested in getting to the bottom of the strange changes in the Town Ruins. It's just that the ruins are quite close to the Thorn Jungle, and I'm worried it might affect my upcoming exploration of the Refining Stone veins.

Setting down the Hunting Recorder, Fang Zhou yawned tiredly. He took out supplies from his bag and swallowed a Marching Pill with some warm water. He then drank a Spiritual Recovery Potion and a Soul Calming Potion in one go, closed his eyes, and seized the moment to restore his condition. With the loyal and ever-diligent Skeleton Army standing guard, Fang Zhou felt at ease.

In the midst of a light doze, the rare moment of tranquility was suddenly shattered by urgent warning signals from the Skeleton Army.

Fang Zhou was instantly wide awake. He shot to his feet, grabbed his Magic Staff, and stepped out of the cave, only to be shocked by the scene before him.

Fierce Rats, Fierce Snakes, Fierce Mosquitoes, Fierce Bats...

On the Frozen Tundra, a massive horde of Night Demons was frantically fleeing in the direction opposite the Town Ruins. It was a scene of utter chaos as they stampeded in panic.

Fang Zhou's senses were on high alert. For these Demons, which are supposed to hunt each other, to restrain their murderous instincts... it must mean an even greater danger is approaching.

He looked into the distance and saw chaos erupting in the direction of the Town Ruins. Countless will-o'-the-wisp-like lights drifted through the ruins. Their sheer number was staggering, and they were continuing to spread. The Hunting Recorder suddenly lost its signal, as if it were being blocked by some invisible force. The soul-deep chill Fang Zhou had felt before wrapped around him once more.

Fang Zhou made a swift decision, directing the Skeleton Army to intercept the Night Demons that were frenziedly fleeing toward the hill. Like a silent wall of death, the skeletons blocked the monsters' path.

The battle erupted instantly. The skeletons swung their Bone Claws, slaughtering the Demons that tried to breach their defense. Despite the Demons' overwhelming numbers, the Skeleton Army stood as firm as a monolith under Fang Zhou's command, not letting a single monster cross the line.

Meanwhile, Fang Zhou took out a pair of night-vision binoculars, trying to discern the true nature of the eerie, ghostly flames.

Through the lenses, he saw those ominous blue flames frantically attacking every living thing in sight. Upon contact, they exploded like bombs, releasing tremendous energy. Even if a Demon could withstand an attack from one ghostly flame, it couldn't endure the successive impacts of ten or twenty. More terrifying still, when a Demon was killed by the flames, its corpse would instantly turn to dust. From that dust, even more ghostly flames would rise, creating what seemed to be an endless, vicious cycle.

So that's what it was... The thick layer of dust in the ruins... it's all the remains of Demon corpses!

Fang Zhou knew the situation was critical. While commanding the Skeleton Army to continue holding off the fleeing Demons, he began to prepare for a retreat. Standing at the hill's edge, his gaze locked on the distant ruins shrouded in ghostly flames, he felt a wave of lingering fear.

If I hadn't decisively retreated from that ruined building earlier, the Skeleton Army and I would have likely been surrounded by those flames by now. I'd have had to play all my trump cards just to have a chance at escaping.

But now, thanks to his caution and prudence, Fang Zhou had bought himself enough time to respond.

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