Chapter 80: The Hydra (Part Two)

After several attempts, Xue Feifei slumped to the ground like a deflated balloon, paying no mind to the cold beneath her. She sat directly on the earth and muttered in a somewhat stubborn tone, “What else can I do? I just can’t walk anymore.”

Kong Zhe let out a sigh as he looked at her fragile demeanor. As expected, taking a woman out always brought all kinds of trouble, but it was too late to regret his decision now.

He rummaged through his ring for a moment before producing a bamboo backpack basket. Setting it down, he gestured for Xue Feifei to get inside.

“Come on, get in. I’ll carry you.”

Xue Feifei was momentarily stunned, then eyed the large basket with a peculiar expression. Wasn’t this thing usually used for carrying children? But she had no other choice, so she climbed in. Fortunately, she was used to curling up in small spaces under tables, so squeezing into the basket didn’t bother her. Besides, this freed her hands to focus on operating her scouting drone.

Kong Zhe hoisted the basket onto his back to test the weight. Though Xue Feifei was an adult, she was slender and light, so carrying her was no burden at all for someone with awakened abilities like Kong Zhe.

“Tuan Tuan, you take care of Xiao Lei.”

“Yes, master!” Tuan Tuan giggled, saluting Kong Zhe. Then she noticed the hesitance on Xiao Lei’s face.

Xiao Lei seemed to want to say something. She had always relied on Kong Zhe’s guidance, clutching his sleeve in fear whenever confronted by the terrifying beasts. Being near him was the only thing that brought her comfort. But now, with Kong Zhe carrying Xue Feifei, he clearly couldn’t look after her anymore. The thought left her feeling hollow inside.

“Don’t worry, my dear companion. In the face of my Wind King Barrier, those monsters will only turn and flee,” Tuan Tuan reassured her, patting her shoulder.

With her close friend saying this, Xiao Lei could only force a smile and nod.

Kong Zhe observed the scene and sighed inwardly. Xiao Lei was obedient, but her courage was lacking, and Xue Feifei looked sickly and weak. The two of them were fine in safe environments, but in this perilous apocalypse, they simply couldn’t cope. Tuan Tuan, on the other hand, had shown decisiveness and adaptability since they’d set out, and Kong Zhe found her performance thoroughly satisfying.

He couldn’t help but marvel—who would have thought that the person he had least faith in would become the most reliable?

…

Towering trees and snow-laden cedars surrounded them. Before the apocalypse, this had been a small forest park.

Kong Zhe gripped his sword tightly, slowing his pace as he studied his surroundings. Something felt off. Remaining vigilant, he asked without turning his head,

“How is it? Any discoveries?”

“Nothing… It’s so strange, there’s not a single beast within a thousand meters!” Xue Feifei answered from the basket behind him, her eyes full of confusion as she stared at her tablet.

Kong Zhe drew a deep breath. It had been half an hour since they’d encountered any monsters. In a world swarming with beasts, this was unimaginable. Yet, for them, it was hardly a blessing; in fact, it spelled disaster.

Kong Zhe had encountered this situation before in his previous life. He knew all too well that there was only one explanation for such abnormality—a high-level monster must be dwelling nearby, and the weaker beasts dared not approach.

Even if a powerful monster were present, it shouldn’t affect such a large area unless its level was extraordinarily high—so high that Kong Zhe could hardly fathom it.

If this were truly the case… Cold sweat broke out on Kong Zhe’s forehead. He couldn’t sense any magical energy in the vicinity. If they were indeed inside a monster’s territory, it meant the creature was so formidable that its level eclipsed his own, rendering its presence undetectable.

He forced himself to calm down. Truthfully, he wasn’t certain his guess was correct. By all rights, nothing above level 6 should exist on Earth at this stage. Overly powerful creatures entering through spatial rifts would be torn apart by the chaotic currents, dying before arrival. Only as the rifts widened could higher-level beings descend. This allowed awakeners to level up like in a game, fighting monsters without worrying about being left behind.

Of course, that was the ideal scenario. Reality was full of unpredictable variables, and it wasn’t impossible for unique, high-level monsters with special constitutions to arrive early.

No matter how dire the situation, he could only push forward. He couldn’t be sure if they were at the center or the edge of the monster’s territory. If they’d reached the edge, turning back could mean walking straight into the monster’s jaws.

All he could do was pray that the monster was asleep or simply disinterested in weak intruders like themselves.

Tuan Tuan seemed to sense the gravity of the situation as well. Her usual playful expression was replaced by seriousness as she led Xiao Lei forward, scanning their surroundings, sword held ready across her chest for immediate combat.

“Whimper!”

Suddenly, the dog at the front yelped mournfully, crouching and trembling, unable to move forward. It glanced back at Kong Zhe, pleading for help.

Kong Zhe’s heart jolted. If the dog was this terrified, could it be that they truly faced an exceptionally high-level monster?

“Wait, something’s wrong. Everyone be careful…”

His words abruptly ceased, for he had spotted a massive figure looming nearby.

It was a giant monster with nine heads, stretching over twenty meters long. Its tongues flicked out, and eighteen crimson eyes glared at them.

Kong Zhe’s pupils contracted sharply. He had expected a powerful monster, but never imagined it would be a Hydra.

The Hydra was one of the strongest sea monsters in the new world, a legendary beast capable of causing tsunamis and swallowing ships. Its attacks relied on long-range venom sprays. Its regenerative abilities were formidable; unless all nine heads were severed at once, its body would quickly heal.

The one before them was clearly an adult, level fifteen, its body scarred with countless wounds, its belly noticeably swollen.

The moment Kong Zhe laid eyes on it, he understood—the Hydra’s regenerative power had allowed it to survive passage through the spatial rift, but even so, the temporal currents had battered it mercilessly, as evidenced by its many injuries.

Yet, after seeing the Hydra’s full form, Kong Zhe felt a strange relief and even entertained other thoughts. Even though the Hydra was severely wounded, its level alone meant he stood no chance against it. However…

His gaze lingered on its bulging abdomen. Judging by its size, the Hydra was likely in labor.

All monsters undergoing childbirth suffered a drastic decline in power—this was common knowledge in the new world. Combined with its grievous wounds, the Hydra’s strength was barely a tenth of its former self. Once it finished birthing, its wounds would heal rapidly, its power restored, and it would dominate the region for a long time. If they wanted to hunt it, now was the perfect opportunity.

“Hiss!”

Unaware of Kong Zhe’s scheming, the Hydra let out a thunderous roar and lunged at them.

“Watch out, scatter!”

Kong Zhe’s eyes twitched as he shouted, blue light flashing beneath his feet as he leapt back, narrowly dodging a snapping head.

The trouble with Hydras was their nine heads, enabling simultaneous attacks in nine directions.

As it attacked Kong Zhe, the remaining heads lunged at Tuan Tuan, Xiao Lei, and the dog.

“Ah!” Xiao Lei screamed as the serpent head barreled toward her, her knees trembling so badly she forgot to run.

“Hold it, you foul beast! You will not harm my companion!”

At that moment, Tuan Tuan stepped between Xiao Lei and the monster, gripping her sword with both hands. Blue flames surged around her as she maxed out her simulated fire ability, draining her magical energy rapidly. The fierce aura she emitted stunned the two attacking heads.

“Hiss!” The Hydra hissed at Tuan Tuan, but dared not approach, its crimson eyes tinged with confusion. It sensed a presence of equal strength in this tiny figure. If it were at full power, it would have no fear, but at its lowest ebb, it dared not engage an awakened one of equal rank. After two hesitant hisses, the heads withdrew.

“Whimper!” Unlike Kong Zhe and Tuan Tuan, who managed to evade calmly, the summoned dog, still a beast at heart, was paralyzed by terror before the high-level monster. When the Hydra’s massive jaws struck, it could only cry out before being swallowed whole.

“Spurt!”

The instant the dog was eaten, Kong Zhe coughed up blood. Strength and life force drained rapidly from his body, his mind dizzy, awareness fading into confusion.