Chapter 3: Heart of the Wilderness

The autumn wind whistled.

Withered yellow leaves fell from the sky, passing through the open space between Yu Ke and the beast.

Yu Ke did not dare to slack off, staring with eyes wide open, confronting the beast not far away.

During the training process, forest rangers will have special courses to explain the more common beasts in Jinghu Forest.

Among them is this guy in front of him!

Code name: Mandrill.

It was mutated from the mountain baboon in Jinghu Forest. Not only did it grow in size and change in appearance, the mutated mandrill has an extremely strong body and intelligence no less than a seven-year-old child!

What's more troublesome is that the mandrill is extremely bloodthirsty and has a special liking for attacking humans.

Half a year ago, there was even a vicious incident in which groups of mandrills attacked a transport convoy.

Yu Ke never thought that he would suddenly encounter this monster here.

Or he was ambushed at close range!

Holding the recurve bow tightly, Yu Ke's sight shifted from the mandrill's face to its shoulder, and his face became more gloomy.

There was an obvious gunshot scar on the right shoulder of the mandrill, which was enough to prove that it had fought with other rangers or government troops in the past and survived, and it was extremely hostile to humans.

It was very likely that it heard the sound of the off-road vehicle, so it followed and waited for Yu Ke to go deep into the jungle before reappearing!

This place is at least one kilometer away from where Yu Ke parked the off-road vehicle, and there is no possibility of escaping by the off-road vehicle.

The battle is inevitable!

The mandrill stood behind the bushes where it had hidden before, turned up its lips, opened its mouth and let out a short roar, and a very humane sarcasm appeared on its face.

It was laughing at Yu Ke for falling into a trap

On the first day of his job as a ranger, he was laughed at by a beast. Yu Ke's expression was calm, and his half-closed eyes flashed coldly.

Since he dared to come to Jinghu Forest, he must have some skills to rely on.

Gu! Gu!

A short bird cry suddenly sounded from the branches above his head.

This was like a signal to start a war, and Yu Ke and the mandrill took action at the same time.

Yu Ke bent his bow and arrow at the fastest speed, and decisively used the weapon at hand to take the initiative to attack the enemy. However, the mandrill seemed to have predicted the former's actions in advance. Almost at the same time, it leaned down and jumped into the bushes to avoid the arrows.

Immediately broke through the bushes and rushed towards Yu Ke with all four legs.

The previous combat experience made it feel that as long as it could avoid the long-range weapons in the hands of humans and forcefully rush to the side of the opponent, it could easily tear the opponent apart and have a full meal!

The distance between the two sides was less than 20 meters, and the speed of the mandrill's leaning attack was even more exaggerated, giving Yu Ke no time to bend his bow and arrow again.

In fact, Yu Ke had no intention of using a bow and arrow again.

Facing this kind of ferocious beast rampant in the outer periphery of Jinghu Forest, the instant burst of bows and arrows is not enough.

Especially after seeing the mandrill easily dodge the arrow, Yu Ke did not hesitate to throw away the recurve bow and grab the double-barreled shotgun behind him. According to the operating specifications of the forest ranger, the shotgun has been loaded for dealing with this kind of emergency.

Close combat is the king!

At the critical moment, Yu Ke didn't care whether the gunshot and gunpowder smoke would attract other ferocious beasts.

Without saying a word, he pulled the trigger at the running mandrill.

The shotgun scattered and splashed towards the mandrill who had just rushed to Yu Ke. This guy did not retreat at all in the face of the gunshot. He crossed his arms to block the fatal part of his head, allowing the bullets to break the skin and flesh of his arms, splashing blood everywhere.

If it were an ordinary beast, this shot would be enough to make them lie down completely, but the physical strength of the mandrill in front of him was obviously extraordinary, especially the long arms, which looked bloody, but could still move.

Even though Yu Ke saw this scene, he was still stunned for half a second. He had learned about mandrills at the Forestry Bureau, and it stands to reason that the specially modified shotgun in his hand should be able to cause serious damage to it.

With a fixed gaze, Yu Ke quickly noticed that the color of the mandrill's two forearms was wrong. When it got closer, he found that it was covered with dried mud mixed with vines.

This monster has actually learned to use external objects to enhance its defense!

Humans continue to learn, evolve, and master more technologies in the fight against natural disasters and animal disasters, and this mandrill actually has similar characteristics. Yu Ke doesn't know whether it is an abnormal individual or a mutation of the group.

But one thing is certain.

This battle must be decided, and the tiger must not be let go.

Otherwise, this mandrill might become a big trouble for his subsequent work.

Thinking of this, Yu Ke lowered the muzzle and pulled the trigger again. This time, he gave up the headshot and changed his goal to kill as many people as possible.

The effect was outstanding!

The mandrill, which had already rushed several meters away, could not protect other parts of its body while protecting its head. The shotgun shells splashed out directly hit the mandrill's waist, abdomen and legs.

Although it did not cause fatal injuries, it also made it howl in pain.

The injury further aroused the monster's ferocity. With only a few meters left, the mandrill gave up defense and rushed towards Yu Ke with its fangs and claws bared, its turbid yellow eyes filled with bloodshot and its mouth full of sharp teeth.

A strong stench hit him in the face, and the roar of the mandrill was close at hand.

Yu Ke knew that turning around and running away in this situation was tantamount to suicide. In this forest, even if he used all his strength, he could not get rid of this crazy mandrill.

The only way was to fight head-on!

Throwing away the double-barreled shotgun in his hand to reduce the weight, Yu Ke dodged sideways and pulled out the dog-leg knife from his waist.

At the moment when the two sides crossed, the mandrill that was dodged head-on swung its right arm violently and hit Yu Ke's chest, and the latter's dog-leg knife also broke the skin and flesh on its waist, cutting a finger-long wound.

The powerful force pushed Yu Ke away and hit the tree trunk next to him.

The highly tense spirit and the surge of adrenaline reduced the pain. The dull pain in his chest and back still made Yu Ke grimace, but he did not dare to relax for a moment. He quickly stood up and rushed towards the mandrill.

The bravest one wins when two meet on a narrow road!

A man and a beast collided in the woods, engaging in the most brutal close combat!

The mandrill's strength far exceeded Yu Ke's, there was no doubt about that, but it also withstood two rounds of shotgun shooting, plus the knife wound on its waist, it would be a lie to say that it had no impact. The flexibility of its limbs decreased significantly, and its body inevitably became sluggish.

Use your strengths to attack the opponent's weaknesses.

The previous impact made Yu Ke well aware of the mandrill's strength, so he deliberately avoided a head-on collision, but instead dodged around the mandrill with agile movements, sometimes retreating, sometimes rushing forward, advancing and retreating with reason.

The dog-leg knives that the Forestry Bureau equipped to the forest rangers were all special products. They were extremely sharp and hard, and they could easily break the skin and flesh of the mandrill, leaving it with wounds.

However, Yu Ke was just an ordinary person after all. Compared with the mandrill, high-intensity close combat was an extremely severe test of his physical fitness and concentration, and the mandrill was not a target in the training ground.

Sensing the decline of his physical strength, Yu Ke looked around, looking for the weapon he had just temporarily abandoned.

He needed a means to make the final decision!

After realizing that he was not sensitive enough, the mandrill no longer dodged Yu Ke's dog-leg knife, but let him pierce into his waist, and then grabbed Yu Ke's shoulder with one hand, roared, raised the remaining arm and smashed it into Yu Ke's head.

Exchange injury for life!

The arm wrapped in mud and vines was almost like a hammer, whistling.

It can be injured by mistake many times. The tenacious vitality of the beast is enough to support the mandrill to survive, but Yu Ke cannot withstand this blow. If it hits, he will immediately pay the price of his life!

Without any hesitation, Yu Ke turned the dog-leg knife in his right hand horizontally, twisted the wound to create more pain, and then kicked the mandrill's abdomen with one foot, and used the recoil to force it to break free, leaving only half of the cuff.

Barely avoiding the heavy hammer heading straight for his head, he leaned back and turned to resist with his waist and abdomen.

Yu Ke felt that his whole body was flying in the violent impact, and when he fell to the ground, he felt severe pain all over his body. It was at this critical moment that he caught a glimpse of the recurve bow not far away from the corner of his eye.

He got up with cold sweat on his head and gritted his teeth and took a step.

Seeing Yu Ke trying to escape with his back to him, the mandrill opened his mouth, endured multiple bleeding wounds, roared and charged, rushed behind Yu Ke in a few steps, and leaped.

At the critical moment.

The blood-stained eyes of the beast reflected an arrow that was flying at him!

Yu Ke fell to the ground with a pale face. The severe pain made his forehead full of cold sweat, and he couldn't stop gasping. The corners of his mouth were bleeding because of the heavy fall just now, but even so, he still didn't give up the recurve bow in his hand.

He tried his best to bend the bow and put the arrow, and kept shooting at the mandrill head with an arrow in the left eye in front of him.

Until he was completely exhausted, Yu Ke stopped trembling and fell among the fallen leaves on the ground, and felt that his eyes were black.

At this moment, Yu Ke suddenly felt as if something in his body was broken, and some indescribable energy was flowing through his limbs, and the injuries on his body were soaked by a cool energy.

This is not an illusion!

Yu Ke, who realized a certain possibility, focused his attention and opened the panel of the occupation label system.

Sure enough, the label of forest ranger hunter has completely turned light blue.

Yu Ke's previous speculation was correct.

As one of the hunting targets within the Forest Protection Bureau, Yu Ke's successful hunting of the mandrill undoubtedly meets the work requirements of his own profession, and naturally there will be corresponding experience recorded, and it seems that there is a lot.

After all, the mandrill is a target with a higher hunting difficulty for Yu Ke at this stage.

The new trait has been generated.

As his mind turned, the information of the new trait quickly emerged in Yu Ke's mind.

[Heart of the Wilderness]: The ranger hunter's physical fitness is improved in all aspects, and the perception of the surrounding environment is increased. When in the wilderness, injuries can be recovered by absorbing natural energy.

Combat trait!

Sitting up from the fallen leaves on the ground, when Yu Ke saw this trait information, he felt a lot more relaxed, and his mouth couldn't stop grinning, waving his hands and cheering.

Relying on the [Knowledge and Insight] of the teacher profession, Yu Ke may be able to become a leader among the forest rangers, but if he wants to survive better in this world in the disaster period, he must have more powerful strength.

The Wild Heart trait is the key to let him break through the shackles of ordinary people!

Although Yu Ke cannot feel the extent to which the new trait has improved his physical fitness, he can clearly feel the natural energy around him constantly pouring into his body in the wilderness.

Every minute and every second, the soreness and fatigue at the physical level are gradually relieved and even dissipated.

This passive special effect, which is almost like breathing to restore blood, is enough to make Yu Ke flourish in the Mirror Lake Forest in the future!

But this place is obviously not a place to relax and celebrate.

After a short rest, in order to avoid the gunshots and bloody smells attracting more monsters, Yu Ke quickly cleaned up the scene, first collecting his weapons, picking wild fruits, and then carrying the mandrill with the strength he just got.

The reason why the mandrill was included in the hunting list by the Forestry Bureau is not just because of its ferocity.

This mutated beast is full of treasures if handled properly, and can quickly make Yu Ke's dry wallet swell.