Volume One: Planet of Ten Thousand Beasts Chapter 24: Night Vision

"What's wrong?" Black-Head Bee was startled and immediately stopped in his tracks. His voice dropped to a whisper as his hand moved to his waist, where a dagger was sheathed.

"It's nothing. I thought I stepped on a mushroom again," Li Juxu replied with an embarrassed expression.

"We should slow down to be safe," Black-Head Bee suggested. Because the scent of the snake carcass had been repelling the mosquitoes, the two had unconsciously increased their pace. Looking back, Black-Head Bee realized they had been too reckless; after all, the dangers in this forest were not limited to insects—there were also hazardous plants and other large predators.

"You're right." Li Juxu slowed his pace, though his eyes kept wandering toward the dark corners where sunlight could not reach. His internal shock grew with every passing moment. Under normal circumstances, those areas should have been a blurry haze, yet now, he could see them with startling clarity.

"What is going on? Did I mutate?" he wondered. His golden, shimmering eyes darted left and right until he finally confirmed that his vision had inexplicably become incredibly sharp. He could see further and with far greater detail than before. He could discern the texture of individual leaves on 150-meter-tall trees, and even the tiny hairs on the Grey-Spotted Crown Spiders clinging to the foliage were clearly visible. Even the darkness could not obstruct his sight. This felt like discovering a new world; everything around him seemed fresh, and for the first time, this terrifying forest felt intriguing.

He vaguely suspected it was the result of drinking the snake's blood. He felt a mixture of joy and apprehension—there were benefits to walking the line between life and death, but he worried this ability might be a fleeting spark, like a dying candle's final flare before it vanished.

He wanted to test this new ability, but found he could do little. Black-Head Bee was walking ahead and missed the shifting expressions on Li Juxu's face; otherwise, he surely would have worried that the snake blood had caused some side effect.

The sky gradually darkened. Li Juxu checked the time: 5:45 PM. For a normal person, everything in the woods would have become blurred, signaling time to rest. Yet, in his world, it remained crystal clear. As Black-Head Bee began scouting a spot to spend the night, a sudden gunshot followed by a scream echoed from nearby, startling countless birds. Both men froze.

"It's Painted Face!" Black-Head Bee looked at Li Juxu.

"Let's go, take a look!" Li Juxu understood his intent. If it were a stranger, he wouldn't be concerned, but since they knew the person and were nearby, he wouldn't be able to rest easy without checking.

"I'll take the lead. You're the sniper, cover me," Black-Head Bee said, already darting into the darkness. His stance was clear: he would shoulder the danger of the vanguard. After all, it was his acquaintance, and Li Juxu had already been generous enough to accompany him; he wanted to shield him from unnecessary risks.

"Wait—" Li Juxu tried to stop him, but Black-Head Bee had already vanished. He immediately pulled out his sniper rifle and assembled it. That was the downside of being a sniper: it required preparation before firing, unlike a pistol, which only required disengaging the safety.

Boom!

Boom!

Two massive explosions lit up the night. They were rocket blasts, spaced about five or six hundred meters apart. Li Juxu realized this was serious—two factions were locked in a firefight. If one side was his own, the other must be the rivals Pu Shaoyun had mentioned.

He hadn't gone far before more rockets tore through the night sky, followed by further explosions. The sound of machine-gun fire made his blood boil.

The terrain in the forest was treacherous; there were no straight paths, only dense trees that forced one to weave through narrow gaps. Even with his enhanced vision, moving through the dark was exhausting. He stopped two hundred meters away. He had intended to climb a large tree, but after surveying the dense canopy, he decided against it. He was close enough to the battlefield, but the trees blocked any line of sight; he could only hear the gunfire.

He continued to creep forward cautiously. The darkness was an advantage for him; others would have their vision severely hampered, but he was unaffected. Even so, he remained wary. There were goggles that could amplify light, and while they wouldn't match his current vision—which was as clear as daylight—they could still spot him if he got too close.

Fortunately, thermal imaging equipment didn't work on the Beast Planet, or he would have had to be even more careful. Finally, he spotted the muzzle flash from one side. Upon closer inspection, he realized he had gone the wrong way—that was his own side. He quietly shifted toward the opposing camp.

He found a relatively safe spot and hunkered down. Fighting in a forest had its pros and cons. The place was filled with massive trees, several people wide; as long as one hid behind them, even armor-piercing rounds were useless. Safety was assured, but hitting the enemy was difficult. It all depended on how one used the terrain.

Li Juxu thought about climbing a tree for the high-ground advantage, but stopped when he saw the dense clusters of Grey-Spotted Crown Spiders clinging to the branches. Night was when the spiders were active, and the artillery fire had made them restless. The mosquitoes had also emerged early, filling the air between the leaves with a buzzing commotion.

He scanned the enemy's fire. They were seasoned hunters, keeping their bodies hidden behind the trees and only exposing their muzzles. They protected themselves well, and though they weren't aiming precisely, their suppressive fire never strayed far from his allies' positions—a feat only achieved by veterans.

However, even the most seasoned veterans had to peek eventually; they couldn't just fire blindly in case the enemy tried to flank them. Maintaining awareness of the enemy's movements was a hallmark of an expert. Finally, an eye carefully peered out. Li Juxu’s nerves tightened. Before the man had even revealed more than a sliver of hair, Li Juxu was already locked on. The moment he caught sight of the enemy's pupil, he pulled the trigger.

Bang!

In his scope, he saw the enemy's skull blown away, blood and brain matter spraying into the air. The machine gun fell silent instantly. Li Juxu immediately shifted positions. Sure enough, the moment he left, bullets raked the spot where he had been.

The sound of the sniper rifle was too loud, and the distance too close; it was easy to give away his position. Experienced hunters could easily triangulate his location by the sound.

After taking down the second enemy, Li Juxu stopped firing. He risked climbing a tree after moving to a new spot. He thanked the snake carcass for his safety; the Grey-Spotted Crown Spiders and mosquitoes had automatically retreated, allowing him to lie quietly on a branch. Confident that no insects would approach, he kept his gaze fixed on the enemy. The moment he killed the second man, he felt a chill—the scent of death. He realized the enemy sniper had marked him. He had retreated behind a tree just in time; otherwise, a bullet would have already found him. But he knew the enemy was watching, waiting for him to show himself again.

The enemy didn't fire, making it hard to pinpoint their location. But he wasn't in a hurry. He had the advantage of his vision; he could hunt slowly. He was certain that the enemy sniper's eyesight could not compare to his own.