Chapter 23: Search
A few days later, Wu Yuntian and Su Hao leaped down from the tall walls.
As the cold wind brushed against their faces, Su Hao, who was rapidly descending, felt his heart in his throat. It was only when Wu Yuntian held his hand and they firmly landed on the snowy ground that he finally calmed down.
They proceeded forward, one in front of the other.
Su Hao held a short knife stained with the blood of the Green-eyed Prairie Wolf and wore a crude set of iron armor. He followed behind Wu Yuntian, observing his surroundings with curiosity and caution in his eyes.
The iron armor on him was made by his father, Wu Yuntian, in a casual manner. He punched holes in two iron plates, tied them together with ropes, and that became his armor.
Su Hao found the two iron plates uncomfortable and asked Wu Yuntian why he had to wear armor.
Wu Yuntian solemnly told him that the wilderness was extremely dangerous, and wearing armor protected his vital organs, reducing the chances of receiving severe injuries. An extra layer of protection meant additional safety. With Su Hao's strength as an advanced ordinary warrior, the weight of the two iron plates was insignificant, yet they provided good defense. This was a crucial equipment for survival in the wilderness.
Su Hao stopped questioning and decided to make himself a suitable set of armor in the future. For now, he was stuck with the two awkward iron plates hanging on him.
After walking for about an hour, Su Hao couldn't help but ask, "Father, where are we going?"
Without looking back, Wu Yuntian replied, "Don't speak loudly while venturing in the wilderness. We'll be there soon."
Wu Yuntian led Su Hao up a small hill, and through the dense shadows of the trees, they could see the scenery beyond the hill. He pointed ahead and said, "Do you see the tallest tree in the front?"
"I see it."
"That's where the Flowerhorned Deer often forages. You will see many of them as we venture deeper."
Su Hao was puzzled. "So, my goal today is to hunt the Flowerhorned Deer?"
"No, the Flowerhorned Deer is very alert, and you won't be able to get close to them. Your target is the predator of the Flowerhorned Deer—the Snowflake Leopard. Use your knife to take it down."
Su Hao thought it didn't make sense and asked, "If I can't even catch up to the Flowerhorned Deer, how could I catch up to their predator?"
"Snowflake Leopards have a strong sense of territory. You don't need to chase them; once you enter their territory, they will attack you."
Suddenly, Su Hao felt a bit uneasy. "Father, will I be in danger?"
Wu Yuntian reassured him confidently, "No! Snowflake Leopards are stronger than the Green-eyed Prairie Wolves, but not by much. As long as you're careful of their claws, you should be able to handle them. Besides, I will be watching nearby."
Su Hao immediately felt relieved. He tightened his grip on the short knife and contemplated his strategy.
Seeing that Su Hao had no objections, Wu Yuntian turned around and said, "Let's approach from the side."
After a while, Wu Yuntian stopped and said to Su Hao behind him, "Alright, we're here. From here on, you're on your own!"
Su Hao took a deep breath and cautiously took a step forward. He silently encouraged himself, "Don't panic, Dad is here to protect me. If I can't handle it, he'll call for help!"
However, when Su Hao turned his head again, he couldn't see his father's figure anymore.
"Where is he?" Su Hao's heart skipped a beat. Did his father abandon him? No, no, stay calm!
Su Hao continued walking for a few more minutes until he reached the territory of the Flowerhorned Deer. He could already see them foraging in the snow. These deer had only a single horn and would use it to probe into the snow, searching for edible grass. After finding some, they would lift their heads and vigilantly scan their surroundings.
And the Snowflake Leopard? Su Hao lowered his center of gravity, ready to burst into action at any moment, with his internal energy prepared.
It was silent and still all around. Su Hao hadn't spotted the Snowflake Leopard that Wu Yuntian had mentioned, but he couldn't relax. Not detecting the opponent's presence made it even more dangerous. It meant that the Snowflake Leopard was silently observing him from the shadows.
Su Hao's mind raced as he analyzed the Snowflake Leopard's possible location. His eyes constantly scanned the surroundings, but he didn't notice anything unusual.
"Maybe I can use Xiao Guang to try." An idea flashed through Su Hao's mind. He realized that he couldn't detect anything abnormal, but the intelligent computer could.
Thinking of this, he immediately gave Xiao Guang a new command: "Identify regular patterns in the field of view, identify organisms in the field of view, identify fur in the field of view..."
Precise search instructions were issued one by one. Xiao Guang's processing speed was fast, and it instantly provided feedback.
The living room of the Sphere of Light Space had been transformed into a vast expanse of white after intelligent simulation, presenting a scene within a radius of one hundred meters as seen by Su Hao.
Numerous small and large red circles marked the special locations that were being searched. Su Hao glanced at them, and most of the markings were Flowerhorned Deer. He continued with his instructions: "Species naming: Flowerhorned Deer."
"Naming successful, data comparison completed."
"Exclude Flowerhorned Deer."
With each command, the number of red circles in his field of view decreased by half.
The red circle closest to him was on a tree ten meters away. Su Hao looked up at the marked spot, and all he saw were snow-filled tree crevices. In those crevices were a pair of round blue eyes staring intently at him, filled with coldness and vigilance.
Snowflake Leopard!
Su Hao's scalp instantly tingled. The leopard was just ten meters away from him, and he hadn't noticed. If he took a few more steps forward, he would probably be under attack. At such close proximity, he wouldn't stand a chance to react.
The Snowflake Leopard also realized that Su Hao had spotted it. It gracefully leaped down from the tree and took two steps forward, standing face-to-face with Su Hao.
The Snowflake Leopard had a slender body with snow-white fur scattered with occasional black spots. Walking on the snowy ground, it seemed almost invisible, and combined with its light footsteps, Su Hao doubted he would even detect it if it approached him from behind.
This Snowflake Leopard looked too ferocious. Including its tail, it measured at least three meters in length. Su Hao couldn't believe that it was only slightly stronger than the Prairie Wolves.
"Father asked me to deal with this thing. Isn't that too hasty? I don't think I stand a chance against it."
Su Hao inwardly complained but kept a calm expression on his face.
"Species naming: Snowflake Leopard."
"Naming successful."
The Snowflake Leopard seemed unwilling to attack first and patiently waited for its opponent to reveal a vulnerability.
Su Hao ponder
ed for a moment and decided to take the initiative to probe the situation.
He slowly bent down, grabbed a large handful of snow, compacted it into a snowball, and threw it towards the Snowflake Leopard.
The Snowflake Leopard gracefully leaped away, evading the snowball.
Su Hao scooped up another handful of snow and threw it again.
The Snowflake Leopard dodged once more, and Su Hao continued to throw.
...
Wu Yuntian, standing behind Su Hao, was ready to act in case of any accidents. The scene made his eye twitch. He intended for Su Hao to familiarize himself with combat, not engage in a snowball fight.
Perhaps provoked by an affront to its dignity as a fierce beast, or sensing that Su Hao's attacks were harmless, the Snowflake Leopard finally launched its attack.
It struck with all its might.
"So fast!" Su Hao's pupils contracted, and his whole body tensed up.
The Snowflake Leopard's attack was different from that of the Prairie Wolves. The wolves liked to pounce and bite at the enemy's throat with their wide-open mouths. However, the Snowflake Leopard kept its center of gravity low and employed an upward attack, allowing it to swiftly change directions and adapt in high-speed combat.
In the instant the Snowflake Leopard suddenly charged at him, Su Hao faced an incredibly powerful pressure, almost making it difficult for him to breathe.
(translated by begs)