Alien Species Invasion? I Kill Them Back.

Chapter 85: Chapter 83: The First Night

"What was that just now?!" Huangfu Miaomiao exclaimed in shock.

Pei Xianjue saw it too, her brow furrowed. "I’ll lower the altitude a bit so we can get a clearer shot."

In the drone’s footage, trees and rock formations were shrouded in a hazy mist. As the altitude decreased, the scenery illuminated by the light beam gradually became clearer, but this put the pilot’s control skills to the test, as a moment’s carelessness could easily send the drone crashing into a branch.

"Could we have seen it wrong? That shadow was so big, maybe it was just a tree?" Huangfu Miaomiao said worriedly, her tone a form of self-reassurance.

Feng Ling frowned and asked Pei Xianjue, "Can you go any lower?"

"I’ll do my best." Pei Xianjue held her breath, concentrating as she continued to lower the altitude, carefully maneuvering the drone through the gaps between the boughs.

The drone’s light illuminated the mountain path they had just walked.

A dark-red humanoid beast suddenly entered the frame. It seemed agitated by the light and raised its claw, swiping violently!

The video feed instantly went black.

The control tablet in Pei Xianjue’s hands lost its connection to the drone.

Inside the main hall of the Three Pure Ones Palace, the group was struck silent.

After a moment, Pei Xianjue tentatively asked everyone, "Did anyone see it clearly?"

No one spoke.

Feng Ling replayed the last segment of the video, pausing at the exact moment the monster turned. She then zoomed in on the image to observe it carefully.

The monster had a pair of huge bull horns and a human-like torso. Its build was incredibly muscular, with powerful deltoids bulging to a degree that suggested steroid use.

It had turned to attack the drone so quickly that its face was a blur, making it impossible to see clearly, though it most likely had a ferocious appearance.

Feng Ling also noticed several strings of round objects hanging from the monster’s waist, which looked a lot like animal skulls.

"To think it’s this close to the safe house..." Huangfu Miaomiao swallowed nervously. "I thought there’d at least be some kind of transition period."

From a Weasel that barely reached her knees to such a gigantic humanoid demon, Huangfu Miaomiao felt the kill difficulty had skyrocketed.

Pei Xianjue said, "That was a top-down angle, which makes things look smaller than they are. I estimate that monster is at least three meters tall; otherwise, it couldn’t have hit the drone just by reaching out."

Baozi caressed the handle of the large machete in his hand, saying with a tone that was half helpless and half-joking, "If it’s really a three-to-four-meter-tall monster, then the weapons we got from that box are like toys. I reckon only a Hero could deal with it."

The Giant Wolf Fenrir Card, when its ability was used, granted its holder the characteristic of becoming gigantic.

Everyone looked at Liang Zhou.

Liang Zhou stood with his arms crossed, his expression calm and composed, showing not the slightest hint of fear or panic.

This made Pei Xianjue feel a little more at ease—regardless of his personality, Liang Zhou’s ability was something she could trust.

Feng Ling, on the other hand, was concerned about something else.

She asked Huangfu Miaomiao, "Is that monster the Maze Master?"

Huangfu Miaomiao shook her head, troubled. "I have to be there and see it with my own eyes for the system to give me a prompt. I can’t tell by looking at it through an electronic device."

"What kind of prompt? Tell me the details," Feng Ling asked.

"All kill targets have a prompt. Depending on the kill difficulty, the text color is green, orange, red, magenta... it’s pretty much like the color coding for traffic jams on a map. Then, if I encounter a special character, there’s a prompt for that too." Huangfu Miaomiao stood up and walked over to Li Qing. "For example, when I saw him, there was a line of blue text above his head that read ’Maze Administrator’."

Feng Ling nodded thoughtfully.

Li Qing gave Huangfu Miaomiao a cool glance, then looked at Feng Ling and said, "That monster is most likely not the Maze Master."

Feng Ling paused, slightly taken aback. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Because it’s too close," Li Qing answered. "The Maze Master is essentially the final boss of a Maze. The current exploration percentage is only 15%, which means we’re still facing a vast unknown area. So I don’t believe this monster is the Maze Master."

"How do you know my exploration percentage is 15%?!" Huangfu Miaomiao was astonished.

When she discovered the safe zone, her exploration rate was just 13%. Later, after opening a treasure box, it rose to 15%, but she hadn’t told anyone.

Li Qing sighed helplessly. "I’m the Maze Administrator. I can see the data."

The moment he said that, he noticed Feng Ling staring at him and quickly added, "But I can’t see the Maze Master’s location."

Feng Ling: "..."

Huangfu Miaomiao sighed. "If a monster this scary isn’t the Maze Master, then just how powerful must the Maze Master be!"

Pei Xianjue tried to lighten the mood, saying with a smile, "No matter what, we’ve at least gathered some information on the Maze. If we can’t win, we can always come back next time. If we brought a rocket launcher, we could probably blow even a giant to bits."

They had come in a hurry this time and hadn’t brought any heavy weaponry.

Feng Ling took the control tablet from Pei Xianjue’s hands and fiddled with it for a moment. Seeing that the drone remained unresponsive, she sighed softly.

She had originally planned to use high-tech equipment to get a rough understanding of the surrounding area, but it was an unlucky start; the drone had just poked its head out before the monster smashed it to pieces.

"How about we rest for tonight?" Pei Xianjue suggested. "We can rest up and regain our strength, then scout the path tomorrow morning."

A gust of evening wind swept into the hall, causing the flames on the altar table to sway precariously.

Feng Ling glanced out the door, then stood up with her axe in hand.

"Where are you going?" Pei Xianjue quickly asked.

"To chop some branches for a fire," Feng Ling said languidly. "It’s pretty cold up on the mountain."

"I’ll help." Baozi brandished the machete in his hand, thinking this was a good opportunity to test out his weapon.

Seeing this, Huangfu Miaomiao knew there would be no further action that night. From her storage compartment, she took out outdoor camping pads, pillows, and blankets for herself and Feng Ling, as well as an aluminum kettle and disposable cups.

In Pei Xianjue’s compression pack were a sleeping bag, crackers, canned food, basic weapons and ammunition, and a simple medical kit—all standard-issue items.

She had thought she was well-prepared, but watching Huangfu Miaomiao pull out an endless stream of items, she couldn’t help but marvel, "You two brought so many supplies."

Huangfu Miaomiao giggled, then took out a bottle of gardenia-scented perfume and spritzed it twice on her and Feng Ling’s bedding.

Pei Xianjue’s smile stiffened slightly.

’Pillows and blankets are for better rest, and drinking hot water is good for digestion, but this step with the perfume... I really don’t get it.’

After a little while, Feng Ling and Baozi returned with armfuls of branches, their clothes covered in a layer of damp dew.

The dew was heavy on the mountain, so it took them some effort to get the branches to catch fire.

The group gathered around the fire, dispelling the late-night chill and dampness. They boiled water, ate, checked their phones, and spoke in low voices.

Their first night in the Maze passed in this state of calm.

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