Chapter 109: Slaying the Divine (Part 2)
Chen Shouyi’s heart skipped a beat as he quickly retreated.
He swiftly took cover behind a colossal tree, his fingers tracing the rough patterns of the metal sword hilt as his brow furrowed.
This was a tricky situation.
He had assumed that after two rounds of slaughter, the barbarians on this island would number no more than a hundred. Yet before him stretched a dark, seething mass—at least three to four hundred strong.
Compared to his last visit to the island, all his attributes had improved. While his Constitution had only risen by 0.1 points, the rest had increased by at least 0.4, with some even jumping by 0.8. Notably, Agility and Strength—attributes directly tied to combat—had both risen by 0.4 points, effectively boosting his combat power by two tiers proportionally.
Though the other attributes might not seem directly related to fighting, they complemented each other in subtle ways.
Take Intelligence, for example. In the heat of battle, rapid mental reflexes could turn the tide, allowing him to maneuver with ease and control the battlefield. The effect on his combat prowess was immediate. Similarly, Perception and Willpower also played supportive roles.
In short, compared to a month ago—even disregarding improvements in combat experience and Swordsmanship—his attributes alone had more than doubled his fighting capability.
As long as he didn’t run into that powerful barbarian from last time, ordinary barbarians, even in groups, would be as easy to dispatch as slaughtering chickens or gutting fish with his War Bow and sword.
But "groups" here referred to small bands, not this overwhelming horde. Even ants could bring down an elephant if there were enough of them. No matter how confident he was, charging headlong into such numbers was out of the question.
Then again, not all three or four hundred barbarians would be warriors. Among them would be women, children, and the elderly. The actual combatants likely numbered only a third of the total. This realization eased his tension slightly.
Considering the barbarians’ evident fear of him, Chen Shouyi suddenly felt that trying his luck might not be so reckless after all.
Having fought them multiple times, he had a fair understanding of this barbarian tribe’s discipline and organization.
Unlike human soldiers, who adhered to strict hierarchies and rigid discipline, these barbarians had a much lower tolerance for casualties. Once losses exceeded twenty or thirty percent, they would typically rout.
This aligned with the survival logic of a hunting-based tribe.
Not every hunt went smoothly—sometimes they encountered prey too powerful to overcome. If they stubbornly refused to retreat every time, the tribe would soon perish.
Of course, this wasn’t an absolute rule. Intelligent beings with faith often faced death with greater courage than those without.
But given this tribe’s past behavior, it seemed the divine colossal tree hadn’t inspired enough devout faith to make them fearless.
……
Chen Shouyi didn’t act rashly. Instead, he sat beneath the tree, biding his time.
The wind howled past the colossal trunk, hurling countless leaves into chaotic spirals around him.
He waited for the gusts to weaken.
This divine colossal tree gave him the impression of possessing only rudimentary intelligence.
Even now, knowing its efforts were futile against him, it still recklessly expended its power—like a bluffing beast, all bark and no bite.
At first, his Mind Spirit remained highly alert, but gradually, he completely relaxed. The wind, after half an hour, finally began to weaken, dropping from a strong gale of force 8-9 to a moderate breeze of force 5-6.
Just then, Shell Woman suddenly whispered nervously in his ear, "Giant, be careful! Evil Giants are coming!"
Chen Shouyi's heart tightened. Had the divine colossal tree finally lost its patience? He immediately stood up, drew an arrow, and quickly peeked outside from the edge of the tree.
About a hundred meters away, a dense group of barbarians, wielding wooden spears, was silently advancing in a fan-shaped formation, attempting to encircle him.
Judging by their numbers, there were only about twenty or so.
Just as Chen Shouyi was about to ease his tension, Shell Woman suddenly pointed behind him and whispered urgently in his ear, "There are more behind us, so many, all evil Giants!"
His expression turned grave. It seemed he had underestimated the barbarians—they were actually trying to surround him.
Thankfully, he had brought Shell Woman along, or this situation would have been dire.
"Listen carefully, which direction has no Giants approaching for now?" Chen Shouyi quickly asked.
Shell Woman tilted her head, listening intently for a moment, then immediately pointed in a direction. Without hesitation, Chen Shouyi swiftly ran in the direction she indicated.
"Tree! Tree! Tree!" Shell Woman suddenly shrieked.
Chen Shouyi halted abruptly, and in the next moment, a short spear slammed heavily into the ground right in front of him.
A cold sweat broke out on his back as he locked onto the hidden barbarian in the tree ahead with a sharp gaze. He swiftly drew his bowstring and loosed an arrow toward the tree.
The wind was still blowing, and the turbulent air disrupted the arrow's flight, but at a distance of only 34 meters, the interference was negligible for an arrow traveling at the speed of sound.
With a sharp whistle, a heavy corpse crashed to the ground with a dull thud.
...
"There! There! There!" Shell Woman shouted again.
A figure lurking in the grass slowly crept forward, but before it could react, an arrow flashed like lightning. The figure shuddered and fell silent.
...
"Behind the tree!"
A barbarian hiding behind a tree, preparing to ambush, suddenly felt a blur before his eyes. A streak of light flashed across his throat, and his head soared into the air as blood sprayed out.
Seeing Chen Shouyi kill three evil Giants in a row with her help, Shell Woman's little face flushed with excitement, as if she had slain them herself.
She searched even more diligently for those evil Giants, her eyes sharp and alert.
Her vision and hearing were far more acute than Chen Shouyi's—no rustle or movement could escape her notice.
A few minutes later, Chen Shouyi successfully broke free from the barbarians' encirclement.
This time, it was all thanks to Shell Woman. Otherwise, in this barbarian territory, he might have met his downfall.
"You did great. There'll be a reward when we get back," Chen Shouyi praised Shell Woman.
"Is it a Big Big gem?" Shell Woman immediately exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes, a Big Big gem."
As he spoke, Chen Shouyi glanced behind him, his expression turning cold as he spotted several figures moving among the trees. He drew another arrow and pulled back the bowstring.
A barbarian was just about to hurl a short spear when an arrow pierced his chest, sending him collapsing backward.
After firing two more arrows in quick succession, two more barbarians fell to the ground. Gripping his longsword, Chen Shouyi strode forward.
Suddenly, he shifted his body slightly, narrowly avoiding a thrusting spear. In the same motion, he drew his sword, its gleaming edge flashing upward. The barbarian who had been hiding behind a tree, poised for an ambush, froze instantly—before his body split diagonally in half.
Step by step, Chen Shouyi advanced. With Shell Woman by his side, it was as if he carried a miniature radar. Even with the wind howling in interference, he could detect the approximate positions of the barbarians from over a hundred meters away, always staying just outside their encirclement.
The arrows in his five quivers were gradually depleted, nearly half gone.
The thick scent of blood permeated the forest, and panic finally began to spread.
Many barbarians turned and fled at the first sight of him, their numbers dwindling rapidly.
After more than an hour, he returned to the clearing beneath the divine colossal tree, only to find that all the barbarians had vanished, scattered in retreat, leaving behind a vast expanse of crude dwellings.
No—not all.
One remained.
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