Chapter 35 Surrounded by a Flock of Geese... [Bonus Chapter]

That night, Lin Huang slept more soundly than ever before. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the tea brewed by Xueluo or for some other reason. When he woke the next day, it was already close to nine in the morning.

He ate a simple meal, tidied himself up, and summoned Bai to continue on his journey. With his Life Wheel repaired by Xueluo, Lin Huang clearly felt the escape of his life force had slowed considerably, and his physical constitution seemed to have improved as well. Factoring in the boost from his Strength skill, he reckoned his physique was now on par with a first-rank Blackiron reserve hunter. Following Bai up the snowy mountain, his speed had increased significantly.

In less than four hours, Lin Huang had climbed another seven hundred meters, reaching an altitude of around 5,500 meters. He was about to pause for a brief rest and replenish his energy when he caught sight of a flock of large white birds flying toward him and Bai.

From afar, Lin Huang recognized them—these were White-Feathered Geese, a type of beast species. They normally fed on fish and rarely bothered larger creatures, but they were bold and unafraid of humans. Under normal circumstances, Lin Huang wouldn’t have cared about their approach, but recalling what Xueluo had warned him, he became alert.

These geese were massive, with wingspans over five meters. Carrying off a person would be no problem for them. Their purposeful flight in his direction suggested they might have already fallen under the control of that extraordinary monster and were out hunting for it.

“Bai, dig a hole! Quickly!” Lin Huang shouted.

Bai immediately obeyed. Lin Huang hadn’t planned on having Bai dig a hole just yet—the slope here wasn’t too steep, and he’d intended to simply rest against the mountainside. But now, seeing the geese approaching with ill intent, he realized that without a secure refuge, he’d have no way to defend himself if attacked. At over five thousand meters high, he didn’t have wings—falling from here would be fatal.

Bai had barely finished excavating an entrance in the rock wall when the flock of White-Feathered Geese swooped down. Lin Huang’s heart sank; they were indeed after the two of them.

Clinging to the cliff with his left hand, Lin Huang pulled out his Greyhawk 17 with his right, turned, and fired at the attacking birds. Most of these geese were at the Blackiron level, and their size gave them considerable defense. The specialized bullets from the Greyhawk 17 only ruffled their feathers, causing little real harm. The geese that were hit felt pain and dodged aside, but realizing they weren’t truly injured, they soon attacked again. The entire flock quickly figured out that Lin Huang’s firearm posed no real threat and became utterly fearless.

Above him, Bai had already slipped into the hole, but Lin Huang was still several meters away and unable to move. A few of the geese flapped their wings and reached for him with their talons. On this sheer cliff, Lin Huang had no room to dodge, and could only watch helplessly as the claws descended toward him.

At the last moment, a flash of blood-red light streaked through the air. Several of the geese were beheaded and tumbled down the mountainside. Lin Huang felt a tightness at his waist—looking down, he saw a band of blood-colored energy encircling him, pulling him toward the cave entrance.

He hesitated for an instant, then chose to trust Bai, releasing his grip on the rock wall. As soon as he let go, a great force swept him up and deposited him safely within the cave entrance.

Feeling solid ground beneath him, Lin Huang finally felt a sense of relief. Fighting precariously on a cliff was not his strength; standing firmly on real ground, he felt as if the world was his again.

“Thanks for earlier,” he said, standing up and nodding at Bai, then moved toward the mouth of the cave.

Outside, the flock of geese had not dispersed. Seeing Lin Huang poke his head out, several tried to force their way inside. Lin Huang stepped back a few paces and watched calmly. The entrance Bai had dug was a two-meter-square opening—far too small for the giant geese to squeeze through. Yet the flock seemed crazed, hurling themselves at the entrance again and again, heedless of their mounting injuries.

At first, Lin Huang ignored them, figuring they’d tire themselves out and leave. But after two or three hours, the geese showed no sign of leaving. In fact, more had arrived, summoned by their companions.

“Damn, am I really being blocked by a flock of geese?” Lin Huang couldn’t help but think of stories he’d heard back on Earth about people bullied by geese, and the many funny videos online. He’d always laughed at those, never imagining he’d one day be trapped on a cliff by a flock of geese himself.

He felt a headache coming on. The Greyhawk 17 could do little against these geese, and he only had four explosive rounds left—not nearly enough. Bai could cut them down with his blood energy, but even after his evolution, the range of his attack was under twenty meters.

After another three hours, dusk was falling. Lin Huang cautiously poked his head out to find that the hundreds of White-Feathered Geese were still there, not a single one leaving.

“Looks like they’re determined to wait me out. If they keep blocking the entrance, how am I supposed to complete my assessment?” Lin Huang mused as he chewed on some jerky, pondering alternatives.

His gaze shifted to the depths of the cave, and a sudden excitement lit his face. “The foot of the mountain on the far side is right by Outpost 7D121. If we keep digging this tunnel straight through to the other side, couldn’t I just descend and walk straight into the outpost?”

He was about to instruct Bai to begin when a sudden commotion erupted among the geese outside. Lin Huang crept to the entrance and peeked out.

Hundreds of geese were fleeing frantically, for a gigantic black-feathered bird had descended from the sky.

Seeing the creature, Lin Huang gasped. It was a Blackcliff Jay, a giant species. Its body alone stretched over thirty meters, with wings spanning at least fifty. It was far larger than the Tyrant beast he’d seen before. Judging by size alone, this Blackcliff Jay was probably on the verge of breaking through to the Bronze rank.

As the White-Feathered Geese scattered, the Blackcliff Jay didn’t pursue a single one. Instead, it landed with both talons gripping the ground directly above their cave, and its massive head snaked down to peer inside.

Its gaze met Lin Huang’s, who was peeking out from within…

~~~~~~

[This was the third bonus chapter as promised. Regular two-chapter updates resume tomorrow. The next bonus will be released once the recommendation votes reach 10,000—we’re over 6,000 now, so keep it up, everyone!]