Chapter 261: Giant Creatures 19

As if sensing the man’s struggle, the insect—which had been halfway out of his eye—squirmed and burrowed completely inside.

A bone-deep agony shot through him, and the man let out a horrifying Scream.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

Because the eye was so close to his brain, the man’s body soon began to convulse uncontrollably.

The man’s companion ran over to check on him, but upon seeing him twitching on the ground, he was so terrified that he scrambled backward, not daring to get any closer.

"Help... help me!"

The man was still lucid. He reached out a hand, trying to beg Perry Yates and her companion for help.

But now, no one could save him.

If they could use items, they might have been able to remove the insect from his body. But there were no ’what ifs’ here.

"Let’s go," Amber Sheridan said.

The man’s death was already a foregone conclusion.

Where the man had fallen, moss had already begun to grow rapidly. The faint scent of blood hung in the air.

Plants might have their limitations since they couldn’t leave the soil, but one mustn’t forget that it wasn’t just the flora that had changed—so had the fauna.

Many of the animals that escaped from the zoo were dangerous beasts. They were ravenous and would attack any creature that entered their sight and could potentially be food.

Humanity had spent tens of thousands of years evolving and innovating to defeat all its competitors and become the apex of the food chain.

And yet, it had taken nature a mere twenty-some days to knock them from their pedestal.

Faced with these completely transformed plants and frenzied animals, humanity’s existence seemed so insignificant.

On the ground, the man’s body began to slowly shrivel while the moss around him grew lush and strong.

Not only that, but nearby plants that sensed the presence of prey also seemed to want a piece of the pie.

Perry Yates and Amber Sheridan left the area.

「Day 24 of the game.」

Perry Yates first took stock of their gains from the past few days. These included cards dropped from burning moss and cards dropped from the occasional animal or plant they had to kill when attacked.

She now held twelve Abyssal Roots cards.

Two Wood Attribute Cards dropped from other plants.

And three cards dropped from animals, for a total of seventeen cards.

"We’ve pretty much exhausted the moss around here. Let’s find a new spot," Perry Yates said.

Although there was moss as far as the eye could see, it was all new growth. They were looking for the older stuff.

Amber Sheridan nodded.

The two of them, fully geared up, headed toward an area thick with vegetation.

Leaving their previous area, they arrived at a new location where the moss was a noticeably deeper color.

The two took out their tools, preparing to gather moss as they went.

After all, even though their shoe soles were thick, they couldn’t withstand constant attacks from the moss.

They had already ruined two pairs of shoes due to carelessness, and the ones they were wearing now were their last pair. They had to be cautious.

They quickly gathered enough moss, and after setting it ablaze, a card appeared before them.

After stowing the card, Perry Yates suddenly looked in a particular direction. It seemed a battle was underway.

"Want to go check it out?" Amber Sheridan asked.

"Sure, let’s go see," Perry Yates said.

The two of them hurried toward the sounds of the fight.

When they arrived, they saw a massive, multicolored rooster facing off against a honey badger.

Both creatures were dozens of times their normal size.

Normally, a rooster would be no match for a honey badger. After all, honey badgers are notoriously fierce creatures, known for eating venomous snakes like they’re snacks and challenging animals far larger than themselves.

But now, the rooster stood with its chest puffed out, full of vigor, while the honey badger was covered in wounds, appearing severely injured.

However, honey badgers were the kind of creatures that only fought harder the more they were wounded.

"Who do you think will win?" Amber Sheridan asked.

"The honey badger," Perry Yates answered without hesitation.

Amber Sheridan raised an eyebrow. "Then I’ll bet on the rooster. Want to wager something?"

Perry Yates turned her head and asked, "What’s the wager?"

"If I win, after we get back, you give me a twenty-percent discount on anything at the auction. How about it?"

Hearing this, Perry Yates’s eyes widened, stunned by Amber Sheridan’s audacity.

"And if I win?" Perry Yates countered. "If you’re bold enough to ask for a twenty-percent discount, your stake must be pretty substantial, right? I won’t accept an unfair bet."

Perry Yates crossed her arms and stared at Amber Sheridan, her eyes seeming to say, ’If you don’t give me something that can convince me, you’re dead meat.’

Forget a twenty-percent discount. She’d give her a bone fracture.

Amber Sheridan gave a mysterious smile. "I have a card. It’s just a White Full Attribute Card, but its effect is the ability to control time at will.

"It’s a hidden reward I drew directly from the system. I’ve never used it because it can only control time for three seconds, and it’s just a White Card."

"However, in my hands, a White Card is a one-time use item. In your hands, that might not be the case. So, what do you say? Tempted?"

Looking at Amber Sheridan’s smug expression, Perry Yates had to admit she was tempted. A Full Attribute Card that could control time.

Even if she couldn’t merge with it herself, she had to have a card like that in her possession.

"Fine, I agree."

While the two of them were talking, the two animals below had started fighting again.

It was clear from their battle that the rooster was on the defensive, while the honey badger was constantly trying to break through its guard.

Noticing this, Perry Yates’s curiosity was piqued. She looked behind the rooster and saw a plant covered in red fruit.

The fruits were the size of a fist, plump and bright red, looking like giant cherries.

Just then, the fruit-laden plant suddenly rustled, and a small yellow head poked out from between the leaves.

It was a little yellow chick.

At that moment, the battle between the giant rooster and the honey badger was also reaching its conclusion.

Large clumps of feathers had been torn from the giant rooster’s body, and even the beautiful plumage of its tail was gone. It looked utterly wretched.

But the giant rooster didn’t feel wretched in the slightest, because it had won. It had defeated the honey badger.

The honey badger now lay motionless on the ground, its eyes reduced to bloody sockets. Its head had even been pecked clean through, leaving a gaping hole.