After a long, full hour of maneuvering, striking, and retreating, Shen Zuo finally managed to land the third hit on the bird.
The punch came fast, loaded with everything he had, striking the bird on the side of its body and knocking it back slightly in the air. It wasn't a lethal blow, but it was enough... enough to prove what he'd said.
Shen Zuo, panting, exhaustion plain across his wounded, blood-covered body, raised his stone fist and said in a tired but triumphant voice:
"...I said three hits... and that's exactly what happened."
The bird flapped its wings to keep its balance in the air, its head tilted slightly, its gaze locked on Shen Zuo... then, for the first time since the challenge began, it lowered its head in a very slight bow, like a silent acceptance.
A faint smile spread across Shen Zuo's face.
The challenge was over.
The deal was sealed.
"Get ready, one week from now."
Shen Zuo said calmly, sitting down on the ground, slowly pulling out a few feathers that had pierced through his back and feet. His movements were steady, his eyes gleaming with something like satisfaction, no trace of trembling or heavy breathing.
Blood dripped down silently, but he paid it no attention...
A faint smile formed on his lips.
The smile of a challenge.
The smile of a beginning.
And the week passed quietly...
Shen Zuo kept treating himself until his wounds fully healed.
After that, he didn't do anything complicated... just sat in silence inside the observation post, watching his energy gradually grow stronger with every passing day.
He didn't train with the Phantoms... didn't go into any fights.
All he did was wait... and patiently feed his Aether Field.
Only a month and a few weeks remained until the mission ended.
Shen Zuo didn't waste any more time this round... he began carrying out his plan.
He had that damn hawk attack a few Level Two beasts for him, wearing them down completely, leaving them hovering between life and death.
Then Shen Zuo would step in himself and finish the job with one or two blows... leaving the rest to the hawk.
The fights weren't as brutal as before, not those severe injuries, not that constant bleeding.
Now... things had gotten easier.
His energy grew steadily, and the map in his mind kept getting clearer.
Everything was going as it should, at least for now.
Hmm... I should gather a few more Phantoms for speed and exploration before the deadline runs out too... alright, I'll go attack one of the Level One beasts and hope I come out with something good.
Shen Zuo thought to himself, wiping blood off his face. In front of him lay the corpse of a transparent snake... if not for the blood staining it, it would've been nearly impossible to spot.
Not impossible... but incredibly difficult.
Its camouflage was impressive.
He thought, letting out a tired breath.
But now it was just a corpse...
And the hawk was feeding on it hungrily.
As usual.
"I'm heading out for a bit... let's stop here for today... not much left to finish off the Level Two beast quota... we've still got that damn lion left."
Shen Zuo said, gradually disappearing from view, running off with his axe in hand.
Not much time left now... just a few weeks until the mission ended.
A short while later, Shen Zuo reached his destination.
Ahead of him now stood a massive ram, limping... looking like it carried plenty of old injuries.
He had no idea how it had even survived this long. It had come with a full herd, and now it was the only one left.
It was possible the only thing that had kept it alive was its proximity to the observation tree... and that, being an herbivore, it had never gone near the poisoned corpses.
"Alright, the only reason you're not dead yet is because the author's giving you favoritism, until I finish your story myself."
Shen Zuo said mockingly, then immediately launched his attack.
Dozens of needles shot out, streaking toward the limping ram.
Half of them embedded in its body before it even registered the attack, but it lunged forward with unbelievable speed despite its bad leg and dodged the other half.
Its sheer momentum barely let it redirect its charge toward Shen Zuo like a fired shot, head lowered, ready to gore him.
Shen Zuo didn't pull back right away.
Instead of retreating, he kept up his needle attack, continuing to push energy into the Phantom at maximum speed.
The ram couldn't adjust its path in time...
so it took dozens more needles piercing its body at different points as it charged.
But the momentum didn't stop.
Only five meters separated them now.
Shen Zuo didn't move immediately. He waited... waited until the very last moment, until the instant just a hair's breadth before death.
Then, suddenly...
he threw his body aside in a sharp, quick motion, but left the axe planted upright in the ground exactly where he'd been standing.
The madly charging ram couldn't stop.
Its body slammed into the axe's handle, which struck its chest and lower throat in a single blow, its front legs lifting briefly from the impact.
The needles, the axe, the sheer momentum... all of it made the ram stumble hard before it rolled across the ground repeatedly, thick dust rising around it.
Shen Zuo didn't stop firing needles. They kept coming without pause, his energy locking them into the ram's body as it barely tried to get back up.
And before the ram could even regain its balance or get back on its feet, Shen Zuo lunged forward quickly, gripped his axe tightly, and attacked without hesitation.
But the ram was faster than he expected.
In a burst of unexpected force, it pushed itself forward, fleeing at full speed despite its limp, never stopping, leaving a trail of blood behind and leaving Shen Zuo momentarily unable to catch up.
"Damn it..."
Shen Zuo muttered, trying to track it with his eyes, then took off after it without wasting any more time.
The ram ran wildly, but its body, weighed down with needles, wasn't what it used to be. It couldn't change direction quickly or dodge attacks anymore. Every step planted more needles into its body, one after another, and with every needle, its steps slowed further, its balance shaking more.
Shen Zuo didn't stop. He stayed calm, his eyes never leaving his target. Every time he noticed the ram trying to break away from the poison's effect, he'd lunge from its side, attacking heavily from that same direction, forcing it to change course and loop back inward.
It was a battle of wills. The ram fought with whatever strength it had left to cling to life, but the slowness of its reactions and the mounting effect of the poison were gradually taking their toll.
The chase continued for a full half hour, Shen Zuo steering the ram's path, driving it in repeating circles without ever giving it a chance to escape, without ever giving it a moment to catch its breath.
And as the ram's breathing grew ragged, its eyes unsteady, its body swaying, Shen Zuo knew its end was near.
The ram finally collapsed, its body crashing to the ground with force, dust rising around it as it groaned, its final breaths, unable to withstand the poison's effect any longer.
Shen Zuo approached slowly, his steps heavy, his breathing ragged, but he wasn't in any rush.
He pulled out his knife without a word, bent down calmly, and slit the ram's throat without hesitation. Blood flowed out slowly, the warmth of life leaving the body.
But the ram suddenly shuddered, as though some small part of its life refused to die... resisting for a moment, but death was faster.
Life finally went out, and with it came a pale Phantom, a slightly crooked half-circle, a faded yellow in color.
Shen Zuo didn't hesitate, grabbing the Phantom before it could try to fade away or flee.
"Hmm... a half-circle?" he thought calmly, locking his grip onto it.
Then he carried the ram without a word... luckily, it wasn't far from the observation tree.
It didn't take long before he arrived.
He sat down there, tossed the corpse beside the Pit, and let his body rest.
He didn't try to skin the ram; this wasn't the time for
it...
Instead, his eyes stayed fixed on the yellow Phantom.
Waiting patiently, until his energy fully returned...
to refine this Phantom the way it deserved.