Chapter 109: Project Golden Eagle

Although Liang Jing had decided to take the risk, he was no fool. He would not just blindly charge forward; that would be the act of a reckless hothead, fit only for those with a death wish.

He knew that the pressure radiating from the giant golden eagle monster ahead was hardly less than that of the "flood dragon" he had encountered at the small lake. This was the aura of immense power, far surpassing that of the recently evolved Golden Baroque. The gap in strength was simply too vast.

About half an hour later, Liang Jing was accompanied by two mutated king rat snakes, each over ten meters long, and a mutated wolf standing a meter and a half tall. These were all thralls enslaved by his [Temptation Light] skill. Including his zombie minion "Brother Huang," Liang Jing now had four subordinates. Although these mutated king rat snakes were notoriously aggressive and solitary in the wild, they were quite common in this area. With one snake helping him track its own kind, it hadn't been hard to enslave another. As for the mutated wolf, he had stumbled upon it along the way—he didn't bother to wonder why a wolf would appear here, nor did he care, given the biting cold of the night and the swarms of mutated mosquitoes.

After two days of constant use of [Temptation Light], especially throughout the previous night, the skill had reached the intermediate level, allowing him to command three thralls at once. This was perfect for the task at hand. Facing a monster that exerted such overwhelming, death-defying pressure, he could not afford to be anything but cautious and prepared.

*Rustle!*

A giant snake with black and yellow patterns slithered forward with extreme caution, making barely a sound. If one were not listening intently, they would never have noticed it. The ten-meter-long, twenty-centimeter-thick creature moved slowly toward the giant golden eagle, paralyzed by terror.

The mutated king rat snake was terrified—it was the primal fear of a mouse encountering a cat. Even its natural, lifelong slithering motion had become rigid. Liang Jing could feel the snake's fear and the faint resistance it projected, which made his expression shift. This was the first time such a thing had happened; his previous thralls, like the Tu family minions, hadn't even feared death by self-detonation, let alone shown resistance. He hadn't expected the giant eagle’s presence to trigger such a reaction.

Fortunately, under the suppression of his skill, the "thralls" had no choice but to obey, even if they resisted in their minds. The giant eagle seemed to be asleep, its body spread out on the ground, leaving a trail of wreckage among the crushed bushes and weeds, stained by pools of blood. It did not seem to notice the snake's approach.

"Attack!"

At Liang Jing's command, the mutated king rat snake was forced to launch a sneak attack. Like a flash of lightning, it lunged, a dark shadow appearing instantly beneath the giant eagle's neck, poised to strike.

Just then, the giant eagle’s half-closed eyes snapped open. Its body reacted instinctively, striking at the snake. Its curved, ink-black beak moved even faster. Before the snake’s jaws could touch the eagle, the beak pierced the snake's massive head. *Splat!* The hideous head exploded like a smashed watermelon, sending flesh and blood spraying everywhere. The movement was as effortless as eating, as if slicing through tofu; the snake's incredibly hard cranial bones shattered completely.

Terrifying! The effortless movement had killed the mutated king rat snake instantly. The sneak attack was nothing but a joke. To the giant eagle, it was like a child playing house—no vigilance or defense was required, and it could be extinguished with a casual flick.

However!

How could Liang Jing have only such a simple plan?

As the eagle lunged at the first snake, the second one, hidden nearby, shot out like an arrow from a bow, aiming directly for the eagle's abdomen—at the very wound that was already there!

*Thud!*

The mutated king rat snake finally struck the eagle's wound. But the next moment, Liang Jing’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. The ten-meter-long snake had coiled into an S-shape to store energy for the strike, hitting the wound with full force, yet the impact sounded like a drumstick hitting a taut cowhide drum. The entire snake body rebounded several meters, letting out a painful, hissing screech.

*Screech!*

Stung by the attack, the eagle shuddered slightly, then erupted into a fit of rage. It could not forgive the fact that a "small bug," which it usually snatched up for a snack, had dared to ambush it and actually land a blow on its body. Its razor-sharp beak instantly appeared by the head of the still-screeching snake, and once again, the head exploded. The beak possessed an explosive power; a single peck was enough to shatter even the toughest scales and bones.

*Hiss!*

Hiding in the shadows far away, Liang Jing gasped, subconsciously ordering the mutated wolf that was about to attack to stay put and remain hidden. What kind of monster was this? He had clearly seen the gaping, bloody hole in the eagle’s chest, where bones and organs were visible. Yet, the snake's sneak attack on that very wound had resulted in nothing.

He knew the strength of the mutated king rat snake well—it was no pushover. Even the zombie "Brother Huang" had suffered a massive wound from it, with bones nearly crushed. Yet, against this eagle, it was like a mere tickle, causing no damage at all. If there was any effect, it was only that the sheer kinetic energy of the ten-meter-long snake had caused the eagle's body to tremble.

That was only natural, though; the eagle was an avian, and its weight and defensive capabilities could not be compared to a land-based monster of the same level. If it hadn't even caused that much, it would truly be a god.

Seeing this, Liang Jing felt almost desperate. Even if the monster was severely wounded and immobile, it was beyond his reach. More importantly, he dared not commit himself. He had a premonition that if he were to attack, the outcome would be dire. He had been holding back, not even daring to let the eagle discover his presence.

Although Liang Jing was bold, he was no fool. Charging headlong into a lethal situation was suicide.

*Screech!*

The eagle, repeatedly provoked, let out an angry cry. Its sharp, hawkish eyes scanned the surroundings, forcing Liang Jing to press himself into the grass, not even daring to breathe. After a long while, seeing no further movement, the eagle returned to its previous state, its eyes half-closed.

*Whew!*

Seeing this, Liang Jing let out a sigh of relief, retreating silently and keeping a great distance. It seemed that even while wounded, the giant eagle was not something he could challenge. The gap in strength was too great; no amount of scheming could bridge it.

Liang Jing realized that even if he continued to use [Temptation Light] to enslave monsters to wear the eagle down, it would be useless. The success rate of enslavement wasn't high, and it took time. The eagle hadn't spent any real effort killing the snake, and it hadn't suffered any damage from the attacks—it was like eating a meal; you wouldn't die of exhaustion from eating.

He should give up and go find Commissar Gong and the others to take his revenge.

He had already killed over two hundred of their private soldiers in the forest, but for Liang Jing, that was only the beginning. How could it end here?

Wait!

Liang Jing’s eyes suddenly lit up. Perhaps he could do this: sit back and reap the rewards of a conflict between others. Wasn't that a trick he had played many times before? Why hadn't he thought of it earlier?

Liang Jing quickly dashed back into the dense forest, searching for various mutated monsters. The forest was thrown into chaos once again as he hunted for fast, agile creatures.

In the end, besides the mutated wolf he had kept hidden, he enslaved two more. There were quite a few wolves here, though it was a pity he hadn't found any elite-level monsters.

Half an hour later, Liang Jing reappeared not far from the small hill, hiding himself once more. He positioned the two newly enslaved wolves in different locations, ready to take turns drawing the giant eagle’s aggro.

Looking out at the scene, the corners of Liang Jing's mouth curled into a smile. He had brought them a great gift this time; he only hoped they would be able to accept it.

"Get ready..."