Hearing the request for 'Free Hunt', Li Xinyue understood that even if she knew about this exam project in advance, she wouldn't be able to complete it.
Yan Luo proposed a Free Hunt, truly a bold move.
After all, he is also a candidate. This is his first entry into the Abyss. Even if he has a solid knowledge base, he hasn't personally tested it. How does he know if that knowledge is useful?
While Li Xinyue was lost in thought, Yan Luo had already taken action.
The knowledge related to the Abyss echoed in his mind, driving Yan Luo to take determined steps forward.
Demons do not excrete, even though they consume food; their eating is only to make themselves stronger.
The method by which demons become stronger is very simple: by consuming other demons - through hunting other demons, they acquire the Magic Power within them.
Typically, after a demon consumes another demon, there is a digestion period during which they hide and lose the desire to hunt.
Yan Luo needs to find traces left by dangerous-level demons and track them through those traces.
Theoretically, any kind of demon in the Abyss has the potential to become stronger, even a harmless-level demon could eventually grow into a Doomsday Level.
The demon levels were initially established by the countries of Blue Star through discussion. Later, with further understanding of the Abyss, the criteria were adjusted, but the level names didn't change, and two more levels were added above.
Harmless Level, Ordinary Level, Dangerous Level, Lethal Level, City-breaking Level, Catastrophe Level, Doomsday Level; a total of seven level divisions.
As of now, Yan Luo can deal with dangerous-level demons with his equipment and awareness, but if he encounters a lethal-level demon, it's almost a dead end.
The Free Hunt is dangerous and difficult because candidates not only need to track down a dangerous-level demon but also avoid lethal-level demons.
Even though lethal-level demons rarely appear on the outskirts of the Abyss, caution is necessary because 'rarely appear' is not the same as 'never appear'.
Shhh!
Yan Luo's tactical goggles scanned some charred marks on a bush. He squatted down to observe, touched the scorched leaves, nodded slightly, and muttered to himself.
"Intelligent system, start recording and calculating — 1:52 PM, found a scorched mark on the mid-exterior of a bush 1.2 meters high; judging from the width of the scorch mark, the target went north; from the shape of the scorch mark, the target might be a snake-type demon."
[Recorded, tracking characteristic set as 'scorch mark'!]
The exoskeleton's intelligent system connected to the tactical goggles, using the camera to scan the surroundings. Soon, a cursor appeared in Yan Luo's vision.
Yan Luo stood up and quickly followed the cursor.
Amazingly, despite wearing an exoskeleton, carrying a sizable backpack with a lot of weapons, his footsteps were surprisingly light and agile. Li Xinyue assured that without using her Engraving, she couldn't move as swiftly in the forest as Yan Luo.
The instructor easily kept pace with Yan Luo's steps, quietly commenting, "Looks like he trained on forest walking while getting his [Hunter's License], this kid really aimed for the Abyss from the start..."
Thinking about this made the instructor a bit worried.
Yan Luo is very talented. At least since he became a Hunter, no other Hunter with better talent than this kid has been seen.
If it weren't for fate's twists, Yan Luo would definitely have the potential to become a top Hunter, this kid is a born Hunter!
It's a pity...
While the instructor was deeply concerned, Yan Luo had eliminated most of the suspected targets and confirmed the target's identity.
"The body temperature high enough to scorch the leaves beside it, yet not ignite the dry leaves beneath, estimated height about eighty centimeters... That's right, it's the Fire-line Python."
Fire-line Python, a giant python demon, with two thin lines running from the eye corners to the tail. Their main attack method is to coil around the enemy, then heat the two lines on their body, using high temperatures and their own strength to kill the enemy.
This type of demon doesn't have a harmless level. They are born at Ordinary Level, and the lines can emit at least 100℃. Dangerous Level is even more terrifying, with line temperatures reaching at least 500℃.
Conversely, they can't lower their line temperatures below a certain point. As long as the tactical goggles are equipped with an infrared temperature recognition module, they can be easily detected.
Most demons leave traces when they are active. As long as their characteristics are remembered, it's easy to find the demon along the traces.
The time is 2:13 PM, and Yan Luo had successfully found his target.
Standing at a distance, observing Li Xinyue couldn't help but be stunned. Yan Luo, a young man only a few years younger than her, seemed like a seasoned Hunter, effortlessly finding a dangerous-level demon. Clearly, she, a graduate of the Abyss Hunting major, did not have this ability.
It couldn't have been luck for Yan Luo, as Li Xinyue had seen with her own eyes how Yan Luo confidently pursued his target after finding some clues, managing to find the prey within twenty minutes.
The Fire-line Python's nest is bound to be barren. Their unconscious body heat evaporates the moisture from the surrounding soil, and no weeds can survive here.
The tactical goggles switched to a thermal imaging view, and Yan Luo adjusted them to block thermal radiation below 200℃. The goggles immediately outlined the Fire-line Python curled up under a dead tree.
The Fire-line Python is easy to deal with. As long as you find a way to lower its body temperature, it will slow down. Even if its body is tough enough to withstand cold weapon attacks, it cannot withstand firearms.
The unfortunate thing is that Yan Luo didn't carry anything to lower the Fire-line Python's temperature. To hunt this Fire-line Python, he needed to confront it head-on.
Yan Luo took out a smoke grenade from his backpack, activated it, and tossed it into the Fire-line Python's nest.
A large volume of smoke soon billowed out from the nest, spreading through the three surface openings into the air.
Due to its high body temperature, the Fire-line Python lacks pit organs, and the strong smell of smoke can render its sense of smell ineffective. Even its superior vision compared to other snake-type demons is obstructed by the smoke.
"To devise a tactic within such a short time!" the instructor raised an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised.
He watched Yan Luo swiftly approach the Fire-line Python's nest, his figure disappearing into the dense smoke, then turned on the thermal imaging view to observe Yan Luo's every move.
The Fire-line Python could sense vibrations in the ground, detecting an object approaching its nest, so it naturally moved to intercept.
Yan Luo observed the Fire-line Python's movements through the thermal imaging view and saw it coming toward the entrance close to him. He pulled out a shotgun, started counting his steps, and calculated how far he was from the entrance.
Just as the Fire-line Python poked its head out of the entrance, Yan Luo suddenly leapt.
The Fire-line Python emerged from the entrance and abruptly lost track of its target.
Immediately after, Yan Luo descended from the sky, stomping onto the body of the Fire-line Python, aimed his gun at its head, and directly pulled the trigger.
The head of the Fire-line Python burst open like an overripe watermelon.
To maintain body temperature, the Fire-line Python's systolic blood pressure is at least 300mmHg. When its head exploded, blood gushed out like a fountain, spraying dozens of meters away.
Fortunately, the blood temperature of the Fire-line Python is not excessively high, at most 80℃, otherwise this pool of blood spraying out could definitely ignite the forest.
"Hunt complete."
Yan Luo whispered as the camera on the goggles stopped recording.
A dangerous-level demon equivalent to Sequence 5 was taken down by Yan Luo, an ordinary human.
After killing the Fire-line Python, Yan Luo headed toward the instructor and Li Xinyue.
When a demon dies, its body will dissipate. To collect materials from them, one needs special equipment or a Hunter carrying the [Collection] Engraving.
Yan Luo walked up to the instructor and said plainly, "Instructor, I completed the Free Hunt."
"Well done!"
The instructor patted Yan Luo's arm and grinned widely.
Even though Yan Luo cannot engrave, his intellect is enough to make him the strategist of a Hunter team. Since he insists on becoming a Hunter, the plan is to find a Hunter team that needs a 'brain'.