Chapter 17: Crimson Stag

**Clack.**

The antlered deer, mid-lunge toward Chen Zhuo, froze—drawn by a sound from behind.

Its head twisted sharply, neck bending unnaturally as it turned to face the source.

In that split second—when its back was exposed—something emerged from behind the tree trunk: a hunting bow drawn to its absolute limit, string taut like a wire about to snap.

Then—*whoosh*—an arrow tore through the air, aimed straight at the beast’s crimson-tinged hide.

**“Neigh!”**

A shriek ripped from the creature’s throat as it spun back, blood-red eyes blazing once more at Chen Zhuo.

Even without full sensation of pain, the arrow buried in its gut had done serious damage. The wound pulsed open, dark blood welling and dripping down its flanks.

Yet the deer didn’t slow. It charged again—blind, furious, relentless.

Chen Zhuo dodged with every ounce of speed he’d gained—two points added, now fully realized. He weaved, ducked, rolled—barely avoiding those lethal antlers that could’ve skewered him like a spit.

*“Now it’s truly enraged,”* he thought. *“No way to distract it with pebbles anymore.”*

At this range? No time to draw a bow. Ordinary attacks wouldn’t kill something so stubborn, so fearless.

Only one option left: cripple it. Let it bleed out on its own.

While evading, Chen Zhuo studied the beast’s movements. Its charge was brutal—but the turns? Clumsy. Uncoordinated.

He began circling, darting just beyond reach, forcing the deer to overcorrect. Each turn made it stumble, each misstep widening the gap.

Three minutes passed. The rhythm broke.

As the deer overrotated, its legs skidded on loose soil—off-balance.

*Now.*

Chen Zhuo lunged forward, iron sword flashing in the dim light. He struck low—right at the hind leg.

**“Sssshhk!”**

The leg flew off, severed clean.

He pulled back instantly—no hesitation.

But what came next made his stomach twist.

The deer didn’t collapse. It kept moving—on three legs, dragging itself forward, inch by agonizing inch, still fixated on him.

Its eyes remained red. Not fading. Not dimming. The madness hadn’t lessened. Blood loss meant nothing. Pain meant nothing.

It was coming.

Chen Zhuo didn’t wait.

Another slash—this time at the other hind leg.

**“Four-wheel drive… now two. I don’t care how fast you are—you’re not running anymore.”**

He stepped back immediately, putting distance between himself and the dying beast.

The deer screamed—a raw, guttural cry—as its body convulsed from shock and blood loss.

Chen Zhuo stood panting, watching closely until the final tremor faded. Until the red glow in its eyes finally dimmed.

Silence.

The fight was over.

He was alive. Barely.

Earlier, the antlers had nearly pierced him—once, twice—only adrenaline and his boosted speed saved him. His clothes were torn, skin scraped raw from rolling across gravel and roots.

Now, the deer lay motionless. Dead. Beyond dead.

His legs gave out. He dropped onto the dusty ground, knees sinking into the dry earth.

The adrenaline rush had kept him steady during the battle—perfect control, flawless reflexes.

But now? The weight hit him all at once.

His chest heaved. Air rushed in and out in ragged gasps.

He didn’t care about the dirt. Didn’t care about the grime. He flopped onto his back, staring up at the sky.

Clear. Endless. Beautiful.

And utterly cruel.

Here, in this wasteland, even with a blue weapon in hand and enhanced body stats, killing a single red-horned deer had nearly cost him his life.

Imagine the others—most of them still wielding crude stone axes or flint knives.

After a few breaths, the exhaustion began to recede.

Chen Zhuo pushed himself up slowly, muscles still tight, but the tension easing with each breath.

He inhaled deeply—clean, cold air filling his lungs.

Exhaled.

The last traces of battle-frenzy melted away.

He looked around.

The battlefield was a mess.

Tree bark shredded by antlers. Deep hoof prints gouged into the soil. Earth churned up like a miniature storm had passed through.

He scanned the area—cautious, alert—then moved toward the corpse.

A soft blue glow shimmered in the air.

Then, slowly, a chest materialized before him—smooth, glowing, real.

**“Got it,”** he muttered. **“Just as expected. Boss drop confirmed.”**

He left the carcass where it lay and opened the chest.

Five items inside:

- **Life Fruit (Blue)**
- **Steel x4 (Blue)**
- **Stainless Steel x5 (Blue)**
- **Cloth x3 (Green)**
- **Crimson Shard x1 (Blue)**

**“Whoa. This is better than last time. Four out of five are blue. And steel’s here—exactly what I need.”**

The Life Fruit was familiar—same kind as the “Vitality Fruit” he’d eaten before. But this one boosted *speed* and *stamina*, not strength or endurance.

**[Life Fruit: Blue – Consumable. Slightly increases speed and stamina.]**

Steel and cloth? Standard crafting materials. Already in his inventory.

Stainless steel? Perfect. Could be used for building a water tower.

But the Crimson Shard?

New. Unknown.

It pulsed faintly, radiating a wild, unstable energy—identical to the aura of the deer.

**[Crimson Shard: Blue – Use to temporarily boost all four stats by 5 points for 2 minutes. Collect ten shards to craft Crimson Pearl.]**

**“This is a lifeline,”** Chen Zhuo whispered. **“The ultimate ‘run away and eat a pill’ trick.”**

He hesitated.

“System. Any side effects? Like… going limp after two minutes? Or turning into a zombie?”

**[Ding. While using Crimson Shard, user temporarily loses rationality. Using it more than five times permanently damages mental stability.]**

**“So it’s not just ‘two minutes of glory.’ It’s ‘two minutes of madness’—and after five uses, you’re basically a lunatic.”**

He frowned.

“Any way to reverse that?”

**[Ding. Ten Crimson Shards can be combined into Crimson Pearl. Effect eliminates side effects. Additionally, using Crimson Pearl permanently increases all four stats by 5.]**

**[Note: Common Blue Chests do not drop Crimson Shards. Only chests from Crimson creatures affected by acid rain may contain them.]**

Chen Zhuo blinked.

“So… these Crimson beasts aren’t just stronger. They’re *harder* to kill.”

**[All acid-rain-affected Crimson creatures possess innate traits: reduced pain sensitivity, aggression, bloodlust.]**

That explained everything.

No wonder they were so dangerous.

A normal Blue-tier enemy wasn’t scary—*but* lose pain and add bloodlust? That’s practically zombie-level threat.

“So… same tier, but actually stronger?”

Now it made sense. Why the loot quality was so high.

This wasn’t just a random drop.

It was a reward for surviving the impossible.

And maybe—just maybe—this was only the beginning.