Chapter 21: Easy Pickings from the Hyenas

**December 16**
Temperature: 16–20°C

The first thing Pao did after waking up was upgrade the long-neglected foundation of his territory.

【Territory Core Lv1 (Gold) – Current Building Limit: Fine Stone Structures | Territory Buff: 3×4×3 area — +15% stamina recovery for living creatures, +15% building durability | Upgrade Cost: Wood ×100, Stone ×50】

Only a hundred wood and fifty stone? For him now, that was nothing. While other survivors were still sweating over patching their shelters against acid rain, he’d already achieved *stone freedom*.

As for wood—well, he barely chopped trees anymore. Spending time on it these days felt like wasting gold on sand.

And honestly, tree-cutting efficiency across the survivor community had been climbing fast. Wood and stone were starting to lose value.

Forget trading stones for blueprints during the acid rain era—now even if someone offered stone in exchange for plain bread, they wouldn’t take it.

After surviving the acid storms, everyone knew the drill: dig more stone, chop more trees. No survivor had less than a mountain’s worth of both.

Now, the meat from monster drops piled so high in his backpack it was bursting. Leaving it on the ground? It spoiled within hours. Until he built a proper refrigerated storage in his shelter, why not trade it for something useful?

Just hang a few chunks of meat on the market, and suddenly dozens of survivors would swarm in with wood, begging to trade—afraid they’d miss out.

Two minutes later, he’d gathered enough wood. He hit “Upgrade Now.”

【Territory Core Lv1 → Lv2 (Gold) – Current Building Limit: Fine Iron Structures | Territory Buff: 4×5×4 area — +20% stamina recovery, +20% building durability | Upgrade Cost: Stone ×100, Iron ×50】

The territory expanded noticeably. The core had been sitting idle in Pao’s corner for weeks, but its buffs were *massive* for the shelter.

Still, the coverage was too small. A thought began forming in his mind.

“Since I’ve dug out such a massive shelter… why should I be cramped into this tiny little zone just to survive?”

“What if I redefined the core’s radius as the main entrance to the shelter? All defensive or offensive structures placed right at the gate?”

“That way, I get the full benefit of the core’s buff—without living like a sardine in a tin can.”

The idea solidified. The more he thought about it, the better it sounded.

Then again, the shelter was nestled deep in the mountains. Sure, it shielded them from most disasters—but let’s be honest: this wasn’t a mountain. It was a hill. A big one, maybe. But when the next real apocalypse hits, could it really hold?

“Maybe… I should go deeper?”

He muttered it aloud, eyes drifting from the peak down toward the earth beneath his feet.

“For now, though, no time for that. Gotta collect resources.”

Today’s goal: kill as many monsters as possible. Four days until the next disaster.

Pao couldn’t wait to test his body after the gene serum.

He activated the system’s Bio-Scan function. No more wandering around like a blind man in a storm.

Now, the scan worked like a radar. Centered on Pao’s current position, it could detect lifeforms within a 20-kilometer radius. Each creature appeared as a blinking dot on screen, with precise distance measurements between him and the target.

Several dots flickered on the display. The closest one? Just 600 meters away.

“Perfect. Time to test my speed.”

Knees bent. Body leaned forward slightly. Right leg tensed, stepping back half a pace—then *explode*.

He shot forward like wind tearing through grass. Three strides, a smooth turn, then gradual deceleration—until he stopped dead.

The gene serum had boosted his physical stats beyond expectations. If top-tier human speed was a 10 out of 10—Usain Bolt’s peak—his current speed was *twice* that.

100 meters in under six seconds. That was faster than a slow cheetah. And with endurance that matched his speed? Hunting prey? A joke.

...

Following the signal, he arrived at a rocky outcrop. There it was—the day’s test subject: a hyena.

【Crimson Hyena: Blue Rank – Mutated from refined-grade hyenas exposed to acid rain. Inherits all original traits, but lost most pain sensation. Brutal. Bloodthirsty.】

Blue rank meant it was significantly larger than normal. Its body radiated a thick, cloying scent of blood.

Pao hadn’t even taken two steps before the beast noticed him.

Its red eyes narrowed instantly. Muscles coiled. A low growl rumbled from its throat—threatening, warning.

It opened its jaws wide, revealing jagged teeth. Drool dripped from its lips. Eyes locked onto Pao, hunting for an opening.

When Pao didn’t flinch, the hyena’s ears flattened sharply against its skull—a classic attack stance.

Front legs bent. Hind legs pushed hard into the ground. In a blink, it lunged—less than two meters away. Pao could *smell* the stench of rotting flesh from its breath.

But Pao didn’t panic. He stepped sideways—half a step—and effortlessly dodged the strike.

Then, left fist cocked, he swung with full body weight, driving the punch into the hyena’s exposed back.

The blow landed. The hyena staggered—its chest collapsed inward with a sickening *crack*, bones shattering. It crashed into the ground, half-buried.

Before Pao could finish it off, the beast twisted, rolled, and snapped its jaws toward him.

Too close. Too fast.

In a split second, Pao raised his iron sword horizontally. The hyena’s fangs bit into the blade with a metallic *screech*.

For a heartbeat, the two locked—teeth on steel. Then, Pao kicked upward with his left foot, slamming it into the hyena’s shoulder.

*Grrr!*

The pressure vanished. The hyena flew backward, crashing several meters away.

Before it could recover, Pao wasn’t playing anymore.

Left foot planted on the hyena’s head—just enough to daze it. Then, right foot came down hard—*crunch*—on its neck.

No chance to fight back. One firm twist. The spine snapped.

With the spinal cord severed, the brain’s signals couldn’t reach the limbs. The hyena flopped helplessly on the ground, limbs twitching wildly.

No hesitation. No mercy.

A swift slash.

The hyena’s head flew off, rolling once before coming to rest.

Its life—cut short, messy, brutal.

**Dropped Items:**
- Vitality Fruit ×1
- Steel Scrap ×5
- Iron Ore ×4
- Latex ×5
- Crimson Shard ×1