The Spiraled Leaf is a lifeform akin to the sensitive plant on Earth; unable to move freely, its extremely rapid reactions protect it from harm by other creatures. Other animals in the jungle also rely on the Spiraled Leaf to remain alert to surrounding dangers! Furthermore, when smaller creatures fall into its leaves, they are swiftly closed, trapping and digesting the fallen organisms to gain extra nutrition.

Naturally, when the Na'vi require tents and sacks, the stems and leaves of the Spiraled Leaf serve as exceptionally high-quality raw materials. For crafting ornate ritual robes and other attire, burying a killed Peacock-Deer beneath the roots of a Spiraled Leaf will cause the plant to wither and fruit within just one week.

The resultant leaves that drop as it decays and ages are quite magnificent and exquisite, as if commemorating its own demise—this is the final material used to make grand costumes. It is rumored that some Avatars have even seen the Na'vi extracting the orange pigment from the Spiraled Leaf for use as paint.

Thus, spotting a Spiraled Leaf is almost like seeing a farmer’s cultivated field; it is almost certain that the Na’vi are not just nearby, but have at least entered their immediate sphere of life.

Thirty-eight seconds after Markji sounded the alarm, this impromptu team was ambushed!

The target of the attack was none other than Markji himself.

To be more precise, the target was the VB/polycarbonate fiber thermoplastic viewport of the Mark-IV exoskeleton system Markji was piloting. According to the user manual, this viewport could effectively withstand continuous fire from 14.5mm rounds.

A genuine long arrow struck it with uncanny accuracy, then bounced away cleanly, yet the hardened arrowhead still left a thumb-sized crack on the viewport. About eight centimeters behind that crack lay Markji’s left eye.

This arrow was picked up seven seconds after landing by Lier and delivered to Reef in one minute and thirteen seconds.

The arrow was fully two meters long. The arrowhead was shattered, but one could still vaguely make out that it was ground from volcanic obsidian.

For a human, drawing and shooting such an arrow would be quite strenuous,

but for the Na’vi, who average three meters in height and possess four times the strength of a normal person, drawing a longbow made from the branches of a Home Tree and launching a two-meter-long projectile is as natural as breathing, eating, or sleeping. It is done with the practiced ease of a slaughterhouse assembly line cutting pork, because for them, failing to hit the target is a matter of life—a true matter of survival.

The death of starvation.

People often say a certain hobby is their second life: like Edison and photography, Jordan and basketball, Juan Tu and writing, Shelido and posting on forums, or Erwa and lolis. But for the Na’vi, their very existence is sustained by archery… This is the terrifying aspect of Na’vi marksmanship.

Perhaps the Contractors present had only just grasped this point, but there is always a gap between imagination and reality. When a living example is placed before one’s eyes, the persuasive force becomes as clear and sharp as the sight of a D in a spandex suit. For a moment, the team felt a sense of being adrift, unsure of how to proceed.

“They are afraid, they are hesitant. Otherwise, this arrow would have targeted you instead of me,” Markji, the one who had just been attacked, suddenly stated:

“It’s the same principle as a dog barking loudly when faced with a difficult opponent, or a cobra puffing up its neck when confronting an enemy it cannot easily defeat. This is actually a form of deterrence and warning. Have you ever seen a dog growl threateningly at a bone? If the cobra were absolutely certain of victory, why would it inflate its neck? To scare the prey away? No, it would strike without hesitation!”

It must be said that Markji’s words came precisely when needed, slowly boosting the sagging morale. In fact, anyone would feel invigorated and their spirits lifted by the thought: "The enemy fears me."

After trekking another seventy or eighty meters, the forest ahead suddenly opened up, allowing everyone to clearly see that the trees had thinned out. Even the small grasses on the ground seemed to bow down in reverence.

Even stranger, some seemingly very heavy stones were miraculously suspended in the air, floating with an air of inherent rightness. They were difficult to push down even with force; the stones were even covered in soil, and some moss and lush shrubs were growing on them. This sight inevitably brought to mind the floating mountains of Nagrand… (Those who haven't played can disregard this sentence.)

Clearly, this was the marvel of Pandora’s superconducting mineral crystals. Not only did this expensive ore maintain its superconductive properties at room temperature, but it could also resonate with the planet's magnetic field to form permanent magnetic vortices, allowing it to float. This indicated that Fang Senyan and his group had reached their destination, though to obtain what they desired, they would need to proceed further into the core area.

After walking for less than five more minutes, everyone could see from a distance a gigantic tree towering in the dense forest. This massive tree had luxuriant branches and leaves, reaching nearly a hundred meters high. Its trunk diameter required at least forty people linking arms to encircle it, and the first branch, 40 meters above the ground, had a diameter of four meters! Near the base, numerous massive plank roots plunged deep into the soil like tentacles, and the soft yet tough bark had a distinct characteristic: as the trunk thickened, it naturally split along the grain into deep fissures, some nearly half a meter deep!

Such an enormous tree inspired a solemn and majestic feeling just by looking at it. It grew in a slight spiral, and the lower part of the tree was already draped with numerous ornaments—this was likely the Na’vi marking it as claimed territory. Large entrance caves could be seen at the tree’s base, leading to the inference that the interior must be hollow. Although they were still quite far away, everyone felt the tree possessed a solemn, divine might that compelled one to kneel in worship.

At that very instant, three arrows shot as if from beyond the heavens, streaking towards them!

Fang Senyan and Reef remained remarkably composed, as they had previously been fortunate enough to witness the archery skills of the Toruk Makto leader, Lutz. Witnessing these three arrows instantly evoked the feeling that "after seeing the vast ocean, little water can satisfy." More importantly, these three arrows were not aimed at them, but rather at Markji's Mark-IV exoskeleton armor—a piece of equipment that must have cost the Na’vi considerable time, money, and effort to shoot at.

It was evident that the three Na’vi attackers had previously fought humans and suffered greatly from the Mark-IV exoskeleton system, which is why they prioritized it as the primary threat. Their choice was not wrong, but the harsh reality was this:

In this dense forest, the greatest threat to them was absolutely not the fully armed Mark-IV exoskeleton system. It was close-combat specialists like Lier, whose speed might even surpass their own!

The moment the enemy attacked, the highly strung Contractors simultaneously executed two actions: first, evade; second, counterattack. Yu Ze once again proved his worth, as a clear 3D image was transmitted to everyone’s minds via the Nightmare Imprint.

Na’vi (Standard) Nvi Affiliation: Clan of the Tawkami Height: 317 centimeters, Weight: 142 kilograms Strength: 23 points Agility: 38 points Stamina: 8 points Perception: 24 points Charisma: 35 points Intelligence: 7 points Spirit: 10 points Base Ranged Combat Lv7, Base Footwork Lv7 Biological Ability: Embrace of the Storm-Fired Rock Lv2, Owner’s Health Points increased by an additional 3000 points. Na’vi Special Ability (Passive): Archery. This is an essential survival skill for the Na’vi, thus their ranged attack power is increased by 50%, accuracy modification is +15 centimeters (any shot landing within 15 centimeters of the target will automatically correct to hit the target), and there is an extra 15% chance of a critical hit when performing ranged attacks. Na’vi Special Ability (Passive): Toe Grip, causing no reduction in their movement speed on any terrain other than water. Na’vi Special Ability (Passive): Deep Eyes. Large pupils allow them to gather light better, granting night vision. Keratin Skeletal System (Passive): The Na’vi’s unique calcified structure and keratin-formed porous fiber bundles make their bones resistant to fracture. Even if fractured, they retain their basic shape, reducing fall damage from heights by 80%. Weakness: Neural Interface. The Na’vi’s hair is essentially external nerves grown from their bodies; they use this innate socket to communicate with nature and other life. Severing it causes the Na’vi immense pain, resulting in horrific, permanent damage.

Although Markji was a genuine biologist, he was also a genuine Contractor, and a Contractor capable of entering the space battlefield. This meant he must have passed rigorous trials of bloody violence.

So, after being hit by four consecutive arrows, and with spiderweb-like cracks the size of a palm appearing on the viewport of the Mark-IV exoskeleton system cockpit, he mercilessly controlled the powerful machinery from the future, raised the extremely potent GU-90 30mm rapid-fire cannon, aimed it forward, and with a mixture of pained reluctance and vengeful fury, pulled the trigger hard.

A torrent of scorching depleted uranium armor-piercing rounds dragged long fiery trajectories as they shot out, slicing the air with a sharp whistling sound, tearing through the foliage of the primal jungle and filling the air with smoke! RO