Preoccupied with his internal turmoil, Fang Senyan deliberately avoided the camp where everyone was staying, instead wandering around the perimeter, desperately trying to pinpoint any potential loophole. The most pressing issue causing him a headache was the complete lack of insight into Chief Kirokh's weaknesses—this was the most difficult problem, as the ultimate objective of the mission was to kill him. Furthermore, knowing yourself and your enemy ensures a hundred victories; the scarcity of information regarding the current internal state of the Mosak tribe was another major factor hindering Fang Senyan's decision-making.

Suddenly, in a flash, Fang Lin felt a burning sensation rise from the base of his spine, as if a massive, searing-hot branding iron was rapidly ascending just a centimeter above his skin, eventually spreading over his entire body! Even though he could now be considered battle-hardened, cold sweat nevertheless beaded on his forehead. What kind of attack could encompass the entirety of one's person like this?

He whipped his head around, only to find that the dense forest in the darkness seemed to have "come alive"! Trees began to sway violently, and the vines strung between them thrashed wildly. In the very next second, Fang Senyan realized that dark shadows were darting everywhere; he then noticed that tangled among the forest vines were several indescribably long, thick shadows, serpentine in nature. In an instant, one of these thick shadows lunged toward Fang Senyan like a tentacle, accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore through the air.

Seeing the speed with which the shadow whipped toward him, Fang Senyan knew he couldn't possibly evade it. Relying on his high Vitality and Defense, he gritted his teeth and crossed his arms in front of him to block! It would be too absurd to be instantly downed by this strike, so he didn't plan on taking the hit head-on; his best hope was to be struck away by the tail, allowing him a chance to retreat. If he could buy himself just ten or so seconds of buffer time, he was certain he could summon reinforcements.

However, as this long shadow made contact with Fang Senyan’s body, it suddenly twisted with incredible dexterity, coiling rapidly in the air, managing in that single moment to wrap tightly around Fang Senyan! Once this shadow immobilized him, he realized its surface was covered in an incredibly coarse hide, from whose crevices emanated a pungent, foul odor. Yet, beneath the skin, he could sense muscle packed with a power as turbulent and insane as a volcano!

"You have been attacked by an unknown creature."

"This creature's ability: Frenzied Tail Constriction will restrict your mobility and cause continuous loss of Vitality!"

"Escape this state as quickly as possible, otherwise, as Vitality drops to a certain level, you will suffer conditions such as fractures, suffocation, and persistent bleeding."

As the "Frenzied Tail" contracted rapidly, immense force emanated from within it. Fang Senyan struggled violently, yet found he could not break free of the grip! His face flushed crimson, and he could hear the distinct creaking sound of his own joints grinding against each other.

In the first few seconds after being coiled, Fang Senyan felt that although trapped, he could still withstand the constricting force. He was unaware of the hidden, latent danger concealed within!

Having been wrapped around his waist and abdomen by this frenzied tail, the tightening force wasn't overwhelming at first, but it was persistent, showing no sign of slackening. Fang Senyan was indeed a Contractor, but he was still human; he couldn't help but breathe! When a person inhales and their lungs expand, their chest bulges slightly; but when they exhale and their chest retracts even a fraction, the frenzied tail wrapped tightly around his body immediately constricted further, seizing ground like a siege engine!

In the span of just two or three breaths, the terrifying tail had tightened two or three times, and Fang Senyan immediately felt his breathing become blocked and stifled. The tail was inching inward, utilizing the expansion and contraction of his own breathing. Without a doubt, if this continued, Fang Senyan’s fate was predictable:

Breathing would become increasingly labored and shallow until his lungs were completely compressed and collapsed, unable to expel even a single breath. Pain was secondary at this point; the inexpressible sensation of suffocation terrifyingly dominated his entire being until death!

In that instant, a thought flashed like lightning through Fang Senyan's mind: to survive longer under this terrifying giant tail, what mattered was not how much Vitality he had, but Strength! The strength capable of resisting this tail!

In a moment, a dazzling light flared on Fang Senyan's neck, and through sheer force of will, he activated a Strength Potion from the storage space of his Nightmare Seal! The peak strength value of 49 points immediately stabilized the situation. In that split second, a Taiki tribesman growing in the jungle noticed the disturbance and rushed over. Fang Senyan tried to shout a warning, but the breath was violently squeezed back into his lungs by the pressure between his chest and abdomen.

This Taiki tribesman had only taken a few steps when another terrifying long tail swept out horizontally across the ground, coiling him up alive. Once his feet left the ground, he flailed wildly; strength had always been the weak point of the Na’vi people. From his elongated body came a sound like rattling chestnuts—the explosive crack of every single bone giving way under the immense external pressure!

Yet, the instinct for survival still compelled the Na’vi man to force air into his lungs, but broken ribs were already piercing into his lungs, and a spring of blood flooded his nostrils. He strained to keep his eyes open, but his eye sockets had already burst, leaving him seeing only a swirling crimson haze!

The plea for help choked in his throat, and the Na’vi man began the death throes of suffocation, his face swelling from the accumulation of bodily fluids. The frenzied tail continued its pitiless tightening, forcing fragments of internal organs mixed with dark red debris from his throat, the blood pattering onto the ground with a rustling sound.

At this moment, Fang Senyan saw a faint, emerald-green glow shimmering in the dark jungle. He held his breath and peered intently toward the opposite side, suddenly realizing that it was the tail-beast slightly turning its head, fixing one eye coldly upon its prey. Its gaze swept over Fang Senyan, the sensation intensely unpleasant, like being touched all over by the cold, damp fingers of a corpse.

Only then did Fang Senyan notice that, apart from its exceptionally long tail, the Frenzied Tail Beast had two rows of low ridges running down its back scales. Overall, it resembled a cross between a lizard and a crocodile; at first glance, it possessed the strength and dominance of a crocodile. However, when moving through the dense undergrowth, it was as stealthy and agile as a lizard, threading through the darkness like a fish in water, completely silent.

Fortunately, the Frenzied Tail Beast’s mouth appeared somewhat flat, much like a common lizard. It occasionally flicked out a bifurcated, reddish tongue nearly half a meter long from the slit of its snout. The tongue was scarlet and carried a natural, foul stench, while thick, viscous saliva dripped constantly from between its teeth onto the ground. Judging by its appearance, the tearing force of its jaws was not strong; otherwise, if it were like a crocodile, it would have simply coiled Fang Senyan up, swung its head around, and finished the job with one snap.

In fact, when a Frenzied Tail Beast uses its tail to constrict its prey, it must expend the strength of its entire body, leaving it incapable of any other action. After killing its prey, they do not feed immediately but wait until the corpse has rotted to a certain degree, when the flesh begins to separate from the bone, before beginning to feed—similar to scavenging animals like hyenas.

Discovering this, Fang Senyan's heart settled. Although he couldn't speak, he could communicate telepathically with the Mogaun Reef, and even the Vespene Beasts near the Swarm could be urgently called for aid. He only needed to hold out for a few dozen more seconds at most.

But then he noticed that the gaze of the Frenzied Tail Beast seemed slightly off; it lacked the greedy hunger typical of a creature stalking prey. Instead, it was filled with venomous hatred! There was an intensity in that look, suggesting a life-or-death struggle!

The fact that these few Frenzied Tail Beasts could lie in ambush here and specifically attack him was inherently bizarre. Thinking this, an almost unbelievable notion suddenly welled up in Fang Senyan's mind:

"Could this creature be Kirokh?"

Just at that moment, a muffled gunshot suddenly rang out! The sound, filtered through a silencer, wasn't particularly sharp, but it evoked the feeling of a heavy iron hammer wrapped in thick cloth striking one's head. A chilling cold instantly enveloped the entire battlefield! In the very next second, the ferocious, emerald-green eye fixed on Fang Senyan was extinguished!

An incredibly powerful bullet had instantly pierced that eye, blowing off half of the Frenzied Tail Beast's head! Blood, bone fragments, and brain matter sprayed out violently!

The sheer destructive power of that single bullet exceeded everyone's expectations. The creature was actually blasted five or six meters away, tumbling across the ground, writhing madly. Under the continuous, final spasms of its dying tail, trees crashed down, creating an astonishing spectacle!

Seizing the instant the giant beast was critically wounded, Fang Senyan instantly broke free of the tail's restraint, tumbling through the air to escape, successfully hiding behind a large tree.

The remaining two Frenzied Tail Beasts began to writhe and crawl forward frantically. Their pupils scanned the surroundings in a rage, but wherever their vision landed, there was only darkness and foliage; they found no clue about the attacker, only the shrill cries of their comrade echoing in the smoke-and-blood-filled air.

The one who fired that stunning shot was, of course, the mighty Hunter-Killer MD! He had held back until now, finally finding a worthy stage for his heroism! RO