Chapter 118: Desperate Flight at Breakneck Speed

Lu Kuan spat out a mouthful of sand and dust, pulled on his face mask, and continued forward. He had encountered similar dangers countless times since, but thanks to his Elven Cloak, he had managed to evade them all without incident.

As noon approached, the dry, hot wind made it feel almost impossible to breathe. Lu Kuan poured a flask of fresh water over his face, and the suffocating sensation eased slightly. He was currently standing on a barren rocky hill, his back against a massive boulder, gazing into the distance.

From this height, the terrain of the Terror Plains resembled an arid, windswept plateau from the real world, though even more hostile, lacking even the slightest hint of greenery. Directly ahead, about 500 meters away, stood a three-peaked rocky mountain several dozen meters high. Its unusual reddish-brown stone made it stand out starkly against the surrounding desert. At the foot of this Red Rock Mountain lay a cavern—the destination of Lu Kuan's journey and the lair of a level 35 boss: the Flame Wyvern!

Lu Kuan had come specifically to find it and... well, not exactly "give it a shot," but rather to steal its egg and make a small fortune. It was late June in the game, the season when Flame Wyverns laid their eggs and nurtured their offspring. In his previous life, the Flame Wyvern was one of the most popular bosses for players to challenge on the Terror Plains. The reason was simple: Flame Wyverns preferred to live in isolation, unlike other bosses that were constantly surrounded by dozens or hundreds of minions. This lack of complications during combat was a major reason Lu Kuan had chosen this target. Otherwise, stealing an egg—or even entering the lair—would have been impossible.

The Flame Wyvern was an A-plus difficulty boss, and its egg was an A-plus rank pet egg! An A-plus pet egg! For that, even dying once was worth it.

As he sat to recover his stamina, Lu Kuan scanned the map and observed the terrain ahead, ensuring he wouldn't stumble into a mob of monsters on his way to the lair. Soon, his stamina was mostly restored. He plotted his route and prepared to set off.

Just then, a harsh, piercing screech rang out from above. Lu Kuan felt a chill run down his spine. He stiffened as he tilted his head back, catching sight of a giant shadow circling overhead.

"A King Vulture!"

Lu Kuan broke into a cold sweat, his instinct urging him to bolt, but he quickly reined himself in: *Run? Can I outrun a level 30 flying monster? Stay calm, stay calm! It can't see me!*

Despite his terror, Lu Kuan remained absolutely motionless, staring upward as the cloak's effect took hold, masking his silhouette within the westerly wind. He heard only the howling wind, which swirled around his body, slightly altering its path as it flowed past him.

Lu Kuan stood rooted to the spot, but the massive shadow thirty meters above showed no sign of leaving. It circled twice more, let out another grating screech, and suddenly dove!

"Damn it!"

Panic surged through Lu Kuan. Forgetting all about stealth, he scrambled down the slope as fast as his legs could carry him. *This thing's eyesight is insane!* Even the slight disturbance in the sand caused by his presence hadn't escaped the vulture's keen eyes.

He charged down the hillside without slowing, weaving through large rocks to break the vulture's line of sight. The bird made several attempts to dive, but each time, the lack of a clear angle forced it to pull back. However, once he reached the base of the hill, there was no cover left.

Lu Kuan sprinted with the momentum of his descent, fishing a Potion of Swiftness from his bag and downing it, then pulling out two small scrolls and slapping them onto his forehead.

"System Notification: You have gained the effect of Potion of Swiftness, movement speed increased by 20% for 25 seconds."
"...Gained the effect of Basic Haste Scroll, movement speed increased by 50% for 30 seconds."
"...Gained the effect of Basic Agility Burst Potion, Agility +2 for 10 seconds."

Buffs activated instantly, and Lu Kuan felt as if he had jet engines strapped to his back. He lunged forward, sprinting for his life.

"Caw!"

The screech followed him like a haunting specter. Lu Kuan glanced back, then used his speed boost to take the most direct path toward Red Rock Mountain. Time felt agonizingly slow. Although he was moving as if flying over the gravel, he was still too slow compared to the vulture above.

Glancing back again, he saw the giant bird beginning its second dive. Ahead, the massive cave entrance at the foot of Red Rock Mountain was less than fifty meters away. An ordinary person might have just pushed straight for it, but Lu Kuan knew better than to underestimate the speed of a raptor in this game.

"Skree!"

Without hesitation, Lu Kuan slammed into a hard stop, skidding five or six meters forward before veering sharply to the side. The King Vulture's massive frame grazed his back, kicking up a whirlwind of sand and dust that obscured everything within a ten-meter radius.

A moment later, Lu Kuan bolted from the dust cloud and lunged toward the cave entrance!

"Whoosh!"

The sound of flapping wings erupted behind him. A giant shadow engulfed him, and the air filled with flying debris. Lu Kuan felt death looming, but his years of gaming experience took over. Without thinking, he reflexively dropped his body, sliding across the ground on his momentum.

The momentary weightlessness as he dove made his mind snap to attention. He instinctively looked down to gauge the floor of the cave, but before he could see, a searing pain tore through his shoulder!

"Rip!"

The King Vulture’s steel-like talons raked his back, hooking into his shirt. Fortunately, he wasn't wearing any armor, and the simple shirt provided by the system tore instantly. While the talons left two gashes on his shoulder, they failed to grab him, and the bird beat its wings to ascend again.

Even so, the force of the vulture was immense. Unable to stabilize himself in the air, Lu Kuan tumbled and hit the ground hard—landing squarely on his backside. He slammed onto a rock, let out a hoarse, pained cry, and scrambled back up with incredible speed, clutching his rear.