Upon hearing Lin Feng’s command, Chen Shanshan immediately put down the lamb-sized cub in her hands and stayed by his side.
Fortunately, the male Rock-Horned Horse leader did not charge directly down the riverbank slope but stopped halfway, guarding the two injured females lying on the ground.
Because the herd’s escape direction was opposite to the group, Lin Feng was worried that continuously firing the Blast Bullets would damage the Evolutionary Meat inside the Tier One Rock-Horned Horse.
Moreover, the Photovoltaic Rock Armor growing above the Evolutionary Meat was, besides the meat itself, the most valuable part of a Tier One Rock-Horned Horse.
One piece alone costs over fifty points.
Six pieces would be over three hundred points.
Compared to meat of the same value, it’s lightweight, compact, and most importantly, easy to sell.
No matter the volume, it won’t be undervalued, and because of its rare wild nature, its quality is better than farmed ones, giving leverage in negotiations.
So Lin Feng was particularly cautious with the Tier One Rock-Horned Horses, aiming only at the hind legs of the two Tier One Female Rock-Horned Horses with Blast Bullets to break their legs and prevent escape.
Now, with the male leader charging in, to protect the core members of the herd, it was prepared to confront Lin Feng’s group.
At this moment, the three Tier One Rock-Horned Horses were less than seventy meters from the group’s riverbank slope.
There was a three-meter drop-off here, the slope was seventy to eighty degrees; the seriously injured Female Rock-Horned Horses couldn’t climb and could only crouch on the ground wailing.
For a typical three-meter drop, a two-meter tall Tier One Rock-Horned Horse could easily leap over it, but now with their hind legs torn and nearly fractured, they didn’t have the strength to clear the high slope.
However, after the male leader returned, the Female Rock-Horned Horses, inspired, endured the severe pain to get back on their feet, beginning to climb earnestly.
Lin Feng watched, feeling uneasy.
This male leader, with a shoulder height close to three meters and a body length of seven meters, stood ferociously, using its massive body to shield the two females. Under its nearly four-meter-wide enormous Horse Horns, its copper bell-sized eyes were fiercely fixed on the group capturing the horses on the slope.
Its power had reached a Tier One Mid-Stage Evolution, weighing over three tons, double that of the two Early Stage females, and with a casual push of its Horse Horn, it could unleash a terrifying force of three to four tons.
Even if Shanshan, wearing Light Battle Armor, were to take a direct hit from it, she would suffer severe injuries.
This fellow posed a greater threat than the Level 13 Male Rock-Horned Horse they previously captured alive, and with Lin Feng’s current combat capabilities, he couldn’t even break its defense.
The Level 10 Bomb Gun only had sixty points of damage, suitable for ordinary Early Tier One Rock-Horned Horses, but to penetrate the thicker Rock Armor of a Mid-stage Leader, several consecutive Blast Bullets would have to hit the same spot. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
Observing the Rock Armor extending from the male leader’s neck, Lin Feng estimated its thickness reached an astounding twenty centimeters or more, and he figured that at least five consecutive shots would be needed to inflict significant damage.
But if the bomb gun were upgraded to Level 13, with a massive increase in power, Lin Feng estimated that just two successive shots would do the trick.
However, upgrading to Level 13 would necessitate killing more Female Rock-Horned Horses.
This presented a dilemma.
The solution now, either risking damage to the Evolutionary Meat to forcefully kill the Female Rock-Horned Horses in the gaps protected by the male leader or to face the challenge directly and go head-to-head with the male leader.
Lin Feng hesitated; with just himself and Chen Shanshan, the two of them attempting to jointly kill a Desolate Beast with a higher Evolution Level...
The chances were slim, not to mention the high risk involved.
The more prudent approach has always been the former.
But now directly killing the Female Rock-Horned Horses could also very likely infuriate the male leader.
The safest choice was the same as last time:
Kill one and let one go.
Let the male leader leave with the other injured female; to protect the only remaining specimen, it would quickly retreat rather than fight desperately.
As long as there was a retreat option for the male leader, the situation remained controllable.
But doing so felt like a loss.
After working so hard, they would only gain one Early Tier One Rock-Horned Horse, not knowing how much Evolutionary Source Material could be extracted.
The cost and the gain were disproportionate.
Moreover, after this disturbance, the next herd of Rock-Horned Horses passing by here might take who knows how long.
Other Rock-Horned Horse herds, hearing the gunshots and sensing danger, might either cluster together to pass other sections of the river or veer off directly to leave the city ruins.
Just as Old Duncan warned before leaving, though Lin Feng’s team was guarding a mountain of gold, their mining time was limited.
And the Rock-Horned Horses, not only constantly decreasing, would also group up for warmth, dealing with frequent attacks from adversaries.
Once the group’s evolution and strengthening speed couldn’t keep up with the herd’s reaction time, they’d be left with scraps once the situation changed.
Then, watching the Rock-Horned Horse herds gradually vanish into the endless wilderness, they’d sigh with dismay.
Just as Lin Feng was conflicted about whether to kill one female or two...
A figure appeared before Lin Feng, joining Chen Shanshan to confront the male Rock-Horned Horse leader.
And the newcomer was Liu Mingfei, who had just completed his evolution, the third Evolver in the team.
"My awakened superpower can momentarily unleash several tons of strength, and I can help hold down the male Rock-Horned Horse to create an opening for you to attack!"
As he spoke, Liu Mingfei’s body began to swell visibly.
His muscles engorged with blood, veins popping on his forehead!
His aura continuously surged, nearing infinitely close to Mid-Tier One.
A hoarse voice emerged from his robust throat: