Chapter Ninety-Seven: Unexpected Changes in the Hunting Grounds

Upon hearing the voice, everyone from the Xia family, who had been engrossed in conversation, turned toward the source. There stood Xu Dong, steering Fang Nian beside him, smiling as he gazed at them.

It was well known that after a hunt, there was always a period needed to reconnect with the real world. Since Fang Nian had performed so admirably during the hunt, he was surely expected to make an appearance at the charity gala, where he could receive admiration from others. Everyone kept their eyes on the stage, eager to catch a glimpse of him.

Yet no one had anticipated that Fang Nian would return early—and rather than going to the main table, he had come back to the Xia family’s side. For a moment, surprise and joy mingled on every face.

However, seeing how weak Fang Nian looked, a wave of disappointment swept through them. They quickly made space for him, allowing Xu Dong to help him sit down.

The stout man naturally understood that Fang Nian had overexerted himself in the hunting grounds; the mere fact that he had returned conscious was a miracle. So he quietly stayed by his side.

Wei Jianshe had personally built many hunting fields but had never gone on a hunt himself, so he did not fully grasp the toll it took on one’s stamina. Seeing Fang Nian’s condition, he hurriedly asked Xu Dong.

“Dongzi, what happened to Mr. Fang?”

The disdain Xu Dong had once held for Fang Nian had long vanished, replaced now by deep admiration. He replied, “Old Fang spent too much energy in the hunting grounds. He probably needs some rest, so I brought him back early.”

Only then did Wei Jianshe understand and quickly expressed his gratitude to Xu Dong.

Fang Nian took a sip of water, feeling a bit better, then turned to Xu Dong and said, “Alright, you should head up to the stage. Duan Rui and the others have arrived. I’m fine—just need some rest.”

At this, Xu Dong noticed the atmosphere had suddenly heated up. Duan Rui, Jin Jinhui, Xiao Xueluan, and Guo Ji were already standing on stage, looking in Fang Nian’s direction.

Xu Dong nodded slightly and said to Fang Nian, “Very well, Old Fang, rest up. I’ll head back now. We’ll discuss the team arrangements over the phone later.”

Fang Nian nodded in return and waved Xu Dong off, who then hurried back to the stage in quick strides.

Once Xu Dong left, the Xia family members immediately surrounded Fang Nian.

“Mr. Fang, you’re incredible! I’ve never seen such a formidable hunter—you truly turned the tide. If that world were real, you’d surely be crowned king.”

“Exactly! So powerful. Although the situation inside the rear tunnel wasn’t broadcast live, one can only imagine how perilous it was. Boss, you’re amazing. Xia Zong is so lucky to have married you… or rather, to be married to you.”

“No kidding. I bet when Xia Zong hears about your slaughtering the enemy, she’ll be over the moon. I’m eager to see her excited expression—just thinking about it makes me happy.”

The crowd bantered back and forth, while on stage, the participating hunters each recounted their experiences. Despite the late hour, the atmosphere remained electrifying, especially among the audience, who seemed wide awake and attentive to every detail of the hunt.

Seeing that everyone’s focus was on the stage, the stout man leaned closer to Fang Nian and asked, “Old Fang, this hunt wasn’t ordinary, right? What did you encounter in that tunnel to end up like this?”

Fang Nian knew the stout man understood him best, so he replied calmly, “I don’t really know what that thing was. It looked somewhat like a giant cockroach, but it wasn’t. It had many antennae and claws like blades—very powerful. I used nearly every trick I had to kill it, but that also alerted Brian’s backstage boss, which led to the final scene.”

The stout man propped his chin thoughtfully and said, “I’ve noticed your recent hunts have been strange. It seems something unusual happens every time. This time even a monster appeared. As the one involved, didn’t you notice anything special?”

Fang Nian had also realized that the giant insect didn’t seem native to the hunting ground. Its combat strength was comparable to that of a D-grade hunting ground. Had Fang Nian been even slightly careless, he would have been killed. If it hadn’t been him, whoever went in would have been doomed, certainly falling beneath that creature’s blades.

Thinking this through, a flicker of doubt crept into Fang Nian’s mind. That creature seemed connected to “it”—which apparently was already starting to appear in the hunting grounds Fang Nian was involved with.

He hadn’t told the stout man about the system matter, since he himself didn’t fully understand what this “Hope No. 0 System” was.

But Fang Nian was willing to confide in the stout man about its existence, given the latter’s cleverness. If he could help analyze the situation, that would be a good thing. Moreover, the stout man was the person Fang Nian trusted most in this world.

“Hmm… I think that bug doesn’t belong to this hunting ground—or perhaps not even to our world,” Fang Nian said.

The stout man was taken aback. He had expected Fang Nian to complain about the hunting ground’s designer or to be annoyed about something trivial. But this was beyond his understanding. Although, deep down, he had entertained such wild ideas himself, being quite imaginative. He wasn’t incapable of accepting such a possibility.

Yet from another perspective, it was still hard to comprehend, since the real world and the fictional hunting grounds were different. Thinking of this, the stout man touched Fang Nian’s forehead, then his own.

“No fever. Why are you spouting nonsense?”

Fang Nian shot him a furious glare.

“Get lost. This is real. That thing is not just fierce—it totally doesn’t belong in this hunting ground. Most importantly, when it struck me, I felt my soul was attacked too. Everything felt incredibly real. And look at me now—I’m acting like I tossed and turned all night; my legs are weak.”

The stout man rolled his eyes at Fang Nian, then thought for a moment before saying, “So, according to you, the hunting ground might be undergoing some mutation. An unknown entity has started to invade it?”

Fang Nian nodded. He had been uncertain before, but hearing the stout man’s words, it made sense—the hunting ground was indeed changing.

“Yeah, that’s it. But I don’t think I’m the first to notice this.”

The stout man was stunned for a moment, then quickly understood Fang Nian’s meaning. He glanced toward the man on stage who was praising the hunters—Duan Lenghan.