Crazy！！！

Outside, Oreo's frantic barking continued, along with the other two strange barks. For some reason, Liam could sense a human-like emotion in those barks—mockery? Or perhaps disdain?

Liam carefully ascended the stairs in the darkness, his fear gradually replaced by a calm, almost animalistic focus.

He concentrated, bringing up the game panel and activating the identification scan.

"[No mutated beasts detected within one thousand meters of the player.]

[Today's uses: 0/3]"

Having exhausted his last scan without identifying the creatures outside, Liam's tension increased.

He crouched at the corner between the first and second floors, resting the crossbow on the railing and aiming it towards the hole in the ceiling.

"Awoo! Awoo!"

"Woof!"

Liam gritted his teeth, hearing Oreo's panicked and distressed barks, along with another contemptuous woof.

"Oreo, run! Lure them in!" Liam silently urged, hoping Oreo would be smart enough to escape.

If there was only one enemy, Liam was confident he could charge out and fight head-on. However, against unknown creatures, especially if outnumbered, his best chance was to use his human intellect.

Suddenly, Oreo let out a high-pitched bark, followed by two short barks and another long one. Liam's face, previously devoid of emotion, showed a flicker of hope.

This was the first letter Liam had taught Oreo during their two days confined in the shelter. In Morse code, it was the first letter of "run" - P. It meant there was a powerful enemy, and Oreo should retreat and lure it in.

As expected, after Oreo's signal, two excited woofs sounded from outside.

Liam kept his eyes fixed on the hole in the ceiling.

Two sets of footsteps approached, the soft thudding sounds carrying through the opening and echoing off the walls.

"Lighter footsteps than mine, not very heavy. I suspect they are bipedal," Liam deduced.

The footsteps were crisp and distinct, unlike those of canines. They sounded more human. The lightness suggested the creatures weren't large and wouldn't possess overwhelming strength or speed.

One second...

Two seconds...

The sounds grew closer, and the two unknown creatures finally reached the hole.

"Woof hiss hiss woof woof drip woof air woof?"

"Woof poof woof hiss woof woof!"

The iron blocks and rope seemed to have caught the creatures' attention, eliciting a series of strange vocalizations.

Liam couldn't understand their language, so he focused on analyzing the emotions conveyed in their tones.

"Good, the second creature's tone is very confident. Although the first one seems to have some questions, I don't know what it's saying, so it's hidden from me," Liam thought.

His heart was in his throat, worried that the creatures might be waiting for him at the entrance or call for reinforcements.

Fortunately, the two "people" didn't seem very intelligent. They were even bold enough to grab the rope Liam had made and descend into the shelter.

A furry black leg appeared in Liam's field of vision, illuminated by the light from the opening. The foot was covered in a strange boot-like object.

"So slender. They seem to be two lanky creatures, their combat power shouldn't be too strong!" Liam thought.

He gripped the crossbow tighter, his finger on the trigger, his eyes locked on the descending figure.

As more of the leg came into view, he saw the creature was wearing a primitive-looking fur skirt.

Before Liam could observe further, the creature suddenly dropped down, its entire body entering his field of vision.

"Holy crap!" Liam exclaimed inwardly.

The light from the hole revealed the creature's full appearance, and Liam was stunned.

"Is that... a Kobold?"

The creature's upper body was covered in black scales, gradually transitioning to dark brown on its lower half. Its head, if not examined closely, resembled a dog's, with two small, light-colored horns. Its eyes gleamed, and its tail was straight like a rat's.

Combined with the creature's previous vocalizations, Liam instantly recognized it as the legendary creature, familiar to all players in the game – a Kobold!

"Woof hiss hiss!"

Suppressing the urge to attack, Liam watched as the first Kobold called out to its companion.

A spear was thrown down, which the first Kobold caught. Then, a wooden stick was tossed down, and the Kobold placed it on the ground.

The second Kobold began to descend the rope. This one had blood-red stripes on its legs, extending from its ankles up to its face. Its fur skirt seemed more refined, giving it a vaguely aristocratic air.

Once both Kobolds were down, the first one kicked the skull aside, clearing a path for the "noble" Kobold.

The noble Kobold dusted itself off, picked up its wooden stick, and began to survey the surroundings.

Liam quickly averted his gaze, lowering his head so the stairs hid him from the Kobolds' sight. It was difficult to see into the darkness from a well-lit area.

But... Liam didn't dare gamble.

"This world is crazy. What are Kobolds?" he wondered.

If biologists were here, they would be ecstatic, proclaiming the discovery of a new intelligent species. But without extensive research, even they wouldn't be able to explain the habits of this new creature.

Fortunately, the two Kobolds didn't seem concerned about whether anyone else was present. They simply began rummaging through Shelter No. 2.

"Should I kill the first Kobold or the noble one?" Liam hesitated for a split second.

He decided to eliminate the spear-wielding Kobold first. In this environment, he could only fire the crossbow once; there wouldn't be a chance to reload. Therefore, the first target had to be the one posing the greatest threat.

Liam chose the more easily recognizable Kobold, the one holding the spear.

He raised his head, his eyes fixed on the Kobold rummaging under the table. Liam's finger rested on the trigger.

He carefully adjusted the angle of the crossbow, moving slowly and deliberately to avoid making any noise.

The two "cute" Kobolds were completely oblivious, chatting and searching for valuable treasures.

Thud!

A sharp whistling sound suddenly pierced the silence of the shelter.

A spray of blood erupted from the first Kobold's neck. The crossbow bolt, coated with acid rain residue, was lethal. Without the protection of skin, it quickly corroded the Kobold's fragile blood vessels.

In the next second, the only sound in the shelter was the gurgling of blood.

After confirming that the first Kobold was no longer a threat, Liam took two steps at a time, climbing up the stairs to the first floor. He threw the crossbow at the noble Kobold as a distraction and summoned his hardwood spear, charging forward.

"Gotcha! You damn dog, take this!" Liam roared, unleashing all his strength as he charged.

His thunderous shouts echoed through the shelter, deafeningly loud.

The other Kobold was startled, nearly stumbling.

However, Liam's charge was too slow. The darkness and obstacles on the floor prevented him from sprinting at full speed.

This gave the noble Kobold a chance to react. A ball of fire began to form in its hand.

"What !!!" Liam exclaimed in shock.