The other three Great Gray Woodpeckers ahead had already fled four or five meters, and beyond them appeared a patch of empty ground.
With several "swish" sounds, the three woodpeckers pushed off from the branches and leapt up into the canopy.
Bai Zhe retracted his gaze from the fleeing birds and leisurely climbed down the tree, swallowing the two Great Gray Woodpeckers he had poisoned to death that had fallen to the ground.
Dragging his swollen belly, Bai Zhe continued moving forward.
Soon, he arrived at the spot where the three woodpeckers had jumped up. This area was particularly memorable to him because it was the fruit grove he had discovered during his earlier terrain survey.
Though called a fruit grove, there were actually only a few fruit trees.
Each tree was laden with bright red fruit, looking especially enticing.
Among the trees, Bai Zhe recognized three persimmon trees; the rest were unfamiliar varieties.
As he studied the trees, a yellow persimmon leaf suddenly drifted down onto his head.
Lowering his eyes to the leaf, Bai Zhe felt a wave of emotion.
Autumn was already deep; the deciduous trees' leaves were turning yellow and covering the ground in thick layers. The temperature had dropped considerably.
He estimated the temperature now to be about sixteen or seventeen degrees Celsius.
At this time, ordinary snakes reduce their activity. He had seen fewer snakes and frogs than when he first arrived in this area.
As for himself, his bodily functions were unaffected at this temperature, remaining agile.
Just as he had expected, the "Phosphorus Armor Resistance" skill indeed protected him from cold in winter.
Suddenly, a sharp "Eek eek" sound startled Bai Zhe from his thoughts.
Instinctively, he looked toward the source and was surprised.
A group of about twenty monkeys were hopping from tree to tree, soon arriving in the fruit grove.
They all became excited, chattering loudly.
"Monkeys?"
Bai Zhe was surprised. It was his first time seeing such creatures in this forest. His eyes carefully observed the monkeys.
One monkey climbed a persimmon tree, grabbed a persimmon, and began to eat it.
After a bite, it chirped excitedly.
The other monkeys behaved similarly.
He had seen monkeys in zoos before, but none as lively and natural as these.
They either sat on branches eating fruit or climbed around, occasionally glancing at fruits as if choosing which to pick.
Watching these nimble monkeys on the ground, Bai Zhe felt envy.
Why wasn't he reborn as a monkey?
If he were a monkey, he'd have hands and feet, almost human mobility, able to make and use tools.
A handy monkey, right?
He could prepare cooked food to satisfy his appetite.
After evolving, he could develop toward a powerful beast type like a "diamond beast."
Being a monkey seemed better than being a snake.
Unfortunately, he had no choice.
Regretting this, Bai Zhe refocused and suddenly noticed a small monkey among them.
It was small, probably recently separated from its mother.
Regretting not being a monkey, he thought about capturing one to comfort himself.
He looked more carefully at the small monkey but hesitated.
Monkeys were very agile, especially in trees. If chased head-on, he could hardly catch them. His only option was to sneak close and ambush.
While contemplating, the system alerted him:
[Target locked: Juvenile Black Leaf Monkey! Devouring grants 120 Evolution Points.]
Pausing, Bai Zhe began to writhe his body.
"When I accumulate more Skill Points, I must invest in 'Color-Changing Camouflage.'"
Moving, Bai Zhe muttered resentfully.
Though his body somewhat resembled the environment, his large size still made him conspicuous.
The "Color-Changing Camouflage" skill's description said it could change body color to match surroundings perfectly.
If he had this ability, he wouldn't have to worry so much now.
Thinking this, he reached the persimmon tree under which the small monkey sat.
The small monkey was at the edge of the group, holding and nibbling a persimmon.
It kept glancing at the other persimmons on the tree, typical behavior of "looking at what's in the bowl while eyeing the pot."
Neither the small monkey nor the others noticed Bai Zhe's presence.
Relieved, Bai Zhe breathed out quietly and then wrapped his body around the tree trunk, climbing upward.
He moved slowly, careful not to alert the monkeys.
When he was about five meters from the small monkey, an adult male monkey eating a red fruit noticed him.
Its fur bristled suddenly.
"Eek eek! Eek eek!"
It emitted sharp, urgent calls, causing the other monkeys to look toward Bai Zhe.
The locked-on small monkey also looked back.
It immediately saw the three-meter-long Forest Anaconda behind it.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。