Chapter 51: An Unknown Creature Has Broken Into the Campus

After hearing the situation from the other end of the line, the staff member from the Forestry Bureau's brain had long since stalled.

"What on earth is going on??"

"From what I'm hearing, a deer ran onto the South Province highway and then kept running all the way into East Mountain Province?"

"And it's faster than the cars on the highway?!"

At this moment, the staff member's mind was filled with question marks.

"Can a deer really be that fast?"

"And why would it run so far? Is it migrating or something?"

Filled with doubts, the staff member immediately inquired, "I have a general idea of the situation, and I will coordinate with the relevant departments immediately. Can you describe the characteristics of this deer in more detail?"

Looking at the shrinking figure ahead, the man on the highway described, "Um... it's a black deer. It's quite large, and when it runs, it's like a gust of wind!"

As the man's voice trailed off, the staff member on the other end of the line froze, muttering to himself

"South Province? Black fur?"

"Hiss... could it be!"

As if realizing something, the staff member couldn't help but gasp.

He immediately hung up the phone and rushed to knock on the door of the Wild Animal and Plant Protection Section.

"Section Chief Li! Something bad has happened!"

Following the voice from the office, the staff member pushed the door open and rushed in.

He quickly reported the situation he had just received over the phone to Section Chief Li.

Upon hearing the report, Section Chief Li's expression changed slightly, and he bolted upright from his chair.

"Our South Province's rare Sambar deer? Racing wildly on the highway?"

"Quick, find out where it is now!"

As soon as Section Chief Li spoke, the entire section instantly burst into a flurry of activity.

...

"Hello? When are you sending someone?"

"The toll station is just ahead, maybe you can intercept it there..."

On the highway, the man who had called the Forestry Bureau listened to the busy signal from the other end.

Muttering a few words to himself, knowing the Forestry Bureau was already handling it urgently, he turned his attention back to the black deer ahead.

Just as he said, the highway toll station was not far ahead.

A queue of cars had already formed at the toll plaza.

Having been on the highway for too long, the man had become somewhat numb and subconsciously assumed the black deer would also come to a stop.

However, under the watchful eyes of the drivers...

The black deer didn't pause for a second; it leaped directly over the guardrail!

Then, following the slope to the front right, it traced a perfect arc across the mountainside.

It bypassed the toll station entirely, returned to the road, and continued sprinting forward!

By this time, many cars had slowed to a halt at the highway toll entrance.

Watching the black deer disappear into the distance, the man who had made the call couldn't help but sigh

"Damn... this thing is incredible!"

"It doesn't even have to pay the highway toll!"

...

Without a doubt, this black deer was the very same exotic species that had been planted with the "Returning Origin Spring Thunder Seal" by Lin Nan after it had approached him out of curiosity to inspect his formation.

Since running out of Nanjiao City, it had been following the trail of places Lin Nan had passed, chasing him all the way.

As the black deer sprinted down the highway, many people captured videos of it. The lenses caught its swift silhouette, and the videos were quickly uploaded to the internet.

In an instant, it sparked a small wave of popularity, and netizens began discussing it heatedly online.

"Whoa? Where did a deer like that come from on the highway?"

"And look at that size! It's bigger than any I've seen in the zoo!"

"Wow, it actually bypassed the toll station? That's kind of cool!"

"Is that even a deer? It doesn't look quite right."

Among these onlookers, there happened to be several viewers who had watched Lin Nan's livestreams.

Although the Sambar deer is a large species and most look fairly similar, when they saw the black shadow in the video—its robust silhouette, its majestic temperament, and its lightning-like gait—it was clear that very few Sambar deer possessed such an appearance.

For a moment, suspicions began to arise in their hearts.

"Hiss... that looks a bit like the one I saw in a streamer's video!"

"Not just the size, but the fur color is almost identical!"

"Though, the one the streamer encountered this morning didn't seem quite as majestic as this one, right?"

Despite their doubts, the viewers were still uncertain.

After all, the black deer that had taken a photo with the streamer this morning seemed slightly different from this one, yet they couldn't pinpoint exactly how.

How could these onlookers know?

Because of the Thunder Seal within its body, the deer's bloodline potential was being continuously stimulated.

Even though it had only been a single day, its aura had undergone a massive transformation!

Though they weren't certain, these viewers noticed something else and began asking inquisitively online

"Wait... where do you say that deer is running to?"

...

Soon, time provided them with the answer.

Around seven in the evening, as the sky gradually darkened, the black deer had exited the highway and entered the urban area of Yanhai City.

Once it reached the city, without the high-speed flow of cars from the highway, the black deer actually showed great intelligence by slowing its pace.

Like a curious child, it wandered leisurely through the streets, watching everything while following Lin Nan's scent.

"Holy crap... where did a deer like this come from??"

Many citizens passing through the city were stunned to see the robust black deer, casting bewildered glances its way!

In particular, citizens noticed that the deer's powerful limbs were very different from those of an ordinary deer.

Furthermore, the pair of sharp, lightning-shaped antlers atop its head gave it a majestic and awe-inspiring appearance that made people wary.

Though curious, passersby kept their distance, not daring to get too close. They could only pull out their phones from afar to film and discuss it with those around them.

"Did it escape from the zoo?"

"Impossible, the zoo doesn't have deer of this size. It's most likely wild!"

"I've lived this long and I've never seen a deer this big!"

"I've lived this long and I've never even seen a deer..."

"This is truly rare, call someone quickly!"

"But in this situation, should we call the police or the fire department?"

Under the gaze of the passing crowds, the black deer seemed to enjoy the attention.

Sensing the various looks of shock and fear from the humans around it, the black deer actually held its head even higher, strutting through the city with an air of dominance, as if it were a divine beast patrolling the mortal realm.

"Snort..."

Just then, the black deer let out a warm puff of breath from its nostrils.

It twitched its nose twice, sniffing intently for a scent.

Soon, it seemed to have caught something. It became excited and let out an ethereal, melodious deer cry.

Then, it reared up its hooves and bolted rapidly in a specific direction!

"Whoa, it's running! It's running!"

The onlookers didn't forget to snap photos with their phones before excitedly posting them to their social media feeds.

At the same time, someone watched the direction the deer was heading and muttered curiously

"Where is it going?"

"Further ahead... that looks like Yanhai University, doesn't it?"

Just as the passerby had said, the black deer had clearly caught Lin Nan's scent.

Realizing it was getting closer to him, it began to chase after him with exuberant energy.

After a burst of sprinting, it soon arrived at the main gate of Yanhai University.

Looking at the strange architectural gate before it, the black deer paused curiously to observe.

...

At that moment, outside the security booth at the school gate.

Two security guards had just finished their dinner after a shift change and were chatting idly.

The automatic barrier for entering and exiting the school was down, and with no one coming or going, everything was peaceful.

"Brother Wang, I just love helping people. The night before last, I ran into a couple coming back late. The guy insisted the gate was locked and wouldn't open. I happened to be on duty, so I just pressed the button for them."

"I even told that guy, no matter how late it is, the school gates are always open for you! Hehe, the kid was so embarrassed his face turned green..."

"When you first joined me, what did I tell you? Being a security guard is great; it saves you thirty years of wandering. This school is under my protection! No flaws in that, right?"

However, just as the two guards were laughing and talking, a sudden sound of rapid hoofbeats echoed from the distance, approaching them quickly. The two guards immediately stopped talking and looked toward the sound with confused expressions.

*Clop, clop, clop...*

The sound came so fast they barely had time to react.

Then, with a *whoosh*.

A black shadow leaped high from outside the school gate, jumping directly over the automatic barrier!

*Thud!*

As the heavy hooves hit the ground, it seemed to kick up an invisible gust of wind.

The wind stung the cheeks of the two security guards!

"???"

Both guards stared at the black shadow ahead with bewildered expressions, momentarily lost.

"What happened?"

"What the hell just went past?"

Standing in the security booth, looking at the sharp antlers and the body nearly as tall as a person in the distance, the two guards looked at each other. They had never seen anything like this.

But after clearing the barrier, the black shadow did not pause for a moment.

It continued to lift its front hooves, heading straight down the wide campus road toward the dormitory buildings!

The two guards stood dazed for a moment before finally snapping out of it. Their expressions changed drastically, and they shouted, "This is bad!" before grabbing their anti-riot forks from the booth and rushing after it!

As security guards, it was their duty to protect the safety of the students.

Though they were usually quite idle, they had to step up when something real happened.

As they chased, they pulled out their walkie-talkies to frantically call for backup. It was around eight in the evening, and the lights on the school playground had not yet been turned off.

Many students had just finished their night runs and were preparing to return to their dorms, only to witness a scene they would never forget.

In the open space below the dormitory building, a tall, robust black deer stood quietly, looking up at the lights in the building. Under the moonlight, its fur reflected shimmering colors, making it look like a divine beast. Occasionally, it would let out a long, lingering deer cry that drifted away with the night wind, like a call to the moon.

"Why is there a deer here?"

"That deer looks so sturdy. What has it been eating to grow like that?"

Despite the surprise, the black deer's powerful physique and majestic appearance instantly drew the curiosity and admiration of countless male students.

Some even brave enough to try, were eager to approach.

The male and female dormitory buildings of Yanhai University were not far apart.

Moreover, many student clubs gathered under the dormitories to hold activities during the evening.

Many female students also saw the black deer beneath the male dormitory.

Driven by curiosity, they began to gather cautiously.

Among these onlookers, there were even a few of Lin Nan's classmates.

The black deer showed no signs of aggression; it remained below the building, waiting for something, quiet and well-behaved.

However, whenever a bold student tried to get close, its gaze would flicker, revealing a very human-like sense of intimidation.

With just that cold glance, its soul-stirring aura was fully revealed, scaring the surrounding boys so much that they didn't dare step forward.

"Danger! Danger!"

"Move! Get out of the way, quickly!"

Just then, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps, the school's security team finally arrived.

Seeing some bold students actually attempting to approach, the campus security guards' eyes widened, and they scolded, "Stay away from it! Do you want to die?!"

But whenever the black deer made even a slight movement—even just lifting a hoof—the guards would flinch and retreat, not daring to approach directly. They could only focus on evacuating the students gathered nearby.

In an instant, the area below the dormitory became noisy. Some were taking photos, some were trying to shoo the deer away, some were whistling, and some even kind-hearted students were offering food.

It added a peculiar surprise to the otherwise mundane daily life of the university.

Amidst this commotion, Lin Nan was startled awake from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes groggily, feeling a bit of a headache.

"What's going on? Why is it so noisy... is someone confessing their love downstairs again?"

...