The company's station had a large reserve of houses used for ammunition, so there was no need for warm-up and production stages. Many flying houses rose abruptly from the ground and were set ablaze by Jade City, bombarding the area behind the Hunters.

Below, the Dead Sea of Cloud Country ignited instantly, explosions erupted, blocking the pursuing monsters.

Zhou Yi had fired first before asking Red Kestrel, "What is it?"

"Sheng Snake."

"The drone responded, "This is a Class C creature. They reside in the Dead Sea and are weak individually. However, when their numbers reach a certain level, their destructive power significantly increases and can even kill Class B creatures."

An electronic compendium appeared on the remote control screen.

The Sheng Snake was a black serpentine creature, but its body was not soft; it looked more like a snake made of block-like segments that could fold and turn in any direction, giving it a strange mechanical feel.

It had a spherical head with a silver eye and a tongue that flicked in and out.

Next to it, the rating appeared.

[Sheng Snake]

Strength: D

Skill: C

Vitality: E

Rating: C

Habits: Social, rare, territorial creatures that cooperate well within the group. The larger the number, the greater the danger.

This was a creature based primarily on skills of the Guangna Species.

Red Kestrel added, "The Sheng Snake's 'Poison Break' is a mid-range attack skill that can jet out rapidly, piercing through defenses of non-specifically immune flesh bodies, causing direct damage. This ability can stack continuously, elevating the damage to an extremely high level."

"With the Sheng Snake's speed and ability to use the Dead Sea for long jumps and glides, once their numbers increase, even Class B creatures might be hunted by them."

It's like a high-speed poison cannon.

Zhou Yi thought to himself, no wonder the Hunters had to run.

However, under the bombardment of the flying houses, the red dots representing the Sheng Snakes still chose to rapidly retreat. They maintained their distance, baring their fangs and hissing at the fleeing Hunters, as if they were angrily cursing and making threats.

Then, these serpentine creatures burrowed into the Dead Sea and disappeared.

Lie Hai flew unsettled to the air near Jade City: "These snakes are truly mad. I wasn't even prepared to hunt them, yet they ended up surrounding me... Winter really is a crazy time everywhere."

Through the Red Kestrel, Zhou Yi asked, "You said you found other Dead Sea Aliens?"

"Yes, uncle, I wouldn't dare deceive you."

Rescued, Lie Hai's tone became much more respectful: "Originally, I thought I'd clean up the temporary nest and then come and work for you."

"But with the salary you gave, I thought I should also contribute. Ever since I was little, my mom taught me never to accept favors without giving something in return; otherwise, one can never gain respect from other lives or become a sea lord."

"So I recalled a snake cave I passed while hunting, on a small island in the Dead Sea. Sheng Snake eggs are quite beneficial; smashed and poured on the ground, they grow into snake-shaped flowers that emit a unique fragrance. I wanted to give them to you as a gift."

"But when I arrived at that snake cave to collect the eggs, I discovered the cave was alive. It moved slowly across the island, collecting various plants and even helped the Sheng Snakes. It was a calm and gentle Dead Sea Alien."

"I observed for a long time there but stirred up the snake swarm before I could collect any eggs and fought with them. However, they were too numerous, and I was outnumbered, so I ran back..."

Zhou Yi dispatched the Red Kestrel to verify the claim.

The location did indeed exist, about 60 kilometers northeast of Jade City in the Dead Sea Zone, where there was an inconspicuous small island shrouded in fog.

Since it was beyond the range for real-time audio-visual transmission, the Red Kestrel conducted multi-angle high-altitude aerial photography.

In this 6-minute live video, Zhou Yi saw a four-story building on the island.

It was much smaller than Jade City, square and seemed straight with its surface covered in large patches of moss and stains, and had a faded red cross on its outer wall.

Numerous Sheng Snakes were arching around the building, intertwining with each other to form a defensive circle.

These local creatures also performed almost ritualistic behavior towards the building.

At 1 minute and 4 seconds, they brought a captured Bone Fish to a stone platform beside the building, then shattered it. Instantly, a root emerged from the soil of the square building, absorbing the Light Seed released from the bones.

Then at 1 minute and 12 seconds, a Sheng Snake, missing a chunk from its body and bleeding, was carried into the square building by its peers. A room on the second floor flashed white light for 30 seconds.

At 5 minutes and 24 seconds, the injured snake slowly came out, its bleeding had stopped, and the wounds had congealed into black scabs.

Zhou Yi realized.

This was a small hospital.

Red Kestrel reported its investigative conclusion beside him, "That island has effectively become the territory of the Sheng Snakes, and this building has some characteristics of a hospital. The Sheng Snakes have learned to utilize some of its features."

"This building appears to have healing functions. From the cases observed externally, it examines and treats the wounded that enter it. However, the specifics of the internal situation are still unclear."

"The Sheng Snakes provide Light Seed to the hospital so that it can have energy to treat the injured. They also choose to give birth inside it to increase their offspring's survival rate."

"I also captured footage of the island's Sheng Snakes entering the Dead Sea to find basic medical supplies such as clean bandages, sutures, and fats to provide to the building. The previously recorded injured Sheng Snake used fat and high temperature applied to the wound to clot and stop the bleeding."

"The Sheng Snake community and the building have formed a de facto symbiotic cooperative."

The drone collected some data on Snake Island.

"...There are over 540 Sheng Snakes on the island, excluding those out hunting or appearing beneath the sea. The area is extremely dangerous, and their threat has been classified as equivalent to a B+ level creature."

This number directly dissuaded Zhou Yi from pursuing the notion.

Although he was interested in that hospital, with the company's current combat abilities, attempting to conquer Snake Island quickly was an impossible task.

Now, focusing on farming mushrooms for development was important.

However, this was still a valuable piece of external intelligence.

Zhou Yi told Lie Hai, "I understand the situation with Snake Island, you've done well. Go on patrol."

"Yes, Uncle."

Noticing he wasn't blamed, its tone slightly relaxed.

"And stop calling me Uncle, call me Chairman."

"Yes, Chairman!" it lowered its voice, "I will make certain no one else knows about our relationship. I will carry out the tasks you assign as any other ordinary employee..."

...

Zhou Yi's eyelid twitched.

I became an uncle?

This kid really thinks he's a relative now.

Given the outcome, the Winter Beast turning into a temporary security guard for the company had improved security for the company's assets during winter, some minor flaws were acceptable.

But what exactly was this Hunter kid thinking? Even with the Red Kestrel's insights, Zhou Yi found it hard to fathom.