The transition to the second gold ring was marked by a fundamental shift in the ecosystem that left Zhao momentarily breathless.
Where the first ring had contained patches of Golden Noses scattered across varied terrain, the second ring was dominated by a single, massive forest of the creatures. They had evolved here, grown larger and more sophisticated.
"Sweet dragon of..." Zhao caught himself before the curse could fully form, aware that even whispered words might carry farther than intended in this place.
The Golden Noses here stood at least twice as tall as their younger cousins, their multiple trunks together were now thick enough that a dozen men almost couldn't wrap their arms around them. Their golden horns had developed intricate branching patterns that created a canopy of deadly spikes high overhead, while their long snouts had gained longer beaks that glowed faintly with accumulated mana.
Most unsettling of all, they moved a lot more.
