After finding the furnace, Ethan and Natasha were just about to head back when the front window of the gun store suddenly exploded inward.
Crash!
A jet-black beast leaped through the shattered glass.
It looked similar to a wolf, but its glowing crimson eyes remained locked on Ethan and Natasha. Baring rows of razor-sharp fangs, it prowled back and forth, waiting for the perfect moment to attack.
A System prompt appeared before Ethan.
[Blood-Eyed Black Wolf (Tier 1)]
[An apex predator among Tier 1 monsters. The more seriously it is injured, the stronger it becomes.]
"Be careful," Ethan warned quietly as he raised the Silent Hunter and aimed at the wolf.
"Best to kill it in one shot. The longer the fight drags on, the more dangerous it’ll become."
At the same time, he stepped in front of Natasha, shielding her with his own body.
Although Natasha also wore tactical gear, it was nowhere near as protective as his Commander Equipment Set.
Even if she died, the bonuses granted by the Leader System wouldn’t disappear.
But if he could avoid losing one of his companions, he absolutely would.
Seeing Ethan instinctively protect her filled Natasha with emotion.
She was about to step forward and draw the wolf’s attention herself, but Ethan blocked her path.
"Commander..."
Before she could continue, Ethan interrupted.
"Provide covering fire."
"Force it to move."
"I’ll finish it with one shot."
"Yes, Commander."
As an experienced operative, Natasha knew it was the best strategy.
Her first instinct had been to sacrifice herself if necessary.
But now that Ethan had given a direct order, she obeyed without hesitation.
Even so...
If Ethan’s life was ever truly in danger, she would still risk everything to save him.
Bang! Bang!
The instant the Blood-Eyed Black Wolf lunged forward, Natasha fired twice.
Apparently sensing the danger posed by the bullets, the wolf twisted aside with astonishing speed.
Its power increased as it took damage.
But if it could avoid being wounded altogether, it naturally preferred to do so.
After dodging both shots, the wolf became noticeably more confident.
Unfortunately for it, Natasha’s gunfire had forced it into a corner.
Realizing it had little room to maneuver, the beast gathered its strength and launched itself directly at Ethan.
Ethan had been waiting for exactly that.
He pulled the trigger.
The armor-piercing bolt streaked silently through the air toward the wolf’s eye.
Since it was already airborne, the monster had nowhere to push off and no way to dodge.
Thud!
The bolt pierced straight through its eye.
A split second later, it burst out the back of the wolf’s skull before embedding itself deep into the concrete wall behind it.
The crossbow bolt vibrated violently, producing a low metallic hum.
Its brain completely destroyed, even the Blood-Eyed Black Wolf couldn’t survive.
Its massive body crashed to the floor in front of Ethan, sending dust flying.
Without wasting a second, Ethan immediately stored the corpse inside his inventory.
Now that it was dead, the System no longer considered it a living creature, allowing him to store it without issue.
Meanwhile, Natasha had already recovered the crossbow bolt.
"Commander, we have to leave."
The pistol shots she’d fired to control the wolf’s movement had undoubtedly alerted nearby monsters.
If they stayed any longer, they’d almost certainly be surrounded.
"Let’s move."
Without hesitation, Ethan grabbed Natasha’s hand and sprinted for the exit.
Thanks to their enhanced physiques—and the escape route they’d planned beforehand—they made excellent time.
The monsters, meanwhile, still needed a few moments to converge on the gunshots.
By the time they reached the store, all they found were bloodstains on the floor and the lingering smell of gunpowder.
The prey had already escaped.
More than ten minutes later, Ethan and Natasha finally slowed to a stop.
Ethan was only breathing a little harder than usual.
Natasha, however, was nearly exhausted.
"Let’s rest for a minute before heading back."
She simply nodded, too winded to speak.
After catching her breath and finishing an entire bottle of water, her complexion gradually improved.
"I’m ready, Commander."
"Let’s go."
As they passed a grove of dead trees, Ethan suddenly stopped.
"Nothing’s following us."
"We’ll process the corpse here."
"Yes, Commander."
Taking the body back to the shelter would’ve been safer.
But the smell of blood might linger.
If a monster with a keen sense of smell tracked it back to their cabin, they’d be inviting disaster.
Processing it here was the safer choice.
Inside the grove, Ethan removed the Blood-Eyed Black Wolf’s corpse from his inventory and selected Collect.
The collection process finished almost instantly.
Even so, he could still smell fresh blood in the air.
That alone reassured him he’d made the right decision.
Opening his inventory, he examined the newly acquired materials.
[Blood-Eyed Black Wolf Meat ×20 — Moderately nutritious wolf meat. Its only downside is the poor taste.]
[Blood-Eyed Black Wolf Pelt ×1 — A well-preserved wolf hide. Can be worn for warmth, used as a blanket, or crafted into clothing and armor.]
[Blood-Eyed Black Wolf Head ×1 — A trophy symbolizing your victory. Displaying it outside your shelter intimidates low-tier monsters, discouraging them from approaching.]
[Blood-Eyed Black Wolf Claws and Fangs ×10 — Extremely sharp natural weapons. Can be used for self-defense or crafted into specialized weapons and accessories.]
[Blood-Eyed Black Wolf Blood ×10 — A key ingredient used in alchemy and potion brewing.]
[Blood-Eyed Black Wolf Core ×1 — The source of the wolf’s power. An essential material for upgrading tamed beasts and increasing their rank.]
"No wonder people say fortune favors the bold."
Ethan couldn’t help smiling.
A single Blood-Eyed Black Wolf had provided enough meat to feed them for days.
Combined with all the other materials, the rewards far exceeded anything ordinary scavenging could produce.
The items that interested him most, however, were the blood and the monster core.
"So beast taming exists in this world too..."
"I haven’t found anything related to it yet."
"No one’s mentioned it in the chat either."
"It’s probably content meant for the middle or late stages of the game."
"But now that I know it exists..."
"I’d better start collecting related materials whenever I find them."
"They’ll probably become valuable sooner or later."
After making sure nothing had followed them, Ethan and Natasha continued toward their shelter.
Before entering the cabin, Ethan removed the Blood-Eyed Black Wolf’s head from his inventory.
After the collection process, it had been professionally preserved.
All traces of flesh had been cleaned away, and the fur looked immaculate.
It resembled a taxidermy trophy rather than a severed head.
He mounted it above the cabin’s front door.
If its purpose was to intimidate weaker monsters, displaying it openly made far more sense.
It might even discourage hostile players—or at least make them think twice before attacking.
Back inside the cabin, Ethan spread the wolf pelt across the bed before flopping down onto it.
The treated hide was soft, warm, and infinitely more comfortable than sleeping on bare wood.
Just as he was beginning to enjoy the comfort...
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