The grass made a rustling sound.
Not until a huge pig hoof stomped heavily on the damp ground, splashing a patch of mud, did the full figure finally reveal itself.
It was a beast much more robust than an ordinary Bullfango, its body covered in a rough “armor” formed by a thick layer of dried mud mixed with tree resin.
Its two curved, upturned tusks shone with a yellowish-white luster, and both their length and thickness significantly exceeded those of its ordinary peers.
“A Bullfango King…” Lore felt a chill, but then began to observe it carefully.
“No, that’s not right.
I’ve never heard of any records of a stable Bullfango King niche in the Shrine Ruins area.
And looking closely, although it is much larger than an ordinary individual, it seems to lack the tonnage and that kind of Apex aura compared to an individual that can truly be called a ‘King’.”
The facts were exactly as Lore had guessed; the Bullfango before him was perhaps at a critical stage of evolving toward a “King,” a standout in its pack, but it had not yet truly transformed.
At best, it could only be considered an “Elite” or “Quasi-King” individual.
After stepping into this relatively open waterhole area, the Bullfango immediately and vigilantly arched its huge nose, sniffing hard at the complex scents in the air.
Although the light rain was still falling, interfering with the scent molecules to a certain extent, its keen sense of smell, naturally born for finding food and identifying danger, still quickly locked onto the direction where Lore was.
More accurately, it smelled that unique aura belonging to the Jade-Faced Golden Nine-Tailed Fox, which it remembered vividly!
The intelligence of a Bullfango is indeed not high, but the more a creature relies on instinct, the more persistent it is toward prey that is within reach.
It clearly remembered that not long ago, it was this cunning little fox that had narrowly escaped from a pounce it was sure of, which made it feel very annoyed.
At this moment, smelling that familiar “fox stench” again, the desire to hunt instantly overwhelmed other thoughts.
It immediately raised its head and let out a roar filled with provocation and greed toward the direction where Lore and the Jade-Faced Golden Nine-Tailed Fox were hiding: “Hmph-Hmph-Roar——!!”
This roar was like a signal, causing the Jade-Faced Golden Nine-Tailed Fox, who was clinging tightly to Lore’s tail, to tremble all over.
Her little claws dug in even tighter, and even the hard scales of Lore’s tail could feel the violent heartbeat and uncontrollable trembling she was transmitting.
The little one’s fear of this Bullfango had already penetrated to the bone, forming severe PTSD.
Facing the Bullfango’s hostile roar, Lore naturally would not back down.
He took a deep breath, his chest expanded, and then he raised his head and let out a longer, more penetrating, and majestic Howl: “Awoo————!!”
This wolf Howl was far louder than the Bullfango’s snorting, carrying the unique aura of the Zinogre, an Area Apex species, instantly drowning out the sound of the rain and echoing through the forest.
The warning implied in the sound made the Bullfango’s small eyes blink; it seemed that only until this moment did it fully realize that standing in front of the prey it coveted was a Zinogre that was not to be trifled with.
A trace of instinctive fear arose in its simple brain.
However, the impulses of creatures like the Bullfango are often faster than their thinking.
That brief hesitation was soon drowned out by the rising desire to hunt and the anger of being provoked.
It lowered its head, frantically digging at the muddy ground beneath it with its thick front hooves, splashing up large patches of filthy mud.
Its nostrils puffed out two streams of scorching white steam.
Then, its hind legs exerted force suddenly, and like an out-of-control heavy truck, it launched a straightforward, unadorned charge toward Lore!
Boar Rush!
A typical boar-style attack, relying on massive weight and instantaneous explosive power, attempting to knock over any obstacles in its path.
Seeing the Bullfango charging aggressively, Lore first nimbly flicked his tail, placing the little fox, who was almost fainting from fear, steadily onto a relatively safe branch of a nearby short tree.
Immediately after, with a thought, the energy from the pokémon system within his body circulated rapidly!
Skill——[Growth]!
In an instant, Lore’s body expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye.
His muscles bulged, his skeleton seemed to be stretched, and his size instantly surged to nearly twice its original size, blocking the path of the Bullfango’s charge like a small mountain!
Facing this fierce impact, which was enough to knock over most small monsters, Lore, having activated [Growth], appeared calm and unhurried.
He firmly rooted himself to the ground, his forelimb muscles bulging, his sharp claws flashing with cold light, and he precisely raised both claws, preparing to take this “meat-bullet impact” head-on!
Bang!
A dull, loud noise came, and the Bullfango’s head, carrying huge kinetic energy, slammed fiercely onto Lore’s crossed and blocking claws.
However, the scene of Lore being knocked flying, as expected, did not occur.
Instead, the Bullfango felt as if it had crashed into an indestructible iron wall, and the huge reaction force made it dizzy!
Worse still, at the moment of impact, Lore’s sharp talons had already pierced through its thick mud armor and skin, leaving several bloody scratches!
The stinging pain of the wounds further stimulated the Bullfango’s ferocity.
It let out a painful Howl, struggling and wanting to continue attacking.
But how would Lore give it a chance to breathe?
Lore exerted force from his waist, his whole body’s muscles working in coordination, and using the powerful strength brought by [Growth], he executed a clean and swift grappling throw, slamming this hundreds-of-kilograms-heavy giant directly onto the ground!
“Howl～?!”
The huge impact sound and dust made the ground tremble slightly.
On the branch, the Jade-Faced Golden Nine-Tailed Fox, who had been shivering, saw this shocking scene.
The fear in her eyes was instantly replaced by astonishment and disbelief, and immediately after, it turned into boundless admiration for Lore’s strength.
Her little mouth was slightly open, and she even forgot to close it.
The Bullfango was thrown into a daze, but its tenacious vitality made it immediately struggle to get up.
Its short limbs kicked wildly in the air, splashing up a large amount of mud, instinctively trying to turn over.
This movement was not any tactic, but just difficulty in turning over caused by its body structure.
However, the splashing mud, by a stroke of coincidence, temporarily obscured Lore’s vision, causing his action of preparing to follow up the victory to lag for a moment.
Taking this opportunity, the Bullfango finally rolled over and stood up.
It shook its dizzy head and glanced sideways at Lore, who stood like a god of war.
At this moment, the deep-rooted fear of the Zinogre species finally completely dominated its brain.
It glared unwillingly at the little fox on the branch, who seemed to be “using the wolf’s power to intimidate,” and let out a low growl mixed with anger and fear.
Then, without hesitation, it swung its short limbs, twisted its fat body, and fled in a sorry state toward the bushes from which it had come, its speed unexpectedly fast!
Lore wiped the mud off the corner of his eye with the back of his paw, and looking closely, the Bullfango had already darted dozens of meters away, and it was about to disappear into the dense jungle, making it difficult to pursue.
After experiencing this period of wilderness survival, Lore knew a cruel and true law: in this world where the weak are prey to the strong, one must cut the weeds and dig up the roots when dealing with potential threats, otherwise the future troubles will be endless!
If he let it escape today, there was no guarantee it wouldn’t come back to harass him in the future, or even bring bigger trouble.
However, facing the Bullfango that had already run a distance away, Lore did not appear anxious.
Instead, a flash of confident light, as if everything was under control, crossed his pale blue pupils, and the corner of his mouth curled into a cold arc.
“Hmph?!
Want to escape?
Lightning Cyclone Slash!”
Silently reciting the skill name in his heart, Lore fully activated the electrical energy and pokémon energy within his body!
Skill——[Thunder]!!!
Boom!
A golden pillar of lightning, far more dazzling than natural lightning, tore through the low-hanging dark clouds.
Triggered from around Lore’s body, it shot up into the sky, and then, with lightning speed, struck with absolute precision onto the fat figure that was fleeing desperately dozens of meters away!
Crackle!
The blinding electric light instantly enveloped the Bullfango, and a burnt smell permeated the air.
The massive body twitched violently, and then, as if all its bones had been removed, it flopped forward limply.
With a heavy thud, it collapsed into the mud, smoke curling from its body, devoid of any signs of life.
“Ding!” A familiar mechanical notification sounded right on cue in Lore’s sea of consciousness.
“Congratulations to the host for slaying [Bullfango King (Fake)], obtaining medium experience points.”
“Clang, clang, clang!
LV UP!”
“Congratulations to the host for leveling up to LV31!”
“pokémon skill draw count +1!”
“Now drawing a new skill for the host…”
“Ding!
Congratulations to the host for obtaining the pokémon skill: [Minimize]!”
“[Minimize]?” Lore felt a surge of joy.
“I remember this skill; its effect is to significantly increase evasion rate, and it naturally has the characteristic of shrinking the body!
This is not only a fantastic life-saving skill in battle, but it might also come in handy during daily exploration, infiltration, or when avoiding large monsters!”
He was very satisfied with this draw result.
Of course, he hadn’t forgotten that his loot was still lying there.
Looking at the motionless, smoking charred corpse of the Bullfango in the distance, Lore proudly raised his head, his heart filled with a sense of accomplishment.
“Hehe~ Perfect hit!
The [Thunder] skill has a near 100% accuracy bonus in rainy weather!
So what if I let you run a few dozen meters first?”
He thought smugly, then turned his head to look at the little fox in the tree, subconsciously wanting to convey his cockiness with an expression: See how awesome I am?
However, the reaction of the Jade-Faced Golden Nine-Tailed Fox completely exceeded Lore’s expectations.
Those long, slender eyes, originally charming and lively, were now wide open.
The light flickering within them was no longer mere admiration or gratitude, but a kind of near-fanatical glow!
That gaze was so scorching it was almost tangible, filled with unbelievable shock, unparalleled worship, and even…
a kind of overflowing adoration that Lore had only ever seen in 2D romance anime—the kind that appears when a love-struck heroine falls in love with the protagonist at first sight!
Lore felt a bit embarrassed by this undisguised, intense gaze.
He subconsciously shrank his neck, turned his head away in slight awkwardness, and pretended to check on the Bullfango.
This fox’s gaze was just too direct!
Seeing Lore look away, the little fox on the branch immediately grew anxious.
She leaped gracefully from the tree—not to run away, but to run straight to Lore.
She circled around him, then stood on tiptoe, using her wet little nose and tongue to kiss and gently nibble on Lore’s cheeks and jaw, making soft, clingy “muah, muah” sounds in her throat.
She was trying her hardest to attract Lore’s attention, seeking his petting and focus; her posture clearly said: “Like!
Like!
Look at me!
Look at me!”
At this moment, all her previous barriers, shyness, and fear were gone, replaced by an almost instinctive closeness and attachment.
“Er…
is this the legendary’suspension bridge effect’ enhanced edition?” Lore thought, feeling somewhat dumbfounded.
“Being saved by me in a situation of extreme danger and fear, and then developing a strong emotional dependence?”
He extended his front paw and gently patted the little fox’s head, which was shaking with excitement, as a form of comfort and response.
Then, he walked toward the charred corpse of the Bullfango.
Although there had been a small hiccup, at least he wouldn’t have to eat fish for dinner today; he could change his palate and eat some solid pork.
Lore picked up the heavy loot and set off on the path back to the nest with a pleasant mood.
And this time, the little fox’s behavior became even more “excessive.”
She no longer just followed behind but walked tightly against Lore’s side, almost pressing her entire soft body against his strong forelimbs.
Even more exaggerated was her fluffy, magnificent, nine-forked tail, which actually took the initiative to wrap around Lore’s tail, which was covered in hard scales and bone spurs, forming an intimate “mating” posture.
Using “inseparable” to describe the wolf and fox at this moment was truly perfect.
Although walking like this was indeed a bit awkward, especially with the tail being wrapped affecting his balance, seeing the little fox look up with her enchanting eyes brimming with happiness and reliance, a sense of warmth and satisfaction couldn’t help but rise in Lore’s heart.
He was starting to like this little fox more and more, as she was so human-like and knew how to “repay kindness.”
When they returned to the nest today, the Jade-Faced Golden Nine-Tailed Fox’s posture was completely different from usual.
She no longer cowered behind Lore, but instead puffed out her chest, held her head high, and walked closely beside him into the cave, as if she were a formal member of this family and Lore was her greatest support.
Clearly, after that “hero saves beauty” incident, she had completely let down all her defenses, accepted Lore from the bottom of her heart, and was trying to integrate into this strange “family.”
However, this was only what she “thought.”
In the nest, Luna was originally very excited and happy to see Lore bring back such a large Bullfango.
Although sashimi fish was delicious, having eaten it for so many days in a row, it was naturally excellent to change the palate and eat some solid meat.
She greeted him joyfully.
However, when she saw that little fox, who had previously been so timid, now pressing so intimately against Lore and even wrapping her tail around his, Luna’s originally joyful gaze changed instantly.
She furrowed her brows and let out a low, dissatisfied purr from her throat, clearly expressing her displeasure at their overly intimate actions.
Seeing that Lore and the Jade-Faced Golden Nine-Tailed Fox seemed not to notice her dissatisfaction, or were deliberately ignoring it, Luna went straight up to the little fox, bared her snow-white sharp teeth, and let out a threatening growl from deep within her throat, using body language to sternly warn the little fox: Stay away from my Lore!
Clearly, Luna was jealous.
In her subconscious, she had long regarded Lore as her future mate.
This little fox with flashy fur that had appeared from who knows where now dared to openly “lay a hand” on her “fiancé”; this was simply a provocation to her status as the “main wife”!
“Roar!” Luna growled impatiently again.
Besides obvious anger and jealousy, her voice also carried a hint of disdain for the weak, as if saying: You are just an emergency food source I picked up that can be eaten at any time; know your place and stay away from my mate!
Luna’s hostile actions instantly triggered the “tea art” instincts of the Jade-Faced Golden Nine-Tailed Fox.
She immediately acted like a drama queen, letting out a startled whimper, agilely dodging completely behind Lore’s thick tail, drooping her ears, and hanging her head, looking like a poor victim who had been bullied terribly.
But those slightly upturned fox eyes were secretly peeking at Lore, emitting a clingy, charming, and tremulous whine: “Awoo~?”
This affected and pitiable posture, although slightly over-acted, when combined with her naturally enchanting appearance, really made Lore’s heart skip a beat and triggered a protective instinct.
Lore immediately felt a headache.
He had no choice but to first gently flick his tail, soothingly rubbing the little fox with the tip of his tail, then turned around and actively approached Luna, using his tongue to gently lick her cheek and then lightly nibble on the tip of her nose—this was a special way for members of the Zinogre pack to express intimacy and comfort, only used between the closest partners or mates.
Through this action, he told Luna: Don’t mind it, you are my most important and closest partner; no one can replace you.
This intimate act was indeed effective; Luna’s tense body gradually relaxed, the anger on her face softened, and her gaze became gentle again, even carrying a hint of triumph as she glanced demonstratively at the little fox hiding behind Lore.
However, this “special treatment” Lore gave Luna immediately aroused the little fox’s dissatisfaction again.
She unwillingly poked her head out from behind Lore’s tail, letting out a few faint and aggrieved whimpers toward Luna, her little paws scratching at Lore’s leg; she was clearly jealous.
Lore looked at Luna, who, although her anger had subsided, was still full of possessiveness, and then at the pitiable, soulful-eyed little fox behind him, feeling as if he were in the center of an invisible storm.
He sighed helplessly in his heart, only able to stand there stiffly like a clumsy referee, trying to use his body to separate the two, striving to maintain the peace of this “strange family” that had just formed but already had a subtly complex relationship.
Meanwhile, Mother Zinogre, who had been silently observing from the side the whole time, took in everything.
She did not intervene in this young “emotional dispute,” but instead lay down where she was, the corners of her mouth seeming to curve into a kind, maternal smile.
Today, this somewhat unreliable little Zinogre family was also living a wonderful life!
Just…
if only this rain could stop for a while.
Maybe it’s not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”