This scared the already nervous little fox quite a bit.
She let out an “Awoo” and shrank her whole body behind Lore’s tail, revealing only a pair of terrified eyes.
But at this moment, Lore was in no mood to participate in their “little play.”
He took a deep breath and, using a series of rapid, low growls combined with clear body language—pointing his claw at the surging river outside, mimicking being washed away, and then pointing to the higher mountain peaks in the distance—he tried his best to convey the imminent crisis to Luna and Mother Zinogre: the home was about to be destroyed, and they must migrate immediately!
Luna, understanding Lore’s intention, first widened her eyes in shock, then looked uneasily at her mother.
Mother Zinogre was silent for a moment.
Her deep, azure pupils swept across the increasingly violent rain curtain outside the cave, Lore’s anxious expression, and the uneasy appearance of her children.
Finally, she let out a heavy but firm low growl and nodded, acknowledging Lore’s judgment.
Survival instinct told her that Lore was right.
Thus, under the pressure of this unknown natural disaster, this small Zinogre family had to abandon the nest they had maintained for so long and began a migration with an uncertain future.
This time, Mother Zinogre, who was the most experienced, served as the leader.
Although the Zinogre territory had declined compared to its prime, she still clearly remembered a hidden spot with higher terrain within the territory; it was a natural rock cave located above the mountainside, which might serve as a temporary shelter to help them survive this crisis.
The family braved the torrential rain that felt like it would pierce their bodies, trudging away from the familiar nest and struggling toward the mist-shrouded mountaintop.
The icy rain constantly washed over Lore’s body, and he suddenly felt a strange, stinging pain.
This was not just the cold of the rain itself; it seemed to contain some kind of faint, uncomfortable energy.
He couldn’t help but turn back and glance at the old nest, which was gradually blurring in the rain curtain.
It had once been a warm harbor where they rested, played, and shared food, and an indescribable attachment and reluctance welled up in his heart.
At the same time, a nameless fire of resentment quietly ignited in the depths of his heart.
He remembered the scene he had seen in the CG of the game “monster hunter P3” in his past life: a majestic Zinogre, at the peak of the Sacred Pinnacle, letting out an indomitable yet futile roar and wail at the calamity-bringing Amatsu.
That tragic scene had deeply shocked him.
“That year, I saw a Zinogre howling at the sky in the CG; this scene is something I will never forget for the rest of my life.”
Lore muttered in his heart, flames igniting in his blue pupils.
“At that moment, I thought, if I could become a Zinogre, I would definitely win it all!
Now, the grand vision is right before my eyes, and I must consider if this will be my only chance in this life…”
But the next second, the coldness of reality immediately extinguished this momentary hot-bloodedness, and his expression became regretful:
“‘This only chance in this life’ my foot…
As I am now, I don’t seem to be able to beat Amatsu at all.
If I go up there, I’m afraid I’ll just be delivering takeout…”
However, this trace of frustration was quickly replaced by a stronger fighting spirit.
He shook his head, and a smile full of fighting spirit curled up at the corner of his mouth again:
“Forget it, there will definitely be a chance to meet again in the future!
By then…
rebuilding the glory of the Zinogre is my duty!”
With his conviction firm, Lore no longer lingered, and at Luna’s urging call, he quickened his pace and followed closely behind Mother Zinogre, who was leading the way.
The journey to the new shelter was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
Their destination was located on a steep mountain, the path was rugged, and in many places, they even needed to climb nearly vertical, slippery rock walls.
If it were normal times, this would not be a difficult task for a Zinogre, which is naturally good at climbing.
But the difficulty lay in the fact that after being soaked by rain for half a month, all rock surfaces were covered with a layer of slippery, sticky mud and moss, making it extremely difficult to find a foothold.
Even an experienced individual like Mother Zinogre walked cautiously with every step, digging her sharp claws deep into the rock crevices to stabilize her figure.
Luna, who was smaller and less experienced, was in constant danger, slipping several times and letting out terrified screams.
Fortunately, Mother Zinogre was quick to react each time, either wrapping her tail around her or blocking her with her body, and Lore also assisted from the side, allowing them to escape danger.
The situation of the Jade-Faced Golden Nine-Tailed Fox was the most difficult.
Her nimble agility was almost useless on the muddy, slippery rock walls; she could only rely entirely on Lore.
She clung tightly to Lore’s broad but equally slippery back, her little claws gripping tightly onto the relatively soft fur that had not yet completely faded from Lore’s sub-adult stage, barely managing not to fall off.
However, just as they were braving the storm and struggling to climb a particularly steep rock wall, a change occurred again!
A dull rumbling sound, like the roar of a giant beast, came from the distance, moving from far to near, and quickly became deafening!
They turned their heads to look in unison, and saw that in a valley in the distance, the floodwater that had accumulated for a long time upstream had finally broken through its last restraint.
The muddy debris flow, like a wild horse off its leash, carried huge stones and broken wood, rushing downstream with the momentum of mountains collapsing and seas overturning!
Wherever it passed, trees were uprooted, the ground was torn apart, and it emitted a chilling sound of destruction.
Lore watched, heart-pounding, and felt secretly fearful.
Because their old nest was located just a short distance downstream from that stream!
Although it was impossible to determine if it had already been submerged, the choice to migrate was undoubtedly correct.
However, before he could recover from this sense of relief, the weather changed drastically again!
The already howling gale suddenly escalated into a terrifying storm that could tear almost anything apart!
The powerful airflow, swirling with rain, lashed at the Zinogres like countless cold whips.
The three Zinogres immediately lowered their centers of gravity, dug their sharp claws deep into the rock wall, tensed their muscles, and relied on their great strength and weight to barely stabilize themselves in the gale.
But disaster always strikes at the most unexpected moment.
The Jade-Faced Golden Nine-Tailed Fox, who was clinging tightly to Lore’s back, was already barely holding on because of Lore’s slippery back fur.
This suddenly intensifying gale became the last straw that broke the camel’s back!
“Awoo—?!”
Accompanied by a scream filled with terror and despair, the little fox’s claws could finally no longer grasp anything, and her entire petite body was mercilessly blown off Lore’s back by the gale, falling straight down into the bottomless, dark abyss shrouded in rain and mist like a kite with a broken string!
That gray-gold figure, in the gloomy sky and torrential rain, traced a heartbreaking arc, and was instantly swallowed by the thick rain curtain, about to disappear from Lore’s sight!
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!”