Chapter 60: The Mother Dragon will only affect the speed of my getting stronger.
After meeting the boss of the Thunder Wolf Dragons, Jié Jié wanted to flee from the valley without any hesitation.
Fighting the Golden Thunder King at this stage? And surrounded by a pack of Thunder Wolf Dragons? He’s not an idiot, alright!
Apart from the Golden Thunder King, the only thing he was interested in within the valley were those puppy-like Thunder Wolf Dragon pups.
Unfortunately, the mother Thunder Wolf Dragons with pups were all on high alert against him, and even their mates gave him wary glances.
On the other hand, the single female Thunder Wolf Dragons showed interest, especially since Jié Jié had stretched his body upwards, making himself appear as large as the Golden Thunder King.
But it’s summer now, not even close to mating season.
These female Thunder Wolf Dragons merely desired the convenience of hunting in groups and his polite offering of prey.
Hmph, Mother Dragon.
The mother Thunder Wolf Dragons with pups made their mates hostile towards Jié Jié, while the single male Thunder Wolf Dragons became even more antagonistic due to the interest shown by the single females.
Sigh, it was hard to find a group, but why were all the dragons in this group like this?
Jié Jié stood tall, turned around proudly, his tail brushing under Big Thunder’s chin as he glanced back at him.
It was just comfort and gratitude; he didn’t need a dragon companion.
Big Thunder didn’t follow, but instead watched as other single female Thunder Wolf Dragons trailed after Jié Jié as he left the valley.
Hmph, buddy, Tui~
Big Thunder growled menacingly, using his tail to herd his pups back home. But when he felt his mate’s unfriendly gaze,
he realized… he hadn’t brought back any prey in his mouth.
All thanks to that guy! He shouldn’t have invited him in the first place!
Big Thunder completely forgot how well-fed he was, letting out a mournful howl that brought tears to listeners’ eyes, then dashed off to hunt for food amidst the sympathetic gazes of his peers.
“Grr?”
Jié Jié looked back, seeing a female Thunder Wolf Dragon following him.
Sniffing the air, this was clearly a single mother dragon who had missed the mating season during her development.
Seeing Jié Jié look back, the female Thunder Wolf Dragon swished her tail side to side, issuing an invitation to join her group.
“Bang!”
The shell-covered tail struck the ground, creating an unpleasant sound for dragons.
The Sigma Male Dragon issued a stern refusal.
It’s not mating season yet, are you trying to trick me out of my prey?!
The female Thunder Wolf Dragon stared at him, wide-eyed, while the others nearby silently distanced themselves, showing their isolation.
No one else would team up with an outsider!
“Roar?”
Jié Jié shook his head and looked around, realizing this Thunder Wolf Dragon was his last chance to break the ice.
At the same time, he noticed two Thunder Wolf Dragons from his earlier battle among the group, their numerous scars standing out awkwardly in the crowd.
Combining this with his earlier achievement of successfully taking down three opponents, he understood.
Group hunting provided convenience for patrolling and hunting for the Thunder Wolf Dragons, but it hindered individual strength growth.
He pondered deeply, his tail striking the ground again as he chose to decline.
Besides, his original goal was to quickly investigate the activity range of the Mushroom Pigs. A mother dragon would only slow him down.
“Awooo~”
The surrounding Thunder Wolf Dragons quietly watched Jié Jié run off into the distance, exchanging howls filled with dissatisfaction.
Jié Jié didn’t care. Once he confirmed he was out of sight of the Thunder Wolf Dragons, he leaped high into the sky, transforming into a Fire Dragon flapping its wings.
The Thunder Light Bugs scattered in confusion, but he didn’t mind.
Judging by what he’d seen so far, thanks to their symbiosis with the Thunder Wolf Dragon clan, the population of Thunder Light Bugs in this forest had thrived. There were plenty of trees, and he could always recruit another batch when needed.
The wind pressure pushed the Thunder Light Bugs back down to lower altitudes, the shadow of the Male Fire Dragon fragmented by the leaves, scattering across the ground.
His sharp eyes re-marked the area he had previously identified, eventually landing in Thief Dragon form, better suited for searching through the woods for traces.
It felt somewhat nostalgic… After experiencing the agility of soaring through the skies, the Thief Dragon’s body felt restrictive and clumsy for Jié Jié’s alien soul.
But it wasn’t a big issue. Gradually, he adapted, the enhancement of his body’s resilience allowing the Thief Dragon’s tendons to stretch further, greatly improving agility.
Tracks, droppings, half-eaten mushrooms, remnants of large Mushroom Pig skeletons…
Jié Jié searched circle after circle until the night curtain fell over the sky.
The faint green glow of the Guide Insects traced patterns on the ground, standing out vividly against the dark backdrop.
His investigation seemed to level up step by step, until the Guide Insects led him to a deep crack in the mountain, faintly emitting blue light before reverting to green.
Jié Jié also felt the attraction of the special energy field emanating from it.
This crack appeared to be formed by tectonic shifts, narrow enough to prevent Large Monsters from passing through.
Before discovering this crack, Jié Jié had already noticed other marks illuminated by the Guide Insects nearby.
Broken tree trunks, massive claw marks, terrible bite marks on Mushroom Pig skeletons, and impact marks around the crack.
Unlike the special individuals of Mushroom Pigs, these were clear signs of Large Monsters, likely from the same one. He hadn’t expected the Guide Insects to conveniently highlight them too, truly a helpful little assistant.
Jié Jié hadn’t seen these marks before. Without finding larger, more distinctive scales or similar features, he couldn’t identify what kind of monster it was.
In reality, only materials could be collected and used to fill out monster totems.
But fighting was the most efficient way to gather materials.
The top priority was to explore the crack. His current Thief Dragon form was barely able to fit through.
The Thief Dragon rapidly shrank in size, its scales transforming into a shell, which opened as wings flapped, colliding and sparking with electric flashes.
There might be small Predators lurking in the dark crack. Transforming into a small monster with poor self-defense capabilities was risky, and transforming into a Large Monster inside could result in being crushed by rocks.
Jié Jié chose to transform into a Thunder Light Bug capable of entering a supercharged electrical state.
This size and ability, along with the claws on his hind legs, made him almost identical to a Hunter Insect.
Wobbling slightly, he flew into the crack, illuminating the path with his own electric glow, descending deeper.
Inside, there were no predators, only countless ants crawling in and out of cracks, seemingly having claimed this place as their Nest long ago.
A few steps further, Jié Jié spotted some grass, mushrooms, and skeletons.
The skeletons belonged to Mushroom Pigs, indicating this was their former Nest.
Examining the ground, Jié Jié speculated that there had been a whole family of Mushroom Pigs here, explaining the existence of multiple special individuals.
And this, might be the remains of the Mushroom Pig Mother.
There were no more details. No one was around to provide more information, nor was there any verification.
Everything could only be guessed.
Some exceptionally large ants were on the skeleton. The army ants seemed to have mutated, growing larger and more Aggressive.
Claws clashed twice, sending an ant’s head flying.
Escaping the ants’ encirclement, Jié Jié flew deeper into the crevice.
…
He saw a river shimmering with brilliant light.
Chapter 61
