Chapter 181: Resonance (Additional Chapter 5)
The blond man looked somewhat bewildered.
From his youth to his current young adulthood, admiration and astonishment had never left him. He even abandoned all the admiration and praise from the original continent and recklessly embarked on this possibly one-way journey.
Right here, on this unfamiliar New Continent, he saw appreciation in the eyes of a monster during combat for the first time.
He seemed to understand why Master Swordsmen liked to refer to some monsters they got along with as “he.”
Recognizing monsters is just like recognizing oneself, isn’t it?
Golden pupils gazed at him, so close that if he were to let go of the blade and clench his fist, it would feel like he could shatter it.
But he dared not, dared not interrupt the possible slumber of the Lord of the Tree Sea, unwilling to abandon the hard-won victory.
But can a victory without the enmity of the enemy truly be called a victory?
The drowsiness in the monster’s eyes briefly faded, as if understanding the confusion reflected in his own eyes?
They resonated; the Lord of the Tree Sea perceived his dissatisfaction.
The blond man in his youth wanted to be punished, taking responsibility as the instigator for the damage caused by the Spiny Dragon appearing.
He stepped forward, ready to bear the consequences alone.
Jié Jié supported himself, raising his head. In the shocked gazes of everyone around, he took the stance of a predator and bit their Team Leader into his mouth.
The Team Leader felt every muscle and tendon in his body screaming, because he was wedging the upper and lower jaws of the Spiny Dragon apart, preventing them from closing.
He had locked the Spiny Dragon’s massive mouth, and now his next move was to walk outwards, proving this wasn’t a sacrifice but a resistance.
In the midst of the struggle, he saw the surging light within the dark throat.
In the resonance between diner and food, the Team Leader only grasped fragments amidst confusion, while Jie Jie felt much more.
The heat rising in his throat was the Team Leader’s rejection.
Apart from agreeing that this guy deserved a beating, everything else was a refusal!
Disagreeing with the notion that he should shoulder all the responsibility.
This wasn’t really a victory, more like a lucky escape, right?
The Team Leader soared high under the impact of the heatwave. As he crossed the coast and fell into the ocean, he arrived at an answer.
Looking at the water as dark as the night sky, he thought this way.
His wet fur buoyed up his body, and his companion dragged him back onto the shore, squeezing his chest to expel seawater, then fed him supplies.
The Team Leader hugged his companion’s shoulders, tilting his head, but the figure of the Spiny Dragon had already vanished.
Had he left, retreating far away from hunters to enjoy sleep?
Everything that happened before seemed like a dream, even fading from memory.
A Commander with arms crossed entered his line of sight. Though his face was stern, concern remained evident.
“Oh! My subordinate, is it over?”
The Commander stayed silent, unable to utter words of reproach, merely nodding.
With someone always keeping watch, the fallen hunters all safely withdrew from the battlefield.
Without mentioning subsequent recovery and rehabilitation, no one being sacrificed was already the best outcome.
“That’s good.”
Relieved, the Team Leader passed out.
—Meanwhile—
After successfully tossing the Team Leader into the sea, Jie Jie dragged his slightly weary body away from the battlefield, finding a random spot to collapse and sleep.
After that fight, he slept soundly.
Until hunger woke him up, driving him to seek out Herbivore Dragons for sustenance.
During the pleasant meal, he pondered the resonance phenomenon he experienced earlier with the Team Leader.
Why wasn’t it the vain muscle-bound dude but instead the Dragon People Tribe girl?
Resonance like this should logically happen with the Dragon People Tribe first, right?
Various hypotheses flashed through his mind, but he decided to find the Team Leader again after finishing the Herbivore Dragon.
The flying bird carrying twin blades bound by chains landed in an uninhabited corner of Twin Peaks, transforming into a Smoky Snow Weasel and boarding the Starship.
Amidst the investigators’ astonished gazes, he dropped the heavy dual blades he’d been dragging and looked around.
There weren’t many people aboard the Starship, including the Team Leader, none of the hunters who participated in the previous battle were seen.
Instead, he entered a cave halfway up the mountain. Upon entering, he could smell the strong aroma of medicine.
Several injured hunters lay on mats, covered with herbs on various parts of their bodies, resting to recover.
At this moment, the chef squad had transformed into a medical team, with Ailu Cats walking about constantly checking the status of the hunters.
Jie Jie didn’t know how long he had slept, but the hunters clearly had lain there for a while. Besides herbal remedies, there were also numerous fresh knife marks.
The bruise marks hadn’t faded yet; these were likely made to release the bruises.
“Hey!”
An awake hunter raised his hand and greeted him.
No blame, no suspicion about his true identity.
It’s as if imagining the richest tycoon wearing a mask every night to fight evil couldn’t cross anyone’s mind.
Jie Jie gently swayed his tail, locking onto the most robust blond man.
By now, his once-flowing blond hair had been cut short, probably singed off by his own Breath Weapon.
Not making any strange moves in front of everyone, he hid in a corner, darkly staring at the Team Leader.
Nothing special occurred, the previous resonance seemed like a mere illusion.
Could it be because he hasn’t woken up yet?
Staring at the sleeping Team Leader, Jie Jie began to think.
A pair of familiar and warm cottony hands picked him up, gently stroking his head and spine.
“Meow~”
The Chef Lady Ailu Cat emitted a gentle murmur.
Jie Jie turned his head toward her, blinking his eyes, feeling nothing.
His gaze began to focus intently on everyone within his line of sight, but the resonance sensation he previously felt never reappeared.
Is it because of the form of the Smoky Snow Weasel? Or does it have something to do with a “spiritual energy depletion” cooldown?
Or maybe he needs to get closer… or even eat someone?
That sounds absurd, doesn’t it?
“Meow~”
He was placed on the table by the Chef Lady, a bowl of fragrant meat soup presented before him.
Even though he “lured the Spiny Dragon,” his treatment hasn’t changed a bit.
While enjoying the delicious food, Jie Jie kept sneaking glances at everyone coming and going in the cave, primarily focusing on the Team Leader.
As night fell again and he planned to take another nap, the Team Leader finally stirred awake, immediately scratching his newly shortened hair.
Looking around, human and weasel locked eyes.
“Hmm?”
The Team Leader suddenly stood up startled, his gaze leaving the Smoky Snow Weasel and aimlessly looking around, then showing no other special reaction afterward.
Jie Jie gently rubbed his claws, equally confused.
Clearly, the Team Leader reacted, but both were in a state of baffling confusion regarding this reaction.
Apparently, this new ability suspected to be related to Ancient Dragons requires more people and time to explore further.
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