[Author’s Note] If you enjoyed reading, please press the recommend button at the top of your mobile screen! You can give the writer a happy day with just a 2-second lead! @[emailprotected]94th chapter
31. The Adventure of the Magical Beasts, Raccoons, and a Quirky Raccoon
093 – The Adventure of the Magical Beasts, Raccoons, and a Quirky Raccoon #3
━Grrr.
━Woof!
As I drew closer, the wolves perked up their ears and noses as if they sensed something.
━Woof!
━Sniff sniff.
The two wolves barked back and forth as if discussing something.
Looking around, they might have sensed my approach.
‘There’s no way they can hear my footsteps. I’m invisible right now, but could it be the smell?’
Being part of the canine family, their sense of smell must be pretty sharp. It’s said that humans rely on sight for about 70% of their sensory perception, while canines use over 50% of theirs for smell.
I moistened my front paw and raised it in the air.
‘The wind is blowing towards those guys.’
I recalled stealth techniques from movies or novels.
When dealing with animals with excellent olfactory senses, they say it’s important to walk against the wind rather than having it at your back.
They say it’s to prevent the smell from flowing in their direction, and at the time, I just thought, “Sure, whatever,” but now I see how helpful that bit of info is in this situation.
‘They say dogs can visualize scents, so let’s face the wind.’
I held my breath and quietly walked to the opposite side of where I had been.
The three-eyed wolves sniffing around glanced around a few more times before plopping down on the ground.
With their tongues out and panting to catch their breath, they seemed quite tense and overly sensitive.
‘Those guys were said to be runaway wolves. Are they on high alert?’
I crept close enough that my paw would reach them.
As they lay sprawled out like a stretched rubber band, the dumb wolves didn’t even realize I was right next to them and closed their eyes tightly.
‘This is my third wolf encounter. Perfect opportunity to check how strong I’ve become.’
The first one I barely won against using my joint techniques, and those goons that barged into my home with Kublai were no joke either; I had my fair share of struggles dealing with them.
I raised my paw over the dozing wolf’s head and then brought it down with full force.
Crack!
━Kack!
The sound of bones breaking echoed out with a yelp.
━Woof!
I swung my tail at the other wolf that was startled and trying to get up. With a whoosh, it parted the air and went BAM! like a balloon bursting.
‘One hit per wolf, dead in an instant. Now that’s impressive growth.’
I smiled in satisfaction as I looked down at the wolves sprawled out on the ground. Among them could be one of those that smashed my house.
Taking the first step toward revenge felt refreshingly good.
Most of all, it was a fulfilling accomplishment to finally feel the growth I couldn’t measure in numbers before.
I wanted to cheer, but I figured making noise at night wouldn’t be wise, so I just celebrated silently in my heart.
Rustle.
I turned my head at the sound of the underbrush moving, and there were Mori and Leaf, hesitantly approaching me.
Mori, like an acupuncturist sensing a pulse, moved her paw around the wolves’ necks and mouths.
━Dead. How did you take them down in one shot? You’re better than I thought. At this rate, you won’t need my guidance to survive.
Puffed up and embarrassed by Mori’s calm praise, I started rambling whatever came to mind.
━It was honestly kind of boring. They’re weak enough to be called that.
━But you can’t compare these lone wolves to those in a pack. Overconfidence will eat away at your life. These guys look like they just escaped tonight and are all fluttery.
Taking Mori’s serious advice to heart, I calmed my excitement and nodded.
━I’ll keep that in mind.
━Still, you’re really amazing. You can disguise yourself and even silence your footsteps. You’re a born hunter. Being able to handle things quietly is a truly blessed talent, especially in the night woods. So, what will you do with these guys? If left like this, other beasts will come along. It’s best to deal with them quickly.
━Oh, don’t worry about that.
I sharpened my claws and sliced open the wolf from head to belly.
Leaf, who had been watching nearby, muttered while rubbing her own belly, ━Ugh, that hurts me.
I made a cut on the neck of the wolf and said to Leaf,
━Hey, hold the back legs tight. I’m about to skin it.
━Aren’t you eating it this time?
Leaf smirked as if she had heard something she shouldn’t have. I recalled the taste of wolf meat I had eaten before.
The first wolf I tasted had tough fur that was hard to chew and didn’t taste that great.
I had been so hungry at the time that I had devoured it without really knowing where it was going, but honestly, it wasn’t a sensation I wanted to repeat.
‘The meat was snatched away before I could even enjoy it properly.’
Anyway, recalling that memory, I figured using these hides for something else would be more beneficial than eating them.
━Got it.
Leaf grabbed the back legs of the wolf. After I pulled, the skin peeled off remarkably cleanly, leaving only the meat behind.
━Not a drop of bl**d will remain, so don’t worry about leaving a trace.
Having only eaten fruits and grass for my last few meals, I patted my belly, longing for some grease.
‘They say dog meat is really nutritious.’
I wasn’t picky about food, but when I lived with my parents, we had a puppy once, so I hadn’t had much of a chance to eat dog meat.
‘They say it’s great for your health.’
I took a big bite out of the wolf’s torso. The sound of meat tearing filled the tranquil forest.
‘Much tastier than I expected!’
The wolves’ bodies tasted both lean and fatty.
Before I could even chew, it felt like it was melting in my mouth, leaving me with the illusion that I wasn’t chewing but gulping it down.
What impressed me the most was that there was absolutely no gamey smell, accompanied by a spicy and tangy flavor and even a fragrant herbal aroma.
‘Did they call this the Tartar Wolf? Is this what Tartar sauce tastes like?’
I devoured the two massive wolves like a storm.
【Experience points gained.】
【Experience points gained.】
【Leveled up.】
‘Nice, I even leveled up!’
I gathered the leftover bones into a pile and dug a deep hole with my paw, burying the remains deep, deep down before covering it back up with dirt.
Mori, who watched the whole spectacle, smirked as she flattened the dirt down, clearly amused.
━What kind of eating habit is that? I can’t imagine Kublai or Ishtar could eat two of these at once.
━I was born this way, I guess.
I felt like I could still eat another one or two. Being in my growth phase, it wouldn’t hurt to eat a lot.
━So there are dozens of these wolves in this eastern forest?
━Yeah, there’s a growing trend of runaway wolves lately. If you’re going to hunt wolves, there won’t be a shortage of prey. But be careful; your long tail might get you caught by Kublai hunting down runaway wolves.
━Got it.
I happily dusted my paws off. All that remained in the dark underbrush were the pelts of two wolves.
Mori inspected the fur here and there, nodding in satisfaction.
━The condition of the hide is good enough to be useful. Since your fur is white, you can use this pelt to mask your scent and appearance. If things go awry, you might even pull off pretending to be a wolf.
Leaf and I donned the wolf skins Mori handed us, throwing them over our heads.
There was a faintly wild animal smell, but it wasn’t unbearable.
━Heh.
Leaf looked at the wolf skin draped over him and burst into a self-satisfied grin.
━I feel so powerful! It’s like I’ve turned into a wolf. Grrr.
Leaf growled like he was a ferocious beast.
I couldn’t help but think of that children’s story I read when I was very young—the one about a donkey that wore a lion’s skin to scare everyone, only to get tricked by a clever fox and face shame.
At this rate, Leaf was headed for a similar fate, so I playfully thumped his head with my paw.
━Stop fooling around and behave. Weren’t you just saying how inconvenient and hot wearing clothes was?
━B-but this isn’t clothing; it’s wolf skin! But now that you mention it, it is a bit warm. Can I have some Yingyi?
━No way. This is mine.
Yingyi lay between the wolf skin and my back like a cool vest, providing a delightful chill even while wearing the thick fur in the summer.
Until now, the wriggling Yingyi had also calmed down, as if it had fallen asleep under the skin.
Being a Wildling, it probably found comfort in cramped, dark places like the narrow cave it normally lived in.
━Ugh, it’s so hot. I can’t wear this. I don’t even have white fur anyway.
Leaf tossed off the fur he was wearing, throwing it to the ground. He clearly couldn’t stand the heat.
━So can I take this skin? I think it might come in handy for various reasons.
Mori asked for my permission while picking up the wolf skin. I figured I could always get more pelts in the future, so I waved my paw and said to go for it.
Mori spread out the wolf fur in her hands.
━With this, our range of activities will definitely increase. Good.
Her black eyes glimmered like they were reflecting moonlight and starlight.
She might have been daydreaming about the various activities and plans we could use the wolf skin for.
━Ahem. Anyway, you two truly are stronger than I expected. At this point, I don’t feel like I need to teach you anything further. All that’s left is to find a good nest to settle in the east. And conveniently, I happen to know a great spot. So, what do you say? Want to go check it out?
Mori, who until a moment ago was a survival guide in a safari, now sounded like a real estate agent or a landlord offering to show us properties.
‘A nest, huh.’
Of course, Mori’s suggestion was very welcome for both Leaf and me.
We had come into this eastern forest almost empty-handed, so having a safe space of our own would be greatly beneficial.
Having just starting to roam this forest, I once spent the nights in bushes, underground, and in trees. But after staying in Eve’s hut and Leaf’s treehouse, I felt how wonderful a safe home could be deep down to my bones.
I opened my mouth lightly toward Mori.
━It’s a safe place, right?
━Of course! Why would I recommend it otherwise? You can rest easy.
From Mori’s confident words came the jingling sound of Duoksini’s bell.
━We don’t have much time on this fine day. If we keep dragging it out, those bells will keep ringing and ruin our night adventure. How about we speed things up? Shall I lead you to the spot? Normally, I’d charge a fee for showing a nesting spot, but I’ll let it slide since I got this wolf skin.
━Sure, the sooner, the better for me. So, where’s this safe nesting spot? Is it nearby?
━Not far. Right next to Kublai’s cave!
━Huh?
Leaf let out a sound like a questioning Wildling. I was equally astonished.
