The Ear Mouse

Why were the protagonists in other novels given such powerful cheats, while his was so useless?

This was too unfair, God!

At least give him some life-saving ability! Since he had let him see this world overrun by monsters, and since he had given him the key to enter it—

then why not casually give him some protection for walking through it?

Could he really only rely on his body's regenerative ability to get through this?

To be honest, taking a beating passively was not his style.

Hm? Thinking of his body's regenerative ability, he suddenly remembered the black notebook he had set aside and ignored.

That notebook that, up until now, contained only two monster illustrations.

He was in the Small Forest, even in a situation that was on the verge of erupting like this.

Xiao Xiao inexplicably remembered seeing another monster here before.

Compared to the one before him, that monster had been far more kindhearted.

Golden Light swirled in his eyes. The black notebook slowly appeared before him, its pages fluttering until they finally stopped at one page.

"...Ear Mouse?" Xiao Xiao stared at the figure outlined in vivid cinnabar on the yellowed page. It was so lifelike that he suddenly seemed to see that arrogant monster turn its head toward him, its beastlike pupils flashing scarlet, its gaze as sharp as a sword and brimming with killing intent. Xiao Xiao instinctively closed his eyes.

When Xiao Xiao opened his eyes again, he was completely stunned.

Right in front of him was... the Ear Mouse!

Its tiny body crouched with all four limbs planted on the ground, head held high. Facing a monster several times its size that towered above it, it showed no fear. A sound like muffled thunder rolled from its throat, seeming to make even the air tremble.

For the first time, the monster on the branch shifted its gaze away from Xiao Xiao.

"Yee~" The "bee" let out a piercing shriek. Its wings beat wildly, and the stinger at its tail end gleamed coldly, radiating a bloodthirsty light.

The large and small monsters faced each other in an unyielding standoff.

Finally free from the center of the storm, Xiao Xiao managed to draw a slightly deeper breath. Blinking his stinging eyes, he tried to size up the "battlefield" without making it obvious.

The Ear Mouse's sudden appearance was undoubtedly a godsend for Xiao Xiao, especially since it seemed to be standing on his side.

The tense situation left Xiao Xiao no energy to think too much. At present, he was only worried about whether the Ear Mouse could beat that "bee."

The difference in size was rather huge.

Xiao Xiao was deeply worried.

But there was nothing he could do. Besides, he still was not certain whether the Ear Mouse had confronted the "bee" because of him.

What if the Ear Mouse turned around and attacked him afterward? Then things would get really interesting.

The best outcome would naturally be for both monsters to suffer heavy losses.

Or perhaps... he had met the Ear Mouse several times before, and this monster had never really hurt him. The incident at the library did not count for now, and it had not harmed that girl who happened to see it either.

So this monster should belong to the kind that was friendly toward humans, right?

If that was the case, then he naturally hoped this monster would win.

Only after escaping the monsters' relentless scrutiny did Xiao Xiao realize that the Small Forest was eerily quiet. It was as if even the air had solidified.

The surrounding trees were all withered and desolate.

The yellowed, dried branches and leaves exuded an aura of decay.

The pale moonlight was equally lifeless, casting a bizarre, otherworldly glow as it swayed.

The Ear Mouse's silver-gray fur shone even more brilliantly, as if it were about to burst into flames.

Two pairs of scarlet eyes clashed.

One pair was round, filled with lifelessness and malice.

The other pair was slit-like, brimming with arrogance and cruelty.

"Yee~" The monster in the tree dove down, stirring up a fierce wind sharp as knives. A "whoosh" swept over, and the sharp stinger glimmering with bright red light arrived in an instant.

The Ear Mouse showed not the slightest fear. Silver flames seemed to blaze skyward around its body. Its small form dodged the "bee's" stinger, and its huge, fluffy tail lashed out viciously.

Xiao Xiao watched as the two monsters, still locked in a standoff only a moment ago, began fighting at a speed beyond human vision the next.

"Bang~"

"Clang~"

"Rumble~"

Fallen leaves flew into the air, trees toppled, and the whole scene felt as though the earth itself were shaking.

Xiao Xiao stood rigidly in place, afraid that he might accidentally stumble into the monsters' battlefield.

He forced his eyes wide open. A battle between monsters—what a pity that tears were already welling up, yet he could still see only a blurry mass of shadows.

Unwilling to give up, Xiao Xiao kept his eyes fixed on the shadows' movements.

Golden Light gradually appeared in his eyes. Like a nimble fish, it circled his pupils once before vanishing again, leaving behind only a faint afterglow.

Xiao Xiao suddenly felt his vision clear.

He had no time to marvel at it.

He simply delightedly focused all his attention on the monsters ahead.

The Ear Mouse was small, but it lived up to its usual cocky, overbearing air. Facing the "bee" head-on, it did not fall behind in the slightest.

In fact, because of its excessively agile movements, every time it dodged the other's stinger, it could smack the other with its tail!

The Ear Mouse's tail looked fluffy and soft, but it was truly a formidable weapon. Smashing stones and snapping trees was nothing to it.

Not to mention that the tail could grow or shrink and lengthen or shorten, making it impossible for its opponent to defend against—uh, for the monster to defend against.

This also meant the "bee's" wings were no longer an absolute advantage.

"Whoosh~ whoosh~" The tail's fierce attacks produced ear-piercing explosive cracks. With overwhelming force, it lashed toward the "bee" darting and weaving through the air. The angles were devilishly tricky, the changes incredibly nimble, and it combined strength with agility. It was practically a bug-like tail!

Xiao Xiao sighed sincerely.

So judging a monster by its appearance really was wrong. As things stood, the Ear Mouse had the greater chance of winning.

"Yee~" The Ear Mouse's tail suddenly curved, then followed through with a lash. The "bee" failed to dodge in time and let out a sharp, high-pitched shriek. Deep resentment and madness filled its cry of pain. A massive sound wave spread outward, and the air rippled violently in layer after layer. Wherever it passed, tree trunks snapped and branches and leaves shattered.

Xiao Xiao could not dodge in time. It felt as though a giant hammer had smashed into his brain, and sharp pain swept through him. It was also as if a saw were cutting and churning through his brain matter. The world spun around him, and he could barely remain standing. Staggering, he grabbed a nearby tree with one hand while desperately pounding his splitting head with the other.

It hurt—so much!

The veins on Xiao Xiao's forehead bulged. He clenched his teeth and gasped like a fish out of water, as if trying to ease the violent pain in his head, but it did nothing. His throat felt dry and raw, as if it were burning.

The pain was so bad that Xiao Xiao almost wanted to roll around on the ground. "Hah... hah..." Dry, hoarse breaths escaped his throat without pause.

At this moment, he could no longer spare any thought for the two monsters fighting until heaven and earth were overturned.

If this pain continued, he would die even without the monsters doing anything!

Yet Xiao Xiao's fingers dug tightly into the tree, and blood seeped from them. What kind of joke was this? How could he be defeated by mere head pain? He just had to endure it. He refused to believe this had no time limit.

Endure it. He only needed to endure this period of time!

Xiao Xiao bit his lip hard, and a bloody taste spread through his mouth.

Between his lowered brows and eyes, a thread of Golden Light began circling around his eyes at some unknown point, growing increasingly intense.

The pain in his head began to lessen.

"Whoo~" Xiao Xiao slid down the tree trunk and sat on the ground. Beads of sweat hanging from his eyelashes reflected a trace of golden radiance.

He did not notice at all, too relieved that the nightmare had ended.

Xiao Xiao felt weak all over. His entire body seemed drained dry, without the slightest strength remaining.

He lowered his head. His chest trembled violently, and his throat and mouth were filled with the metallic taste of blood, mixed with a hint of sweetness that made him even thirstier. He pressed his lips together, and a wave of pain struck—the place he had bitten open earlier.

His lips were cracked and peeling, too.

What a sorry state he was in. But the feeling of surviving a disaster was simply wonderful!

"Hah... hah..." His cracked, hoarse voice came and went, rough and unpleasant, yet unable to conceal the delight within it.