Around eight or nine that evening, Xue Xi made several more buckets of raw dough. But she didn't plan to eat Cat Ear Noodles again tonight. She couldn't keep eating them until she unlocked a new page, no matter how delicious they were! She was practically sick of them after several meals in a row. So she put a little of each seasoning into a small bag, planning to take Little Wolf outside for a picnic and barbecue to improve their meal.
When she reached the door, Xue Xi saw that Little Wolf, who had been three meters tall, had grown to around five meters. His body was an astonishing dozen or so meters long, and his coat had grown even brighter. He looked as though he'd been draped in a curtain of stars.
Little Wolf bared his big teeth and gave Xue Xi a proud look, as if to say, "Master, look! I've gotten stronger again. Impressive, huh?"
Amazed, Xue Xi reached out and stroked Little Wolf's lowered head in reward. "Well done! Come on, take me out for a ride, and we'll have a late-night snack while we're at it."
After evolving, Little Wolf had become a Silver Moon Fierce Wolf of Elementary Lord Rank. The moonlight's baptism had also greatly increased his intelligence. His eyes gleamed with understanding; he clearly understood Xue Xi's words. He let out a long howl at the moon, then went back to his usual trick: grabbing Xue Xi and tossing her onto his back.
Sitting securely at an angle on the wolf's back, Xue Xi felt like a kitten being held by the scruff of fate. She covered her face and yelled, "Little Wolf! I can climb up by myself. Don't use such an embarrassing method next time!"
Little Wolf turned his head and gazed at the tiny Xue Xi with his wise eyes, letting out a meaningless little snort. Xue Xi immediately felt as if he was looking down on her. Just as she was about to make a fuss, Little Wolf sensed trouble and took off at a mad sprint on all four long legs.
Xue Xi hurriedly grabbed the fur on Little Wolf's neck as he went crazy again. She tried to say something, but the howling wind swallowed her words. Xue Xi pursed her lips in frustration. "It's such a pain not being strong enough. I'll have to get serious starting tomorrow. Once I reach a thousand visitors, I can claim the reward of peak Apprentice strength. Then I'll be able to go anywhere on Earth!"
As Xue Xi dreamed of the future, she didn't notice Little Wolf carrying her farther and farther away from the abandoned little county town. Under the pale moonlight, a huge silver figure cut through the thick darkness, while the roadside vegetation grew denser and taller.
Only then did Xue Xi notice that, without her realizing it, Little Wolf had already carried her to a small hill beside the county town. The surroundings were pitch-black and utterly silent, broken only now and then by the mournful cries of night owls. Goosebumps rose all over Xue Xi's arms.
"Little Wolf, you blockhead! I asked you to take me for a ride, not bring me to this desolate place. Go back down the hill! We can just find a few Monsters to barbecue. Hurry up!"
Little Wolf ignored Xue Xi as she massaged his neck and steadily made his way to a dark cave halfway up the hill. Beneath the trees, the shadows cast by the moonlight hid his somber eyes.
He could still vaguely remember how a Lord Rank Giant Rock Black Bear had driven him from his den. After that, he'd been targeted by a human powerhouse and had nearly lost his life. Now he was a War God returned, here to reclaim everything that belonged to him.
He lowered himself to signal for Xue Xi to get down first. But could she? Xue Xi had been fearless since childhood; she could even play with cold snakes and spiders in her hands. The only things she was afraid of were the dark and anything eerie.
Xue Xi looked troubled. She fidgeted and buried her head in Little Wolf's thick fur, speaking in a muffled voice. "How about we head back for now and come again tomorrow, in the daytime? Please?"
Little Wolf could feel the tremble in his master's voice and the warm breath against his fur. He gave an irritated growl, then turned his massive body and left without looking back. The trees shook, sending puffs of dust raining down.
Only after they descended the hill and the view opened up, with moonlight once again lighting their path, did Xue Xi lift her head, dejected. As she stroked Little Wolf while he ran, she murmured to herself, "You know, Little Wolf, I remember that I wasn't afraid of the dark when I was little."
Little Wolf slowed his pace and trotted through the countryside bathed in moonlight. He turned his head slightly, perked up his ears, and gave them a twitch, listening attentively.
"Back then, the children at the orphanage looked after each other. We were all independent and fearless. Even in the middle of the night, we'd follow Grandma, the orphanage director, out to find wild game that only came out after dark."
Something in the memory seemed to frighten Xue Xi. A hint of terror appeared in her eyes. "When I was seven, it was my fourth birthday after joining the orphanage. The sky was overcast that evening, and it was drizzling. A group of people came and said Grandma had built the orphanage without permission, that it was an illegal structure and had to be demolished."
"But we were far from the city. Who were we bothering? They used cold excavator buckets and hydraulic breakers to tear my only home to pieces. Grandma fell ill after that and never recovered. Soon, with hatred and reluctance in her eyes, she left us. After that, I started fearing the night—and those demons wearing human skin." Xue Xi wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand and lay sideways across Little Wolf's back.
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