Dark Three-Tailed Fox

He had completed neither too many nor too few missions over the past few days.

Li Ran discovered that mission rewards were actually linked to their difficulty.

The higher the reward, the greater the difficulty of the mission.

For instance, mission chains and time-limited tasks mostly contained hidden side quests that could trigger additional rewards.

If the mission completion rate reached perfection, it could also trigger extra rewards.

Li Ran glanced at his own stats, then looked at Song Linjia's.

Li Ran

Mysterious Power: 580

Agility: 120

Strength: 120

Physique: 100

Points: 3150

Active Skills: [Shadow Escape], [Shadow Assault], [Blood Sickle Flying Blade]

Passive Skills: Phantom, Thunder Mark, Focus

Song Linjia

Mysterious Power: 170

Points: 50

Active Skills: [Shape-Shifting], [Kitty Strike]

Passive Skills: Lurk

Li Ran was quite surprised after seeing Song Linjia's stats.

To have achieved such a significant improvement through her own ability without a golden finger was already very impressive.

Her Mysterious Power value and points were disproportionate; calculated proportionally, Song Linjia should have reached at least 1700 points. Adding the 300 points she had split with Li Ran, she should have had at least 1400 points remaining.

Since she only had 50 points left, she must have exchanged them for equipment or skill books in the Points Mall.

"It's right here."

Song Linjia led Li Ran to the back of a restaurant.

It was an alley filled with a foul stench, piled high with reeking trash and the sharp smell of urine.

However, Li Ran did not see any monsters here.

"The monster is inside the restaurant; we need to use a little bait."

As she spoke, Song Linjia took out a pack of Teddy Bear Cookie, walked to the restaurant's back door, and scattered the entire pack on the ground.

After finishing this, Song Linjia quickly ran back and said to Li Ran, looking very nervous, "That monster's strength is at least twice mine. If I see it, I can only run, which means its Mysterious Power value might reach 350 or even higher. Can you handle it?"

Faced with a woman's doubt, could a man ever say "no"?

Besides, it was just a small fry with 350 Mysterious Power.

Given that his stats across the board added up, based on monster strength, he was at least equivalent to an A-rank monster with around 600 Mysterious Power.

Whether that was the right way to measure it, he wasn't entirely sure.

In any case, dealing with a monster of three or four hundred Mysterious Power was naturally no problem.

"It's coming."

Song Linjia whispered.

"Bang!"

The restaurant's kitchen door was smashed open by a powerful force.

Immediately after, a beast-like monster darted out, its three swaying, elegant tails particularly eye-catching.

Its eyes were blood-red, and its body exuded a terrifying aura similar to demonic energy. Its form was sinister, lithe, and slender; its head resembled a massive, hideous fox, its mouth filled with terrifying, dense teeth, with drool flowing down in torrents.

At first glance, it looked like a black, sinister Three-Tailed Fox.

However, beyond its sinister appearance, its entire body was rotting. One could clearly see its hideous fangs on its cheeks, and its waist, abdomen, legs, and haunches all showed varying degrees of decay.

Even more terrifying was that earthworm-like tentacles were growing out of those rotting areas.

This sight made Li Ran gasp, his scalp tingling.

He wasn't scared by the monster in front of him; he was disgusted.

At this moment, the fully decayed monster was hungrily devouring the Teddy Bear Cookie on the ground.

"It's up to you."

Song Linjia whispered a word, then her body slowly shrank until she transformed into a small gray cat. With a light leap, she vaulted onto the roof of the dining hall.

Li Ran now understood how a young woman like her had managed to survive until now.

However, he didn't dwell on it; after all, anyone who could survive this long had their own means of self-preservation.

Li Ran stepped out from a corner, and the rotting Dark Three-Tailed Fox immediately shifted its blood-red eyes, glaring at him viciously.

(Dark Three-Tailed Fox)

(B-Class Mental Infector)

(Mysterious Power Value: 400)

(On a cold night, a starving, freezing, and battered little fox returned to a dark corner. On the brink of death, it fantasized about becoming a supreme Nine-Tailed Fox, so that it would never again have to endure hunger or be bullied by others.)

(It is under a curse. If you can lift the curse, it will become your loyal companion.)

Seeing the prompt from his golden finger, Li Ran's expression shifted slightly.

If I break the curse, can I tame it?

A bold idea sprouted in Li Ran's mind.

He quickly shifted his consciousness into the shop, searching for skills or potions capable of dispelling curses.

"Found it."

[Purification Potion: After consumption, it can remove effects such as decay, disease, curses, stench, and plague from the target.]

[Requires 100 points. Yes/No?]

"Yes."

Li Ran exchanged for the [Purification Potion] without a moment's hesitation.

The price was well within his acceptable range.

If it had cost over five hundred or a thousand, he would have had to think twice.

Once the exchange was complete, a purple potion appeared before Li Ran.

But the problem remained: how was he supposed to get this Dark Three-Tailed Fox to drink it?

Up on the roof, Song Linjia, transformed into a cat, watched Li Ran with curiosity; she was eager to see what method he would use to subdue such a terrifying monster.

Seeing Li Ran standing still, she felt deeply puzzled.

Why isn't he moving?

While Song Linjia was confused, the Dark Three-Tailed Fox slowly began to stalk toward Li Ran.

Li Ran's appearance had interrupted the Dark Three-Tailed Fox's meal.

It was starving; the Teddy Bear Cookie hadn't filled its stomach at all, and it was sick of that rotting trash.

Just as it was fretting over where to find food, a human who didn't know the meaning of death had suddenly appeared.

It hated humans more than anything.

Countless times it had been driven away by humans, harmed by humans, and had even nearly been beaten to death by them.

Now, it had grown stronger; it no longer needed to fear humans and could easily tear this one to shreds.

Perfect, it could have a hearty meal!

Thinking this, the Dark Three-Tailed Fox charged viciously toward Li Ran.

It was incredibly fast, its body wreathed in an aura of darkness, looking from afar like a blade of shadow piercing toward its enemy.

Yet, Li Ran remained unhurried, standing in place while studying the strange potion in his hand.

Song Linjia felt that something was wrong; how could Li Ran drop the ball at a time like this?

That monster could kill Li Ran in a matter of seconds.

Is he frozen with fear? Song Linjia felt a pang of regret for asking Li Ran to help.

Li Ran's performance in previous missions had indeed been brilliant, but that was limited to completing tasks.

Some people's minds were flexible and could shine when dealing with various problems.

However, once they entered combat, it was an entirely different story.

It was like a bookworm who could study well but would be so terrified on the battlefield that they wouldn't even know how to use a gun.

What Song Linjia feared most now was that Li Ran was experiencing exactly that.

Being good at reading and being good at fighting were two completely different things.

No, I can't let him die here.

With that thought, she suddenly unsheathed her sharp cat claws.

I can stall for a few seconds; the rest is up to fate.

Having made her decision, Song Linjia crouched on the roof, her cat eyes locked firmly on the Three-Tailed Fox as it lunged at Li Ran below.

Just as she prepared to leap down, Li Ran suddenly made his move.

"What is this?"

Song Linjia's cat-like pupils constricted slightly.

She watched as Li Ran flung a rope toward the charging Dark Three-Tailed Fox.

One end of the rope looped with pinpoint precision around the Dark Three-Tailed Fox's head, while the other end remained gripped firmly in Li Ran's hand.

Seeing this, Li Ran quickly gathered the slack and gave a sharp tug, causing the rope to tighten instantly and lock securely around the Three-Tailed Fox's neck.

At the same time, the Three-Tailed Fox's assault came to an abrupt halt.

Its hideous, terrifying head was less than a meter away from Li Ran; one could clearly see the monster's fearsome fangs and the disgusting, rotting tentacles sprouting from the corners of its mouth, with a foul, putrid stench washing over them.

Song Linjia stared at Li Ran in disbelief, unable to fathom what spell he had used to make such a ferocious monster stop in its tracks.

Meanwhile, the Dark Three-Tailed Fox was just as bewildered; it had clearly intended to tear the human before it to shreds, so what was it doing now?

Why had it stopped?

But when it tried to resist, an overwhelmingly tyrannical force transmitted through the rope, suppressing it.

It finally understood that it was the power of the rope that had bound it—or more accurately, a certain force emanating from the rope was forcibly enslaving its will, and it was powerless to defy that strength.

"This is the rein I obtained from the Fortune Teller; as long as you loop the target, you can enslave it for ten minutes."

Li Ran explained to Song Linjia.

Song Linjia recalled the moment; it seemed Li Ran had indeed acquired something like a rein.

However, she hadn't even considered that it could be used to enslave monsters, assuming it was just a piece of junk rope.

Song Linjia widened her cat-like eyes: "It's that simple?"

Her mission was to subdue this monster, a task that had plagued her all day. She had tried every possible method to complete it, even searching the shop for items that could subdue creatures, but the items for enslavement were prohibitively expensive, and she didn't have enough points.

Left with no choice, she had sought Li Ran's help.

She had thought that by combining her strength with his, they might be able to subdue the Three-Tailed Fox.

She never imagined he would use such a simple method.

"But the mission hasn't been completed yet?"

Song Linjia noticed at this moment that her mission status remained incomplete, which meant Li Ran hadn't truly subdued the Dark Three-Tailed Fox.

[Item: Aged Enslavement Reins]

[Effect: Once the reins are looped around a target, it achieves temporary enslavement for a duration of ten minutes.]

Li Ran had thought this item would never come in handy, yet here it was, being put to use in such a place.

"There's still one small step left."

Li Ran's gaze sharpened as he looked at the Dark Three-Tailed Fox and commanded: "Head up, open your mouth!"

The enslaved Three-Tailed Fox was resistant in its heart, but its body was obedient. Under Li Ran's command, it tilted its head back and opened its rotting maw, filled with sharp teeth; inside its mouth, countless worm-like creatures were wriggling.

"How terrifying!"

Song Linjia turned her head away, unable to look.

"This little guy is actually quite pitiful. It was infected by a virus and mutated into a Three-Tailed Fox, thinking it had become stronger and would never be bullied again, but then it was struck by a curse. The power of the curse is eroding its body; before long, its consciousness will vanish, and it will turn into a completely mindless, walking-corpse monster."

Li Ran took out the bottle of Purification Potion, gently unscrewed the cap, and poured all the liquid into the Dark Three-Tailed Fox's mouth.

Song Linjia said with a look of astonishment: "You seem to know its story?"

Li Ran did not explain, keeping his eyes fixed intently on the Three-Tailed Fox.

After drinking the Purification Potion, the Three-Tailed Fox's expression froze, and it widened its eyes in disbelief.

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