Dark Three-Tailed Fox

The past few days, I'd completed a moderate number of missions.

Li Ran had discovered that mission rewards were tied to their difficulty.

The higher the reward, the harder the mission.

For example, mission chains and missions with time limits usually had hidden side objectives that could be triggered for extra rewards.

Perfect completion could also trigger additional rewards.

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

Li Ran

Mysterious Power: 580

Agility: 120

Strength: 120

Constitution: 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 Skill: Lurk

Li Ran was still surprised when he saw Song Linjia's stats.

To have improved so much through her own efforts, without a Golden Finger, was already impressive.

Her Mysterious Power and points didn't match. By the usual ratio, Song Linjia should have had at least 1,700 points. Including the 300 points she'd given Li Ran twice, she should still have had at least 1,400 points saved.

But she had only 50 left, so she must have spent them in the Points Mall on equipment, skill books, and the like.

"This is the place."

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

A foul-smelling alley stretched behind it, piled high with stinking garbage and reeking of urine.

But Li Ran didn't see any monsters.

"The monster's inside the restaurant. We'll need a little bait to lure it out."

As she spoke, Song Linjia pulled out a pack of Teddy Bear Cookies, went to the restaurant's back door, and scattered the whole pack on the ground.

Once she was done, Song Linjia hurried back and said tensely to Li Ran, "That monster's at least twice as strong as me. If I see it, I can only run. In other words, its Mysterious Power could be around 350, or even higher. Can you handle it?"

Could a man say "no" when a woman questioned him?

Besides, it was only a little monster with 350 Mysterious Power.

Adding up all his stats, he was now at least as strong as an A-rank monster with around 600 Mysterious Power.

He wasn't sure if that was the right way to measure it.

In any case, dealing with a monster in the 300-to-400 range shouldn't be a problem.

"It's coming."

Song Linjia lowered her voice.

"Bang!"

A tremendous force slammed open the restaurant's back door.

A beast-shaped monster sprang out, its three flowing tails especially eye-catching.

Its eyes were bloodred, and a terrifying, demon-like aura emanated from its body. Its frame was eerie, sleek, and elongated. Its head resembled that of a huge, hideous fox, its mouth packed with dense, horrifying teeth as drool streamed down.

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

But aside from its eerie appearance, its entire body was rotting. Its fearsome fangs showed clearly through its cheeks, while its waist, abdomen, legs, and rear were all rotted to varying degrees.

Worse still, wormlike tentacles covered the decayed areas.

Li Ran drew a sharp breath. His scalp prickled.

He wasn't frightened by the monster in front of him. He was disgusted.

The decaying monster was ravenously gulping down the Teddy Bear Cookies on the ground.

"Your turn."

Song Linjia whispered, then slowly shrank into a gray kitten. With a light leap, she jumped onto the restaurant's roof.

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

Still, he didn't think much of it. Anyone who'd made it this far had to have some way to protect themselves.

Li Ran stepped out from a corner. The decaying Three-Tailed Fox immediately turned its bloodred eyes on him and glared.

(Dark Three-Tailed Fox)

(B-Class Mental Infector)

(Mysterious Power: 400)

(On a cold night, a hungry and freezing little fox returned to its dark corner, covered in wounds. On the brink of death, it dreamed of becoming the supreme Nine-Tailed Fox. Then it would never have to endure hunger or be bullied again.)

(It was cursed. If you can lift the curse, it will become your loyal companion.)

After reading the Golden Finger's prompt, Li Ran's expression shifted.

"If I lift the curse, can I tame it?"

A bold idea came to Li Ran.

He quickly focused his mind on the mall and searched for a skill, potion, or something else that could lift curses.

"Found it."

[Purification Potion: Upon use, removes decay, disease, curses, foul odors, plagues, and other effects from the target.]

[Cost: 100 points. Confirm?]

"Yes."

Without hesitation, Li Ran exchanged points for the [Purification Potion].

The price was within his budget.

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

After the exchange, a purple potion appeared in front of Li Ran.

But now came the problem: how could he get the Dark Three-Tailed Fox to drink it?

Song Linjia, in kitten form atop the roof, watched Li Ran curiously. She really wanted to know how he planned to subdue that terrifying monster.

Seeing Li Ran stand still, she was confused.

"Why isn't he doing anything?"

As Song Linjia wondered, the Dark Three-Tailed Fox slowly approached Li Ran.

Li Ran's appearance had interrupted its meal.

It was starving. The Teddy Bear Cookies hadn't even come close to filling its belly, and it was sick of the rotten garbage.

Just as it was wondering where to find food, a human who didn't know his place had appeared.

It hated humans more than anything.

Humans had driven it away countless times and hurt it. They'd even nearly beaten it to death.

Now it had grown stronger. It no longer had to fear humans and could easily tear this one to pieces.

Perfect. It could have a proper feast!

With that thought, the Dark Three-Tailed Fox charged at Li Ran, eyes full of malice.

It was incredibly fast, wrapped in a dark aura. From a distance, it looked like a blade of darkness thrusting at its enemy.

Yet Li Ran remained where he was, unhurriedly examining the strange potion in his hand.

Song Linjia sensed something was wrong. Why was Li Ran dropping the ball at a moment like this?

That monster could kill him in seconds.

"Is he scared stiff?" Song Linjia regretted asking Li Ran to help.

Li Ran had performed brilliantly in the previous missions, but that was all in completing missions.

Some people were quick thinkers and could shine when handling all kinds of problems.

But once they entered a fight, that was another matter entirely.

It was like a book-smart nerd going to war and being too scared to use a gun.

That was exactly what Song Linjia feared might happen to Li Ran.

Being good at studying and being good at fighting were two entirely different things.

"No. I can't let him die here."

At that thought, she bared her sharp claws.

"I can buy him a few seconds. After that, it's up to fate."

Having made her decision, Song Linjia crouched on the roof, her cat eyes fixed on the Three-Tailed Fox charging toward Li Ran.

Just as she was about to jump down, Li Ran suddenly made his move.

"What's that?"

Song Linjia's pupils narrowed.

Li Ran flung a rope at the charging Dark Three-Tailed Fox.

One end of the rope looped with perfect accuracy around the Dark Three-Tailed Fox's head, while Li Ran held the other end.

He quickly gathered the rope in his hands and yanked. The other end snapped tight around the Three-Tailed Fox's neck.

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

Its hideous head was less than a meter from Li Ran. He could clearly see its terrifying fangs and the disgusting, decaying tentacles growing around its mouth. Its foul breath even washed over him.

Song Linjia stared at Li Ran in disbelief. She couldn't understand what kind of spell he'd used to stop such a vicious monster in its tracks.

The Dark Three-Tailed Fox was just as confused. It had been about to tear the human in front of it to shreds. What was it doing now?

Why had it stopped?

When it tried to resist, an overwhelming force coursed through the rope, subduing it.

Only then did it understand. The power within the rope had bound it—or, more precisely, some force from the rope was forcibly enslaving its will. It couldn't disobey.

"This is the enslavement rope I got from the Fortune Teller. As long as it catches the target, it can enslave them for ten minutes."

Li Ran explained to Song Linjia.

Song Linjia thought back. Li Ran had gotten some kind of rope-like item.

At the time, she hadn't imagined it could be used to enslave monsters. She'd thought it was just a useless rope.

Song Linjia's cat eyes widened. "It's that simple?"

Her mission was to subdue this monster. It had stumped her for a whole day. She'd tried everything she could think of, even searching the mall for items that could subdue it. The mall had similar enslavement items, but they were incredibly expensive, and she didn't have enough points.

With no other choice, she'd asked Li Ran for help.

Together, she and Li Ran should've been able to subdue the Three-Tailed Fox.

But she'd never expected him to do it so easily.

"But the mission isn't complete yet?"

Song Linjia noticed that her mission still wasn't complete. That meant Li Ran hadn't subdued the Dark Three-Tailed Fox.

[Item: Aged Enslavement Reins]

[Effect: When placed around a target, the reins can enslave it for a short time. Limit: ten minutes.]

Li Ran had thought this item would be useless. He hadn't expected it to come in handy here.

"There's one more little step."

Li Ran's gaze sharpened as he looked at the Dark Three-Tailed Fox and ordered, "Look up. Open your mouth!"

The enslaved Three-Tailed Fox resisted inwardly, but its body obeyed. At Li Ran's command, it raised its head and opened its rotting mouth, filled with sharp teeth. Its throat was crawling with countless wormlike creatures.

"How horrifying!"

Song Linjia turned away, unable to look.

"This little guy's actually pretty pitiful. It was infected by a virus and mutated into a Three-Tailed Fox, thinking it had grown strong and would never be bullied again. But then it was cursed, too. The curse is eating away at its body. Before long, it'll lose consciousness and become a mindless monster, nothing but a walking corpse."

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 asked, her face full of surprise, "You sound like you know its story?"

Li Ran didn't explain. He kept his gaze fixed on the Three-Tailed Fox.

After swallowing the Purification Potion, the Three-Tailed Fox froze, its eyes widening in disbelief.

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