Oscar, the Hunted

The moment that figure came crashing over, Li Hao instinctively wanted to step back and dodge this sudden disaster.

But the other party was too fast and the distance too close, leaving him no time to react.

A youth of fourteen or fifteen years old came slamming straight toward him.

Li Hao saw that face clearly.

Messy hair, a face full of stubble, and a pair of peach-blossom eyes filled with terror and despair.

Most absurdly, in his tightly clenched hand, he was still clutching a steaming, large sausage that emitted a bizarre aroma.

A name popped out from the depths of Li Hao's memory, beyond his control.

Oscar?

The future Food God Oscar?

How could he be in such a state?

He looked like a vagrant who had been chased for three days and three nights.

"Help! Murder!"

The shrill scream made Li Hao's eardrums ache.

Before he could even suppress this question, several even more ferocious figures rushed out from the forest path.

Leading them was a burly man with a face full of fat, his soul power fluctuating at over level thirty; he was a Soul Elder.

Behind him followed several lackeys, all wearing sinister grins, looking like they wouldn't stop until they achieved their goal.

"Kid, let's see where you can run now!"

The leading Soul Elder sneered, his gaze greedily locked onto the sausage in Oscar's hand.

"Hand over your mutated Martial Soul obediently, and I might just spare you a whole corpse!"

Mutated Martial Soul?

Li Hao understood in an instant.

Oscar's Martial Soul was of the food type, and he possessed Innate Full Soul Power, capable of creating sausages with buff effects.

For certain Evil Soul Master groups or organizations with ulterior motives, such a Martial Soul was practically a mobile treasure vault.

What they wanted wasn't Oscar's life.

It was his Martial Soul.

"Dream on! Even if I die, I won't give my big sausage to you people!"

Although Oscar was trembling all over, his words were unusually tough.

Trouble.

A massive amount of trouble.

Li Hao's first thought was to turn around and leave, pretending he hadn't seen anything.

Better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

He was just a salted fish who wanted to quietly obtain his third soul ring; he didn't want to get involved in any disputes.

Especially not a clash involving black-hearted forces that clearly touched upon the secrets of a Martial Soul.

Leave!

He had to leave immediately!

He made up his mind, quietly turned around, and prepared to blend into the crowd of onlookers nearby.

However, the very moment he lifted his foot.

A slippery sensation came from the sole of his shoe.

He looked down.

Some unscrupulous person had thrown a banana peel they had just finished eating onto the ground.

It's over.

As this thought flashed through his mind.

An irresistible inertia caused him to lose his balance, his body sliding uncontrollably in a bizarre direction.

That direction happened to be right between Oscar and the group of pursuers.

"Damn it!"

Li Hao let out a desperate cry in his heart.

He tumbled into the center of the battlefield in an extremely pathetic posture.

Time seemed to slow down at this moment.

Under the astonished gaze of everyone.

The timing of Li Hao's fall could only be described as perfect.

His leg, extending uncontrollably, tripped the ankle of the lead Soul Elder with pinpoint precision.

The Soul Elder was fully focused on capturing Oscar and never expected such an unexpected interference, causing him to stumble and his massive frame to crash to the ground with a boom.

Meanwhile, the fishing rod in the hand of Li Hao—disguised as a common fire poker—accidentally thrust forward due to the momentum of his fall.

Puchi.

A soft sound echoed.

The tip of the fishing rod struck the eye of another Soul Master with lethal accuracy.

"Ah—!"

A shrill, miserable scream pierced the sky.

The scene instantly descended into chaos.

Li Hao fell to the ground, grimacing in pain, yet his mind was crystal clear.

Luck Buff!

That damned Luck Buff had activated!

He looked at the wailing Soul Master on the ground, then at the Soul Elder struggling to rise after being tripped, and a thought flashed through his mind like lightning.

Turn the mistake to his advantage!

Taking advantage of the moment everyone's attention was diverted, his fingers moved imperceptibly.

Several needles, as thin as ox hair and coated in Cailin Snake Venom, slid quietly from between his fingers, piercing the paralysis points on the legs of those Soul Masters at a tricky angle.

This was one of the trump cards Cailin Snake Venom had given him for self-preservation; it was usually fatal, but when applied to paralysis points, it would only cause instant loss of mobility.

Having done all this, he immediately withdrew his hand and continued to play the part of a passerby in agony from a fall.

The effect was immediate.

The Soul Elder, who had just climbed halfway up, suddenly stiffened, went limp, began foaming at the mouth, and started convulsing violently.

The remaining lackeys followed suit one after another, collapsing to the ground and rolling about like gourds.

It took no more than a few seconds.

The Flying Divine Pig Group, who had been so fierce just moments ago, were wiped out just like that.

The entire entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared in stunned disbelief at this surreal scene.

In their eyes, it was just an unlucky hunter who had accidentally tripped and, in an inconceivable way, stumbled into defeating a notorious squad of Soul Masters.

Was this reasonable?

It was not.

But it had happened nonetheless.

Oscar was also dumbfounded.

He stared blankly at his enemies convulsing on the ground, then at the innocent-looking hunter struggling to climb up from the dirt.

His brain crashed for a full three seconds.

Then, he realized what had happened.

He was saved.

He had been saved!

He had been saved by this man!

A wave of ecstasy from surviving a disaster and endless gratitude instantly overwhelmed him.

He threw away the sausage in his hand, scrambled over to Li Hao, and bowed deeply without a word.

"Big Brother! You are my own brother! You saved my life!"

Li Hao had just climbed up and was brushing the dirt off his clothes; before he could make a run for it, a human attachment had latched onto his leg.

Oscar hugged his thigh tightly, crying with snot and tears.

"Big Brother, take me as your apprentice! From today on, you are my brother from another mother! I'm following you!"

Li Hao's body instantly stiffened.

His social anxiety alarm was blaring at the highest level.

Don't touch me!

Get away from me!

He roared frantically in his heart, but on his face, he could only squeeze out a smile uglier than a cry, desperately trying to shake off the clingy person on his leg.

The surrounding gazes were all focused on them.

Li Hao felt his scalp tingle, wishing he could dig a hole and hide in it.

Just as he was at a loss for what to do.

From deep within the woods, another shrill scream rang out, followed by a somewhat sleazy, panting voice.

"Boss! Why are you running so fast! Wait for me!"

A round, chubby figure came charging out of the path, stumbling and scrambling.