Lu Ran's scalp prickled.
One, two, three, four, five...
Five Demon Cats had appeared!
Damn, did Demon Cats live in groups?
All five Demon Cats stared fixedly at Lu Ran and General Ha.
Five Demon Cats alone would have been bad enough.
But Lu Ran also noticed that one of the five newcomers was markedly different from the other four.
Four of them resembled the Demon Cat from earlier, all far smaller than General Ha.
The last one, however, was a full size larger, rivaling General Ha's original size. Unlike the other Demon Cats' scrawny bodies, its body was packed with muscle.
[Species]: Demon Cat [Attribute]: Unawakened [Species rank]: Intermediate extraordinary [Growth level]: Level 3
Lu Ran swept his Eye of Data over it and immediately pressed his lips together. A level 3 Demon Cat...
At that moment, Lu Ran really wanted to suggest making a run for it.
General Ha might be a mighty fighter, but even he could be overwhelmed by numbers.
Unfortunately, the five Demon Cats had clearly surrounded them. They couldn't escape even if they wanted to...
What should I do?
Let General Ha enter that state?
Earlier, Lu Ran had called General Ha's current state his normal state, which naturally meant there was an abnormal one.
If Lu Ran's supernatural ability and strange dreams could be considered an illness...
Then Lu Ran wasn't the only one who was sick.
General Ha was too. Perhaps that was even why the two of them had met.
Once he grew excited in battle, he lost his reason and his sense of pain, becoming like a rabid dog.
In that state, General Ha seemed capable of unleashing his full potential, greatly increasing his fighting strength.
At present, only Lu Ran's telepathy could bring General Ha back to his senses in that state.
General Ha still had hidden potential. That was another reason Lu Ran trusted his fighting strength.
But the truth was, Lu Ran didn't want General Ha to enter that state.
He always felt it was dangerous, and every time General Ha came out of it, he fell unconscious for a while.
"Forget it. We'll take things as they come."
"Don't worry about me. Thin their numbers as fast as you can."
"And keep an eye on that Demon Cat leader."
With the experience of their previous fight, Lu Ran adapted fairly quickly and immediately gave General Ha his orders.
While gathering fruit, Lu Ran had also found a new weapon: a wooden stick that fit comfortably in his hand.
The stick was reasonably sturdy. Combined with his enhanced physical fitness, Lu Ran felt he had a decent chance of taking down one of them, as long as its claws didn't catch his neck or another vital spot.
Of course, that only applied to the low-level Demon Cats.
Against that enormous level 3 Demon Cat, Lu Ran felt he would have some trouble.
That one would have to be left to General Ha.
"Mrow!!!"
But unexpectedly, the apparent leader didn't seem inclined to attack first either.
At its roar, the four level 1-2 Demon Cats charged ahead.
Perhaps sensing that General Ha was the greater threat, they all chose the same target. They leaped at him and slashed with their sharp claws in unison, ignoring Lu Ran.
Whoosh!
A stone flew through the air.
"Lucky me. It actually hit."
In the blink of an eye, three Demon Cats had reached General Ha. The fourth had faltered mid-charge when a stone abruptly struck its head, leaving it momentarily dazed.
Holding a stick in one hand and having thrown the stone with the other, Lu Ran tightened his grip as the Demon Cat he had hit turned its savage gaze on him.
Meanwhile, General Ha had engaged the other three Demon Cats. He still displayed overwhelming fighting strength, clamping his jaws around one Demon Cat's neck in their very first exchange. Blood sprayed-another instant kill. But in his current condition, he could only take down one at a time. The other two Demon Cats' attacks landed squarely on him. Claws flashed, and in the blink of an eye, his back and side were torn open, flesh splitting as blood poured out.
"Rrrgh!!!" General Ha felt a shocking surge of pain. Bloodshot streaks filled his blue eyes, and he furiously rammed the nearest Demon Cat. Lu Ran desperately wanted to check on him, but having drawn one Demon Cat's attention, he was in serious danger himself.
As General Ha fought the three Demon Cats, Lu Ran charged forward with his wooden stick. The Demon Cat he had struck leaped into the air and slashed at him.
Swinging his stick, Lu Ran realized the Demon Cat intended to shred his weapon with its claws. Given how sharp those claws were, the stick really might be torn apart. But he hadn't brought a long weapon to clash head-on. Taking advantage of its reach, he changed the path of his strike, evaded the claws, and drove the stick into the Demon Cat's body with a thud, sending it flying several meters.
"I should have sharpened the stick."
Seeing the Demon Cat fly back, Lu Ran pressed after it. Thank goodness he had some practice! He had dealt with all kinds of difficult animals since childhood, including disobedient large dogs. Otherwise, an ordinary person would certainly have lost their nerve in a situation like this.
In fact, half the reason General Ha was so obedient now was that Lu Ran had trained him through discipline with a stick.
Who else did they think had been keeping his urge to fight in check all this time?
General Ha's use of "General Lu" was also a sign of his respect for Lu Ran!
Now, Lu Ran intended to rush over and deliver another blow to the Demon Cat's head. Unfortunately, his previous strike clearly hadn't been fatal. The moment the Demon Cat landed, it sprang nimbly to its feet and charged viciously at him again.
It's no use, Lu Ran thought, preparing to repeat the same trick.
But just as Lu Ran focused all his attention, a sudden roar made the attacking Demon Cat freeze. It seemed to abandon its attack, stopping immediately and retreating several steps.
Lu Ran's expression tightened at the cry. He quickly looked toward the Demon Cat leader, thinking it was about to join the fight. The roar had come from it.
Yet to Lu Ran's astonishment, the distant "Demon Cat leader" didn't attack after that cry. Instead, it gave him a long, almost human look, then turned and left.
At the same time, apart from the Demon Cat whose neck General Ha had bitten through, the remaining two also backed away, apparently intending to follow their leader.
"Awooo-" General Ha seemed ready to pursue them, but Lu Ran immediately ordered, "Wait."
Lu Ran's command still worked. Although General Ha maintained his fierce stance and watched the retreating Demon Cats, he began suppressing his aggression.
Being wounded and drawing blood was one of the triggers for General Ha's rabid state, and that condition had now been met.
But seeing the Demon Cats voluntarily withdraw, Lu Ran hesitated.
In moments, Lu Ran and General Ha, who had been facing off against four Demon Cats, watched them retreat completely into the forest.
Only once the Demon Cats disappeared did Lu Ran finally breathe a sigh of relief. His whole body relaxed, and he looked down at his trembling hand.
He didn't know why the Demon Cat leader had ordered a retreat, but if the fight had continued, he and General Ha would clearly have been at a disadvantage. Even if they eventually won, it would have been a costly victory with serious injuries.
He still wanted to ask: This was a freaking beginner trial?
"Woof." General Ha, meanwhile, seemed deeply frustrated, dissatisfied that he couldn't kill all five in a single second. As for fighting five at once... he hadn't thought he would lose.
"Sorry, General Ha. Things are too complicated here to let you fight to your heart's content. Next time... huh? Wait." As he spoke, Lu Ran finally noticed that something seemed to have changed about General Ha.
[Species]: Snowfield Dog [Attribute]: Unawakened [Species rank]: Intermediate extraordinary [Growth level]: Level 2 [Skills]: None
Without them realizing it, General Ha's growth level had reached level 2 after killing another Demon Cat just now. All his stats had clearly increased.
That was why, despite being clawed twice, General Ha had still been able to react and send the Demon Cat beside him flying several meters with a single impact. His strength had been astonishing.
This change delighted Lu Ran.
"Perhaps the Demon Cat leader sensed General Ha's presence growing stronger and decided to retreat."
"We must have been completely unfamiliar to them too."
"That's why the higher-level Demon Cat leader sent its subordinates to test us."
"And that test showed that General Ha could instantly kill a low-level Demon Cat. He also seemed to grow fiercer as he fought, with his presence steadily strengthening."
"They had the advantage in numbers, but the Demon Cat leader didn't dare gamble. It wasn't willing to risk injury for the sake of two prey animals."
"In nature, when a predator gets injured while hunting, what awaits it is often a decline in its standing within the group, along with mortal danger from its natural enemies."
"Although the projected creatures here are extremely aggressive, they should still hunt for food, rather than simply attacking mindlessly. They retain some natural instincts. In other words, my initial judgment was right. You don't necessarily have to win every fight outright. As long as you make your opponent wary enough not to fight, you can survive."
In an instant, Lu Ran had analyzed what had just happened. He didn't know whether he was right, but it seemed to be one of the few possible explanations.
"Anyway, General Ha, hurry over so I can treat you." Looking at General Ha, who had once again made a major contribution, Lu Ran examined his wounds, then glanced at the blood-staunching mushrooms he had collected. "I don't know how well these work, but we'll have to rely on them for now."
He hoped they would work better than the wound medicine he had brought.
"Woof." General Ha nodded at Lu Ran's call.
"Woof?"
But a moment later, as General Ha approached Lu Ran to receive treatment, he suddenly froze in bewilderment and stared blankly at Lu Ran's neck.
At some point, a golden glow had begun shining there.
It was Lu Ran's family heirloom, the antler charm pendant. Somehow, a faint light had started swirling around it.
This sudden change was precisely what had stopped General Ha in his tracks.
As he approached, the golden light made General Ha feel as though his very bloodline was being suppressed. It was like encountering a tiger, and even his eyes became considerably clearer.
The glow grew brighter and brighter. It had been dim at first, but now even Lu Ran began to notice the change in the pendant he wore. As he examined it, a bewildered expression spread across his face.
The Eye of Data, which he had only obtained after entering the secret realm, had now... actually picked up information on the family heirloom charm he had brought from the outside world!
[Name]: Divine Deer Antler [Grade]: Epic [Description]: The antler of the legendary Divine Deer. After absorbing the power of a forest rich in natural energy, it will develop healing power.
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