25: Chapter 25 Kill! Generous Rewards

Seeing that the Gale Weasel had actually turned and fled, quickly disappearing into the depths of the rain curtain, the Flame Claw Beast's hind leg muscles bulged, and it instinctively wanted to give chase.

Lin Chen's eyes flickered, and he called out to the Flame Claw Beast: "Er Huo, stop!"

The Flame Claw Beast slammed on the brakes, turned its head, its eyes full of confusion and eagerness: "Gagu?"

"It's too dangerous."

Lin Chen stepped forward quickly, pressing down on the Flame Claw Beast's shoulder, which was trembling slightly from excitement. He looked toward the direction where the Gale Weasel had disappeared, rain sliding down the lines of his side profile.

"It's still raining heavily now, the weather is extremely harsh, and visibility is too low."

"Plus, we aren't familiar with the terrain in this area. Chasing a strange opponent with a weird status through the wilderness in the rain carries too much risk."

His gaze shifted, his expression calm: "Besides, we aren't sure if there's only one of these things. What if it has companions in ambush, or if it's trying to lure us into a more complex trap?"

Based on Lin Chen's years of experience reading novels and watching movies, scattered pursuits and being isolated without support were often precursors to disaster.

Although the mission reward this time was very tempting, safety was more important.

Although the Flame Claw Beast was somewhat unwilling, it trusted Lin Chen's judgment: "Gagu~"

Seeing this, Old Liu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Having vigor as a young person is a good thing, but knowing how to assess the situation and restrain impulses is an even more commendable quality.

In their line of work, experience is often reflected in this kind of judgment and trade-off regarding risk.

"You're right."

Old Liu nodded and wiped the rain from his face: "Let's retreat back inside first. That beast was severely injured and is soaked in such heavy rain; it might not be able to run far. It won't be too late to organize people to sweep the area once the rain lets up."

The three of them retreated into the house, cutting off the clamor of the pouring rain outside.

Uncle Wang found a dry old blanket to spread on the table and carefully placed the Songsong Dog on it.

The little guy was soaked through, its off-white fur stained with mud and blood. Although the multiple wounds weren't extremely deep, they looked quite miserable, and it twitched slightly from time to time in its unconscious state due to pain.

Lin Chen took disinfectant spray, hemostatic gel, and clean bandages from the first-aid kit equipped in the vehicle and began to treat the Songsong Dog's wounds. This was a required course for every Beast Tamer.

Every student learns courses related to pet treatment during middle school, and even conducts practice.

"Yingwu?"

The cold disinfectant spray made the Songsong Dog briefly conscious. It opened its eyes hazily and was slightly stunned after seeing Lin Chen.

It was the human who saved it.

It felt an inexplicable sense of security, but the pain and exhaustion surged back like a tide, swallowing it up.

Before long, the sound of running and familiar barking came from outside, approaching from a distance.

With a creak, the door was pushed open, and Zhang Zhi rushed in, covered in water stains, followed closely by the Qinglan Hunting Dog, Zhuifeng, which shook its head, sending water droplets flying everywhere.

Zhang Zhi's gaze swept across the room quickly. Seeing that the three of them were unharmed, his tense expression relaxed slightly.

"Is everyone okay?"

He caught his breath and asked urgently: "Where is that Gale Weasel that attacked the Kapok Sheep?"

Old Liu stated concisely: "It was wounded by Lin Chen's Flame Claw Beast and fled to the southeast. We didn't pursue it deep."

"Fled?"

Zhang Zhi frowned and immediately looked at his partner: "Zhuifeng!"

"Woof!"

The Qinglan Hunting Dog understood and immediately began to sniff carefully around the room.

It first paused on the unconscious Songsong Dog, seemingly tilting its head in confusion, but quickly turned to the Flame Claw Beast, whose scent was stronger.

It leaned close to the Flame Claw Beast, its nostrils fluttering rapidly, especially sniffing carefully at the places where the Flame Claw Beast's claws and body were stained with mud and blood.

"Woof woof!"

A moment later, the Qinglan Hunting Dog raised its head, barking continuously toward the southeast, its tail wagging left and right.

It had successfully locked onto the lingering scent of the Gale Weasel from the Flame Claw Beast. Although it had been washed away and diluted by the rain, it was enough for an excellent tracking dog like it.

Zhang Zhi's eyes narrowed, and he spoke without hesitation: "Brother Liu, I'll take Zhuifeng to chase it."

"Wait."

Lin Chen spoke suddenly. He had already quickly treated the deeper wounds on the Songsong Dog and looked up at Zhang Zhi: "Brother Zhang, I'll go with you."

Zhang Zhi was stunned, looked at Lin Chen, and then looked at the eager Flame Claw Beast.

After a week of contact, he certainly understood the strength of the Flame Claw Beast, and the intense confrontation just now also proved that the Flame Claw Beast had the ability to fight that strange Gale Weasel.

But he was still a bit hesitant; after all, Lin Chen was a temporary assistant and had a close relationship with Director Li.

Zhang Zhi cast a consulting look at Old Liu.

Old Liu's gaze lingered on Lin Chen's face for two seconds, recalling the calmness and decisiveness that belied his age when he commanded the Flame Claw Beast earlier, as well as the prudent trade-off when stopping the pursuit.

He nodded: "You two go together. Be careful and stay in touch."

"Yes!" Zhang Zhi didn't hesitate any longer.

"Uncle Wang, please take care of it until we get back." Lin Chen instructed Uncle Wang, then gently patted the Flame Claw Beast: "Let's go, Er Huo."

"Gagu!"

The Flame Claw Beast waved its claws and responded with a low roar.

No pet beast could escape under its claws.

The two people and two pets stepped into the rainy night again.

Not long after leaving the farmhouse, the seemingly endless pouring rain actually decreased at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The dense raindrops became sparse, and the sound of them hitting the raincoats no longer blended into one.

After walking for a few more minutes, the rain turned into a drizzle that was almost negligible.

The thick dark clouds that had shrouded the sky for a long time were pushed aside as if by an invisible giant hand, slowly dispersing.

The air after the heavy rain was filled with the unique, refreshing scent of mud, grass, and rainwater, which was refreshing to the heart and also diluted the bloody smell that had permeated before.

In the distance, the outline of the towering Duanshan Mountains reappeared in the gradually dissipating mist, and a seven-colored rainbow spanning the sky appeared quietly at some point, standing out against the gradually clearing sky.

The rain stopped and the sky cleared, with a rainbow in the air.

The Qinglan Hunting Dog's nose was almost pressed against the wet and slippery mud, tracking steadily forward.

The washing of the rain had not completely erased the fresh traces of the Gale Weasel, especially since it was injured; the intermittent bloodstains mixed with its unique, fishy scent were inescapable under the extraordinary sense of smell of the Qinglan Hunting Dog.

Lin Chen and Zhang Zhi followed closely behind, vigilantly observing their surroundings.

The tracking lasted for about two kilometers.

The terrain gradually transitioned from the edge of the flat farmland to the slightly undulating wilderness, and the outlines of sparse trees in the distance became clearer and clearer.

Finally, the Qinglan Hunting Dog stopped outside a small, not-so-large forest.

It did not move forward, but crouched low, ears erect, emitting a warning growl from its throat, eyes locked tightly on the depths of the woods: "Woof!"

Zhang Zhi lowered his voice: "It's inside."

Lin Chen nodded, signaling the Flame Claw Beast to get ready.

"Gagu!"

The Flame Claw Beast raised its claws and wiped its neck, its gaze stern.

This time, it would never let that guy escape.

The two of them carefully pushed aside the low-hanging branches covered in raindrops and stepped into the dimly lit small forest.

The light was cut into pieces by the dense canopy, casting dappled, swaying light and shadow on the clearing in the forest.

Beside the gnarled roots of an old tree.

The Gale Weasel leaned against the tree trunk, slumped on the wet fallen leaves and moss, its chest heaving violently, every breath accompanied by a bellows-like wheezing sound, appearing extremely difficult.

The wounds on its body were faintly visible, and the charred flesh and turned-out skin were still oozing blood slightly.

Sensing someone approaching, the Gale Weasel suddenly raised its head, its crimson pupils constricted, and a hoarse, threatening growl squeezed from its throat: "Hiss-roar!"

Its state was still crazy and strange. The moment it saw the two of them, it seemed to be stimulated by something, dragging its severely injured body and ignoring the intense pain, it rushed straight over.

"It really is very strange, as if it has lost its mind."

Zhang Zhi looked at the Gale Weasel's reaction, his brows tightly locked: "Zhuifeng, take care of..."

Before he finished speaking, Lin Chen had already stepped forward half a step and said calmly: "Let me do it, Brother Zhang."

Zhang Zhi looked at Lin Chen's calm side profile and the eager Flame Claw Beast beside him, and nodded hesitantly.

He knew that Lin Chen had some kind of mysterious obsession with battles; perhaps this was what a battle maniac was.

Whenever they went out on duty, as long as they encountered a relatively weak First-Tier pet beast, Lin Chen would definitely take the initiative to attack, and only after defeating the opponent would a smile appear on his face.

A very pure smile, just like the one he had every time he beat a BOSS in a game.

Lin Chen looked straight at the crazy Gale Weasel rushing over, his eyes stern: "Er Huo, Small Explosion."

"Gagu!"

The Flame Claw Beast's chest heaved slightly, and orange flame light quickly condensed in the depths of its throat. The temperature of the surrounding air rose quietly at this moment, and even a few falling leaves curled and turned yellow as they approached.

Two seconds later.

Just as the Gale Weasel pounced in mid-air, the moment its sharp claws, carrying a fishy wind and swirling black light, were about to touch the Flame Claw Beast's face, the orange flames accumulated to the peak erupted from the Flame Claw Beast's wide-open mouth!

The pillar of fire was only the thickness of a bowl, but it was dazzlingly bright, suddenly swallowing the pouncing Gale Weasel and illuminating half of the gloomy forest.

"Boom!!"

A deafening explosion echoed in the small forest.

The orange light and flames and the violent shockwave exploded with the hit point as the center, blowing the surrounding tree branches and leaves to collapse crazily, and the damp fallen leaves and mud on the ground were lifted up.

The light dissipated.

The Flame Claw Beast panted slightly and looked forward—the charred Gale Weasel was lying two meters ahead, its eyes closed tightly, no longer having any signs of life.

"Gagu~"

The Flame Claw Beast raised its claws high and cracked a grin.

Just because of you, you want to escape under my claws?

[Defeated a First-Tier Dark Species, obtained 6 EXP]

[Player killed the first Dark Species, mission completed]

[Mission Reward: EXP x15, double exp card x2, badge of light]