Beast Taming: I'm Really Just a Forest Ranger - Chapter 251 - 167: The Key to Tribal Strife (Part 2)
“Gale Hunting Dog, any discoveries?”
Huo Hong glanced around, then looked down at the Gale Hunting Dog beside him.
The Gale Hunting Dog’s physique was between a Shiba Inu and a wolf, its fur showing a bluish-gray hue with lichen-like patterns.
Its ears forked like tender leaves, its tail fur fluffed like ferns, and its emerald-colored nose gently quivered, with clearly visible leaf vein patterns on the surface.
The Gale Hunting Dog sniffed the ground, tracking the suspicious scent.
“I wonder where that fellow went…..” Huo Hong gazed forward, whispering softly.
A while ago, he took on a task from the Baokun City Beastmaster Association to drive away the Wind Raider Mouse that was stealing grain from the farmlands in Nanhe Town.
After accepting the task, Huo Hong, leveraging the Gale Hunting Dog’s keen sense of smell, found the Wind Raider Mouse and, after preparing, drove it away.
However, soon after, a certain research institute suddenly released a bounty task—requiring a Tier Two Wind Raider Mouse for a scientific research task.
As a Bounty Hunter, Huo Hong accepted the task without hesitation.
At the time, he was grateful to the Wind Raider Mouse for not only helping him complete the Association task, but also allowing him to conveniently complete the bounty task.
Contribution Value and money—where else could one find such good fortune?
But he soon realized he celebrated too soon.
After being driven away, the Wind Raider Mouse’s trail quickly vanished. It wasn’t until after days of relentless pursuit that the Gale Hunting Dog, using “Forest Patrol,” finally discovered its footprints left many days before, leading them here.
This place full of Youfeng Su was the new habitat of the Wind Raider Mouse?
“Tsk, all these Youfeng Su seeds have probably been eaten by that guy.” Huo Hong squatted down, carefully observing the Youfeng Su seeds scattered on the ground.
The shells of Youfeng Su seeds had barbs that could attach to animal fur to spread; thus, many bird Pet Beasts would have their beak hooked while eating them.
But the Wind Raider Mouse had hard teeth, capable of easily biting through the barbs and swallowing them whole.
These Youfeng Su were the best food for the Wind Raider Mouse.
“Ow!”
The cry of the Gale Hunting Dog pulled back Huo Hong’s thoughts, and he showed a happy expression: “Did you find it?”
“Ow ow.”
The Gale Hunting Dog barked twice consecutively, then proceeded to step forward, leading Huo Hong to where the scent of the Wind Raider Mouse was detected.
Traversing through the Youfeng Su, after walking for a few minutes, Huo Hong spotted a slender figure lying on the ground, munching on the Youfeng Su.
The Wind Raider Mouse’s fur showed a sandy yellow color, and streamlining scales grew along its back.
Its spiral-shaped forepaws gleamed with a cold light, while its tail end forked like a fan blade, and its cheeks bulged with elastic pouches evidently stuffed with stolen Youfeng Su.
Huo Hong’s lips slightly curled upward: “Finally found you.”
He crouched down and winked at the Gale Hunting Dog, whose body surface lichen patterns blended with the surrounding Youfeng Su, entering a concealment state like a chameleon.
Unless closely observed, the Gale Hunting Dog’s figure was completely undetectable.
Wood Skills, Ye Concealment.
It was precisely this skill that allowed Huo Hong to complete task after task ahead of many Beastmasters.
The Gale Hunting Dog stealthily approached the Wind Raider Mouse, its body compressing the Youfeng Su and making a slight sound, yet unnoticed by the Wind Raider Mouse.
Twenty meters.
Ten meters.
Five meters.
The Gale Hunting Dog suddenly halted, leapt over the one-meter-tall Youfeng Su, silently gazing at the Wind Raider Mouse ahead.
Approaching further would likely alert the Wind Raider Mouse.
Seeing this, Huo Hong issued a command through Mind Sensing: “Cyan Vine Binding.”
In an instant, the Gale Hunting Dog flicked its tail, releasing two green entwined vines, swiftly closing in on the Wind Raider Mouse that was eating, attempting to entangle it.
The Wind Raider Mouse raised its head in confusion. As it saw the howling cyan vines aiming to entangle it from both sides, it became instantly enraged.
After its rage, visions of previously being bound by cyan vines flooded its mind, and its fiery anger instantly dissipated.
Its dark eyes gleamed, and its spiral-shaped forepaw suddenly swung, flashing with cold light, slicing through the cyan vines instantaneously.
At this moment, Huo Hong quickly hurried over, his thoughts racing: “Continue.”
The Gale Hunting Dog sprang forward, its gray-blue figure flaring open with the sound of wind on both sides, flicking its tail to release cyan vines again, howling towards the target.
The Wind Raider Mouse promptly abandoned the Youfeng Su, using its spiral-shaped drill to dig a hole, rapidly rotating its forepaw to create a miniature whirlwind, the sandy dust at the entrance swirling in a spiral.
The dust flew, obscuring the Gale Hunting Dog’s vision, losing track of the target in an instant.
Once the dust settled, the Wind Raider Mouse’s figure was nowhere to be seen.
“Ow ow!”
The Cyan Wind Hunting Dog quickly ran to the side of the ground hole, lowered its head to look down, and could only see the dark entrance, with no sign of the Wind Raider Mouse.
“The speed of digging the hole has increased.”
Huo Hong frowned slightly, suddenly sensing something amiss.
This Wind Raider Mouse’s digging speed wasn’t this fast in the previous times, it would be caught by Cyan Wind Hunting Dog’s Cyan Vine the moment it started digging.
But at this moment, the Cyan Vine of the Cyan Wind Hunting Dog missed.
“Be careful.”
As a qualified Bounty Hunter, Huo Hong knew well to treat each Pet Beast cautiously, even if it seemed unremarkable and harmless, like the Bean Chicken.
If you pissed off the Bean Chicken, it might teach you a lesson with a Bean Shock.
“Awo…..”
The Cyan Wind Hunting Dog tensed its body, clamped its fluffy tail, its deep green eyes looked around, its emerald nose gently sniffling, always tracking the scent of the Wind Raider Mouse.
At that moment, the surroundings plunged into dead silence, only the sound of the Youfeng Su rustling in the breeze.
Thud!
Yet in the next moment, the ground under Cyan Wind Hunting Dog suddenly collapsed, as if swallowed by a giant mouth, the soil falling downwards.
“Awo!”
The Cyan Wind Hunting Dog leapt, trying to escape the spot.
But the Wind Raider Mouse attacked more swiftly and fiercely, its front paws wrapped in fierce white light, emerging in an instant, waving its front paw high, accurately striking the tail of the Cyan Wind Hunting Dog!
“Awo!”
A piercing cry, the tail of the Cyan Wind Hunting Dog got severely injured, and it fell heavily to the ground.
However, its usual training paid off, the Cyan Wind Hunting Dog endured the pain, quickly got up, and attempted to counterattack, but could only see the swirling dust.
The Wind Raider Mouse opted to dig the ground again, diving underground, searching for another chance to launch a sneak attack.
Huo Hong’s face turned unsightly: “This Wind Raider Mouse has gotten so much stronger.”
Last time against the Wind Raider Mouse, it didn’t display such excellent battle skills, and after a brief confrontation, it fled in panic.
But now, it seemed as if it had received careful guidance from a Beastmaster, its overall combat strength skyrocketing, fully utilizing the digging advantage, putting the Cyan Wind Hunting Dog at a disadvantage.
Originally careless, Huo Hong instantly became serious, first casting a Spiritual Protection Shield on himself, then comforting the Cyan Wind Hunting Dog: “We can’t rush, need to pay attention to the movements below.”
“When the ground collapses for an instant, jump up.”
The words had just fallen, the Cyan Wind Hunting Dog immediately noticed the ground below faintly trembling, without much thought, it jumped forward abruptly.
Boom!
Just then, the ground collapsed instantly, dust flying, the Cyan Wind Hunting Dog landed on the ground on the other side, secretly relieved.
But the moment the Cyan Wind Hunting Dog relaxed its vigilance, the ground below roared again, sinking once more, a shadow darted out, swiftly attacking its waist!
“Awo!”
Again in pain, the body of the Cyan Wind Hunting Dog uncontrollably flew backward several meters far, accompanied by a “thud,” hitting the ground heavily.
Sand and dust flew up, and the Wind Raider Mouse’s figure disappeared again.
Huo Hong was shocked: “This this this…”
Is this still the same dumb and clumsy Wind Raider Mouse from before?
This is not right!
Very not right!
In this confrontation, the Cyan Wind Hunting Dog was completely played around, utterly powerless.
Is it that the Wind Raider Mouse has progressed too fast, or has he and the Cyan Wind Hunting Dog stagnated?
No time for more thoughts, Huo Hong hurriedly ran to the Cyan Wind Hunting Dog, squatted down, and asked anxiously: “Cyan Wind Hunting Dog, are you okay?”
The Cyan Wind Hunting Dog’s fur was disheveled, its breath weak, hanging its head, did not respond.
“Are you okay?” Huo Hong asked again.
“Awo awo!”
In the next moment, a canine bark echoed in his ears, yet Huo Hong clearly heard that it wasn’t the voice of the Cyan Wind Hunting Dog.
This…..
He dazedly looked up, the glaring sunlight spilling down.
Huo Hong squinted his eyes, a figure gradually appeared before him.
A majestic Gale Hunting Dog was striding towards them.
