Chapter 7: The Mutation

Lu Ran felt a shiver down his spine.

One, two, three, four, five...

What appeared before him were five monstrous cats!

Damn, so these demonic cats are social creatures?

At this moment, the five cats' eyes were fixed intently on Lu Ran and his companions.

If it had been just five of these demonic cats, it wouldn't have been such a problem.

But Lu Ran soon realized that one of these five was significantly different from the others.

Four of them were similar in size to the one they had encountered earlier, much smaller than Ha Zong.

However, the last one was far larger, almost on par with the original Ha Zong in size, its body muscular rather than the gaunt frame of the other cats.

[Species]: Demonic Cat

[Attribute]: Unawakened

[Species Level]: Medium Transcendent

[Growth Level]: Level 3

Lu Ran's data vision swept across, and his lips tightened. It was a level 3 demonic cat...

At this moment, Lu Ran really felt like running away.

Though Ha Zong was formidable, two fists could never stand against four claws.

However, these five demonic cats had clearly surrounded them, and escaping was no longer an option...

What to do?

Should he trigger Ha Zong's special state?

Previously, Lu Ran had referred to Ha Zong's state as the "norm," but that meant there was an abnormal state as well.

If one were to consider Lu Ran's strange ability, the "Nightmare," a form of illness, it would not just be Lu Ran who was afflicted.

Ha Zong too had its own peculiarities—perhaps that was the reason they had crossed paths.

Once Ha Zong enters a battle frenzy, it loses all rationality, sensitivity to pain, and becomes as vicious as a mad dog.

In this state, Ha Zong's potential seemed to be fully unleashed, greatly boosting its combat prowess.

Currently, only Lu Ran's telepathic ability could awaken Ha Zong's special state.

Ha Zong harbored hidden potential, which was why Lu Ran trusted its battle power.

However, Lu Ran did not want to push Ha Zong into that state.

There was always something about it that felt dangerous, and every time Ha Zong came out of that state, it would collapse unconscious for a while.

"Forget it, let's take it one step at a time."

"Don't worry about me, focus on thinning their numbers."

"And keep an eye on the demonic cat leader."

Thanks to previous combat experience, Lu Ran adapted quickly and immediately issued commands to Ha Zong.

During their fruit gathering, Lu Ran had also found a new weapon: a sturdy wooden stick.

The stick was firm, and with his enhanced physical capabilities, Lu Ran felt confident that, as long as the demonic cats' claws didn't hit his neck, he stood a good chance of taking one down.

Of course, this applied to the lower-level demonic cats.

Against the large level 3 cat, however, Lu Ran felt it would be a tougher fight.

So, this was where Ha Zong came in.

"Meow!!"

To Lu Ran's surprise, the one that appeared to be the leader didn't make the first move either.

It let out a loud roar, and the four 1-2 level cats charged forward.

Perhaps sensing Ha Zong as a greater threat, they all focused on it, leaping and slashing with sharp claws, leaving Lu Ran untouched for the moment.

Whoosh!

A stone was hurled.

"Lucky shot, it actually hit."

In the blink of an eye, three of the demonic cats had closed in on Ha Zong, while the one that had been hit by the stone froze, dazed.

Lu Ran, holding the stick in one hand and throwing stones with the other, tightened his grip on the stick as the furious gaze of the struck cat turned toward him.

Meanwhile, Ha Zong was already in combat with three of the cats. Displaying its immense strength, it instantly killed one, tearing its throat open with a vicious bite. Blood sprayed everywhere. Yet, despite its incredible power, Ha Zong could only down one cat at a time, as the attacks from the remaining two cats struck Ha Zong's body.

Claws slashed across Ha Zong's back and sides, leaving deep gashes, blood spurting from the wounds.

"Ugh!!" Ha Zong cried out in pain, its blue eyes tinged with red as it charged at the closest cat in a fury.

Although Lu Ran wanted to check on Ha Zong's condition, he had drawn the attention of one of the cats himself, putting him in immediate danger.

As Ha Zong fought three of the cats, Lu Ran rushed forward with his stick. The cat that had been hit by the stone leapt into the air, claws slashing down.

Lu Ran swung his stick to defend, realizing the cat aimed to slice his weapon in half. Considering the sharpness of the cat's claws, the wooden stick could indeed break, but Lu Ran wasn't intending to face the cat head-on. Using the stick's length to his advantage, he altered his attack trajectory, evading the claws and delivering a sharp thrust to the cat's body. With a powerful impact, the cat was sent flying several meters.

"I should have sharpened the stick," Lu Ran mused as the cat was sent flying. He was glad he had trained for moments like this. Growing up dealing with unruly animals, including large, uncooperative dogs, had prepared him for this scenario.

It was perhaps due to his firm discipline that Ha Zong listened to him as well as it did, its battle instincts carefully tempered.

Otherwise, who would have kept Ha Zong's combat desires in check?

The sound of "Lu Zong" was Ha Zong's acknowledgment of him.

At that moment, Lu Ran's goal was to strike the cat's head again while it was down. However, the previous blow had clearly not been fatal. The cat swiftly recovered and attacked again with renewed ferocity.

"Useless," Lu Ran thought, preparing to repeat his earlier strategy.

But then, a sudden roar halted the attacking cat in its tracks, as though it had decided to retreat, stepping back several paces.

Lu Ran's expression tensed as he glanced toward the demonic cat leader, thinking it was finally about to act.

However, to his shock, the "leader" didn't charge; instead, it gave him a long, human-like glance before turning and leaving.

At the same time, the two remaining cats also began to retreat, following the leader.

"Awwooo—" Ha Zong seemed eager to give chase, but Lu Ran quickly ordered, "Wait."

Ha Zong, though still in a fierce stance, began to suppress its fury as it observed the retreating cats.

Having suffered injuries and bled, Ha Zong was on the verge of entering its berserk state. But with the demonic cats retreating, Lu Ran hesitated.

In the blink of an eye, the standoff ended with the demonic cats vanishing into the jungle.

With their disappearance, Lu Ran exhaled in relief, his body relaxing as he looked at his trembling hands.

Though he didn't know why the demonic cat leader ordered the retreat, it was clear that continuing the battle would have been unfavorable for them. Even if they had eventually won, it would have been a Pyrrhic victory.

He still wanted to ask, was this some kind of novice trial?

"Aw," Ha Zong seemed upset, frustrated by not being able to take down all five in one go. As for facing five alone... it didn't think it would lose.

"Sorry, Ha Zong, the situation here is too complicated. You can't go all out now. Maybe next time... huh? Wait a second," Lu Ran suddenly noticed something.

Ha Zong had reached level 2, its attributes noticeably improved after its recent kill.

This sudden growth made Lu Ran very happy.

"Perhaps the leader of the demonic cats retreated because it sensed Ha Zong's rising strength."

"They must be very unfamiliar with us."

"Because of this, the higher-level demonic cat leader had its subordinates test us."

"And the result of that test was that Ha Zong could kill a low-level cat in an instant and seemed to be getting stronger as the battle went on."

"Although they had a numerical advantage, the demonic cat leader wasn't willing to risk injury for just two prey."

"In the natural world, if a predator gets injured during a hunt, it faces a decline in its status within the pack and the threat of deadly enemies."

"Though the projection creatures here are highly aggressive, their hunting likely aims for food, not mindless aggression. They still retain some instincts from the natural world. This means my initial judgment was correct: sometimes, a battle doesn't require complete victory. As long as you make your opponent wary enough to retreat, survival is possible."

In an instant, Lu Ran analyzed the situation, unsure of its accuracy but believing it to be one of the few explanations available.

"Anyway, Ha Zong, let's treat your wounds first."

Looking at Ha Zong's injuries, Lu Ran glanced at the hemostatic mushrooms he had collected.

"Although I'm not sure how effective these are, it's all we have to rely on now."

He hoped these would work better than the healing potions he had prepared earlier.

"Woof." Ha Zong nodded at Lu Ran's call.

However, the moment Ha Zong approached for treatment, it froze, staring in confusion at Lu Ran's neck.

From where Lu Ran couldn't tell, golden light was radiating.

It was his heirloom, the deer antler pendant, which had begun to glow faintly.

This sudden change was the reason Ha Zong halted.

The golden light, as it grew stronger, pressed down on Ha Zong's very blood, making it feel as though it were facing a mighty tiger, its gaze clearing considerably.

As the light intensified, Lu Ran also began to notice the change in the pendant.

With his newly acquired data vision, he could now see the details of the heirloom he had brought from the outside world!

[Name]: Divine Deer Broken Horn

[Level]: Epic

[Description]: The legendary horn of the divine deer, when imbued with the power of nature from a forest rich in energy, bestows healing powers.