Chapter 164 Minor Disagreements
After a delicious breakfast, I finally saw the gray wolf that had followed me all the way here, greeted by a sleepy-looking Annie.
How should I describe the state of this gray wolf in front of me? It's definitely not like the ones I'm familiar with.
This refers not only to differences in size, but more importantly to something deeper inside.
Compared to the few that had been driven away by Shen Xue before, the gray wolf in front of them, with its fur ending in dark gray to almost black and a larger size, had eyes that, upon closer inspection, were not the usual dark brown or oily green, but rather a deep, cold, dark red that revealed a cruel and bloodthirsty quality, far more intense than Annie's eyes. It stared intently at the people nearby, and two pairs of sharp teeth protruded slightly from its muzzle, revealing a fierce aura that refused to let anyone get close when it opened and closed its mouth.
Of course, the most peculiar thing is that a faint black smoke slowly rises and evaporates around it, which looks like some kind of ominous sign from a distance, making people wary.
"Can this guy really be used with confidence?"
After silently staring at the gray wolf for a long time, Miyuki was the first to raise a question.
She gripped the hilt of the longsword that she had moved to her waist, and took only one step forward. Before she was even fully in front of the gray wolf, she saw the gray wolf, which had been in a state of alertness, growl and slowly retreat while lowering its upper body, assuming a posture of preparing to attack and defend.
The Pegasus, gathered far away from the direction of the gray wolves, paced restlessly. A few timid ones had already flapped their wings and taken to the air, hiding behind their leader's outstretched wings, casting long, distant glances.
Shen Xue silently turned to Annie, who was standing nearby, her icy gaze revealing a deep distrust.
Blinking, Annie looked at Shenxue, then at the gray wolf beside her, and asked slightly, "What are you doing?"
Great, I almost forgot that this guy is a complete idiot who has no sense of crisis and not much ability of his own.
"I was just wondering if I should make a cut first."
"Kuwuwu—"
"Don't be like that. There's no reason for us to fight each other, is there?"
The petite girl approached the gray wolf, which was emitting a defiant growl, and casually placed her hand on its neck, rubbing its soft fur haphazardly. As she stroked it, she said to us, "Look, this kid is pretty well-behaved, isn't he? It doesn't react much even when I pet it like this, completely different from the others I've seen before. Maybe it can be quite helpful on the journey ahead."
She was really worried that the gray wolf, which was much larger than her, would suddenly get angry and turn around and bite this clueless girl to death.
At such close range, even if Miyuki has strong abilities and quick reflexes, it won't be effective!
However, there is still a considerable gap between reality and imagination.
No matter how many ways I considered in my mind how to successfully rescue Annie should danger arise, even if it meant losing a limb, none of that happened. Even the gray wolf, which had been maintaining a defiant posture, gradually calmed down under Annie's casual stroking. It lay flat on the cold, wet ground, closed its eyes, and let Annie continue to rub and stroke it.
Perhaps out of curiosity about their interaction, Hikari, who had been quietly observing for a long time, tentatively took a few steps closer. Seeing that the gray wolf did not show any particular aversion, and at Annie's prompting, she hugged me and slowly approached—although the gray wolf suddenly opened one eye and glared at her, it quickly looked away and did not make any more hostile moves, as if it had tacitly agreed.
The dark gray wolf fur is slightly stiff, but still soft, and feels like the tender green grass that just reaches your wrist when you first step on it. It will return to its original position on its own after you step on it lightly, swaying from side to side with the wind blowing through the forest.
Placed on the wolf's back, I paced back and forth, feeling that nowhere fit me. Its spine was too prominent, its waist too thin, and its shoulders too muscular. The triangular ears on its head kept turning toward me, and its tail drooped, making it look listless.
However, since Hikari hadn't yet snapped out of her interest in exploring the wolf's body up close, I randomly found a barely acceptable area on the wolf's head, ignored the little guy's objections, and forcibly pressed it down to lie down.
Feeling uncomfortable, the gray wolf shook its head irritably, but eventually obediently rested its head on its outstretched paws, eliciting three cries of surprise—two of them from delight and one from astonishment.
As for Miyuki, she silently put the longsword she had extended millimeters back into place.
Looking down into its dark red, fierce eyes that were straining to roll upwards, I patted its head with my paw and ignored it. Instead, I closed my eyes and let my senses envelop the gray wolf's entire body, carefully sensing the flow of magic within it.
Compared to its kind, this one beneath me always gives me a vague sense of unease, but I can't quite pinpoint what the problem is.
In my perception, the magic flowing within the gray wolf's body, though chaotic, formed a recurring cycle. Its size was also slightly larger than that of the spiritual and intelligent pegasus spirit beast in the distance. It didn't seem like a purely wild animal; rather, it was more like the monsters I encountered on the edge of the gray zone, yet it lacked that chaotic and violent tendency to attack...
...That's not entirely true either; judging things based solely on one-sided feelings is an incorrect approach.
I should observe several more samples from different segments, preferably those from the same wolf pack, and confirm their identities.
And perhaps it was because of the monsters encountered in the Dark Zone, the thin mist surrounding it seemed increasingly familiar... Could it be? The area that the gray wolf had passed through before didn't seem to have any signs of contamination.
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