Ryan sang his heart out, his facial expressions dramatic and fully committed. Unfortunately, his voice was absolutely terrible. Yet, when he finished, his soldiers clapped and cheered as if he had just performed at a sold-out concert.
Swelling with pride, Ryan raised his bottle. "Well, brother? How was my singing?"
"Awesome!" Ethan replied, giving a thumbs-up to Ryan's smug face. "I won't comment on the vocals—I think the brothers here already know the truth in their hearts. But as for your expressions? Truly groundbreaking. You successfully managed to divorce your facial features from each other!"
"Hahaha!" The entire camp roared with laughter at Ethan's review.
Whether it was Ryan's horrific singing or the smell of roasting meat that drew it in, a low wolf howl suddenly echoed through the dense fog. The soldiers immediately tensed up, gripping their rifles.
Ethan stood up, peering into the mist. With his enhanced vision, he quickly spotted the source: an injured, emaciated female wolf.
Well, survival is tough, Ethan thought with a sigh. Especially for a single mother trying to make it in this unforgiving jungle.
"Relax," Ethan said to the men. "It's just a hungry, wounded wolf. I'll go feed it." He grabbed a large bag, threw some of the discarded pig organs inside, and walked forward.
Blackie and Whiskers immediately tried to follow, tails wagging.
"Blackie, Whiskers, stay here," Ethan commanded.
"Awoo! Meow~" The two pets replied reluctantly, sitting back down and looking dejected.
Watching Ethan walk into the whiteout, Zack, the guard, asked in awe, "Commander, how are Brother Ethan's eyes so sharp? We can't see a damn thing, but he knows exactly what's out there. Does he have x-ray vision?"
Ryan rolled his eyes and glared at him. "X-ray vision? Kid, do you think we're in a web novel?"
"Exactly," Political Commissar Ren chimed in. "Everyone's physique is different. Plus, you have to remember that Brother Ethan is a miracle doctor. It's not a stretch to think he knows how to adjust his bodily functions to their peak state. That's why his senses and arm strength are far beyond ordinary people."
Hearing this, the soldiers nodded in agreement, suddenly remembering Ethan's medical reputation.
About seventy or eighty meters out, Ethan found the mother wolf.
"Grrr..." She bared her teeth, issuing a low, warning growl.
Ethan stopped. He dumped the pig organs onto the ground, took a few steps back, and casually sat on a large rock, quietly observing her.
Sensing the pure, calming Qi radiating from Ethan—and seeing the genuine peace in his eyes—the wolf relaxed. Seeing the food, her stomach rumbled. She limped forward and began to inhale the meat. She didn't just eat; she practically swallowed it whole. Given how skinny and battered she was, she had likely been starving for days.
After finishing the meal, the wolf let out a soft, grateful whine. She limped over to Ethan and slowly rolled over, exposing her soft underbelly—a universal sign in the animal kingdom that meant complete trust.
Looking closer, Ethan saw a massive gash across her stomach and a badly injured leg. In this state, if she hadn't starved, she would have been killed by another predator soon enough.
"Hey there, beautiful. How about I patch you up?" Ethan asked gently.
Though she couldn't understand human words, her high intelligence and intuition told her this human was safe. She gave a slight nod.
Ethan quickly pulled out his silver needles. Within five minutes, the wounds were closed and healing rapidly.
"Alright, you're good to go. I need to head back," Ethan said, pulling back the needles and giving her head a gentle pat before turning around.
A grateful howl echoed behind him, but Ethan just waved a hand without looking back.
"The wolf is gone. Let's pack up and move out," Ethan announced as he returned to the camp.
The men immediately got to work. Just as the horses were being harnessed, a low, urgent howl pierced the fog. The soldiers jolted, instinctively raising their weapons.
Ethan looked up and saw the mother wolf returning. But she wasn't alone. In her mouth, she gently carried a tiny wolf cub. Seeing the large group of armed men, she hesitated, not daring to get too close.
"Don't panic. Lower your weapons," Ethan ordered. "She's a friend now. She won't hurt us."
The soldiers lowered their muzzles. Ethan strode forward to meet the mother wolf as she trotted up to him.
"What's wrong, beautiful? Is your little one sick?" Ethan asked, gently taking the cub from her jaws. He examined the tiny creature. Aside from being weak and hungry, the cub was perfectly healthy.
"Your baby isn't sick," Ethan said, holding the cub back out to her. "You can take him back now."
"Awoo..." The mother wolf stepped back and shook her head.
Ethan blinked. "Wait. You want me to raise your pup?"
"Awoo!" The wolf nodded.
"Come on now, that's practically extortion! I didn't cause your problems, why do I have to be responsible for the kid? Take him back, I'm not running an animal orphanage!"
To his surprise, the mother wolf let out a heartbreaking whimper. Her front legs buckled, and she fell to her knees before him, her amber eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
Ethan's breath hitched. In an instant, his mind flashed back to his own parents falling off that cliff, leaving him entirely alone in the world. His eyes grew misty.
"Alright... alright, I'll raise him," Ethan said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "Get up. You don't need to do this."
The mother wolf stood up, gave two grateful barks, cast one last longing look at her cub, and then turned and vanished into the fog.
Ethan cradled the small pup. "You're a lot luckier than I am, little guy," he murmured. "You have a mother who loves you enough to give you a better life. Mine are gone..."
He walked back to the group.
"Whoa, Brother Ethan, did that mother wolf really just give you her cub?" a soldier asked, eyes wide.
"Yeah. I guess she didn't think she could keep him safe out here," Ethan replied quietly. "Alright, let's move out."
Seeing Ethan's suddenly somber mood, the men didn't press the issue and quietly fell into formation behind him. Ryan watched Ethan carefully. Knowing his background, Ryan immediately realized Ethan was thinking of his late parents. He let out a quiet, sympathetic sigh.
As he led the way through the mist, Ethan discreetly transferred the wolf cub into his Ring Space. He fed it a few drops of spiritual water to build its strength and mentally warned the recovering tiger and wild boars not to bully the new arrival. Only then did he focus back on the path ahead.