However, against miscellaneous enemies, the powerful.50 caliber ammunition was still more than enough. The silver gun body suddenly vibrated, and a huge gunshot exploded. A thumb-thick bullet quickly shot out, first hitting the wolf at the very front.
"Bang!"
"Ow…"
A wail instantly struck.
It is said that wolves have heads and rumps of copper and iron, meaning their skull and hip bones are very hard, with only their abdomen being the softest spot. But in front of a powerful.50 caliber bullet,
Everything was futile. With just one shot, the wolf's head was blasted into watermelon juice. Its entire skull instantly vanished, leaving only a mass of mangled flesh hanging from its neck.
However,
Even in such a gruesome state,
The wolf in front of them did not immediately fall. Its body remained steadily upright, and the tumor on its back began to violently writhe, instantly bursting open.
Numerous disgusting Plaga parasite tentacles rapidly shot out, covered in bone-hardened barbs, as sharp as spears. They could launch attacks from a distance, and being impaled by them would result in severe penetrating damage.
"…"
"If one shot isn't enough, then make it two. Anyway, I have plenty of bullets."
"Bang—Bang—Bang—Bang!"
Upon seeing this,
Javier chuckled softly.
He quickly pulled the trigger again, and deafening gunshots continuously echoed along the lakeside. After expending two magazines, four mangled wolf corpses lay on the ground.
Their bodies and heads had been blown open, leaving only a bloody mess of flesh, exceptionally gory. Even Ada, watching from a distance, couldn't help but rub her forehead. This man had gained another label in her eyes: a perverted corpse mutilator.
"Ow…"
"Hiss, hiss, hiss…"
After dealing with the four wolves, Javier then turned his gaze to the White Wolf curled up on the ground beside him.
At this moment, the White Wolf's hind leg was also injured from the biting, and it was baring its fangs, watching Javier warily, constantly issuing warning sounds.
It seemed Javier's charm wasn't that high.
Even though he saved the White Wolf,
The White Wolf still considered Javier a dangerous human. However, it was also normal; where would humans and wolves find common ground? It would be too absurd for it to instantly be grateful just because it was saved.
"Tsk tsk tsk…"
"Whitey, come here quickly."
And so,
Javier used his ancestral dog-training method, "tsk tsk tsk." Upon hearing this sound, traditional native dogs would assume their owner was about to feed them treats. Should it be fine to use this to train a wolf?
Javier even took out some dried meat from his ring and threw it in front of the White Wolf. Looking at the food on the ground, the White Wolf seemed to gradually lower its hostility towards Javier.
Javier continued to pretend to search for something in his back pocket, secretly taking out some medicine and gauze from his ring. He gently sprinkled it on the White Wolf's leg wound and slowly began to bandage it.
And miraculously,
This White Wolf did not resist due to the pain, which was truly rare… Perhaps it really was a bit spiritual. After bandaging, as a reward, Javier fed it some more dried meat, and then slowly stood up, satisfied.
"…"
"You are very kind, Mr. Javier…"
At this moment, Ada, with her arms crossed, slowly walked to Javier's side. Looking at the now safe and sound White Wolf on the ground, Ada's eyes narrowed slightly as she quietly spoke to Javier, though her tone was a bit strange, making it unclear what she intended to convey.
However,
Javier didn't pay attention.
Instead, he quietly watched the White Wolf eating dried meat on the ground, then calmly began to explain:
"I originally thought it was a weak male wolf, but I didn't expect it to be a female wolf. What a surprise. It's very normal for an unusually colored and weak male wolf to be ostracized by its pack."
"Because it has no reason for other pack members to accept it. Its strength is too weak, it can't be the Alpha, its fur color is unusual, and it's male. There's no way out for it except humble fawning."
"But it's a female wolf. Although those grey wolves were infected by Plaga parasites, they still retained some instincts. Seeing this beautiful white female wolf, they wanted to mate, reproduce, or infect her. But this female wolf is independent, resolute, and stubborn, preferring death over submission. She even fought one against four, holding her own. Do you think I had any reason to stand by and watch her die?"
With an unclear meaning,
Javier looked gently at the White Wolf on the ground, muttering softly to Ada beside him.
"…"
"Hmph, self-important. Do wolves need your help?"
"Hurry up and go! Nearly ten minutes have passed already. If we don't hurry, it's uncertain if we'll even meet at the church in an hour."
Facing Javier's clear words, Ada was silent for a moment, then let out a decisive cold snort and urged him on.
She then walked alone towards the wooden bridge where the fishing boat was docked, leaving only a slender silhouette behind her.
Seeing this, Javier shrugged helplessly,
Indicating that women were truly difficult to deal with, and then quickly followed her…
However,
To Javier's surprise,
When the White Wolf, busy eating dried meat on the ground, saw Javier and Ada leaving, it didn't hesitate. It quickly abandoned the delicious dried meat on the ground, let out a soft whine, and then limped quickly after them.
It stopped a few steps behind Javier, wanting to get closer… but also afraid to approach.
Javier marveled at this sight,
He hadn't expected this White Wolf to be truly spiritual.
It understood how to repay kindness so quickly, which was truly rare. Thinking of this, Javier couldn't help but speak ill-temperedly again:
"It's truly amazing, Ada,"
"Look how much this White Wolf understands how to repay kindness. It wants to join us on our adventure so quickly. Oh, it's just unlike some wicked wolves who only roll their eyes and bite you back."
Bending down,
Javier stroked the White Wolf's head, praising it very obediently. The White Wolf licked Javier's palm, showing affection and gratitude.
As for Ada,
She cast a cold glance at the intimately interacting human and wolf in front of her, her lips twitching a few times. She still huffily replied:
"How embarrassing."
"A wolf actually showing affection to humans? No wonder it gets bullied by its own kind. Besides, it's just because you have more dried meat on you. Once you stop feeding it, it'll roll its eyes, kick you away, and bite you."
In a tone of great disappointment,
After Ada complained, her beautiful hand gripped her vibrant red qipao, and she sat down on the front seat of the fishing boat, her eyes fixed on the lake's reflection of the moonlight ahead, too lazy to continue talking with Javier.
Seeing this, Javier wasn't annoyed,
Instead, a slight smile played on his lips.
He took out the dried meat again to feed the White Wolf, then picked it up and brought it onto the fishing boat, asking the White Wolf with a faint smile:
"Oh, White Wolf, I'm so good to you, how could you bear to abandon me? Right!"
"Howl—!"
And seemingly understanding Javier's meaning,
The White Wolf let out a soft whine in response.
This scene made Ada continue to roll her eyes repeatedly, too lazy to bother with the bizarre conversation between the wolf and the man. After their playful banter, Javier also decided not to be a nuisance anymore. After pulling the fishing boat's engine, with a roar and black smoke, the propeller began to spin at the back, splashing water everywhere, and the small fishing boat slowly began to move towards the opposite shore of the lake.
Alright…
The jokes were over.
Now it was time to officially face the Master of the Lake boss…
After all, this was the real world, and such a massive salamander couldn't be dealt with without heavy firepower. Moreover… there were no infinite harpoons on the fishing boat, and the harpoons hadn't been reinforced, nor could they cause serious damage to the salamander.
Chapter 20: Lake Master Drago
"Whir…"
"Da da da da da—!!!"
The diesel engine roared, and the propeller spun rapidly underwater, constantly splashing a large amount of water from behind.
At night, the entire lake surface was somewhat dark and dim, like polluted water. If it were morning with sunlight, it would appear sparkling, but now… it was like a dark abyss filled with corpses.
And in fact, it was true.
Many corpses were buried deep at the bottom of this lake. Years of bodies soaking in it, while replenishing nutrients for the fish in the lake, also polluted the entire lake environment.
And in the deepest part,
Resided an incredibly huge mutated salamander, also known as Drago, a second-level protected animal with a very long lifespan, usually fifty or sixty years. As for why the salamander at the bottom of the lake became so enormous, the true specific reason is unknown, but it is largely due to eating too many Plaga parasite corpses and mutating.
Although there was a church and a graveyard in the village, the Plaga parasites of Wolf's Valley generally did not place corpses near the church. Many were transported to the lake and disposed of, including some bodies of passersby after rituals, all devoured by the giant salamander in the lake.
Over time,
It mutated.
Its body grew as large as a truck. If the giant salamander Drago in the lake wanted to, it could swallow even this fishing boat whole. Therefore, crossing this Tongtian River beneath their feet was no simpler than for Tang Sanzang; they also had a Linggan Great King beneath them.
In the past, when villagers crossed the river, they would carry some livestock or dead bodies. After throwing them into the lake, the Lake Master Drago would not have time to deal with the people on the fishing boat, but would instead be busy eating the food thrown to it.
But now…
On the fishing boat Javier and his companions were riding, not only was there no food thrown down, but the roaring sound of the propeller and engine was also rattling, incredibly piercing and disturbing.
This had already begun to displease the Lake Master Drago residing at the bottom of the lake. The entire lake bottom started to stir, with large bubbles gushing out from the bottom, and fish swimming nearby began to frantically surface, preparing to escape.
"Howl—!"
And at this moment,
After the White Wolf on the fishing boat finished trying to please Javier, it scurried off to try and please Ada, who had a cold expression beside her.
Despite its considerable size, it still coiled around Ada's fair, long legs, showing a fawning, fake smile and constantly whimpering softly. It even extended its pink tongue to lick Ada's hand.
Goodness,
If Javier hadn't known this White Wolf was female,
He would definitely have thought this guy was a lecherous wolf, a successful reincarnation of some brother, chasing after the beautiful Ada and licking her relentlessly. This was completely unlike what an ordinary White Wolf would do; even a simp wouldn't go that far.
"…"
"I just happen to need a White Wolf scarf. If you're willing to offer yourself, I don't mind letting you continue licking the back of my hand."
Looking at this female White Wolf busily fawning over her, Ada felt very disappointed. She immediately withdrew her hand and slowly pulled out the agent's pistol from her thigh, pointing it at the White Wolf's head. Her voice was cold as she spoke faintly.
Though her words were soft,
The coldness within them was still felt by the White Wolf. It could sense that the big sister in front of it truly wanted to turn it into a White Wolf scarf. Thinking of this, the White Wolf sheepishly retreated a few steps, very sensibly no longer bothering Ada.
It seemed its idea of building a good relationship with the mistress was shattered, which made the White Wolf feel wronged. It still wanted to be taken in by Javier and have small dried meat treats every day, but it didn't expect that the very first step, its relationship with the mistress, would crumble. It also didn't know what it had done wrong. It had been very well-behaved, and it rarely displayed such fawning behavior. Yet, today it failed immediately. Little did it know, Ada disliked the White Wolf precisely because of this fawning attitude. If the White Wolf had shown a bit of backbone, refusing handouts, Ada would have thought more highly of it. But now… it had completely turned into a husky.
"Gurgle gurgle…"
At this moment, looking at the bubbles on the lake surface,
Javier, however, slightly furrowed his brows. He had no time to deal with the bickering White Wolf and Ada. Without any hesitation, Javier threw the crossbow and portable explosives to Ada and quickly explained:
"Get ready, the prey is about to appear!"
"A huge monster resides at the bottom of this lake. Have you seen movies about great white sharks eating people? The situation now is quite similar. Ada, you'll attack with explosive crossbow bolts later, and I'll drive the fishing boat."