Qi Xu had been running and maneuvering until two more wolf monsters appeared. Only then did he shout, "Charge!"
Little Seven shot forward like a tiny cannonball, while Sweet Girl had already camouflaged herself to match the color of the road, lingering around the wolf monsters.
Qi Xu took on two of them, leaving the remaining one for Little Seven and Sweet Girl. His right hand wielded a long electric chainsaw, while his left hand calmly blocked attacks with a circular saw.
But these wolf monsters had clearly leveled up—they’d even learned feints, faking left before striking right, retreating before attacking. They’d definitely grown smarter.
Little Seven was momentarily fooled, nearly falling for it, but Qi Xu rushed in to block the attack.
Still, a wolf claw grazed his shoulder, sending Little Seven and Sweet Girl into a frenzy. Their favorability points shot up by 10 simultaneously, and then they launched a coordinated assault—one high, one low...
Qi Xu could’ve dodged that claw, but he wanted to test the durability of the pink chainsaw’s upper-body armor. He needed to gauge its limits to plan battles better.
After all, opportunities like this were rare.
He felt a faint pain—his shoulder was probably red and swollen—but it didn’t hinder his fighting. What he didn’t expect was the sudden outburst from the two little ones...
The wolf monster that thought it had landed a hit was soon bitten by Sweet Girl and collapsed, only for Little Seven to chomp down and snap its neck clean in two...
Qi Xu stopped holding back, swinging his chainsaw in fierce, precise strikes aimed at vital points.
For monsters at this stage, an 8th-tier weapon like the pink chainsaw was unstoppable. A single touch sent blood gushing like tiny fountains from their bodies...
Against Qi Xu—strong, relentless, lightning-fast, with two pets providing combat support—the monsters stood no chance.
Their reinforcements fell one by one...
Qi Xu knew when to quit. He felt fine—accustomed to prolonged battles, his "Undying War God" effect hadn’t even activated yet.
But Little Seven and Sweet Girl needed time to recover and reflect. Growth couldn’t be rushed.
So Qi Xu ushered them into the vehicle and drove off at a steady 60 mph.
"You okay? No injuries?" he asked, glancing at the pet status panel.
Everything looked normal. The two were yipping excitedly, though Little Seven soon dashed off to gulp down water, its big round eyes darting toward Qi Xu.
Understanding, Qi Xu pulled out extra food and even added an energy stone.
Little Seven ignored its usual favorite—a big bone—and went straight for the energy stone. Qi Xu, never having raised pets before, was puzzled...
Did battles drain them this much?
He hurriedly offered one to Sweet Girl.
Sweet Girl swallowed the stone... then spat it back out. It was too much—she hadn’t even digested breakfast yet.
Realization struck Qi Xu: this had to be tied to Little Seven’s innate talent...
Little Seven devoured three energy stones in a row and immediately leveled up to Tier 5—an absurdly fast progression.
Its appearance had changed too: a faint energy aura surrounded it, its body had grown larger, its teeth sharper, and its limbs thicker.
At first, Qi Xu had thought Little Seven’s talent was weak. Its initial combat stats were far lower than Sweet Girl’s—just 3 points compared to Sweet Girl’s 39 at hatching.
"Easy absorption, aids digestion, iron teeth"—the description had seemed odd. Now he understood: eating was a blessing. The more resources it consumed, the stronger it grew.
A classic case of "feed it enough, and it’ll ascend to godhood."
Even Sweet Girl looked envious, unable to stomach more...
For pets, abundant energy was good, but exceeding their limits could backfire.
With this discovery, Qi Xu dumped 100 energy stones into Little Seven’s dog bed.
"Eating’s good. Don’t hesitate to ask—eat as much as you want. No holding back."
Little Seven: (╥﹏╥)...
[Pet Little Seven’s favorability +20. Current: 90.]
"Congratulations, Player ‘Invincible Black Whirlwind’! Your combat hound Little Seven’s favorability has reached 90. Barring unforeseen circumstances, it will never betray you. Reach 100 to unlock additional rewards. Keep striving!
(You may inform your pet to add some urgency.)"
What a scam. Absolute scam.
Emotions were complicated enough. How could he tell Little Seven, "Hurry up and like me more so I can get rewards"? It’d either stress the poor thing out or leave it confused...
Zero benefit.
Qi Xu wasn’t in a rush. He genuinely saw Little Seven as a companion. Bonds were mutual—no need for constraints or pressure.
So he didn’t mention it. When the screen alerted him to a golden supply box by the roadside, he turned to look.
A few skeleton monsters loitered around it. He’d disabled the auto-collect mechanical arm—using it now would get it wrecked.
Skeleton monsters were tough. Though lacking special abilities, their defense was insane. Even if you shattered their bones, they’d slowly piece themselves back together.
The only way to finish them off was dismemberment—quickly scattering the parts into the dark fog on either side to prevent "healing."
Otherwise, they’d gradually reassemble and revive...
This was Qi Xu’s first encounter with skeleton monsters this round. There was a dedicated Skeleton Dungeon, but normally, they stayed inside. Their presence here meant one thing: the "Hundred Ghosts Roaming" event.
All monsters would flood the roads. Qi Xu wondered if he’d get to see the dough monster again—he missed the little guy. Even the gym summoning had stopped working.
He briefed the group chat on skeleton monster traits before heading out with Little Seven.
Sweet Girl stayed behind this time. Her talents—camouflage and venom—were useless against boned, poison-immune foes.
Worried she’d feel left out, Qi Xu cradled her and patiently explained, pointing at the skeleton’s bones to make it clear.
Sweet Girl affectionately coiled around his wrist, showing she understood, then slithered onto the control panel by the window to watch.
Only then did Qi Xu leave with Little Seven.
Unseen by him... Sweet Girl started wriggling wildly the moment he was gone.
..........
