Chapter 61: The Furless’s Arrow and the Predator’s Mistake
The cougar let out a strangled, agonizing roar in mid-air as Nuan’s arrow pierced deep into her chest cavity.
The sheer force of the high-speed impact disrupted her momentum, causing her to crash heavily onto the dirt floor before she could reach them.
She rolled over, her breathing instantly becoming ragged and uneven. Yet, true to her apex predator nature, she wasn’t completely incapacitated.
Fueled by raw desperation, the big cat scrambled up onto three legs, limping heavily as she leaped backward to put distance between herself and the deadly duo.
Nuan stared down at her, her hand already reaching into her inventory for another arrow. Blue Buddy, she isn’t down yet! I hit the exact spot, didn’t I?
[ Alert: Adrenaline rush has taken effect on the target. ]
[ Target’s lung is deeply pierced, but the arrow missed the vital pulmonary blood vessels due to a last-second aerial twitch from the target’s high reflexes. ]
[ Target’s respiration is dropping rapidly. Stamina depleting significantly. ]
[ To execute: Deliver a secondary strike to the heart, lung, or brain stem before the target retreats into the dense brush. ]
Wow, she actually managed to twist her body in mid-air fast enough to alter the point of impact at this close range? Nuan thought, genuinely impressed despite the danger. Reflex queen, for real!
Sensing the intruder’s vulnerability, Selka’s instincts kicked in. The massive wolf lunged forward, her jaws baring to deliver a crushing bite to the cougar’s neck. But Nuan instantly tightened her grip on Selka’s silver fur.
"Let her go..." Nuan called out through the link, her voice steady.
Selka halted mid-bound, her snapping jaws shutting close as she skidded on the dirt, reluctantly taking a few guarded steps back.
The cougar glared up at Nuan, her golden eyes burning with a mixture of fear and pure aggression.
Realizing she was outmatched, she turned on her three functional legs and bolted toward the thickest brush. With a sudden poof of thick smoke, she shifted into her human form to navigate the dense canopy better, disappearing into the shadows of the woods.
Why did you stop me, furless? Selka asked, her ears twitching back in dissatisfaction. We could have finished her.
"Hn... well, there was no real reason to kill her," Nuan murmured, letting out a breath she’d been holding. "It’s not like we’re hunting for food, and we aren’t here to protect our own borders. If Bramor abandoned this place, it’s open season for any predator to claim a piece of it. We invaded her new territory, and we did exactly what was needed for self-defense. Killing for no reason... I’m not that cruel."
Nuan tried to flash her classic cheeky grin, but it quickly morphed into a painful grimace. She clutched her lower stomach tightly as the sudden, rapid movements from Selka’s aborted lunge triggered a violent wave of menstrual cramps.
Forgive me, little one. Are you alright? Selka asked, her tone instantly shifting to motherly worry.
"Yeah, yeah... I’m fine," Nuan panted, resting her forehead against Selka’s warm neck. "Let’s just quickly harvest those absorbent leaves and get the hell out of here before anyone else decides to claim this mountain."
Selka gave a low huff of agreement. Turning away from the bloody clearing, she began to pad carefully through the dense woods, keeping her stride completely smooth as she tracked the scent of the moisture-absorbing plants.
After a few minutes of strolling through the deep brush, Selka stopped before a massive, sun-baked boulder.
High up, growing directly out of a deep crack in the rock’s face, was a cluster of unique plants with thick, velvety foliage.
Hold on tight, dear, Selka warned through their link. With two powerful, calculated leaps, the massive wolf bounded up the stepping stones and hauled herself onto the flat crown of the boulder.
Nuan carefully slid down onto the stone, keeping her weight off her bad ankle. She leaned over to inspect the vegetation. "Are these the leaves you were talking about?"
Yes, Selka said, dropping heavily onto her side to rest. Luckily for you, it is summer. These only bloom during the hottest weeks of the season. You had better collect as many as your strange blue dust can hold.
Nuan nodded, kneeling by the crack. She began harvesting the large, fuzzy leaves one by one, handling them carefully to avoid bruising the fibers.
She picked about thirty to forty of the prime, fully grown leaves, making sure to leave the smaller buds intact so the plant could regenerate for future harvesting.
After storing the neat stack in her system inventory, Nuan turned around and noticed the old wolf’s eyelids drooping. "Miss Selka?" she whispered.
Selka’s ears twitched, and her head snapped up instantly. You are done?
"Whoa, you were actually asleep?" Nuan chuckled.
Selka gave a small wolfish huff, shaking her head.
"Yeah, I got plenty of leaves! We can finally head back now."
Selka stretched her neck, her joints popping slightly before she stood up. Okay. Climb up and hold tight.
Nuan scrambled onto her back, burying her hands into the thick silver fur. Selka navigated her way down the steep boulders and began the slow, smooth trek back toward the river bank.
The long walk back was peaceful, and they reached the rushing water without any more surprise predator encounters.
After carefully wading across the current back to their own territory, Nuan slid down onto the grass.
Selka gave herself another aggressive shake to fling the river droplets away, then shifted smoothly back into her human form.
Wasting no time, Nuan sat down by the river’s edge. She pulled her wooden mug and a single fuzzy leaf out of her inventory, pouring a small stream of water directly onto the surface to test its capacity.
The leaf drank the moisture instantly, expanding slightly like a high-grade cellulose sponge without tearing.
Hmm Hmm... I see. The capillary action in these plant veins is incredible, Nuan murmured to herself.
"Blue Buddy, activate the Craftsman’s Hand ability."
[ Activating Craftsman’s Hand ability... ]
She stacked six of the highly absorbent leaves perfectly on top of one another to create a thick, cushioned core.
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a long, thin thorn she had snapped off a berry bush on their way back.
Using the thorn like an awl, she meticulously punched a neat row of holes along the perimeter of the leaf stack.
Finally, she threaded a few strands of flexible jungle vine through the holes, weaving them tightly around the edges before securing the end with a clean knot.
"Temporary pad, ready!" she whispered, turning the prototype over in her hand.
"Welp, I don’t exactly have time to do a proper fluid test right now."
She checked her remaining duration on the system overlay.
[ Ability Duration Remaining: 01:23:00 ]
"Let’s make as many of these as I can while the skill is active. After all, this is very delicate, tedious work," Nuan murmured, pulling out another batch of six leaves and setting her fingers to work.
Beside her on the warm boulder, Selka simply stretched out in the midday sun, closing her eyes to take a well-deserved nap while the human continued her strange work.
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