TEB Ch 93

The sound was coming from the left. The distance seemed to be at least 200 meters. Although Suhyuk’s main job at the wildlife protection center was not rescue work, he had been involved in rescue operations quite often due to the shortage of personnel at the center. 

In such cases, the most important thing was his ability to find animals in need of help in the thickly overgrown forest. Even though the reported location was definitely there, the wild animals would hide like ghosts, as they perceived revealing their location to humans as a threat to their survival. 

Thanks to that, it’s quite a challenge to find them.

The people who had been working there for a long time said they could immediately identify the type of animal and their movements just by listening to the sound. Suhyuk, however, had not reached that level yet. He had become familiar with directions and distances while helping Mr. Lambert with his lodgekeeper activities, but he didn’t have those skills, he would have thought of the rustling of leaves shaking in the wind. 

“It might not be a monster, but just a regular wild animal.” 

Liev cautiously approached the direction where the sound was coming from, holding his breath. Renard also had a puzzled look on his face, but he followed Liev, completely concealing his presence. Slowly, stealthily. If they made any loud noise by stepping on a branch, it would definitely run away. 

Monsters usually had the habit of living in groups. Some individuals lived alone, but most of them formed groups or packs, and the monsters that had appeared at their destination were also creatures that lived in groups. Since the sound they just heard could have been made by an individual that had temporarily separated from the group, it would be better to quietly observe and find out where the group was before subduing it. 

Crunch. 

Then, they heard footsteps and were able to pinpoint the location more accurately.

“It seems to be over there.” 

Renard whispered as quietly as possible. Liev nodded and replied just as quietly, brushing his lips against his mouth. 

“Yeah, let’s not attack right away. We need to know where the group is to take them down all at once.” 

They slowly approached, trying their best not to reveal their identities, and through the thick bushes, they saw the reddish-brown fur of an animal. It wasn’t a monster, but just a wild animal like a rabbit, squirrel, wolf, or mountain goat?

As he approached closer, Liev couldn’t help but be surprised at the appearance of the creature he had mistaken for a mountain goat. It was a young wolf with fluffy fur, peeking through the gaps between leaves. 

“Oh…wow” 

“…….” 

What was beyond the bushes was a baby wolf with a fluffy coat that looked like a puppy. For that moment, Liev was so surprised that he couldn’t help but open his mouth, and Renard immediately narrowed his eyes and glared at him. It was a look that seemed to be like a lover or a spouse looking at someone else. It couldn’t be helped. If someone was on high alert and suddenly came face to face with such a cute baby wolf, it would be hard for anyone to keep themselves from being distracted. 

Wow…

This was a rare sight that Liev had never seen before, even when he worked as a veterinarian, a mountain lodge keeper, or at the magical horse research institute. The wolf seems to be about two to three months old. Although it was still small, it was about the size of a medium-sized dog, possibly because it was about to enter adolescence. So, it was the size of a normal dog.

It had a youthful look, but its arms and legs were long, and its balance was off due to growth. Its changing facial fur made it look like a monkey, which was too adorable to bear. Liev was so enraptured by the sight that he didn’t even realize that he was staring at it. Renard immediately complained. 

“What are you doing? Don’t we have to go catch it or follow him?” 

Liev suddenly came to his senses. Of course, Renard was right. As cute as it was, monsters are still monsters. The thought of these creatures hunting and eating people with their protruding teeth and sharp claws beneath their fluffy snouts sent shivers down his spine. You could immediately tell the difference between a normal wild animal and a monster just by looking at it. Unlike ordinary irises, the eyes are shaped like sparkling flames. Liev’s heart was drawn again to the common characteristics of monsters. 

“Oh, right. Of course.” 

He held his breath and waited for the creature to move. However, for some reason, it just kept shaking and sitting in the same spot without taking a single step. 

Why?

Is there somewhere uncomfortable in your body? Liev took out the small binoculars he had put in his pocket. As I turned the small lens this way and that to take a closer look, something metallic on the ankle of its hind leg glinted under the light. What is that? Hoping the creature would move so he could see better, he fixed his gaze on its ankle. It looked like an identification tag in the shape of an anklet.

That looks really painful… 

The identification tag, made of a long, flat plate bent into the shape of an anklet, was wrapped around its ankle, pressing into the flesh and constricting it. Normally, tags like this were only placed on fully grown individuals. Naturally, as the body grows, the tag would tighten around the area it was attached to, and if it continuously obstructed blood flow, it could, in the worst-case scenario, lead to necrosis^[1].

First, it was a creature that had been handled by humans but was currently not being cared for.

Second, it should have continued to receive human care, but that was no longer the case. The implications of these two points were clear. At the very least, this particular creature came to this place under human control. Whether this place is the original habitat of that species or whether someone brought it here intentionally or unintentionally could not yet be stated definitively.

“What should I do first?” 

Should I capture it and take it with me to show my colleagues? While he was contemplating, the creature started whimpering. It must be a lot of pain. After standing and observing for a while longer, there were no other creatures approaching to take care of it. 

“Whimper, whimper… whimper…” 

As he turned his head to look at his back leg, the cycle of pain repeating itself as his ankle was bumped into became too much to bear. In the end, even if he were to defeat it, it didn’t feel right to leave it in such pain. 

It kept turning back, seemingly bothered by its hind leg, but every time its ankle was touched, it seemed to hurt even more—a vicious cycle of pain. Even if it would eventually be hunted down, leaving it in such pain didn’t feel right.

“……” 

Liev thought for a moment before slowly walking towards the creature. Renard followed closely behind him and grabbed Liev. 

“Why? What are you going to do?” 

“What else? At least I need to free its ankle. It might help us if we can find out exactly what it is.”

If it wasn’t that, and only a simple code or numbers were written on it, that would mean it came from a facility whose origin couldn’t be traced. That alone could potentially become a clue to finding the cause of a series of monster disturbances. With that calculation in mind, Liev emerged from the trees, and the creature suddenly jumped upright like some kind of puppy, wagging its tail.

“Woof, Woof! Woof!” 

It was more of a cry than a bark, typical of a large dog that was still growing. As I approached to get a better look at its ankles, it started growling, as if it had sensed that I was a stranger. 

“It seems like this guy is familiar with people.” 

From a distance, he thought it would be someone who could help him, but as I got closer, he became more guarded towards me as he smelled me up close. Regardless, though it seemed to want to run far away, its body wouldn’t cooperate, and it kept collapsing after only a few steps, unable to move further.

“Stay still. I’ll at least take that off for you.”

Liev grabbed the creature, and his hand slipped under its fur. The fur was so fluffy that I couldn’t tell from a distance, but I could feel it clearly as I touched it. Its bones were sticking out of its skin due to not being properly fed for a long time.

“Grrrr, grrr, grrr!” 

Thinking that Liev was trying to harm him, the creature showed its teeth and tried to attack, but Renard, standing firmly behind Liev, glared at the creature and shouted.

“Don’t growl at Liev!” 

Though the words sounded like nothing more than a childish tantrum, a dragon is still a dragon. Having hidden its presence until now, the overwhelming pressure of its sudden appearance made the creature instantly tuck its tail and curl up, burrowing into Liev’s arms.

“Whimper, whimper… whimper…”

Truly, it was weak in the face of the strong, yet acted like a fearless warrior in front of those it deemed easy targets. Liev stifled a laugh and, taking advantage of the opportunity, carefully grasped the creature’s hind leg.