Little Family Treasure of the Apocalyptic Boss

Chapter 10: Magical Beasts

A piercing beastly roar echoed through the tranquil forest, startling numerous birds into flight.

With a casual flick, Ye Ze shook off the bloodstains on the wooden thorns, his expression indifferent. He turned around and retraced his steps.

The slender wooden thorns, which had just taken the life of the prey, instantly coiled into a ring and wrapped around Ye Ze’s wrist. It looked like an ordinary brown bracelet, revealing no hint of anything unusual.

Behind him, the emerald vines gathered together, lifting up the enormous white tiger, nearly three meters tall. They skillfully drained its blood, processed its tiger skin, bones, and meat. Even the internal organs were thoroughly cleaned through the absorption ability of the plants.

Then, the neatly categorized products were presented in front of Ye Ze and stored in the system space.

The sound of sparse grass rustling followed Ye Ze’s footsteps closely.

Ye Ze’s cold and sharp gaze quickly softened, revealing a gentle smile. “Take it slow, be careful not to fall.”

As he spoke, he reached into the basket behind the little snake sub-beast and stored the newly collected plants in the space.

The weight on his back suddenly lightened.

Although An Nuo had experienced many times when Ye Ze shared the burden for him, he still found the disappearance of items into thin air quite novel.

Watching Ye Ze’s magical hands, he blinked his starry eyes.

“I’m fine.” The little snake sub-beast grabbed the straps with both hands and jumped in place, showing his vitality. “Thanks to Ye Zi, I feel light all over and can walk very far!”

“Also, I’ve never been this far before, and I found lots of wild vegetables and fruits. I even picked up a nest of eggs, there are seven of them!”

The little snake sub-beast chattered and shared his harvest with Ye Ze. His soft tail abdomen pressed against the dry branches, making crackling sounds that worried Ye Ze. He quickly pressed the person down, surveyed the tail, and found no traces left on it. Only then did he relax.

“Don’t do this in the future. What if the tail gets scratched?” Saying this, several vines swept over, pushing away the sharp-ended branches.

—For the first time in the life of the apocalyptic overlord, he had brought someone into his territory, which was quite protective.

The little snake sub-beast tilted his head in confusion, not understanding why he had to be cautious suddenly after using his tail to walk for so many years. However, hearing Ye Ze’s concern, he nodded obediently.

What Ye Ze said was right. He just had to follow the instructions!

The little snake sub-beast laid his tail on the ground, peacefully awaiting Ye Ze’s next move with the small basket on his back.

Ye Ze sighed, not expecting him to take care of himself. When he went back, he would check the interdimensional mall to see if there was anything to protect the tail without hindering the little snake sub-beast’s movements.

Their activity range was expanding, and the terrain was becoming more complex. One day, they might run into sharp objects.

Ye Ze didn’t want to see the tail that he had finally raised with some flesh get a few more wounds.

Ye Ze patted the little snake sub-beast’s head. “Let’s go a bit further today. I saw a good prey over there.”

“Okay!” An opportunity to collect more food was something An Nuo wouldn’t refuse. He was even a bit eager.

Ye Zi’s demonstrated strength in these days thoroughly convinced him. Therefore, he could calmly accept the fact that Ye Zi intended to make contact with magical beasts.

Just like every previous hunting expedition.

An Nuo stayed outside the range of the hunt, gathering materials that could be used at home in the forest. Ye Ze would sneak into the vicinity of the prey and harvest the selected items.

If the distance is close, after dealing with the prey, Ye Ze would notify the vines guarding the little snake sub-beast, passing on the message that it was safe to approach.

If the distance is far, Ye Ze would return to the side of the little snake sub-beast and then take him to search for resources in the surroundings.

This time, the energy sensed by the plants was significantly higher than that of ordinary fierce beasts, indicating that they had encountered the magical beasts mentioned by An Nuo.

Not much stronger than the tiger they had just dealt with, it was perfect for practice and obtaining information about magical beasts.

However, for safety, Ye Ze made the place where the little snake sub-beast stayed a bit farther than usual.

To ensure this, Ye Ze specially awakened a few mutated seeds that had been nurtured by his ability recently, leaving them beside the little snake sub-beast.

Only after everything was set up could Ye Ze barely let go of his worries.

Ye Ze used his ability to leap and move among the branches of the forest. His speed was much faster than before, almost making it impossible for people to see his figure before he disappeared from view.

The target locked by Ye Ze was a black bear. It was much larger than any beast Ye Ze had seen before. Its eyes were crimson, and a brutal emotion flickered beneath its dark fur. It was currently using its paw to press down a forest deer for a bloody feast.

A black bear capable of using Beast Power, similar to the power of a beastman, undoubtedly dominated this area. No one dared to provoke its authority easily.

Therefore, even when eating, the black bear displayed a reckless and arrogant attitude.

But all of this changed today.

Thorn-covered vines emerged from the ground around the black bear, targeting the greedy ruler. The sharp thorns mercilessly attacked various vital points on the black bear without any fear.

This blatant provocation angered the already irritable magical beast.

The black bear roared in anger. With a speed contrasting its robust size, it slapped away the four vines attacking it. The surface of its paw was covered with a soil-yellow energy membrane, not only untouched by the thorns on the vines but also breaking several thorns on the vines.

The battle continued.

Discovering that the vines came from the ground underfoot, the yellow energy appeared strangely again. Streaks of spikes pierced through the soil, forming tightly interlocking teeth.

One of the vines was crushed.

Ye Ze hid among the branches of the trees. Squinting his eyes, he calmly analyzed various attacks of the black bear. Soon, he had a concept of how the energy, resembling abilities, was displayed.

After a moment, he turned his wrist, and the wood thorns resembling long swords flew out from between his wrists. Ye Ze caught one, leaping down from a tall ancient tree.

The sharp edge of the wood thorn cut into the thick neck of the giant bear. Before the giant bear could react, Ye Ze descended easily, slicing off the bear’s head like cutting tofu.

Blood gushed out from the incision like a fountain but was blocked by the woven vines, tightening and binding to the surface of the wound.

In the blink of an eye, the vines saturated with blood emitted a faint red glow on the surface. Gradually gathering on the thorns, it made the tips radiate a more enchanting crimson color.

The unexpected amount of energy contained within surprised Ye Ze.

Moreover, at this level, hunting a large number of them would be completely problem-free.

Satisfied with his conclusion, Ye Ze nodded. He collected the segmented materials, and in a flash, he disappeared from the spot, rapidly returning.

“Nuo Nuo, we can go home.”

“Great~!”

“We got a lot of harvest today.”

“Because no one else has been here. But in a few days, the tribe will officially start preparing for winter, and there will be beastmen-guarded gathering teams going out. By then, the resources around here will also decrease. But don’t worry, Ye Zi, I’ve been collecting and preparing well!”

“Really? Nuo Nuo, you’re amazing, thinking so thoughtfully.”

“W-Well, it’s not that great…”

Ye Ze and the little snake sub-beast chatted while walking back along the familiar path.

In the sky, the sun was slowly setting, preparing to go home. It cast their shadows long, very long. Shoulder to shoulder, there would never be an end to their journey.

The energy in the meat of magical beasts was as gentle as that of fierce beasts, and its level was even higher. As Ye Ze expected, it was well-received and quickly purchased by loyal customers within the interdimensional marketplace. New customers were gradually increasing as well.

As usual, Ye Ze distributed some of today’s hunted magical beast materials to Jiang Yichen, then put the rest on the shelves. After calculating the current points, he expanded the shop with five more trading stalls.

The initial points were never enough, and in the blink of an eye, they fell back to below a hundred.

Ye Ze shook his head with a wry smile. Just as he was about to log out as usual, he suddenly received a message from Jiang Yi Chen.

[Sorry, I was buying snacks with the bunny and didn’t notice your message. Among the recent ingredients, I’ll pay a high price for these types. [Images] Oh, the big buyer is here.]

Ye Ze whistled teasingly, [Sure, I’ll keep an eye out.], then remembered the little snake sub-beast at home.

Speaking of which, the little snake sub-beast wasn’t that old. Would he also like those snacks and treats?

Ye Ze’s steps to log out took a complete turn, heading towards the food street.

“Ye Zi?”

Suddenly, someone covered the little snake sub-beast’s eyes from behind. At first, he shrank uneasily, but soon he settled down in the familiar scent and warmth. Puffing up his cheeks in protest, he said, “I’m still cooking. The food might burn!”

Wasting food is not good behavior. The Beast God will punish for that!

“Don’t worry; I’m watching it for you.” The overlord of the apocalypse covered the little snake sub-beast’s eyes with one hand, holding a beautiful little box in the other, bringing it in front of the little snake sub-beast.

The little snake sub-beast’s voice was soft and tender, deliberately emphasizing the tail sounds, not sounding angry at all. Instead, it sounded more like coquetry. His eyes blinked under the palm of Ye Ze, and the long eyelashes swept over the skin of his palm, tingling and tingling to the bottom of his heart.

Ye Ze couldn’t help but smile a bit, his voice containing laughter, “I came to give Nuo Nuo a little gift. Do you want it or not?”

Ah. Why does the gift have to be given while cooking? Nuo Nuo really smells something burning!

The little snake sub-beast quickly moved his arms to flip the meat slices in the pan, and with the other hand raised, he grabbed Ye Ze’s arm, the tip of his tail beating anxiously.

Ye Ze was amused by his reaction. Finally, with great compassion, he released the hand covering his eyes. But he swiftly moved the box of small cakes down, blocking the little snake sub-beast’s hurried gaze once again.

“Look, a gift.”

At the same time, the unmistakable smell of burning wafted out.

Wow! The meat is already burnt! QaQ

The little snake sub-beast’s golden teardrops also appeared in the corners of his eyes. He turned his head, sulking and resentfully stared at Ye Ze: Liar! You said it wouldn’t burn, but it did, and it smells so strong!

The little snake sub-beast, who was being bullied, was just too cute.

Ye Ze, who unintentionally teased him, smiled awkwardly, raised his hands in surrender. Controlling the newly grown red thorn vine, he swiftly swept away all the burnt meat, pretending nothing happened, “Nuo Nuo, look, there’s nothing burnt now.”

Little snake sub-beast: QaQ

Then, he lifted the cover of the cake box, revealing exquisite and sweet little cakes, “A little gift. I think Nuo Nuo will like it.”

Little snake sub-beast: Q…

The little snake sub-beast showed a curious expression, his attention drawn to the sweet cream cake.

Ye Ze breathed a sigh of relief, having successfully shifted the focus. He enticed the little snake sub-beast to the vine table with a small cake, and behind him, vines flew around, quickly scooping up the half-cooked meat from the pan.

Perfect!

The overlord of the apocalypse silently gave himself a thumbs up. He continued to dash towards the childish behaviour with increasing enthusiasm.