The bloodthirsty wolf spider's ferocious mandibles got closer and closer, about to bite Shao Zifeng's head.
At this moment, the flaming ball protected in Shao Zifeng's arms throbbed violently, expanding into a giant, burning fireball.
The bloodthirsty wolf spider hurriedly halted its momentum, its claws skidding on the ground, sending out sparks. It used its forelimbs to shield its head, slowly retreating a few steps.
The burning fireball appeared quickly and disappeared just as fast. Moments later, it contracted swiftly and retracted back into the baby armadillo lizard's body.
The alleyway plunged back into darkness, seeming even darker than before.
"Tap, tap, tap," the bloodthirsty wolf spider, undeterred by the lack of flames, reopened its mandibles and lunged forward again.
In the darkness, a pair of bright eyes suddenly opened, with two flames burning within the pupils.
The little creature nuzzled Shao Zifeng gently with its head, then broke free from his embrace, shooting toward the bloodthirsty wolf spider like a bullet.
The frenzied bloodthirsty wolf spider became overjoyed upon seeing the small creature rushing toward it, biting down and swallowing it in one gulp, with both rows of sharp teeth closing rapidly to prevent its escape.
Seeing this, a mocking smirk curved across Shao Zifeng's lips.
A flicker of panic flashed in the bloodthirsty wolf spider's crazed eyes, followed by bursts of flame shooting out from between its teeth.
Its head and abdomen swelled like overburdened balloons, forming ugly bulges.
It roared in agony, trying to spit the little creature out, but it was too late. As its mandibles opened, a beam of flame shot skyward from its mouth, causing its eight eyes to burst one by one, emitting tiny flames.
The bloodthirsty wolf spider's abdomen expanded to the limit, and its rear exploded violently, unleashing a thick pillar of fire that swept through the alleyway.
The alleyway returned to peace, with only the crackling of flames and the scent of scorching marking the fierce battle.
Shao Zifeng caught the little creature as it leaped toward him, holding it tenderly in his hands, and stared at the bare armadillo lizard, then burst into laughter.
The armadillo lizard, which had planned to nuzzle Shao Zifeng coquettishly, had tears in its eyes, its emotions ready but now bewildered by his laughter.
With its small paw scratching its head, the little creature's body stiffened.
The sensation felt unusual.
The little creature brought its paw to its eyes, finding it bare.
It trembled as it touched other parts of its body.
Bald, purely bald.
The little creature lay in Shao Zifeng's hand, eyes lifeless, resembling a wasted lizard.
○|￣|_
Shao Zifeng ignored the drama-king-like little creature, his peripheral vision catching the spinning light spots.
[Name]: South African Armadillo Lizard
[Growth]: Juvenile
[State]: Slightly injured, Bloodline Ancestor
[Power]: Tier 2
...
[Potential]: ★☆☆☆☆
[Talent]: Dry Aura: A favorite of fire elements, attracting weak fire elements around, can affect a small range area. This talent can grow with the improvement of one's own power.
[Skills]: Defense, Fiery Breath, Flame Control
[Description]: Bloodline Ancestor activated, the prideful dragon bloodline will not acknowledge cowardly kin. Weakness is not a reason to shy from battle, only by facing challenges bravely can one activate their bloodline.
Power increased to Tier 2, learned the "Flame Control" skill, and even received healing from the previous fatal injuries. It seemed these were the benefits of activating the dragon bloodline.
Relieved that the little creature was unharmed, Shao Zifeng let out a breath. After a moment of silence, he looked at his left hand.
He examined it closely for a long while, but the light spots remained motionless. Then, Shao Zifeng seemed to realize something, shut his eyes, and tried to sense it.
"Oh, I'm so mad! My beautiful scale armor is shattered, I'm no longer pretty." After a moment, a familiar consciousness emerged. Of course, it was Shao Zifeng interpreting the little creature's thoughts.
At the instant he sensed this consciousness, Shao Zifeng opened his eyes abruptly, looking at his left hand again.
The light spots began to spin slowly, faster and faster.
[Name]: Human
[Growth]: Growing
[State]: Slightly injured
[Power]: Unknown
[Phylum]: Chordata
[Class]: Mammalia
[Order]: Primates
[Family]: Hominidae
[Attributes]: Unknown
[Potential]: Unknown
[Talent]: Empathy: Two hearts beat as one, your emotions affect others and vice versa.
[Description]: A lucky individual.
So it was true, this talent explained the strange emotional influences from earlier clearly.
The previous battle had benefitted from this talent, as his emotions synchronized with the little creature's, allowing them to instantly understand each other's thoughts. The idea of rushing into the bloodthirsty wolf spider's mouth was an unintentional thought he had, received by the little creature, who then decisively acted on it.
The bloodthirsty wolf spider's corpse was burnt to a shell, yet it still maintained its pose of roaring at the sky. Scattered around were still flaming pieces.
Feeling mostly recovered, Shao Zifeng placed the playing-dead little creature back into his pocket.
He prepared to leave.
The recent commotion was substantial. Ordinary people might not dare come in, but the authorities might have already been notified.
This area was in the old city district, so usually, officials would not arrive quickly, but staying too long could still spell trouble. After all, using an unregistered pet for battle was a significant offense.
Additionally, from the bloodthirsty wolf spider's description, it was likely raised by someone deliberately.
Recalling the morning news, Shao Zifeng supported himself against the wall and limped away.
...
Soon after Shao Zifeng left, two figures, one tall and one short, appeared before the bloodthirsty wolf spider's corpse.
"We arrived too late," the tall figure said hoarsely after a moment of silence.
"It's just an experiment, nothing more than a time loss," the short figure replied indifferently, revealing a female voice.
"The Abnormal Administration Bureau's pursuit is getting stricter, we don't have much time to waste." The tall man paused before continuing, "The Abnormal Administration Bureau has been distracted in the East City. Who exactly ruined our experiment? Get your Blood Mastiff to find that person."
The short woman shrugged, then traced a gesture in the air.
A translucent rift appeared before them, and a half-human-sized long-haired black mastiff emerged, excitedly circling its master, tail wagging vigorously.
The woman affectionately rubbed the Blood Mastiff's big head and said, "Xiao Hua, remember this scent and find everyone who has been here recently."
The Blood Mastiff licked the woman's hand, raising its head and sniffing the lingering scents.
"Boom!" At that moment, a blaze erupted near the Blood Mastiff, blowing it away.
The Blood Mastiff hit the ground heavily, struggling to stand, but failed several times.
"Abnormal Administration Bureau? That's impossible! Aren't you busy in East City?" The woman ran to the Blood Mastiff, glancing around in panic.
The tall man also summoned his pet, taking a defensive stance.
...
On a distant rooftop, a tall figure watched the two in the alley, a white lab coat billowing in the night wind. He adjusted his glasses, a glint reflecting off the lens briefly.
The man sneered, "Eliminate them."
"Boom!"
A fireball ascended, illuminating half the old city's night sky.