Chapter 20
Unbeknownst to Ray, a specter would disrupt his sleep tonight inside the tent.
The alpha wolf continued to lurk, moving ever closer to Ray's location.
After some time, the wolf reached the tent door, employing its advanced ambush techniques without a trace of detection.
Whether due to Ray's exhaustion from the day's meat work or the alpha wolf's superior stealth, there was no indication that the young man would awaken.
The alpha wolf gazed at Ray's tent for a few moments with lifeless eyes before tearing open the tent's parachute fabric with its sharp claws.
"Sreettt..."
A teeth-grating sound filled the air due to the movement, yet Ray continued to snore peacefully, lost in his dreams.
The tent opened, exposing a slumbering youth directly in front of the alpha wolf.
The two creatures were in such proximity.
If the wolf intended to harm Ray, it would require minimal effort.
Despite encountering the helpless "fat sheep" once again, the wolf remained momentarily stunned, vividly recalling its past encounter with Ray when it failed to catch him.
Having made up its mind, the wolf swiftly pounced on Ray's body without hesitation.
Ray, abruptly awakened by the jolt, struggled to comprehend the situation.
As he witnessed the wolf entangled in his jaws, Ray could only stare dumbfoundedly.
It was clear that Ray had not fully awakened from his deep slumber.
This brief moment of embarrassment was short-lived as a surge of pain coursed through Ray's neck, instantly revitalizing him.
The discomfort Ray experienced was akin to having his peacefully drifting soul abruptly jerked by someone's careless hands.
Realizing he was in grave danger, Ray panicked.
Clutching the wolf's jaws with both hands, Ray desperately tried to pry them open.
Despite exerting considerable force, the wolf's jaws showed no signs of loosening.
On the contrary, the formidable jaws continued to clamp down, overpowering Ray's resistance.
This only exacerbated Ray's misery, as the wound he had initially sustained would be aggravated by the repeated opening and closing of the wolf's jaws.
Unable to bear it any longer, Ray managed to quell his panic and activated his storage ring.
In a flash, a strand of hair shot out from the ring. Normally, in such a situation, Ray would employ the [S-rank Muscle Explosion] passive talent.
However, he lacked the necessary "source" to activate such a talent and could only rely on the [Tiger Intent B-rank] passive talent.
White smoke began to emanate from Ray's body, enveloping him.
The alpha wolf, which had firmly clamped its jaws around Ray's neck, involuntarily shuddered and narrowed its eyes.
Simultaneously, Ray, grasping the upper and lower muzzles of the wolf, felt the hairs on the wolf's body suddenly bristle.
As a result, the coercion exerted by the wolf's jaws slightly relaxed.
Observing this opportunity, Ray was determined not to let it go to waste.
Without hesitation, Ray swiftly kicked the jaws open wide, forcefully breaking his opponent's jawbone.
"Crack!"
The sound of a hard object cracking resonated in the air.
However, Ray, who had been filled with excitement just moments before, suddenly halted and became perplexed.
"Am I dreaming? Why does this feel so surreal?" Ray was momentarily distracted.
Not allowing Ray to indulge in his confusion, the alpha wolf began thrashing in an attempt to free itself from the young man's grip.
Alerted by the wolf's movements, Ray instinctively tightened his grip, further prying open the wolf's jaw.
"Crack! Crack!"
After a few convulsions, the heifer-sized wolf finally ceased its struggles and went limp in Ray's arms.
Discarding the wolf's lifeless body, Ray examined the wounds adorning its form.
Although seemingly unfazed, Ray hurried to retrieve some medicine.
After a while, Ray breathed a sigh of relief as his neck was carefully wrapped in bandages.
A tinge of regret tinged Ray's heart. It was understandable since, although the wound on his neck wasn't severe, it was quite conspicuous.
Imagining his mother's reaction if she were to see him in this state, Ray couldn't help feeling a twinge of unease.
However, he decided to set aside thoughts of his mother's reaction and turned his attention to the wolf corpse lying nearby, mouth agape.
Only now did Ray fully comprehend the magnitude of his recent actions.
With a sense of uncertainty, Ray walked toward the tree he had previously struck.
Expelling a strand of hair, Ray promptly activated his talent.
Soon, wisps of white smoke enveloped his body.
Without delay, Ray unleashed a powerful strike upon the tree before him.
"Bang!"
The resounding thud of the impact reverberated in the surroundings.
Ray, after finishing his strike, could only widen his eyes in astonishment at the sight before him.
The tree he had just struck had toppled over!
It became evident that his strength had greatly increased with the addition of passive talent.
No wonder people always emphasized the importance of abilities and talents. It was not a simple addition of factors but rather a synergistic effect, where having one high-value factor could lead to significant advancements.
Afterward, Ray proceeded to experiment with a few more passive talents before finally ceasing his attempts.
Having endured a nightmarish night, Ray found himself unable to sleep at all. Consequently, he busied himself with preparing breakfast while skinning the alpha wolf's body.
Following breakfast, the ordinary young man did not incline to continue working. Instead, he decided to depart from the forest early, as he had intentions to sell and purchase some items.
...
"Excuse me, ma'am, how much does beef cost here?" the young man inquired.
"The price is 10 unit value per pound, young man," the middle-aged woman replied.
"And how about the goat meat?"
"That would be 8 unit value per pound."
The young man engaged in a conversation with the middle-aged woman in the market, asking various questions.
"Do you only sell meat from farms here? What about bushmeat?" he continued to inquire.
The woman answered patiently, showing no signs of impatience in her tone. "It's quite rare to find bushmeat nowadays, and if available, it might be slightly more expensive. Why are you interested in buying wild meat? If that's the case, leave your contact information, and I'll let you know when suitable meat becomes available."
Ray, the talkative young man, asked again, "Are there any wild wolf meats available for sale, like those from monster rank 0?"
"Yes, we usually have some, but not many," the middle-aged woman replied.
"In that case, can I sell wild wolf meat here?" Ray asked shyly.
The middle-aged woman was momentarily stunned by the young man's request.
After a lively negotiation, Ray finally counted the money with a satisfied expression.
Previously, Ray had obtained fourteen wolf corpses, excluding the alpha wolf, leaving him with thirteen corpses, each weighing 550 pounds.
At a selling price of 15 unit values per pound, Ray had already earned 115,500 unit values in total.
Ray could be considered a successful businessman at this point.
He had already transferred 115,000 unit values to his account, and for the remaining amount, he requested physical money as he preferred having cash on hand.
After putting some money in his pocket, Ray left the market.
While pondering his next destination, he suddenly collided with someone from behind.
"Oh, uh, sorry, bro..." the person apologized.
Ray, unperturbed by the incident, responded lightly, "Ah, it's okay, bro..."
As he watched the person of similar age walk away, a memory flashed in Ray's mind.
He recalled the clichéd scene where the protagonist loses their money after being bumped into by a stranger.
Ray, upon remembering this, chuckled mockingly, not attaching much importance to it.
However, his hand subconsciously reached into his pocket.
After a moment, Ray froze and immediately dashed after the person who had bumped into him just a moment ago.
"Unbelievable! Why am I experiencing this clichéd scene?" Ray grumbled as he ran.
...
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