Glen turned around in shock. He saw the three black pigs' bellies explode, their filthy blood splattering everywhere, some even landing on Glen and the beast.
The giant's loud, obnoxious laugh followed, as it pointed at Glen and the beast and growled, "Hahaha... stupid humans, even if you destroy them, you won't get them! Hahaha…"
The pungent odor and the sticky feeling made Glen uncomfortable. He stood frozen for several seconds, his body still in shock, as he processed the giant's words. After a moment, he wiped the blood off his face and hair with an expressionless gaze, locking eyes with Ab.
The beast bared its teeth, growling in the giant's direction, also clearly angry.
"What are you looking at me for? I did it, and what are you going to do about it? Ab is strong! You're no match for Ab!" the giant shouted, standing tall and enjoying the chaos.
Glen's eyes narrowed as he spoke coldly, "What can I do? I can take your life."
With a swift motion, the ground under Glen's feet exploded. His body sprouted sparse black fur, his face contorted into a snarl, and his claws and fangs emerged—a light wolf transformation, boosting his combat power without destroying his clothes.
Ab, though expecting a counterattack, was taken aback by how quickly Glen moved. Before it could react, searing pain shot through its eyes, and its vision turned red.
Losing its sight filled Ab with intense panic. One hand clutched its eyes, while the other flailed helplessly, swinging punches that had no effect. Instead, the pain in its arms, chest, belly, and back grew unbearable.
"No! Stop! Damn, annoying human! It hurts so much!" Ab screamed in agony.
But Glen didn't stop. He was calculating where the giant's skin was weakest. After testing, he found that Ab's belly was the softest—though still far harder than rock.
With concentrated attacks on its belly, Ab felt panic and fear like never before. It was about to be gutted alive!
"Please, stop! Ab was wrong! No, no!" the giant pleaded, its voice trembling with fear.
In the end, Ab collapsed back into the pit that had previously trapped it, terrified beyond measure. Glen, glancing at the now-dead black pigs with a frown, muttered, "What's wrong with today? Everything's going wrong…"
The pungent stench from the pigs grew overwhelming. There was no way they could be eaten now. Clearly, the giant had cursed them somehow.
Turning to the approaching beast, Glen sighed and said, "Let's call it a day. Let's head back."
…
By the time Glen reached his house, it was almost dark. He spotted a familiar figure in front of his house: the Black Raven. The man was standing outside Glen's front yard, holding a bulging cloth bag, as though he had been waiting there for a while.
As Glen walked closer, the Black Raven noticed him and turned. His face was as expressionless as ever.
"Are you looking for me, Mr. Black Raven?" Glen asked.
"Yes. I was just passing by and thought I should greet you," the Black Raven replied.
"Ah? Oh…" Glen couldn't help but feel a little strange. He teased, "You're quite the interesting person, Mr. Raven. Did you buy something from Dud Town? Didn't you just go there yesterday?"
The Black Raven glanced down at the cloth bag and explained, "Recently, my wife's appetite has been quite large. The things I bought yesterday weren't enough, so I need to stock up more."
"You're married already? Please send my regards to your wife. I can't visit right now, though," Glen said in surprise.
"I'll do that. I mentioned you to her yesterday, and she said I should spend more time with you," the Black Raven said, then hesitated as though wanting to say something else. But before Glen could ask, he continued, "Did you encounter any danger?"
"Huh?" The question caught Glen off guard. He gave a wry smile and said, "Thanks for your concern, but I didn't encounter danger. Just a little accident."
Glen's blood-streaked appearance certainly made him look like he'd been through something dangerous, so it wasn't surprising the Black Raven would ask. But Glen didn't want to explain any further. He just wanted to take a bath and change clothes… well, he had no spare clothes left.
"If you ever face danger, you can come to me. I won't turn you away if I can help," the Black Raven said, then turned to leave.
Glen considered calling out to him to ask for some clothes, but after thinking about the Black Raven's peculiar style, he decided against it.
"Goodbye," Glen said politely with a single word.
As he was about to head inside, still thinking about his lack of clothes, his eyes caught sight of a familiar gaze from the window of his elderly neighbor's house. His eyes lit up, and he thought, "Problem solved."
…
When Layla and Bonnie returned to Dud Town, it was already dark. Along the way, they were both worried they might run into Bob and the others again, dreading to relive the horrifying experience they'd just had.
"Layla, you need to stay away from that monster. He's not a fit father. We should report him to the police!" Bonnie said, still trembling from the shock.
Layla hesitated, feeling conflicted. After all, it was her own father. If she sent him to prison, would she be a good daughter? But then she made up her mind.
"That father has tormented us for too long. There's no real family bond left. Even if people criticize me, I can handle it," she thought. "Alright, we'll report him."
"Layla, what if they don't get caught? What if they come back for revenge?" Bonnie asked, anxious.
"That…" Layla paused, realizing the possibility. "We'll be safe in Dud Town. Don't worry. There's Berlin, and those guys won't dare act up in town. Plus, we're going to school tomorrow. That'll be even safer."
Layla hugged the poor girl, though she, too, was afraid.
…
"You again? There's barely any food left in my kitchen. You've got to leave me some, right?"
The elderly man looked at Glen, who had boldly walked into his house, with an expression of mock anger.
But Glen didn't feel like an outsider at all. He casually inspected the old man's home, as though it were his own.
"Don't be so tense. We're neighbors, after all. I just came by to borrow some clothes," Glen said with a grin.
"Clothes?" The old man was taken aback.
"Look at me, I don't have anything to wear. As my good neighbor, you wouldn't refuse me, would you?" Glen continued, still smiling.
The old man didn't seem angry, though. Instead, he sighed in relief. At least this request was something he could handle. If Glen had asked for something more demanding, he probably wouldn't have been able to refuse.
"Wait here," the old man grumbled before heading upstairs.
Glen sat down, bored. His keen hearing picked up some soft sounds from upstairs. The old man was whispering, "Don't make a sound. That guy downstairs is dangerous. Wait until he leaves before we prepare food for you."
Glen smirked to himself. Am I really going to bully a little dog? This old man... his voice was so gentle, it almost made Glen laugh.