43: Chapter 43 Cross-Species Recognition of a Father!

The Wasteland Mastiff walked to within three meters and stopped.

It tilted its massive head, its huge nose twitching vigorously in the air.

It emitted a snoring sound similar to a bellows.

In its pair of dark red pupils, which had originally been filled with violence and bloodlust, the ferocity completely vanished.

Replaced by a sense of extreme fawning.

Su Ming couldn't quite describe this feeling.

It was like when he was on his way home from work in his past life and bought a grilled sausage.

When a stray Golden Retriever on the roadside saw the grilled sausage in his hand.

It revealed that kind of clear-eyed look of extreme longing, yet lacking the courage to snatch it openly.

What was this Wasteland Mastiff craving?

It certainly wasn't Su Ming's flesh.

Su Ming actually had a guess in his heart.

In the perception of a beast like the Wasteland Mastiff, which fed on metallic Source Energy.

Su Ming wasn't just a person at all.

He was a walking, peerless, high-grade alloy mineral vein with one hundred percent purity!

This overwhelming wealth.

Had completely fried the brain of this peak Tier 2 beast.

"Adopting a daddy faster than me!?"

Su Ming clicked his tongue in his heart.

Confirmed by the eyes... I am the "Steel Daddy" it wants to climb up to the most in this life.

Shen Qingci carried that matte silver-gray cold edge.

She slowly circled out from behind the cover.

Her gaze remained locked on the Wasteland Mastiff.

Her steps were extremely light, ready at any moment to deal with a potential pounce.

But this behemoth didn't pay any attention to her at all.

Its entire attention was on Su Ming, and even to please Su Ming.

It took the initiative to tuck its huge tail between its legs, gently sweeping the ash residue on the ground.

"Su Ming, you... exactly what did you do?"

Shen Qingci's voice was very low, carrying an incredible tension.

"I didn't do anything? Maybe I just look approachable and am deeply loved by everyone."

Su Ming reached out and rubbed his chin, spouting nonsense without blushing.

Shen Qingci rolled her eyes at him, not believing this explanation at all.

She scanned the Wasteland Mastiff up and down.

She soon discovered something wrong.

"It has an injury on its hind leg."

Shen Qingci stared at the Wasteland Mastiff's thick right hind limb.

The dark gold mane there had fallen off in large patches, revealing a jagged wound that was half a meter long and deep enough to see the bone.

The edges of the wound appeared a strange grayish-white and were not bleeding.

Instead, wisps of black mist were seeping out.

"It's an old injury. The edges have already keratinized and become necrotic; judging by the marks, it was injured about two or three days ago."

Shen Qingci quickly made a judgment based on her rich combat experience.

She then shifted her gaze to the pile of mecha wreckage in the trench that had been gnawed to pieces.

Her brows furrowed even tighter.

"There is another anomaly. Although the Crimson Gold Wasteland Mastiff occasionally gnaws on minerals to maintain daily consumption.

But what it was gnawing on just now was the high-density manganese-chromium alloy used for the Federation's third-generation heavy mecha.

Being able to accurately pick this out of a pile of scrap iron indicates it is healing its wounds.

There is residual energy from a high-tier beast on the wound that is hindering self-healing.

It can only rely on swallowing military-grade alloys raw to extract high-purity metallic Source Energy to fight against the erosion."

Hearing this, the look in Su Ming's eyes as he gazed at the Wasteland Mastiff became even more intense.

How is this a dog?

This is clearly a living, knowledgeable master of metal connoisseurship!

Being able to accurately pick out high-energy manganese-chromium alloy from a pile of scrap in the abyss.

A natural, top-tier mineral exploration instrument!

What was he worried about right now? He was worried that blindly searching for high-density metal was too much of a waste of time.

If he had this dog to lead the way to find tasty things.

Wouldn't his accumulation speed of mass points take off on the spot?

This precious dog, I'm determined to have it today!

Just as Su Ming was calculating how to trick this moving mountain of meat back to Jiangcheng.

The surrounding temperature plummeted.

A sharp, eerie wind blew from the depths of the gray fog.

The wind was wrapped in a stench so strong it was pungent.

Shen Qingci's expression changed slightly; she immediately stepped back and stood back-to-back with Su Ming.

Almost at the same time, the gray fog in front surged.

Five or six low, grayish-brown shadows.

Stepping with silent footsteps, they quietly flanked from three different directions.

When they walked out of the gray fog and were exposed to the weak light.

Su Ming was able to see the true appearance of these uninvited guests.

Six hunting dogs the size of small calves.

Their bodies didn't have much fur.

Only a layer of rough, grayish-brown bony armor.

Their long, narrow muzzles split open, revealing interlocking yellow fangs.

A large amount of viscous saliva dripped down from between their teeth.

Landing on the iron slag on the ground, making a hissing corrosive sound.

Tier 2 beast, Iron-Bone Hyena.

This creature is extremely notorious on the outskirts of the Source Abyss.

Their individual combat capability might not be as good as the Poison-Blade Demon Lizard, and certainly not as good as the Crimson Gold Wasteland Mastiff.

But they never fight alone.

Even against a Tier 3 early-stage Source Beast.

A pack of Iron-Bone Hyenas can also rely on their shameless anus-tearing harassment and terrifying bite force.

To wear the prey to death.

"So that's it."

Shen Qingci gripped her knife handle, looking coldly at this pack of beasts.

"They tracked the scent of blood all the way here, eyeing this heavily injured Wasteland Mastiff."

Predating on injured high-tier kin is the most common scene in the abyss.

However, when this pack of Iron-Bone Hyenas completely closed the encirclement.

Their attention shifted.

The hyenas were originally aiming for that lingering Wasteland Mastiff.

But now, their scarlet eyeballs rolled around.

All of them stared fixedly at Su Ming and Shen Qingci in the center of the field.

Compared to the Wasteland Mastiff, whose shell was hard and would likely break their teeth if they took a bite.

These two smooth-skinned humans.

Were obviously more perfect appetizers.

Thin-skinned, juicy, and crunchy!

The lead hyena let out a short, sharp shriek.

The six Iron-Bone Hyenas slowly lowered their bodies.

A faint, eerie green light lit up in the gaps of their bony armor.

They included the three people and one dog in their kill zone.

"They've taken us as dessert."

Shen Qingci had no fear, her eyes burning with battle intent.

"Su Ming, get ready..."

Before she could finish, a shocking scene erupted.

The Wasteland Mastiff standing in front of the two suddenly moved.

But it didn't run.

It didn't even attack the hyena pack immediately.

It suddenly turned its massive body and took a step across.

Using that mountain-like body.

It blocked firmly in front of Su Ming.

Its tail, covered in barbs, hung low to protect its rear, and its huge head was held high.

It stared at the approaching hyena pack.

A thunderous roar erupted from deep in its throat.

The violent airflow blew away the ash on the surface.

Its dark gold mane stood on end, every strand.

The terrifying pressure of a peak Tier 2 beast was released without reservation.

Its injured hind leg was trembling, and the wound split open again.

Black blood flowed down its thigh.

Gathering into a shocking pool of blood on the ground.

But even so, it firmly did not retreat half a step.

Just like that, it withstood the pressure from the hyena pack and protected Su Ming behind it.

In the law of the jungle in the abyss, this behavior was equivalent to seeking death.

Su Ming looked at the broad, slightly trembling dog back blocking in front of him.

Looking at that hind leg that kept splitting and bleeding.

He thought of the Dahuang at home in his past life.

The last winter before Dahuang got sick.

A mad dog broke into the yard.

Dahuang was already skin and bones at that time.

Yet it still dragged its sick body to block in front of him.

He was just seven years old that year.

Dahuang bared its teeth and bit the mad dog's throat, refusing to let go.

It seems, it was also this posture...

"Sigh..."

Su Ming rubbed his chin.

Pushing down that bit of untimely sourness.

"Big brother, you're quite righteous! You haven't even paid the protection fee, yet you've already taken up guard duty."

He patted the ash off his trench coat and took a step forward.

This dog was more and more to his liking.

If it didn't die today.

He was determined to take this little brother!

The hyena pack was clearly stunned by the determination shown by the Wasteland Mastiff.

The lead hyena hesitated for two seconds and immediately changed tactics.

It low-growled twice to signal its companions to disperse and weave through.

Since they couldn't bite this hard bone from the front.

They planned to split into two paths.

Two were responsible for distracting the Mastiff King.

The remaining four would directly bypass the defense line.

And prioritize tearing those two weak humans to shreds!

Six grayish-brown figures simultaneously lowered their centers of gravity.

Drawing six eerie arcs in the thick fog.

The encirclement was shrinking.

The Wasteland Mastiff was bleeding.

Shen Qingci was drawing her knife.

While Su Ming was smiling.

A great battle, on the verge of breaking out!