Chapter Ninety-Five: An Unexpected Encounter with Wild Dogs

“Now, night is falling, and everyone is getting hungry. We need to ration our dry rations, so let’s all go look for food and meet back here. There’s a river nearby, which makes it easy to clean our catch, and later we can light a fire and cook. The mist here is thick, so we don’t need to worry about smoke rising and giving away our position to the enemy,” Warhawk said, glancing at the group. He knew darkness was coming on fast and, after all the fighting, everyone’s stomachs were empty. They needed to eat to regain their strength, so they’d be ready for more battles and ultimately complete their mission and return safely.

“I’m hungry too,” Black Wolf spoke up.

“Yeah, the enemy was right on our heels. Now that we’ve finally lost them, I just realized how hungry I am,” Snow Leopard said.

“We shouldn’t eat our compressed biscuits and dry rations so quickly. We need to save them. Let’s hunt something in the jungle instead,” Shadow replied. No one knew how long this fight would last; they had to conserve what little they had, or it would be a real problem once it was gone.

“I think we’ll find game in this forest. Though the mist is poisonous, it hangs in the treetops. If we’re careful and don’t touch it, there shouldn’t be any problem, at least not enough to poison us,” Qin Feng said. He’d grown up in the jungle with Old Qin and knew a thing or two about the forest and its dangers.

“Right. Everyone, be careful. Remember—don’t fire your guns unless absolutely necessary. We don’t want the enemy outside the mist to pinpoint our location. Understand?” Warhawk ordered.

“Understood,” everyone answered in unison.

“All right, let’s start looking for food,” Warhawk said, then strode into the jungle, the others fanning out in different directions.

Qin Feng also set out in search of food. He soon reached a riverbank and studied the water closely, noticing the plants beside it were healthy. That meant the river wasn’t poisonous—it would be safe to drink. He shook his military canteen. It was almost empty. After a moment’s thought, he filled it to the brim. He planned to search the jungle for game, but just then, he spotted a wild dog drinking from the river. The beast was enormous—almost as big as a calf, a hulking presence that seemed more like a small hill than an animal. Encountering a wild dog in the forest was as bad as running into a wolf. This was no domesticated pet, but a feral creature, every bit as vicious as any wolf.

Qin Feng’s heart pounded. He hadn’t expected to run into a wild dog here. He quickly surveyed his surroundings: the area was open, with few trees and little cover. If he tried to run for the forest, he’d never make it.

He had a gun, but firing it would be a last resort. The enemy was still lurking outside the jungle, lying in ambush, and a gunshot could reveal his position. Blood Skull Mercenary Corps, in particular, were formidable enemies; no one could say for sure they wouldn’t charge in after hearing gunfire. Stealth was vital.

His first choice was not to fire. Instantly, his mind leapt to a second option: his combat knife. He’d fought wolves before with the knife; he could take on a wild dog too.

Without hesitation, Qin Feng drew his combat blade, its cold edge gleaming in the dusk. Night had fallen completely, cloaking the world in darkness. “All right, blade, it’s up to you now—don’t let me down against this wild dog.”

He gripped the knife, eyes fixed on the animal, ready for battle. He knew how savage wild dogs could be. One mistake could mean death. If he wanted to survive, he’d have to give everything he had.

At that moment, the wild dog noticed him. It growled low, eyes full of challenge, as if it might attack at any instant, ready to tear Qin Feng apart and devour him.

Wild dogs were among the most ferocious beasts of the jungle, near the top of the food chain. In the primeval forest, their savagery was equaled only by wolves. The wild dog was in no mood to have its authority challenged. To it, Qin Feng was just a biped, no real threat. It stared at him with cold, watchful eyes, ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

Rage flared in Qin Feng’s chest. After being hunted for so long, all he wanted was a meal, but this wild dog had planted itself in his way and even dared to look at him as prey. It was intolerable. Fury blazed in his eyes as he glared at the beast, then surged forward, his aura rolling off him like a god of war incarnate.

“Ah!” With a shout, Qin Feng brandished his knife and charged, swift and sharp as a drawn blade, ready for a fight to the death.

The wild dog flinched, startled by the overwhelming force radiating from this strange two-legged creature. Years on the edge of survival had taught it caution. “Grrr!” it growled, baring its own fighting spirit.

“Ah!” Qin Feng roared again, the air around him chilling as his killing intent poured out. The temperature seemed to drop by dozens of degrees, as if the world had turned to ice.

The wild dog felt the murderous intent and quailed. It shot Qin Feng a cold, furious glare, barked once in protest, then spun around and bolted into the darkness.

“I never expected I’d scare it off. That was a surprise. Looks like I’ve still got plenty of presence. Next time I meet a powerful beast, I’ll just let my aura loose and see if it works,” Qin Feng muttered. Though he spoke lightly, his heart was still pounding. If that wild dog hadn’t run, he’d have had no choice but to fight. Wild dogs were tough opponents, and the outcome would have been far from certain.

Still, Qin Feng knew that if it had come down to a fight, he’d have gone all out—just as a rabbit fights for its life against a hawk, he’d use every ounce of strength. No matter what, he wouldn’t let the wild dog have its way. He was determined to survive.