Chapter 160: Taming a Furry Sub-Boss

The small orange-furred sub-boss continued eating the insides of the last giant beetle.

Its small fangs sank into the creature’s body as it effortlessly tore chunks away.

Around it, Liam’s squad remained on guard.

Jordan raised both hands.

"Stop!"

The three of them looked at him.

"Don’t attack it."

Liam immediately intervened.

"Do what Jordan says."

Chuck pulled out a knife.

He held it between his fingers.

It was obvious that he intended to throw it.

"You’re not seriously going to believe this blind dog can be an ally too."

Lena looked at the little monster.

"I can’t believe it."

Then she looked at Jordan.

"But I agree with the old man."

Chuck frowned.

"Old man?"

Lena ignored the comment.

"If we leave it alive, it’s going to try to eat us."

Carol also seemed to agree.

"If it’s really as strong as Pix said, we shouldn’t just let it roam free."

Emily crossed her arms.

"I agree."

Lydia said nothing. She simply watched the small sub-boss.

Liam kept his eyes on Jordan.

"Trust him."

Chuck sighed.

"Boss, I really hope you know what you’re doing."

Jordan stepped forward.

"Back off."

Everyone looked at him.

"Let me handle this."

Jordan pointed at the little monster.

"If it hurts me, attack. But I don’t want any of you putting yourselves at risk."

Liam thought for a few seconds.

Finally, he nodded.

"Okay."

Chuck put his knife away.

"Whatever you say, buddy."

He walked away and leaned against the trunk of a tree.

Then he pulled a piece of gum from his pocket and popped it into his mouth.

"This is going to be interesting."

The girls also stopped surrounding the sub-boss.

Lena slowly extinguished her spear.

Carol relaxed her arms.

Emily stopped charging herself with electricity.

The creature remained completely focused on its meal.

Jordan swallowed.

’Okay...’

He looked at the little monster.

’I just have to trust him.’

He began walking.

One step.

Then another.

The creature continued eating.

Jordan stopped a few feet away. Then he reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a small packet of crackers.

Liam raised an eyebrow.

"You had crackers too?"

Jordan nodded.

"I always carry food."

Chuck laughed.

"That doesn’t surprise me at all."

Jordan slowly opened the package.

The sound made the creature stop.

Its head lifted, and its nose began to twitch.

It sniffed the air.

Jordan remained perfectly still.

The small sub-boss left the beetle’s corpse and began approaching.

Slowly.

Jordan took a small step backward.

The creature continued advancing.

Chuck grinned.

"Don’t go losing a hand to that dog!"

Jordan didn’t respond.

Chuck continued.

"Or do you think you’re some kind of animal trainer now?"

Jordan continued ignoring him.

Liam watched carefully.

Lydia stood beside him.

The creature drew closer and closer to the crackers.

It kept sniffing.

Liam swallowed.

’Is it really okay to let him do this?’

He had agreed to let Jordan approach.

But now that he saw him standing in front of that monster, he was beginning to feel the weight of his decision.

’If something goes wrong and I lose one of my squad members...’

Liam clenched his teeth.

’It’ll be my fault.’

However, something inside him told him he needed to trust Jordan.

The squad had survived this long because each of them trusted the others.

He couldn’t try to protect them from everything.

Suddenly, he felt something in his hand.

Liam looked down.

Lydia was holding his hand.

She smiled at him, and Liam was surprised.

All this time, Lydia had been becoming increasingly dejected.

She couldn’t participate in the battles.

She couldn’t use her powers normally.

And Liam knew that had to make her feel useless.

But at that moment, she had decided to put aside her own frustration to reassure him.

Liam smiled and gently squeezed her hand.

’I have to trust them.’

Jordan held up one of the crackers.

The creature was right in front of him.

Jordan slowly extended his hand.

His fingers were trembling.

"Come on..."

The sub-boss sniffed the cracker.

Jordan moved his hand a little closer.

The creature opened its jaws wide.

Jordan’s eyes widened.

"Uh..."

Carol took a step forward.

"Jordan!"

The creature’s jaws opened even wider.

"Pull your hand back!"

Jordan closed his eyes, and the creature lunged.

CHOMP!

Everyone froze.

Jordan squeezed his eyes shut.

He waited.

Three seconds.

He felt no pain. Nothing.

Then he heard a sound.

Jordan slowly opened his eyes.

The creature was chewing.

But the cracker was gone.

Jordan looked at his hand.

It was still there, completely covered in drool.

But it didn’t have a single scratch.

Jordan’s mouth fell open.

"Huh?"

He slowly pulled his arm back.

The creature simply sniffed it.

Then it moved its head around, looking for another cracker.

Everyone fell silent.

Lena was the first to react.

"It didn’t hurt him?"

Emily’s eyes widened.

"Looks like it didn’t."

Carol looked at Jordan’s arm.

"It’s completely intact."

Chuck even stopped chewing his gum.

"No way."

Jordan raised his arm.

It was covered in drool.

But he smiled as if he had just won a battle.

"It worked!"

He showed his arm to everyone.

"It didn’t attack me!"

Emily gave him a thumbs-up.

"Well done!"

Carol did the same.

"Excellent!"

Lena smiled.

"You did it!"

Chuck raised both hands.

"Unbelievable!"

Even Liam couldn’t help smiling as he clapped along with the others.

Jordan had accomplished something none of them would have imagined.

He had proven that the creature didn’t want to hurt them.

Or at least, not him.

But then...

The creature jumped onto him.

Jordan barely had time to react.

"What?!"

The small sub-boss launched itself directly at his chest, knocking Jordan onto his back.

"Wait!"

The creature began licking his face.

Jordan burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha!"

Its rough tongue ran across his cheek.

"That tickles!"

Everyone began laughing.

Jordan raised a hand and stroked the creature’s orange fur.

"Easy."

The little sub-boss wagged its tail.

Jordan was completely stunned.

"Really...?"

He stroked it again.

"Do you like crackers?"

The creature sniffed the package.

Jordan immediately understood.

"Oh."

He pulled out another cracker and gave it to the creature.

It devoured it.

Jordan began laughing.

"I did it!"

He stood up and continued petting it.

"I can’t believe it."

He looked at the rest of the group.

"I just tamed an SS-Rank Dungeon sub-boss!"

Chuck shook his head.

"This is surreal."

Then he sighed.

"I owe you an apology, buddy."

Jordan looked at him.

"For what?"

"For not trusting you."

Jordan smiled.

"It’s all good."

Chuck pointed at the little monster.

"But I still don’t understand how you did this."

Liam watched the scene.

A huge, muscular man was petting a creature capable of fighting an S-Rank Dungeon boss as if it were a house dog.

The situation continued to amaze him.

Liam finally sighed.

"All right."

Everyone looked at him.

"Now that things have calmed down a little, we should get moving again."

Liam pointed deeper into the forest.

"The exit is still in the direction that beam of light came from."

Emily nodded.

"Let’s go."

Jordan finished putting his crackers away.

The little creature remained beside him.

Jordan looked at it.

"Are you coming with us?"

The sub-boss sniffed the air.

Then it began walking alongside him.

Jordan smiled.

"I guess you are."

Liam looked at everyone.

Then he took Lydia’s hand again.

The squad resumed their journey.

They ventured deeper and deeper into the forest, following the direction of the mysterious beam of light.