Chapter 158: [157]
After completing the electrical installation and ensuring the TPO system was running stably, Ren decided to rest. Night had begun to creep in, and the Kitsune children were already fast asleep in the warm corner of their new base. Only the soft rustling of the wind outside accompanied the quiet of that night.
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But elsewhere, about a kilometer southeast of the main base—in a natural alcove that served as a temporary home for Alfred, Bella, and their children—the night had not yet settled.
One of the Penal tiger cubs, known to be the most active and curious of the three, slowly opened his eyes. Something had tickled his nose. A firefly glowed softly, perching for a moment before floating gently back into the air.
"Grraa?" he murmured curiously, then rose and began chasing the tiny light with light, agile steps.
He jumped, rolled, slipped between the underbrush, and climbed the roots of massive trees with the deftness of a young hunter. Unaware, he had already strayed far from the cave, beyond the boundaries deemed safe.
In his excitement, he didn’t realize that his tiny footsteps had led him to something far from pleasant.
Bugh!
His small body slammed into something hard—a pair of large, muscular legs.
A towering figure loomed above, staring down with piercing eyes glowing in the dark. Trek.
The bison beastman stood there, his body still smeared with the blood of the monster he had just defeated.
"Aaah... found you," Trek muttered with a low, amused voice.