The Might of the Beast Horde

Chapter 47 The Might of the Beast Horde

[The strange dragon's soft skin: The skin tissue gains additional toughness, elasticity, insulation, and enhanced adhesion through the secretion of bodily fluids. Furthermore, it can be manipulated with hormones to create a high-density fat layer in designated subcutaneous areas, reducing the damage and impact received.]

Upon seeing the effect of the affix, Tarin nodded and immediately equipped it.

In pure human form, the only difference is that the skin becomes stronger, smoother, and firmer.

This made Tarin breathe a sigh of relief—at least the giant hook hadn't turned into human form like the strange dragon.

To determine the strength of the amplification effect, Tarin directly transformed his arm into a dragon-like form, then extended his knife-like fingers and forcefully slashed his forearm.

Without consciously controlling his strength, Tarin simply used the force he remembered to be enough to tear apart the scales of the Odogaron.

In the past, such force would have been enough to tear open a bloody gash. But this time was different.

Although the claws quickly pierced the skin, Tarin then felt tremendous resistance coming from his claws.

Located under the skin, the high-density fat layer acts like a non-Newtonian fluid; the more you try to tear it open violently, the greater the resistance it generates.

Finally, Tarlin exerted all his strength, but the wound didn't split open much. Instead, the claws split open due to the resistance, shedding a layer of claw sheath like an onion, and then coming out of the wound.

Ignoring the peeling claw sheath, Tarin simply stared with interest at the skin on his arm.

After the slight pain subsided, Tarin barely bled under the strange dragon's soft skin, and the scar on his arm was reduced to a faint white mark.

Although the term is simply called "soft skin," it is actually a whole set of skin tissue, including subcutaneous fat.

Or rather, especially the subcutaneous fat. Compared to the enhanced toughness of the skin membrane, the subcutaneous fat of the strange dragon played a more significant ecological role in Tallinn.

The Odogaron also lacks scales, instead possessing a hard membrane and high-density muscles. Despite its incredible strength, it relies entirely on its physical attributes to withstand impacts.

The strange dragon's soft skin has evolved an additional high-density layer of cushioning fat, which reduces the impact and damage it receives during hunting and fighting, making up for its lack of scales and armor.

Of course, the so-called defensive weaknesses are only in the present moment.

The skeleton and muscles of the Odogaron, the fat buffer layer of the strange dragon—this would be the carapace of any mid-rank or even high-rank monster.

Tsk tsk, wouldn't every knife be a deflection?

Combined with stamina enhancement, food intake enhancement, and recovery speed enhancement —

Just thinking about Tallinn makes me realize how much dung there is.

With that thought in mind, Tarlin nodded in satisfaction, then held the sweet and soft Nidalee and drifted off to sleep.

The next day, everyone finished packing and set off.

Although, according to Tarin's speculation, Runeterra is still relatively peaceful at this point in time.

But on their way to Ixokern, the group also witnessed firsthand the decline of the Primal Essence that Rengar had seen on his return journey.

Although Tarlin and the others walked directly to the village in a straight line.

However, if Tarlin wanted to go to Isuokeng, he could manage on foot alone, but if he also had to take care of Milio and the others, it would be impossible to do so in less than ten days or half a month.

So Tallinn and his group decided to head to a remote county near the Green Wall on the border.

Although located in a remote area, it benefits from the strong elemental magic environment of Ixtal.

In order to better prevent potential disasters from invading, even remote counties that do not have the iconic Ishtar Tower are equipped with Sosso Passage.

Similar to the Ixtal version of the Elemental Highway? Or perhaps the Primordial Axioms version of the Magical High-Speed ​​Rail?

But whatever it is called, its core capability is to provide Ixtal's defensive forces with the ability to arrive quickly.

As Tallinn and his companions headed toward the Soss Pass, they inevitably passed through a wooded area.

Although they were far apart, Tarlin, with his powerful hearing, could still hear the mechanical humming and faint gunshots coming from afar, which caught Tarlin's attention.

Hunt down the rare and exotic creatures unique to the Ixtal Forest to entertain the nobles and dignitaries of Valoran.

Although Qiyana didn't hear it at first, she activated Wind Axiom after noticing the change in Tarin's expression.

As the sensation of vibration in her eardrums extended into the distance guided by the wind, Qiyana soon became aware of the noises she perceived as harsh.

Recalling Rengar's words, Qiyana involuntarily frowned, then snorted coldly, staring at the distance with a face full of disgust.

Tarin pondered for a moment, then turned to Qiyana and said, "I have a risky idea that requires your name."

"Just say it." Qiyana raised her chin nonchalantly, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes.

In response, Tallinn said, "It is difficult to change Ixtal simply from the inside. By the time the conservatives react, the resistance will be greater and greater. So I plan to introduce some impetus from outside Ixtal."

"no problem."

Upon hearing Tarin's words, Qiyana pondered for a moment and, based on the current situation, realized Tarin's purpose, a hint of excitement flashing in her eyes.

"I've wanted to do this for a long time!"

Standing to the side, Lupe, a former conservative, remained expressionless.

For Lupe now, neither Ixtal nor Yuntar matters anymore.

Even though Lupe was once a staunch conservative, Lupe has now become a staunch supporter of Qiyana, or rather, a radical among radicals, a die-hard loyalist of the Founding Party.

After all, according to the tradition of Ixtal, when Milio arrives at Ixoken, whether as the guide of Tarin or as the excavator and recommender of Qiyana, Milio will be directly marked by the identities of the two in the eyes of the other Yuntal.

As he was doing now, Lupe silently manipulated the axiomatic arc bestowed upon him by Qiyana, making it dance around him, ready to strike and annihilate his enemy.

For the family now, it is impossible to restore their past reputation, power, and status through learning and assessment in a step-by-step manner. Under these circumstances, the only option for Lupe is to follow in the footsteps of the new emperor.

The risks are high, but the rewards are substantial!

In the north, outside the green wall.

Unlike the western Green Wall, which was built to defend against the Void Wars, the northern and eastern Green Walls are more sparse. With Rengar and Neeko, skilled players in lane management, leading the way, the group quickly arrived at the other side of the Green Wall.

After passing through the green wall, the group heard a harsh sound of metal crushing vegetation from deep within the dense forest.

Tree branches snapped, vines tore apart, accompanied by a low, mechanical roar, intermittent shouts, and gunshots.

Several Hextech-powered motorcycles, covered in brass and spewing black smoke, with broken wheels on their front ends, crushed through the bushes, their massive tracks turning flowers, grass, and shrubs into mud.

Meanwhile, the shredding wheels ahead, accompanied by the hum of their motors, sawed down towering trees, leaving a mess as birds cried out in alarm.

On either side of the pioneering locomotive were several pioneering team members dressed in work clothes and wearing goggles.

Holding a finely crafted Hextech rifle in his hand and a cigarette dangling from his mouth, he was enthusiastically counting his prey.

Several animal carcasses were already piled on the ground. There were colorful rainforest lizards, winged beasts still twitching slightly, several young beasts that had not yet grown up, and the B-3 wolves that could be found everywhere in Runeterra.

A hunter with a stubble-covered face kicked the carcass in front of him, spat out his cigarette butt, and said in a rough, smug voice, "Haha, not bad today. These beasts will come running at the sound of the pioneering machine. It doesn't take much effort to hunt a whole bunch of them—"

"Yes, these few have shiny fur. If we transport them back and sell them to the Chamber of Commerce, we'll recoup the cost of one pioneer truck."

Upon hearing this, a young team member, while cleaning his gun, muttered to himself as he looked around at the dense forest: "I thought hunting was so dangerous—but these beasts just came out on their own. It feels no different from hunting ducks by the river."

"Weren't you told there were lots of wild beasts and cannibalistic natives here? How come I haven't seen a single one?"

"Country bumpkin my foot, they even eat people!"

The captain chuckled, patted the heavy brass skin of the excavator, and said, "No matter how good they are, can they withstand bullets? Can they dismantle this lump of iron?"

"The so-called Ixtal is a lie. I've been hunting for over a decade and haven't seen a single person. This forest is unclaimed—no, it should be said to be ours!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and waved it, and the locomotive operator beside him understood perfectly and operated the hydraulic shears to snap a large ancient tree that took two people to hug.

The falling tree trunk startled a flock of birds and frightened wild animals.

Raising his gun, the captain pulled the trigger repeatedly.

A rare bird of prey, seldom seen elsewhere, was struck by a bullet amidst the gunshot, its feathers bursting open with blood and flesh before it fell weightlessly to the ground.

The captain didn't care at all, after all, there were still more prey waiting for him.

"See that?"

As he skillfully pulled the trigger, the captain said, "This wood, spices, and exotic beasts are all money! The higher-ups have already said that the beasts of Kumangu are inexhaustible, and the trees are endless. Every day we cut down trees, we earn more money."

Upon hearing this, another team member, also of similar age, laughed and echoed, then his eyes lit up as he pointed to the small beast trembling and cowering in the distance, saying, "Haha! Boss, there's another one alive! The noble lords of Noxus love keeping these kinds of pets!"

"Grasp."

The captain was nonchalant.

"Arrest them all, leave no one alive. Sell the dead for their flesh and hides, and the living for their pets. Those who are truly useless can be used as experimental subjects. In this lousy place, no matter how many we kill, they'll just grow back tomorrow."

He looked up at the dense forest and shouted, his tone brimming with unbridled arrogance: "Don't listen to the nonsense those guys from the Explorers' Guild spout. I've been hunting here for over a decade and I'm still doing just fine! Indigenous people, my foot—I'd love to be one!"

The captain laughed heartily, "These natives are definitely worth a lot of money! We can make a fortune selling them in Noxus!"

Upon hearing this, the team members burst into wild laughter.

Seeing how relaxed the "veterans" around him were, the newly joined young men gradually became bolder.

Unfortunately, just as the young man was about to chime in, two beams of green light flew out from the depths of the dense forest and beheaded the veteran in the blink of an eye.

The young novice hunter was stunned by this sudden turn of events.

It wasn't until the splattered blood slid down his face that he belatedly looked to his side, and then an uncontrollable fear appeared in his eyes.

"Dead! Someone's dead!!! Savage! It's a savage!"

The young hunter instinctively shouted, but just as the other hunters got up to check the situation, a strange chill swept over them in an instant.

Looking around, for some reason, even though the forest was the same one they had just been in, they could clearly feel a strong chill spreading through the dense woods.

Looking into the depths of the dense forest, through the thick leaves that block out the sun, a sinister malice emanates from the darkness.

The next moment, the leaves rustled, and a dark figure burst out of the forest.

As the wind carried them, the pheromones from Tarlin landed silently on the hunters like a mark.

Upon receiving the command, the Pacarin cats moved swiftly like arrows to the low growls of Tallinn, their beautiful fur almost invisible in the naturally welcoming shade of the trees.

Its sharp claws gleamed coldly, landing silently with only a gust of wind.

"W-what?!" someone exclaimed in surprise, their voice filled with panic, almost dropping the gun from their hand.

Even though they were on guard, the dense forest was the domain of wild beasts.

Before the hunter near the edge could even raise his gun, a forest cat leaped from the shadows, its sharp claws digging into his neck, its sharp teeth piercing through, and blood spurting out.

"Ugh—!"

It wanted to scream, but its broken neck could only produce broken sobs.

Before it could even utter a complete sound, it was pounced on by the four-meter-long lincat and knocked to the ground.

"Fire! Fire now! Protect the motorcycle!"

Although initially stunned, the captain soon roared, picked up his Hextech rifle, and instinctively pulled the trigger toward the shadows of the dense forest.

But just as he raised his gun, Rengar pounced down from the tree. Although Rengar is now enormous, with his increasing potential, the sound he makes as he moves through the woods is getting quieter and quieter.

The shield, resembling a giant claw, smashed his head open, sending brain matter and blood splattering onto the tractor's brass skin, making it sticky and shiny.

>