Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

Test number 1: Smash it! (Failed.)

The rock impacted with the collar, but it just bounced off without doing anything. It also seemed like the wolf was agitated, but Aiko quickly shut him off with a smack.

Test number 2: Cut it! (Failed.)

Aiko took her knives for this and tried to slice it. The knives were very sharp and wouldn’t have problems with most things, but for some reason, the leather used on this collar could not be cut. Moreover, the tip of the blade couldn’t even scratch the strange gem, crystal, whatever that thing was.

Test number 3: Straining the leather! (Failed.)

This test was a bit troublesome as the wolf kept choking for some reason. It was definitely not because the collar was like a rope used for hanging, choking it.

Test number 4: Softening the leather! (Failed.)

She tried to soften the leather inside the water, but the wolf kept drowning itself in the water, causing numerous issues and delaying Aiko’s further tests.

Test number 5: Burning the leather! (Failed.)

Aiko tried to burn the leather, but that leather just wouldn’t burn. Instead, she had a nice roast in front of her.

Test Number6?: Roast secured! (Tasty success!)

Aiko munched on the meat. Unlike the previous chickens which she smoked. This one was roasted and had to be eaten as soon as possible.

In theory, she could dry it until it was completely hard, but more than likely that would end up in that meat burning completely, so Aiko didn’t go that way.

She just ate it as it was a very delicious meat even without spices.

...

”Well...” Aiko smacked her lips. That unexpected snack was very tasty, but that begged the question.

”Is it connected to the wolf in one way or another? It only crumbled when I killed the wolf.” Aiko tilted her head, thinking about what just happened, but there was something inherently wrong with this situation.

The collar slowly disintegrated into ash-like substance before the gentle breeze blew it away. Meaning that it had to be connected in one way or another.

Impact didn’t work on it, cutting also didn’t work. Burning and other things were also major failures, except fire, but that couldn’t be used if she wanted a transportation method.

Aiko groaned unhappily. There were simply too many things that didn’t make sense.

Sure, this place had that ’magic’ or what-not, but you have to keep in mind that Aiko was severely overbuffed because of her set!

’If even the set that I had to pay for didn’t work, then does it mean different sets would have different effects?’ Since this was related to magic could it mean that she needed to use the mage set?

’I don’t want to return.’ Aiko raised her eyebrow, but she was currently thinking about another thing.

”Roast...” Aiko didn’t really need to roast the wolf if it was a day, she could smoke it like her other game and be able to use it during long distances.

’No rain also means the meat won’t soften or spoil...’ Aiko wanted to capitalise on the fact that it wouldn’t rain just yet. Yes, she had this bad feeling that it would rain eventually, but that was later and not now. Right now she had to pay attention to what was in front of her.

’Is there a way to lure the wolves out?’ That was just wishful thinking on Aiko’s part since those wolves were trained and tamed by those collars. As such, if she would lure one out, the whole group would come out.

’Then the outcasts...’ Aiko pondered if it would be possible to transport all outcasts in a single night, but that might be a stretch.

One wolf might not alert them, but what about two? Three? Four? What was the limit of their perception or rather the other wolves’ attention?

’This is tricky.’ Aiko could, in theory, just get one, wait for the day, butcher it and smoke it, but that would require a lot of waiting which would burn through her food.

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That was also why she wanted to transport as many wolves as possible since it seemed like things would get dicey if she didn’t.

’Who knows how the next location looks.’ She was so close, yet so far from her goal. She could already use the lure in this place since if you stack several hundred if not a thousand lures, it should get a big enough boost to lure every ugly in ridiculous radius.

However, what about the elites, champions and so on?

’It might not work...’ Aiko scrunched her face. It was possible that elites, champions, and more, would just ignore it and wait inside those villages.

’Foos...’ Aiko was thinking about using something to poison their food, but thinking again, she never saw any fireplace that would signify that they were actually cooking something.

Or rather there were no facilities that held food inside the villages. Just tents upon tents or in this case, pseudo-housing upon pseudo-housing.

’So they don’t have to eat or have a similar concept to my safe area.’ Aiko concluded this, or they might be hiding their food somewhere else, which was unlikely.

The uglies were primitive, and while some of them might be intelligent, guiding the unruly would be difficult for them, so it was pretty much impossible.

There might be some kind of shaman or something that could control their actions, but would complex actions be possible? Maybe, but Aiko didn’t count on that too much.

She decided to get as many wolves as she could before they would notice her!

...

Aiko waited for the night once again. Surprisingly, this time it didn’t cost her food, maybe because she already ate? Well, it was definitely good for her, so she wouldn’t question it too much.

Jumping down her tree, she slowly walked downstream while paying attention to her surroundings.

It might be a good idea to mark this location, but the uglies might notice the mark and then scout this place.

Aiko simply didn’t want to take any risks so she didn’t need to walk from the safe area, or her maximum teleport.

’No, wait, couldn’t I just teleport several times?’ One jump would be enough to get to the caravan. There she could sleep without being disturbed since it was concealed-

’What if I created more bases like this?’ Aiko raised her eyebrows. It might be possible and those ’bases’ would be able to last as long as elites or monsters that could discover it, found it.

’But making so many of them...’ Aiko was not too keen about getting more wood for this, but what if it didn’t need to be to the scale of her caravan? Something small enough that it could include a bed and few other things, something like a small cosy cabin?

’Now we are talking.’ Aiko snapped her fingers, but she held that thought for now.

’Will I be able to teleport so far, or will there be restrictions?’ Aiko didn’t like the idea of burning through too much Mana and then waiting, since it meant she would have to use more food for this.

’Eeeeeehhhhhh...’ Aiko would just test getting those wolves quickly since she was already here.

She sneaked inside. It was the same as always. The uglies patrolled very clumsily while the elites were probably sleeping-

’Could I wipe them out during their sleep?’ Aiko raised her eyebrow. This was worth testing, but it would be better to test it after she acquired enough food.

She only considered this because she didn’t know how powerful the main boss would be.

Was it twice as powerful as champion or elite? It was difficult to say since Aiko never encountered the boss.

’I did see a familiar wolf, but...’ Aiko smacked her lips when she found that there were more abandoned wolves on the side.

She silenced one with a quick whack before tying the body and carrying it on her back.

It was not heavy, thanks to her set, but her main worry was being found out.

The wolf would be about 2 times longer than Aiko lying on the ground, which meant that these ’smallest’ wolves were still huge.

Aiko avoided the patrols before going outside the village without anyone spotting her.

’This is nerve wracking...’ Aiko quickly transported the wolf to her ’base’. She couldn’t do anything with it since they would notice, but fortunately the wolf didn’t wake up yet.

’It will be fine.’ Aiko nodded her head as she left the carcass here. Or rather, on top of the tree where she liked to sleep.

This would eliminate most crawling dangers that might snatch her prey and the same went for the birds that were heard here and there.

’With this, it should be fine.’ Aiko also covered it with a few leaves, leaving it blended with its surroundings.

’I hope I will remember this place.’ Aiko laughed to herself as she returned to the village.

...

The village was mostly the same. There were a few uglies that were wondering what was wrong with the wolves, but since nobody smart was awake, she was safe.

’No, to think about it, I did spot elites during the night, didn’t I?’ Aiko paused for a moment to see if she was being followed or anything.

It didn’t seem that way, but her cautiousness doubled, making her slower in the process.

Well, she was still quick enough to leave the village with another wolf on her back, but it was obvious that they were getting larger and larger as Aiko’s vision was now covered with many long furs.

’This is a pain...’ Aiko whined, but still carried another wolf to her destination where she dressed it up again in the crowns of those trees.

’This gives me the idea about the sapling...’ Aiko was considering munching on some fruits, but would her sapling be able to bear fruit? It was debatable.

’No, what am I thinking?’ Aiko scratched her face. It was kind of scary thought that a tree could create meat, so Aiko had no idea why she even suggested this.

’I like living meat.’ Aiko nodded her head. Well, the tree was alive, probably, but Aiko was so hyper-focused that it didn’t matter.

Another wolf was transported and at this point the uglies doubled the patrols.

’Is this too much?’ Aiko scrunched her face. It was one thing trying to transport the wolves and another trying to avoid the guards.

However, right now, the village lit up like some kind of party room and it was hard to approach. Not only the insides, but also the outside was covered in torches, making approach impossible by Aiko’s standards.

’Alright, I will just smoke what I have.’ Aiko nodded her head. So what if they prevented her from getting more wolves!? It was enough that she had enough food until she got to the next village!