The girl started off asking and answering Qin Jian's questions, but soon, exhaustion and drowsiness overwhelmed her. She completely drooped her small head, her petite body leaning against the tree trunk, her eyes listless.
"Gurgle..." Someone's stomach rumbled loudly, making the girl bury her head in her chest in embarrassment.
Qin Jian rubbed his stomach—it wasn't him.
"You sleep for a while. I'll find some food." Qin Jian sighed softly. The girl looked barely twenty, at most sixteen or seventeen. It was pitiful she wandered alone in such a vast forest.
"Sorry for the trouble," Mo Ni Ka said, her face flushed crimson, nodding before instantly falling asleep.
The wind grew stronger. Though sheltered within the trees, cold gusts still swept through, lifting the girl's green hair and making her shiver violently.
Qin Jian then noticed this incredibly beautiful girl had two pointed ears. The strong wind blew her hair back, fully revealing one ear tilted upwards to Qin Jian.
He couldn't find words to describe the girl's beauty. Qin Jian only knew that facing such a beauty, half her skin exposed, his throat gradually became parched.
Qin Jian only had to imagine this beautiful girl crying "Yamete!" while he... and his blood surged to his head.
Beast! Qin Jian cursed himself for his lack of restraint. Though lust was a man's nature, taking advantage of someone was despicable and low.
Perhaps because of the ritual, Qin Jian felt an inseparable bond had formed between this girl and his life.
He turned his head. The King Kong still sat innocently there.
Qin Jian still hadn't figured out what made this ferocious beast so docile.
He beckoned to the giant creature. The King Kong immediately scrambled over on all fours, covering the distance in two strides. Even though Qin Jian was somewhat prepared, he was startled.
"Huff... Huff..." The Gorilla snorted through its nostrils, lowering its head to look at Qin Jian, its eyes even holding a trace of anticipation.
Is this guy... going to obey me now? Qin Jian felt like he was dreaming!
He touched his chest, still remembering the scorching sensation.
His hand touched a jade pendant. Qin Jian's heart stirred; he quickly pulled it out.
Its color was ancient, unremarkable. His father had personally handed this to him when he left home at twelve. It was one of only two things his father had given him.
"Remember, wear it always. It can protect you!" His father's solemn expression appeared before Qin Jian.
Qin Jian hadn't paid much attention back then. During his subsequent wanderings, it hadn't shown any effect. But now, a small, previously dull character on the pendant emitted a faint glow.
"兽" (Shòu - Beast)! Only this single character was on the pendant.
But now, when Qin Jian focused all his attention on the pendant, a loud boom echoed in his mind. Darkness engulfed his vision as if breaking through a barrier, entering another realm.
The world was empty, only a tiny point of light shining.
Qin Jian couldn't help but walk over and look. He was astonished to find this light point was a King Kong shrunk countless times.
When Qin Jian poked the light point with his finger, an agonizing roar pulled him back to reality.
Looking over, he saw the previously well-behaved Gorilla clutching its head with both paws, rolling frantically on the ground, its expression twisted in utter agony.
Qin Jian believed even when he'd jammed the log into its nostrils, it hadn't suffered this much.
This expression seemed like it would only appear if he'd shoved the log up its ass!
Though the feeling was vague, Qin Jian knew this jade pendant was the direct reason he could make the Gorilla submit!
Struck it rich! Qin Jian hugged the pendant and kissed it fiercely, like kissing the beautiful girl on the ground.
With such a treasure, traversing this unknown world would be much easier!
"Come here!" After the Gorilla slowly calmed down, Qin Jian beckoned to it.
Fear filled the gorilla's eyes; it had just suffered terribly.
Compelled by Qin Jian's command, it shuffled over step by step, even turning its backside towards him as it slowly retreated closer. Its posture suggested it was ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.
Qin Jian found it amusing. This monster was surprisingly human-like, its expressions rich and varied.
He didn't want to torment it; he just needed to pluck some fur.
Seeing the little beauty shivering, and having no extra clothes himself, Qin Jian turned his attention to the Gorilla.
The Gorilla's fur was thick, black, and of moderate length. Spread out, it should provide warmth. The only downside was the gorilla's unpleasant smell, but he had to endure it. According to Mo Ni Ka, her tribe's settlement was fifty miles away. He couldn't find anything else to cover her with quickly.
Every time Qin Jian plucked a handful of black fur, the Gorilla whimpered.
Only when the black fur completely covered Mo Ni Ka and she stopped shivering did Qin Jian stop his work.
Gently stroking the little beauty's hair, a silky sensation transmitted from his fingertips.
However, when Qin Jian glanced at her chest, he quickly stood up.
He feared looking too long would make him lose control and commit an unforgivable act.
Instructing the Gorilla to watch over the girl, Qin Jian disappeared into the forest in a few leaps.
As for why his agility had improved so much, Mo Ni Ka provided a suitable explanation.
Every Priestess, when using the Divine Summoning Ritual, summons an elemental spirit imbued with the Moon God's power—a generous gift from the deity. Though Qin Jian wasn't an elemental spirit, the Moon God's blessing remained unchanged.
And it was precisely thanks to this that Qin Jian now felt incredibly energetic, even able to catch forest beasts barehanded.
After killing a sturdy wild deer by a small pond, he gutted it, washed it clean, and carried it back to the original spot.
Mo Ni Ka was still asleep. The Gorilla sat on the ground, carefully grooming its patchy fur. Seeing Qin Jian return, it immediately bared its teeth in a fawning grin.