Elf: Re-employment of retired champion of Padiya

Chapter 722 [You're Being Targeted] Should good people be pointed at with guns?
Encountering unexpected events during a mountain climb is commonplace, just like now.

Luo Mu calmly dodged the large pincers that suddenly emerged from the bushes covered in a layer of snow.

He shouted, "Don't underestimate my intelligence network!"

What sneak attack? It's nothing compared to the useful notification system!

"Yeah!"

The bear apprentice, who had jumped away with Luo Mu, looked at him with a hint of admiration, his eyes shining.

That's amazing! Before it even noticed the other party's movements, Luo Mu had already figured everything out.

The apprentice felt somewhat ashamed.

Despite practicing for so long, I still couldn't react as quickly as Luo Mu, who spent all his time lying down and sleeping.

Perhaps this is the difference in talent.

On the Isle of Armor, even his own brothers were always one step ahead of him.
"Deli!"

Above, a messenger bird took flight and pulled a bunch of glowing orbs from its tail, tossing them directly into the bushes.

The standard move is "Gift"!
In an instant, colorful light effects exploded on the bushes, some causing damage, others providing gentle healing.

Amidst the swirling snowflakes, Luo Mu finally saw clearly what was hiding in the bushes that had ambushed him.

"Wow, it smells so good! Oh no, what a huge pair of crab claws!"

A gasp escaped his lips as Luo Mu stared wide-eyed at the Pokémon that had leaped out of the bushes.

Competitive hairy crab!

In the Alola region, it is a competitive crab with a strong personality that aims to climb high mountains, but accidentally ends up on a snow-covered mountain and grows and evolves while enduring the severe cold.

The attribute has also changed from a single Fighting type to Fighting and Ice type.

Although they are Pokémon that live in the snow-capped mountains, they can occasionally be encountered in places at lower altitudes due to their past lifestyle.

It was like when Luo Mu once encountered a competitive hairy crab in the wild, where there were no snow-capped mountains.

Clearly, the failed sneak attack, coupled with the messenger bird's painful yet satisfying bombardment, fully unleashed the competitive nature of the hairy crab.

Unconvinced, it brandished its enormous, powerful pincers, which it was so proud of, and was about to smash it down this way.

Of course, don't think of competitive hairy crabs as reckless.

This guy is quite clever; he knows that his slow movements make it difficult for him to catch prey with speed.

While waving its pincers to gather cold air, it opens its mouth and spews out the move "Bubble Beam".

However, due to its own characteristics, the water-attribute "bubble beam" directly turned into a large amount of frozen foam.

If a person or Pokémon is hit, their movements will likely be restricted for a short period of time.

However, that's only if it's actually within reach.

"Bah!"

Beside Luo Mu, the Burning Insect suddenly raised its forelegs, its blue insect eyes locking onto the rushing Ice Foam, and released the move "Spark"!
In an instant, the surging flames transformed into a firestorm, and the scorching tongues of fire swept away the frozen foam. The extremely high temperature frightened the competitive hairy crab that was rushing over, causing it to stop in its tracks.

Even after seeing it many times, the bear apprentice was still shocked: "Huh?"

You call this a "spark"?
"Sonana—"

Little Guoguo was eager to try, whether it was the large claws of the competitive hairy crab or the "sparks" of the burning worm.

To prevent this silly child from doing something reckless, Luo Mu grabbed its two little hands.

"Mao!?"

The competitive hairy crab looked at the flaming bug with a look of horror. Although it was not as afraid of heat as other ice-type Pokémon, if it really came into contact with this temperature, its proud white fur would probably be completely destroyed!

Most wild Pokémon aren't stupid; they're not the kind of brutes who knowingly charge at an opponent they can't afford to mess with.

Startled by the scale of the firefly's "sparks," the competitive hairy crab's feverish brain calmed down.

It began to scrutinize its "prey."

Weak human.

A delicate, petite blue bald head.

The bear doesn't seem like much of a threat.

Insects that can breathe fire are dangerous.

The bird that attacked itself first is a bit hard to understand.

The cat has been inactive for a long time, giving it the impression that it's not to be trifled with.

A Pokémon with flowing, beautiful fur that hasn't taken any action wants to propose.

These conditions combined form three big words – not to be trifled with!

It's competitive, but not stupid; it can tell the difference between a full meal and a death sentence.

The thought process was only momentary. Once the competitive hairy crab made its choice, it turned around without hesitation and swung its hind legs sideways toward the cliff to the side.

A powerful waterfall cascades down the cliff, and further ahead lies Daguo Lake.

At this depth, there's no way these guys, who don't seem to have mastered flying or swimming, could catch up.

The competitive hairy crab has a tough shell and thick flesh, which can withstand the impact of falling into the water. At the same time, as a crab, it is natural that it can swim.

Hahaha, you didn't expect that, did you!

This is the escape route of this competitive hairy crab!
Just as the competitive hairy crab was getting complacent, Röntgen, who had been staying by Luo Mu's side without getting involved, made a move.

Originally, neither Luo Mu nor the crab had any intention of chasing the competitive hairy crab; they only planned to scare it away.

But the moment it saw the other party running away, instinct made the Röntgen cat leap out.

This sudden leap nearly scared the competitive hairy crab out of its wits.

The sheer aura emanating from the X-ray cat once it entered "hunting" mode was enough to make the competitive hairy crab lose all will to resist.

While frantically increasing its escape speed, the competitive hairy crab simply activated its backup hiding plan.

—Just like a lizard losing its tail, it suddenly swung its fist towards the X-Rayet cat.

With a click, the connection between the crab claws severed without pain, and in an instant, the two enormous claws shot towards the X-Rayet Cat like rockets, one on the left and one on the right.

At this moment, the Röntgen cat had also realized what was happening and was preparing to stop its forward momentum.

As a result, he just watched as two crab claws smashed down not far in front of him.

Seeing the crab claws trembling as if saying "Come eat me! Come eat me!", not only did Röntgen the cat stop in its tracks, but Luo Mu behind it also fell silent.

Hearing the faint sound of heavy objects falling into the water below the cliff ahead, Luo Mu blinked.

Isn't it supposed to be done decisively with pliers?

Heaven can bear witness that Luo Mu never even considered using wild protein for a meal.

But since the competitive hairy crab has already broken off its claws and run away, it seems a bit wasteful to just leave those two claws, which I estimate to weigh at least 70 or 80 pounds, here.

"The protein in this crab meat is five times that of synthetic beef, and it tastes especially good when steamed."

"The shell should not be wasted either. Mr. Haidai mentioned that after washing it clean, a delicious broth can be extracted, which can be used to drink or to stew seafood risotto."

Luo Mu, his eyes shining, diligently picked up the two crab claws, unconsciously licking his lips. He figured that even if a passing ranger saw this, they wouldn't blame him.

After all, he picked it up.

"—Thank you for the gifts of nature!"

Holding up his crab claws, Luo Mu shouted and looked at the Pokémon with great interest.

"Men, it's time to eat!"

"You're in for a treat today."

We've been hiking for half a day now, and we're still not far from the foot of Frostmoor Mountain.

Luo Mu's destination was halfway up Frostmog Mountain. Before coming, the messenger birds had mentioned that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, their usual range of activity was in that area.

Instead of continuing to climb, Luo Mu chose to stop and rest, and also to fill his stomach.

It's perfect timing, since there's no snow or wind outside yet, let's make some hot seafood soup and crab meat.

Otherwise, if we don't find a cave to shelter us from the wind and snow, we might not even be able to get a hot meal.

After finding a flat area with less snow, Luo Mu had the burning insects clear away the snow in a certain area to dry it out, so that they could pile up firewood and build a fire.

Unfortunately, if there were a lava worm or a coal turtle here, there would be no need to pile up firewood; you could just set up a pot on them and prepare food.

Luo Mu was very experienced in outdoor camping, and soon he had set up two simple stoves with the things he had brought.

One is used to steam crab meat, and the other is used to make seafood soup.

The claw shell of the competitive hairy crab, which had been painlessly detached, was still as hard as Luo Mu remembered, and could only be dealt with by the sharp claws of the X-ray cat.

Soon, Luo Mu had peeled off pieces of fresh crab meat and placed them in a steamer to steam until cooked.

At the same time, he put the pre-treated crab shell of the Röntgen cat into a sturdy bag, tied it tightly, and looked at his bear apprentice with a smile.

"It's time for you to come on stage."

"Pound it into smaller pieces as much as possible, so that it absorbs the flavors better."

Xiong's apprentice: "."

If you really hit this thing, your fist will hurt terribly, right?
Frost-covered Mountain, halfway up the mountain.

Lying on the somewhat cold snow, Trump blinked and his nose twitched slightly.

"What's that smell? It smells so good!"

He thought he was probably hallucinating from squatting there for so long.

Otherwise, how could I smell a faint seafood aroma in this weather, which is basically like a frozen world except for the fact that it hasn't snowed?
He was originally planning to stay here and see if any Pokémon hunters would return to target the Whale and the Whale mother and daughter.

But the sudden fragrance left him somewhat bewildered, which was unusual for him.

But the reactions of the grave dog and messenger bird lying in the snow beside Trump told him bluntly that there was indeed a seafood aroma in the air.

"Those Pokémon hunters?"

Trump frowned slightly as he thought about the target he was staking out.

His experience told him that a seasoned Pokémon hunter couldn't possibly cause such a commotion.

After all, this would easily expose their presence.

Their actions should be like those of a small rada hidden in the gutter, kept in the dark.

In Tron's memories as a ranger, real Pokémon hunters would choose packaged, simple foods or compressed biscuits even when eating during missions.

How could anyone cook food so carelessly? Even some novice trainers or mountaineers wouldn't do that. We're not here for a vacation at Frostbite Mountain.

Besides, the vacation and sightseeing areas are all along the tourist routes, not in the wilderness here.

"Indeed, we still have to go and take a look."

Trump recalled the fear and dread in the eyes of the injured walking whale and the great whale when he found them in a cave not long ago, following their footprints.

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened.

Neither his responsibility as a ranger nor his personal feelings could allow these Pokémon hunters, who treated Pokémon as a money-making tool, to be active on Frosty Mountain.

But as a seasoned and experienced ranger, Trump wasn't the kind of greenhorn who would rush in recklessly.

That's no different from delivering vegetables.

He looked around and quickly found a suitable spot.

A naturally concealed vantage point should offer a panoramic view of the terrain below.

The key point is that the distance that a scent can travel is absolutely limited. Since he can smell the scent, it means that the other party is definitely not too far away.

Even in the worst-case scenario, using a telescope should be enough to find traces of the fragrance maker.

Not to mention that his old buddy, the messenger bird, also has excellent eyesight.

Taking a deep breath, Trump struggled to his feet, his body, which felt like an old machine due to his advancing age, and slowly moved to the high vantage point he had chosen before lying down again.

The messenger bird and the gravedigger, DouDing, followed closely behind him, and when they noticed him swaying, they nervously tried to steady him in their own way.

Trump watched the Pokémon's actions with a helpless smile, silently thinking to himself.

Last year, I was able to climb to the top of Frostmog Mountain with Luo Mu and that little girl named Lila. How come I have some difficulty moving around in less than a year?

However, the things I need to do haven't changed.

Trump subconsciously touched the cold, long object on his back, and after a moment of distraction, he pulled out his binoculars from his waist and held them in front of his eyes.

Soon, the terrain and scenery below were all laid out before us.

A strange phenomenon appeared before him.

Why are all the wild Pokémon gathering there?

Trump muttered to himself, and his expression changed.

Could it be that he was wrong, and that the scent was actually a tool to lure wild Pokémon, and those Pokémon hunters were planning to catch them all in one fell swoop?
Although he hadn't yet caught a glimpse of the "Pokémon Hunters," Trang's expression instantly darkened. He pulled out his "fire poker," which had been with him for half his life, from his back and began searching for the guys through the scope on it.

Then, a figure suddenly appeared right in the center of the sights of Trump's "fire poker".

"Luo Mu?"

Meanwhile, below, as Luo Mu, who was simmering soup and smilingly telling the wild Pokémon who had gathered there not to worry, that there would be some for the baby, suddenly saw a line of text appear before his eyes.

You have been targeted.

Luo Mu: "???"

What are you aiming at?
[Fire Stick]

What the hell?!
Luo Mu subconsciously looked in a certain direction, following the guidance of the prompting system.

With his superhuman 5.0 vision, he could see directly the cold, hard gun barrel protruding from above.

It's even reflecting light.

No, why should good people be held at gunpoint?!

The first thought that popped into Luo Mu's mind was this.

(End of this chapter)