Thud… thud… thud…
Heavy footsteps echoed through Wolvendom, startling the small forest creatures and birds perched in the trees.
On the narrow animal trail, Jia Changjiang swung his battle axe single-handedly, clearing away obstructing branches. His other hand steadied several wild boars bound together with chains, slung over his back.
“Jax, maybe I should help you…” Lumine offered, watching him trudge ahead, but Jia Changjiang waved her off. “No need. Carrying these boars is good training for me.”
Jia Changjiang adjusted the weight on his back, gauging his physical strength.
Before his arrival in Teyvat, he’d had the fitness of an average human. But now, his physical prowess had reached an absurd level.
Since coming to Mondstadt, Jia Changjiang’s body seemed to grow stronger by the day. If this continued, he believed it wouldn’t be long before he could physically challenge Celestia itself.
The thought thrilled him.
Fueled by the idea, Jia Changjiang quickened his pace, eager to test himself further.
Behind him, Paimon and Lumine whispered conspiratorially.
“Traveler, why doesn’t Mr. Jax just store the boars in his portable bag?”
Lumine shrugged, equally confused. “I don’t know. He won’t even let me help. Maybe he forgot he could do that?”
With a combination of jogging and leaping, Jia Changjiang carried the wild boars until they arrived at Razor’s location. Surrounding Razor were several strong, intimidating wolves and a few fluffy wolf pups.
When the wolves spotted Jia Changjiang with the boars, their hackles rose. Their ears flattened, tails tucked between their legs, and they let out low growls from deep within their throats. The larger wolves puffed up their fur, baring their teeth in warning.
“Mr. Jax, the wolves seem really upset… Maybe we shouldn’t get too close,” Paimon suggested, hiding instinctively behind Lumine. “They’re kind of scary…”
“Hm? I think they’re cute,” Lumine said, observing the wolves. “And they don’t seem angry. More like… scared?”
“You’ve scared my Lupical,” Razor said, eyeing Jia Changjiang’s battle axe warily.
“These are the boars to make up for earlier…” Jia Changjiang sighed, setting down the wild boars and unfastening the chains. After taking a few steps back, he admitted inwardly that maybe sparring with Razor earlier hadn’t been the best idea.
The wolves seemed to hold a grudge against him now.
Meanwhile, Lumine crouched down, extending a piece of jerky toward one of the small wolves that had been growling moments ago. She waved the treat gently, trying to coax it closer.
The pup glanced at Jia Changjiang, then at Lumine.
Moments later, it cautiously approached her, grabbed the jerky in its mouth, and chewed it down. It even gave Lumine’s hand a tentative lick.
“Aww, it’s so cute!”
Overjoyed, Lumine began petting the little wolf, her excitement startling the other wolves. But sensing no malice, and reassured by Razor, they didn’t react aggressively.
“So fluffy! This is amazing!” Lumine exclaimed as more wolf pups gathered around her, their soft fur an irresistible magnet for her hands.
Watching her surrounded by fluff, Jia Changjiang couldn’t help rubbing his hands together enviously. For all his rough demeanor, even he couldn’t deny the allure of petting fluffy creatures.
No one could.
“Those are this year’s pups,” Razor explained. “They seem to like your scent. Smells… nice.”
“What about me?” Jia Changjiang asked hopefully, inching closer. “I don’t mean any harm, either. Can I pet them too?”
Razor shook his head. “You… smell fierce. Dangerous. Wolves don’t want to come near you.”
“But you’re a good person. Strong too,” Razor added. “You and her… caught a lot of prey.”
“You’re… better than the Knights’… that red, hot girl.” Razor spoke in his halting way while Lumine found herself surrounded by a pile of fluff.
“The red, hot girl?” Lumine asked curiously.
Razor nodded. “Friend. She helps… but boars run away. Mountains burn.”
“Who’s that supposed to be?” Paimon wondered aloud, scratching a pup’s belly as she tried to think.
“I’ve got it! It’s Diluc,” Jia Changjiang declared confidently. “Red hair, and everything he does looks hot.”
“Master Diluc?/Diluc…”
Lumine and Paimon simultaneously pictured Diluc charging through Wolvendom with his flaming claymore, chasing wild boars.
“Pfft~” Lumine couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
While they were chatting, the wolves began dragging the boars away. A larger wolf returned shortly after, howling to call the pups away from Lumine’s side.
“I should go too,” Razor said to Jia Changjiang and Lumine. “This place… not safe. Be careful.”
“Wait—”
Before Lumine could stop him, Razor darted off into the woods.
“I wasn’t done petting the pups…” Lumine lamented.
“I didn’t even get to pet one!” Jia Changjiang grumbled. “What now, Lumine?”
“Well… the red, hot girl must be Amber, right?” Lumine mused. “I’ll go find her and ask about Razor.”
“I think I’ll stay and see if Razor’s up for a spar,” Jia Changjiang said. “Our mission is to investigate Wolvendom, after all.”
“That’s fine,” Lumine agreed. “I’ll go find Amber and ask about Razor.”
“Be careful, though. Razor said it’s dangerous here.”
“Relax. Don’t you know how strong I am?” Jia Changjiang flexed, giving her a reassuring wave. “We’ll meet up later. I’m off to look for Razor—or, well, wolves first.”
“Just don’t cause trouble. And remember, no burning mountains,” Lumine teased, crossing her arms.
“I won’t! Unlike certain people, I don’t have elemental powers. Nothing’s going to go wrong,” Jia Changjiang declared, pounding his chest. “I just… really want to pet a wolf…”
—
This is a fan translation of 武器大师在原神绝不死于徒手 by 徐人双 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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