"Hehehe, don't worry, I'd never do anything reckless."
Kureha walked over and placed her hand on Moses' head, looking at this little rascal she'd raised since childhood with a grin:
"From now on, you'll be the one protecting me."
Hearing this, Moses chuckled, "So if you misbehave later, can I spank you?"
At this display of "filial piety," Kureha's mouth twitched as she replied with a smirk, "You're welcome to try."
Try and die, in other words.
Moses understood that perfectly.
With an awkward laugh, he looked at Kureha before him.
For once, Kureha wore a loose white shirt—a rare sight in his memories.
After pinching Moses' cheek, Kureha walked to the nearby lab table, picked up a test tube, and drank the liquid "APTX 4869Ⅱ" inside.
She tossed the empty tube toward Moses.
He caught it and set it aside on the table.
Moses watched as Kureha's body absorbed the liquid medicine rapidly.
Within a few breaths, her muscles and bones began shifting visibly, undergoing reverse aging at an astonishing rate.
"Rejuvenation."
Her physiological functions regressed to a developmental stage.
This was the first time Moses had witnessed such a miraculous transformation in a human.
Seven years old.
Now the same age as Moses, standing about 1.2 meters tall—slightly shorter than him—this was Kureha's current physical state.
As his breathing steadied,
Moses entered the State of Oneness.
Sensing the life energy emanating from Kureha's body, he finally spoke in his clear, youthful voice:
"How long do you plan to keep sensing me, Moses?"
Before him stood a little girl with slightly curly, pale golden hair, pitch-black luminous eyes, fair and rosy cheeks, and a delicate, petite frame.
Moses blinked. "I never thought Doctorine was this cute as a child."
"Hehehe, obviously." Kureha assessed her body, reveling in the vibrant vitality of complete rejuvenation. "Alright, I'm fine now. I'm going to change clothes."
As she left the lab, Moses watched thoughtfully, recalling what he'd sensed earlier.
Her physical breathing rhythm matched that of a child her age, but her Spirit Body's breathing rhythm remained largely unchanged.
Suddenly, Moses froze. "No... it's not unchanged. It's changing. The physical body and Spirit Body are interdependent—they influence each other."
"Like the barrel effect. Over time, the Spirit Body's energy will realign with the physical body."
After tidying the lab, Moses returned to his room and picked up his hand axe.
"Doctorine has become small—it's like getting a second life. This calls for celebration. I'll hunt something to nourish her."
"Da Bao, take me down the mountain."
Soon, Crow Dabao flew down Drum Mountain. As they neared the ground, the window opened.
A cold wind rushed in, rustling the curtains and swaying a bronze hair clasp tied with a red string that hung by the bed.
Moses leaped out the window.
Amid the swirling snowstorm,
he disappeared into the frozen woods.
On the ice-covered lake connected to the sea...
Moses had been coming here to swim in the winter whenever he had free time this past year. It was a great way to catch fish, exercise, and avoid the dangers of the open sea.
Moses arrived at the spot.
Crow Dabao also landed on Moses' shoulder.
The sharp end of the hand axe struck the ice with a heavy thud.
Dragging the axe, Moses carved out a two-meter-diameter circle in the ice.
CRACK!
With a powerful stomp, the circular ice sheet shattered, forming a hole as water surged up from beneath.
Moses quickly stripped off his clothes, tossed the axe aside, and with a steadying breath, executed a perfect dive into the icy water below.
A small splash erupted.
The lake was cold but not bone-chilling.
The water temperature was at least 1 degree Celsius.
Moving like a fish.
He swung his arms and legs rhythmically, eyes open and aided by Observation Haki, scanning the lake for his target.
Connected to the sea, this lake was home to many marine fish that had wandered in by mistake.
The variety was quite rich.
Before long, a three-meter-long blue-shelled lobster appeared in his field of vision. Moses swiftly swam toward it.
At the same time, the creature noticed this "small fish" approaching.
A narrow encounter.
Both charged at each other.
In the water, Moses synchronized his Breath with the currents, riding the flow.
He nimbly dodged a swipe from the lobster's claw and delivered a punch to its head. With a crisp crack, the force penetrated instantly, shattering its brain.
[Obtained E- grade Soul Crystal *1]
A pea-sized Soul Crystal emerged from its body, which Moses promptly collected.
Towing the massive lobster, he soon resurfaced. Crow Dabao, waiting above, let out a "Caw!" and stored the lobster in the Castle Space.
Moses dove back in to continue fishing.
And to get some exercise.
Every now and then, he surfaced with another seafood haul.
An hour and a half later, Moses hauled out a two-meter-long sea turtle and tossed it ashore. Crow Dabao then retrieved both Moses and the turtle into the Castle Space.
After a quick shower, drying off with a towel, and changing clothes, Moses headed out again.
Walking through the snowy mountains.
Eyes and ears alert.
Searching for prey.
With more crows at home now.
The demand for meat had increased.
Though they acknowledged Crow Dabao as their leader and hunted on their own, regular feeding was still key to Taming.
As he trekked through the mountains.
He caught snow pheasants and snared snow hares.
Whenever he spotted rare medicinal herbs, he gathered them as well.
Crossing one mountain after another, Moses eventually came across an intriguing scene on a gentle slope between two peaks.
Not far away, a herd of reindeer grazed, plump and sturdy—prime ingredients for hot pot.
But Moses' attention wasn't on the herd. Instead, it was drawn to a small deer-humanoid standing about twenty to thirty meters away from the group.
Less than a meter tall.
Standing upright.
With a pair of tiny forked antlers.
And a blue nose.
The male reindeer lowered their heads, pointing their hard, branching antlers at the creature, driving it away.
The little deer-humanoid retreated helplessly, eyes brimming with tears.
"Waaah~"
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
Amidst the snow and wind.
Axe in hand.
Moses' eyes gleamed at the sight. Hearing the noise, the reindeer turned their heads, and the scene quickly grew chaotic.
One by one, the deer began backing away—they knew this deer hunter all too well.
"Naa~"
Under the lead stag's guidance, the deer began retreating with fear in their eyes. Among them, a particularly plump buck caught Moses' attention. With a leap, he swiftly charged forward.
This sudden movement sent the entire herd scattering in panic.
Closing in.
A swing of the axe.
The blade cleaved through the deer's neck.
A spray of blood splattered.
Moses collected a Soul Crystal, grabbed the antlers, and with bulging left arm muscles, tossed it upward where Crow Dabao swiftly flew by to retrieve it for the castle.
Moving through the chaotic herd, Moses arrived before a blue-nosed reindeer-person who'd been knocked down by the stampede.
Looking down with amusement, "Joe Beard?"
Seeing the small deer-person sitting in the snow, arms protecting his head while staring up with terrified eyes, Moses chuckled.
"Be my family's emergency rations."
"Ahhh!!!"
A terrified scream erupted.
Moses grabbed him by the scruff and carried him toward the distant snowy woods.
Moments later,
Holding him up for inspection, Moses examined him thoroughly—poking here, prodding there—before laughing:
"Still got his equipment intact."
Forcing open his mouth revealed perfectly aligned human-like teeth.
「Appraisal」
Eyes sparkling with interest, Moses remarked: "So it really is the Human-Human Fruit. Commoner form."
Just joking about the name.
Human-Human Fruit.
Pinching the blue-nosed deer-person's cheeks, Moses found the skin surprisingly smooth. Noticing the fear in his eyes now mixed with curiosity as the little one sensed no immediate danger.
"Understand human speech?"
Meeting his gaze, Moses saw clear hesitation before a slight nod.
This surprised Moses—though not excessively. Animals matured faster than humans, and consuming the Human-Human Fruit would naturally enhance intelligence and human-like qualities.
Moses grinned,
"How about joining me? I'll guarantee good food and protection. Nobody will bully you. Deal?"
Seeing uncertainty in those eyes, Moses continued walking. After a while:
"Made up your mind?"
Lifting him to eye level, observing the lingering fear and hesitation, Moses said flatly:
"Refuse, and I'll stir-fry you for dinner—skinned, boned, sliced thin, fried with garlic and ginger. Mmm, delicious."
With a sidelong glance and cheerful tone, Moses watched tears well up visibly. Giving his head an affectionate squeeze:
"Accept?"
Instantly, the deer-person's eyes cleared as he nodded frantically, piping up in childish tones:
"Uh-huh, I'll go,"
Eyebrow raised, Moses marveled, "Can actually speak? Remarkable. The Human-Human Fruit truly is extraordinary."
As Moses laughed, an arrogant voice interrupted: "Hey kid! What's that in your hand?"
Another brash voice followed: "Weird little thing. Looks like a tanuki with horns—some rare breed?"
"Peasant, stop right there and hand over what you're holding to me."
Moses turned his head at the command. Fifty meters away in the woods, two detestable figures stood among a group of people—Wapol and his elder brother Mushuru.
Old acquaintances.
Over the years on Drum Island, he'd heard plenty about the "glorious exploits" of these two scoundrels. Strangely, though, Mushuru, despite his countless atrocities, had never been exiled.
Moses ignored them and was about to leave when the latter, seeing him pause and look their way without acknowledgment, grew furious.
"Are you deaf when the prince speaks to you? Do you have a death wish, peasant?"
With that, a flintlock pistol appeared in his hand, aimed directly at Moses. A cruel glint flashed in his eyes as he pulled the trigger. A scorching lead bullet shot toward Moses's chest.
Moses's gaze turned icy as he observed them. The guards accompanying them were no better, watching with mocking amusement.
With a slight sidestep, the bullet grazed past his chest.
「Appraisal」
A quick scan revealed Mushuru as the strongest among them—D- rank.
Dropping Chopper to the ground, Moses uttered a single command:
"Stay down."
With that, he kicked off the snow, sending flakes flying as he charged toward them.
Seeing Moses dodge the bullet and rush forward, Mushuru's face darkened. He bellowed,
"Fire! Kill this lucky bastard!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Without hesitation, the guards opened fire. A hail of bullets streaked toward Moses, their fiery trails crisscrossing the air.
The coldness in Moses's eyes deepened.
"Paper Drawing."
His body swayed like a willow in the wind, his steps shifting fluidly as he dodged through the bullet-induced air currents, moving like a phantom.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
A few unavoidable bullets met the flat of his axe, deflected effortlessly.
With his left hand, he drew the Cold Dew Short Sword from his waist.
Fifty meters vanished in an instant. By the time the volley ended, Moses was already upon Mushuru. Unfazed, Mushuru grinned savagely.
Lifting his right leg with a sadistic smirk, he aimed a kick at Moses's head.
"Die, peasant."
Calmly, Moses exhaled. His left hand flicked upward with Cold Dew. Mushuru, startled, hastily retracted his leg—
But Moses's right hand was already in motion.
The handaxe flashed in a gleaming arc.
Squelch!
Blood sprayed as a severed right calf slid to the ground.
Mushuru's eyes widened.
His mouth fell open.
Agony paled his face in an instant.
Before he could react, Moses closed the distance.
Cold Dew traced a radiant curve through the air.
A brilliant slash crossed his neck.
His head soared, blood trailing behind it.
Moses spun, weaving through the crowd like a shadow.
No one could withstand a single strike from his sword or axe.
Rending cloth.
Screams.
In less than a minute, Moses stood before Wapol, who was frozen in terror.
The boy, about Robin's age, stammered, "Y-you... you can't—"
Squelch.
A splash of blood sprayed out.
A slit had been opened across his neck—a fatal wound, though at least it left him with a whole corpse.
Wapol clutched his throat, eyes wide with terror as he gasped hoarsely. Soon after, he closed his bloodshot eyes forever, falling into an eternal slumber.
Taking a deep breath, Moses watched as irregular crystals shimmering with a mysterious glow flew toward him from all directions.
The largest one had been extracted from Mushuru.
It was as big as a broad bean.
*[Obtained D- Grade Soul Crystal 1]
*[Obtained E- Grade Soul Crystal 1]
*[Obtained F+ Grade Soul Crystal 10]
*[Obtained F Grade Soul Crystal 2]
In total, he had harvested 14 Soul Crystals, the first time he had obtained one of D-grade quality.
Surveying the corpses gradually being buried by the falling snow, Moses scanned them with
a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
From Mushuru and Wapol, he took two finely crafted flintlock pistols.
Then, without hesitation, he turned and left.
The rest held no value whatsoever.
Approaching the blue-nosed deer-man, he saw him lying obediently in the snow. Smirking, Moses grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and vanished into the snowy forest amid the howling wind.
-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/QueenTL
Thanks!