Sword and Magic and Taxi

Rangers live in the wild for a long time, mainly relying on their own martial arts and familiarity with the wild environment. But manpower is always exhausted, and no matter how clever a ranger is, there are times when he needs help. Therefore, they will domesticate some animals as their life partners.

The bald old dog named Dog Meat is Carl's animal companion, and they have spent twenty years together through ups and downs. They hunt together in the dense forest, track and drive away the evil creatures that enter the forest, and prevent the goblins and kobolds from invading the surrounding villages, let alone establishing their stronghold in this forest.

This kind of affection and tacit understanding is similar to a soldier and his military dog, which is a kind of bond entwined in the soul. Karl is getting old slowly, and Dog Meat is getting older faster. About five years ago, it has been unable to adapt to high-intensity battles, so Karl gave it a new task: guarding the tree house in the forest.

The new animal companion is the boa constrictor named Long Worm, which is currently in full strength. After long-term training, it has learned to cooperate with Ranger to fight and take care of each other's life. Carl would take it on a cruise in the jungle, but never took it to Nepo.

The reason is also very easy to understand: the appearance of a thick boa constrictor is definitely not comparable to that of a big dog, which will not cause any panic.

The boa constrictor knew he would be able to follow him to town one day, especially as Carl was getting old, and the boa constrictor would help him carry his load. It quietly waited for the day when the old dog died, that is, the day when it officially took over. Before that, it kept rubbing its body in the nest, hoping to become stronger and stronger.

Zhao Mai is not afraid of pythons, but he doesn't like them either. All his attention is on the yellow fur ball in his arms. This is a little male dog, about the size of a volleyball, with a thin body under the long fluff.

The small dark brown nose kept sniffing Zhao Mai's body, as if smelling something he liked, he raised his upper body and tried to climb higher. The two hind legs straightened vigorously, and the two front paws kept scratching.

Zhao Mai grabbed the puppy and looked it up and down strangely. The puppy was so excited that it couldn't contain it, its waist and hind legs were spinning in circles in the air, and it let out anxious whining noises. What a cute stupid dog. Zhao Mai satisfied its desire and put the fur ball on his shoulder.

The puppy became honest immediately, laying comfortably on his shoulders, clutching Zhao Mai's T-shirt tightly with his little paws, squinting his eyes and starting to doze off.

Since you like me so much, I will take good care of you. Zhao Mai reached out and grabbed the puppy's tail, making it shake vigorously to express dissatisfaction.

The puppy liked the position of the shoulders, and was unwilling to come down no matter what. Even when Zhao Mai used his hands and feet to climb towards the tree hole on the second floor, the puppy refused to move. From time to time, it would stick out its tongue and lick Zhao Mai's shoulders and neck. It was cold and itchy, which made Zhao Mai giggle. This is the way little things show intimacy.

The tree hole is very simple, a pile of old furs that have been laid for an unknown number of years is his bed, half of the wood is used for pillows, and the clean fur without hair is used as a quilt. There is no door in the tree hole, ventilation and light are all done by the entrance and exit that is only half a person high. A lot of dried fruits such as acorns, chestnuts, and walnuts were piled up in one corner of the hole, weighing about a hundred catties. So the tree hole is always filled with a tree aroma with a sense of oil.

Zhao Mai left the Chimera's skin outside the hole, climbed into the hole to clean it up for a while, and put the tire aside as a temporary door. He surveyed the small room, stroking the flimsy fur bed with his hands. This is my first foothold, a small house full of wild atmosphere. If it were on Earth, it would be absolutely impossible for him to find such a unique place where he could get close to nature without any scruples.

How can a forest constructed of reinforced concrete compare with the original natural features? The genes imprinted in the evolution process of millions of years prefer the real taste of trees and soil. Zhao Mai found that he was very adaptable to the current environment. Although he still felt nervous and worried from time to time, but more of it was the excitement and tranquility of returning to nature.

The words excitement and tranquility seem to be opposites, but they can be organically combined here. This feeling is very similar to that of a wanderer returning home, when he steps into the door and sees his parents who have been away for a long time. The first time Zhao Mai came to this tree hole, it should have been a strange place, but deep in his heart he felt a sense of security that he was absolutely sheltered. He tried to lie on the cushion, only to feel that the pores of his whole body were comfortable, and his body immediately reached absolute relaxation. Carrying heavy loads and running through the forest along the way, the accumulated fatigue came to my heart at this time. Now is a good time for a nap, so he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Two heads poked out. It turned out that the old ranger and the half-orc apprentice heard the snoring and came to check. They saw Zhao Mai sleeping soundly, and also saw the little yellow-brown fur ball lying on Zhao Mai's shoulder, sleeping peacefully together with the red tip of his tongue exposed. Solu wanted to go in and pull the puppy out, but was stopped by the old ranger. With a wink he called the goblin to the tree.

Let him rest today, and you two will train together from tomorrow. In the morning, I will teach you language and natural knowledge. He will learn the common language, and you will also learn to write. It is just right to be together. In the afternoon, I will teach you fighting skills. Karl patted Solu on the shoulder, pinching the half-orc's muscular muscles with his dry fingers. You have already learned the basics, so teach Mike more. If you can let him learn the basics of martial arts, I will agree to take you out on an adventure together.

The half-orc nodded vigorously, with excitement shining in his eyes. Staying near the big tree has long worn out his patience, and it has been his long-standing dream to go out with the ranger.

I only give you seven days. If he can't pass the basics by that time, you will be considered a failure. After seven days, I will go out for inspection and will not take you with me. Carl said earnestly: Your physical fitness is excellent. But my brain is not bright enough, I am very worried. This time is to test whether you can solve problems that you have never encountered before. So, think a lot and find a way to teach Mike, and I can rest assured.

Yes, teacher, I'll find a way now. The half-orc smiled foolishly, and climbed into the highest tree hole in two or three steps. Immediately afterwards, the sound of rummaging through boxes and cabinets came from inside, and it was unknown what the orcs were busy with.

Carl sighed and walked into his own tree hole. The python followed closely behind him and got in too. After a while, the boa constrictor looked out slyly, lowered his body, stuck to the roots of the tree, and sneaked into the dense forest without a sound. There is an oiled paper bag tied behind its neck, which contains the letter Karl just wrote.

The old dog lay on his feet, looking listlessly at his old master. It saw the sadness on the master's brow, but had no strength to dispel it.