Chapter 8: Glob's Transformation

As Moon's body fell, Glob froze.

Just moments ago, she had been happily smiling as she showed him her favorite place in the whole forest. Beneath the moonlight, her beautiful silver fur had shimmered softly as countless Wisps danced around her.

And now...

That gentle smile had become a painful expression. The silver fur that had shone so beautifully beneath the moonlight was now stained and damaged, while the wounds left by the poison bite marred her small body.

"...Blob?"

For a moment, he simply stared at her motionless figure.

Then, panic flooded his eyes.

"Blob! Blob!"

He hurriedly hopped toward her as fast as he could.

The distance between them had never felt so far before.

When he finally reached her side, he gently nudged her body, his voice growing increasingly panicked as he repeatedly called out to her.

"Blob... Blob!"

But Moon remained motionless.

Seeing the pitiful sight before him, the man merely let out a mocking laugh.

"What a troublesome little thing. You're not even worth selling."

His gaze shifted toward his Kýrex.

"Scuttle, Poison Bite."

"Scuttt!"

Scuttle slowly stepped forward once more, poisonous energy gathering around its venomous fangs as it fixed its four crimson eyes upon Glob like a predator staring at its next meal.

But Glob wasn't paying attention to any of it. His eyes were on Moon's motionless figure.

At that moment, he wished for only one thing: for the pain upon Moon's unconscious face to disappear.

And as if the universe itself had heard his desperate wish, something within him suddenly stirred.

A sudden rush of brilliant white light erupted from his small body, illuminating the entire clearing.

The countless Wisps hidden amongst the flowers trembled as though responding to the mysterious light.

A radiant golden halo slowly manifested above Glob's head as the purple darkness surrounding his body began to waver.

While, behind him, two small wings of pure white unfurled gently, floating silently as though connected by invisible threads.

At the same time, a soft white glow slowly spread across his round form, growing brighter and brighter with every frantic beat of his heart as it gradually washed away the darkness.

Scuttle froze mid-step.

Even the man's eyes widened in surprise.

Then, a soft white light was released from Glob's transformed body, gently drifting toward Moon.

It enveloped her.

Wherever it passed, the wounds slowly faded away, while her damaged silver fur gradually returned to its former beauty.

Even the poisonous energy lingering within her body disappeared beneath its divine glow.

"Moon..."

Moon's eyes slowly fluttered open as warmth spread throughout her body. The pain that had hurt her moments ago had completely disappeared.

She quietly looked at Glob, at the soft white light still faintly shining from his transformed body…

But the man's expression immediately changed.

He no longer cared about the Moon Fox. His eyes were firmly fixed upon Glob's transformed body as undisguised greed filled his face.

A Glob capable of such a miraculous transformation was something he had never seen before. If he could capture it, the wealth it would gain would far surpass anything a Moon Fox could ever bring.

"Scuttle! Stop it with Toxic Burst!"

"SCUTTT!"

The spider-like Kýrex, who had frozen mid-attack moments ago, immediately resumed its attacking stance.

Its four crimson eyes gleamed dangerously as poisonous energy rapidly gathered before it sent the attack toward them.

But before it could reach them, a barrier of pale light silently rose around Glob and Moon.

The pulsing ball of poisonous energy hit the barrier harmlessly before disappearing completely.

Just then, Moon, who had only just awakened, slowly forced herself back onto her feet. Though the poison had been cleansed from her body, she had yet to fully recover.

Looking at the man and spider before her and then at Glob beside her, she quietly made her decision.

"Moon..."

Psychic energy slowly swirled around her and Glob.

In the very next instant, both of them vanished from the clearing, leaving nothing behind but countless petals dancing in the night breeze.

But instead of worrying about losing his prey, the man's smile only grew wider.

He simply stared at the empty space where they had stood moments ago and said, "Teleport...? A skill like that has its limits. You won't get very far."

His eyes slowly narrowed as he looked deeper into the forest before raising his hand and pointing toward the darkness beyond the clearing.

"Stormhound."

The ring upon his finger suddenly began to glow. A small magic circle appeared in front of his hand, its runes shining brightly as a stream of light shot forward.

The light expanded, and a low growl echoed through the clearing as a large dog-like Kýrex emerged from the light.

Its storm-grey fur crackled faintly with wind energy, while its sharp eyes quietly observed its surroundings.

Stormhound was the awakened form of Wind Hound, a Kýrex known for its incredible speed and mastery over wind energy. Its movements were far beyond an ordinary Kýrex, making it a dangerous predator capable of chasing down its targets.

The man pointed toward the place where Moon and Glob had disappeared.

"Find them."

Stormhound nodded and immediately moved forward and sniffed the spot where they had stood. Its ears twitched as it picked up their scent, and a low growl escaped from its throat.

It turned back toward its master and gave a small nod, as if confirming that it had found their trail.

"Good," the man said, touching the ring upon his finger. "Track the Moon Fox... and that Glob."

Stormhound's eyes flashed. It turned and rushed into the trees, its body becoming a blur of wind as it followed the trail.

The man and spider followed behind.

Two rare Kýrex in a single night...

A Moon Fox was already rare, but that Glob...

A Kýrex capable of such a transformation was something he had never imagined encountering.