The black bushes were torn open once again, and five figures emerged from within.

　　Mr. Harris: ……

　　Ryan Clark: ……

　　Ha, is this really a beginner-level novice dungeon? Ryan Clark was dumbfounded.

　　He suspected the creator of the dungeon was targeting him! He wasn’t even cheating!

　　Listen to me… thank you…

Chapter 7: Mutation

　　Ryan Clark's scalp tingled.

　　One, two, three, four, five…

　　What appeared were five demon cats!

　　Damn, do demon cats actually live in groups?

　　At the moment, these five demon cats were staring intently at Ryan Clark and the others.

　　If it were just five demon cats, that would be one thing.

　　Ryan Clark also noticed that among the five demon cats, one was very different from the other four.

　　Four of them were about the same as the demon cat that had appeared before, all much smaller than Mr. Harris.

　　But the last one was a whole size larger, its build already comparable to the original Mr. Harris, and unlike the other demon cats, its body was not skinny but full of muscle.

　　[Race]: Demon Cat

　　[Attribute]: Not Awakened

　　[Race Level]: Intermediate Transcendent

　　[Growth Level]: Level 3

　　Ryan Clark swept over with his Data Eye and immediately pressed his lips together—it was a level 3 demon cat…

　　At this moment, Ryan Clark really wanted to say, maybe we should just run.

　　Although Mr. Harris was brave, two fists are no match for four hands.

　　However, the five demon cats in front of them had clearly surrounded them, so even if they wanted to run, they couldn’t…

　　What to do.

　　Should he let Mr. Harris enter that state?

　　Previously, Ryan Clark had called Mr. Harris's state the normal state, so naturally there was an abnormal state.

　　If Ryan Clark's superpower, the strange dream, was considered an illness—

　　Actually, it wasn’t just Ryan Clark who was sick.

　　Mr. Harris was too. Maybe that was why the two of them met.

　　Whenever it got excited in battle, it would lose its reason and sense of pain, becoming like a mad dog.

　　In that state, Mr. Harris's potential seemed to be fully unleashed, and its combat power greatly increased.

　　Currently, only Ryan Clark's telepathy could awaken Mr. Harris in that state.

　　Mr. Harris also had hidden potential, which was why Ryan Clark believed in its fighting ability.

　　But actually, Ryan Clark didn’t want Mr. Harris to enter that state.

　　He always felt that state was a bit dangerous, and every time Mr. Harris exited that state, it would pass out for a while.

　　“Forget it, let’s just take it one step at a time.”

　　“Don’t worry about me, take them down quickly.”

　　“At the same time, keep an eye on that demon cat leader.”

　　With the previous battle experience, Ryan Clark adapted fairly quickly and immediately gave Mr. Harris instructions.

　　While picking fruit, Ryan Clark had also found a new weapon—a handy wooden stick.

　　The stick was fairly sturdy, and with his enhanced physical abilities, Ryan Clark felt that as long as he didn’t get clawed in the neck or other vital areas, he had a good chance of taking down one of them.

　　Of course, that only applied to the lower-level demon cats.

　　If it was that huge level 3 demon cat, Ryan Clark felt it would be a bit difficult to handle.

　　So, he’d have to rely on Mr. Harris for that one.

　　“Meow!!!”

　　But! Unexpectedly, that suspected leader demon cat didn’t seem to intend to attack first either.

　　With a roar, the four level 1–2 demon cats charged forward.

　　Maybe sensing that Mr. Harris was more of a threat, their targets were surprisingly unified. As they leapt, they all swiped their sharp claws at Mr. Harris, completely ignoring Ryan Clark.

　　Whoosh!

　　A flying stone was hurled.

　　“Lucky shot, it actually hit.”

　　In the blink of an eye, three demon cats managed to get close to Mr. Harris, while the one whose movement stalled had been struck on the head by a rock mid-charge, its expression going blank.

　　Holding a stick in one hand and throwing stones with the other, Ryan Clark looked at the demon cat he’d hit, which was now glaring at him with a vicious gaze, and gripped the stick even tighter.

　　Meanwhile, Mr. Harris was already fighting the three demon cats. It still displayed overwhelming combat power—after just one clash, it bit down on a demon cat’s neck, blood splattering, killing it instantly. But in its current state, it could only instantly take down one. The attacks of the other two demon cats, unsurprisingly, landed on Mr. Harris, their claws flashing. In the blink of an eye, Mr. Harris's back and sides were torn open, blood gushing out, flesh ripped apart.

　　“Ugh!!!” Mr. Harris felt a stabbing pain, blue eyes tinged with blood, and it furiously rammed into the nearest demon cat. Although Ryan Clark wanted to check on Mr. Harris, he was now in danger himself, having drawn the attention of one of the demon cats.

　　While Mr. Harris fought the three demon cats, Ryan Clark charged in with his stick, and the demon cat he’d hit with the stone leapt at him, claws slashing.

　　Ryan Clark swung the stick, realizing the demon cat wanted to use its claws to shred his weapon. Given how sharp those claws were, the stick really might get torn apart. But Ryan Clark, wielding a long weapon, wasn’t planning to go head-to-head. Using the reach of the stick, he changed the angle of attack, dodged the claws, and with a thud, jabbed the stick into the demon cat’s body, sending it flying several meters.

　　“I should have sharpened the stick.”