Chapter 193: How Did They Come Back Alive?

"Okay, let’s rest for now."

Nina Jacobs gazed at the darkening night sky outside, her mind made up.

What she hadn’t told the others was...

...she had set her sights on the mutated dog from the very beginning.

But, just as the others had worried, the mutated dog’s size was a major problem.

As night fell,

Nina Jacobs went to the stinking riverbank alone.

She took out a flashlight, placed it to the side, and stared at the mutated dog before her.

Treasure noticed her too.

It was still lying in the same spot.

It seemed to recognize her, and a look of fear even appeared in its eyes.

"I had Wayne Warner hit you during the day because you really did do something wrong."

After she spoke, a can of dog food appeared in her hand.

Although a normal can of dog food was barely a mouthful for the mutated dog,

Treasure clearly knew what it was, and its ears perked up.

Nina Jacobs opened the can and placed it on the ground.

Treasure licked it clean with a single swipe of its tongue.

So, Nina Jacobs took out another can.

After opening a pile of cans, Nina Jacobs noticed that Treasure was no longer as wary of her as before.

Its gaze even held a hint of fawning.

She couldn’t help but laugh. "How are you just like Wayne Warner?"

Looking at Treasure acting this way, Nina Jacobs decided to give it a try.

"Do you want to leave this place?"

Nina asked.

"If you don’t want to be left here all alone,

then there’s only one path for you. Come with me, and I’ll be your master."

She didn’t expect Treasure to understand her words.

But after she finished speaking, Treasure tried to nuzzle her with its large head.

Its whimpers sounded almost affectionate.

’Does this mean it agrees?’

Nina Jacobs was a little surprised.

"I’m not sure if I can take you with me yet.

Give me your right paw."

Nina Jacobs had never owned a cat or dog, so she gave the command by imitating others.

Unexpectedly, Treasure actually extended its right paw.

The reason Nina Jacobs did this was because of a deep, bone-exposing gash on Treasure’s right paw.

She took out a seed, planning to test if her Wood Element Superpower could shrink Treasure’s body.

"This might be a little uncomfortable for you in a moment."

Before coming here, Nina Jacobs had already experimented on the Little Zombie Rat.

Even if the catalysis failed, she could retract the seed with her Wood Element Superpower.

But the Little Zombie Rat felt no pain, so she didn’t know if this would work on the mutated dog.

She had even prepared the anesthetic she acquired in Hawthorne Village back in City J.

The tiny seed was "planted" into Treasure’s wound.

Nina Jacobs observed Treasure’s reaction and found that it didn’t seem to be in any discomfort.

’Good thing I have plenty of Superpower today.’

Nina Jacobs controlled her Wood Element Superpower, circulating it through Treasure’s body.

She had expected Treasure to feel uncomfortable, but to her surprise, it rolled over comfortably, exposing its belly.

The Wood Element Superpower felt like it was tickling it from the inside.

’No wonder people used to say the Wood Element Superpower could also be used for healing.’

In her past life, she had indeed heard that some Wood Element Superpower Users could heal.

Unlike the Healing Element Superpower, the Wood Element’s healing method was mostly used for clearing meridians.

However, the healing effect wasn’t significant, so powerful Wood Element experts didn’t bother to study this Skill.

Time passed, second by second.

Nina Jacobs had never attempted to catalyze growth on such a large scale.

The accelerated flow of her Wood Element Superpower caused a thin sheen of sweat to form on her forehead.

"WOOF!"

Treasure seemed to sense Nina Jacobs’s Control over it and began to respond proactively.

The Perception of her Wood Element Superpower allowed Nina Jacobs to feel Treasure’s goodwill and concern.

"I’m fine."

After Nina Jacobs spoke, Treasure obediently lay back down on the ground.

After an unknown amount of time, Nina Jacobs felt her Wood Element Superpower was finally bottoming out.

She had finally completed the catalysis.

"You really are... quite the Superpower drain."

The catalysis had consumed more than half of the Superpower that had previously filled her body.

If she hadn’t advanced to an Intermediate Superpower User, she probably wouldn’t have been able to complete this catalysis.

She tried to Control the behemoth before her just as she controlled the Little Zombie Rat.

Treasure also seemed to feel the strange power within its body.

It tilted its big head, looking at Nina Jacobs.

At that moment, the woman and the dog seemed to share a single mind.

Gradually, a smile spread across Nina Jacobs’s face.

Treasure barked twice.

Its body was slowly shrinking.

Although it was still a bit larger than a normal golden retriever, it could now pass for a regular-sized dog.

’I actually succeeded!’

Nina Jacobs took out a bag of dog food from her storage space and poured it out to the side.

"Wait for me here. See you tomorrow."

She patted Treasure, who was gobbling down the food, and her figure quickly disappeared into the night.

...

Early the next morning, to everyone’s gasps of surprise, Treasure was discovered already waiting outside the door.

"Is that you, Treasure?"

Franklin Fletcher stared at the golden retriever in disbelief.

"This... how is this possible?"

Colin Rowan couldn’t believe his eyes either.

’Isn’t this the Treasure from before?’

’Can mutated animals change their size on their own?’

"Is it really him?"

Myra Lawson asked.

"It is Treasure! His wound is still there!"

The woman holding the child said in pleasant surprise.

At that moment, however, Treasure walked over to Wayne Warner’s side.

Wayne Warner glanced at him but said nothing.

"Could it be that Wayne Warner beat him into submission yesterday?"

Leo Hale recalled the mutated dog that Wayne Warner had beaten until it couldn’t stand up.

"Does this mean we can take Treasure with us?"

Brandon Lewis asked.

"Well..."

Colin Rowan was also momentarily undecided.

"He seems to be following Wayne Warner, doesn’t he?

Nina, what do you think?"

Chester Pearson asked.

He could tell that everyone was hesitating because they were worried they couldn’t afford to keep the dog.

As far as he knew, all the edible supplies on the island had already been consumed.

"If no one else wants to take Treasure, I will.

As long as I have a bite to eat, so will Treasure!"

After Franklin Fletcher finished speaking, a few others also chimed in to agree.

"I’ll take him. When we get to the base, there’s a good place to keep him."

Nina Jacobs finally spoke up.

Treasure stood between her and Wayne Warner.

Combined with what Leo Hale had just said, everyone assumed Treasure was following Wayne Warner.

In reality, wherever she went, Wayne Warner followed.

And Treasure was just following along behind them.

"Does this mean..."

Leo Hale was ecstatic. ’I can have a dog?!’

’And a mutated dog that can change its size?’

"Nina, won’t it be unsafe?

It’s a mutated animal, after all."

Myra Lawson asked before they boarded the ship.

She knew how strict the training for a guide dog was.

But once an animal mutates, there are too many uncontrollable factors.

"I’ll be careful. I won’t let him hurt anyone randomly."

Nina Jacobs had actually already considered this problem.

However, she had discovered last night that just as she could sense the Little Zombie Rat’s condition at any time,

she could also perceive the mutated dog’s state.

"Miss Lynch said this mutated dog was starving for days but never hurt anyone.

I think he’s already passed the test."

The Miss Lynch that Ian Chandler mentioned was an islander who used to feed Treasure regularly.

"That’s true.

If our City D Base can’t even accommodate a single dog,

that would be a bit ridiculous."

Myra Lawson knew she had been worrying too much.

The group’s return trip was very smooth.

The number of survivors rescued from Beldane Island was not small.

Therefore, their return attracted the attention of many people inside the shelter.

"How did they come back alive?!"

Hannah Grant’s face instantly turned deathly pale.

She had been waiting to go to Adrian Shaw and claim credit, which would have logically made her his savior.

But these people had actually returned, safe and sound!