As the feral monsters showed off their sets of fangs long enough to crush through a bison’s skull, the natives responded by enlarging themselves. Their lanky arms rose up to the sky and their legs split apart in a x stance.

[ It’s working. ]

Izo saw how the dog’s aggressive behavior became cowardly. They didn’t stop their growling though even as they scampered away.

[ They’ll be back. ]

Rosoa continued.

[ It’s not in their nature to back off that easily. These Rockmutts are hunting dogs, Izo. ]

[ You know of them? ]

[ From my memories of the past, yes. In fact they were a very essential part of life for our adventurers. ]

The two of them conversed as the whole expedition group continued walking on the shallows. As for why they were at the back of the group? Izo had little combat experience especially compared to the hunters. He could fight if he has to but he should watch and learn first.

The natives wouldn’t agree anyway. It would be an insult to the Nature God if Izo was forced to fight. At all. Rosoa advised him to run since the others would gladly sacrifice themselves if they have to.

‘I don’t understand. Seems like a culture thing.’

Izo never really respected the Gods of this world. He was a secular man born in a secular world.

Rosoa was also at the back despite being a hunter because of the cognitive dissonance afflicting the natives. The artist/author/confidant of the city’s religion was an esteemed figure in the past, should he still be part of the hunters? No one has the answer yet.

This also complicates the other relationships here. One of the leaders was a known cheat and scumbag before. This clashed with his valiant identity that he has lived with for the past 80 years.

It was causing friction and Izo can’t help them. They would just have to sit with this identity crisis since they were all in the same boat if they want to escape.

It didn’t take long before the dogs returned with more of their feral kin. This time enough to overwhelm the 20 man group.

Due to his Ural armor, Izo was fairly confident that their bite wouldn’t be able to hurt him. That wasn’t the same for the others. Their metal claws would be fine but their softer skin wouldn’t.

Izo would’ve improved their whole body to metal if it wasn’t so energy intensive.

[ Witness me! ]

Jamsheed tried to rush forward but was restrained by two other hunters. In fact, these two never leaves the wild man’s side.

His four hands were clasped even as he strained himself. The two guards smiled wryly and shook their heads when they saw Izo looking at Jamsheed.

[ Let me go! I need to eat them! The Knight has promised me tentacles but only if I consume them! ]

No one paid attention to the bloodlust filled man.

The leader of the hunters pointed at Einheryar then to the largest dog in the pack. Only for him to shake his head and send his message through the soul link. They were still not accustomed to this act.

Einheryar received the order and glowered at the white wrinkly skinned form of the alpha dog.

She charged as her two claws alternately sunk to the soil, using her legs more as a balance. The girl was front heavy with her metal claws that Izo worried she would topple over from going too fast.

Caught off-guard, the alpha dog’s neck was grabbed as her other claw sealed shut its muzzle with another vice grip. She raised it high like the creature wasn’t heavy.

‘What’s she doing?’

If she wanted to kill the animal, she had multiple chances to do so already.

Rosoa must’ve seen his confusion as he explained.

[ This is the pacifying ritual. Err, something that we came up with over the decades. You’ll see. ]

Einheryar stood firm as the other dogs surrounded her, angry for her transgression against their leader. She showed no fear however even as they tried testing her boundaries. They would charge forward only to stop and move away.

A minute passed while the other hunters patiently watched this battle of wills.

The alpha dog was still struggling but perhaps it finally accepted that it couldn’t break away from its captor. The mutt calmed down. Or more like it became limp as it's simply let its limbs dangle in the air.

The pack whimpered and whined before they ran a fair distance away. Far enough to observe but not enough that they could attack instantly.

Izo raised his eyebrows when he saw this behavior.

‘Did they train them?’

No dogs behaved like this back on Earth. They would have attacked once one of their kin was endangered otherwise.

The expedition moved ahead amidst the new viewers following them from behind. Izo was worried they would attack them at any moment but even after a long while of trekking forward nothing happened, he lowered his guard a bit. There was no use keeping himself on edge.

In fact, Izo should follow the example of the hunters. They constantly watched the surroundings but still joked.

‘Jealousy, don’t burst forth now.’

He was a normal human. Anyone would feel alienated in his position where most of the people here rarely talked to him. As far as these natives were concerned, he lived in a different stratum. Izo was God’s chosen after all.

So, the pecking order became Izo gave out the overarching orders, Rosoa and Einheryar below him could also suggest theirs and everyone else has to make it to reality. Izo’s divine mandate did wonders that they never questioned his orders.

However, this left only Rosoa, Jamsheed and, to a lesser degree, Einheryar to interact with him regularly. Izo was bored out of his mind!

As the crimson orb continued DNA scanning while hovering behind him, the others were planning their next moves. Izo couldn’t hear them since they excluded him from this particular soul link. He only got to hear what they were speaking about when one of them approached Rosoa who then passed their message to Izo.

[ They want to detour to a specific animal that might interest you. They’re a fair distance away from our objective so they wish to hear your divine guidance. ]

Izo saw the poet’s lips struggle to hide the smirk forming on his mouth.

Izo couldn’t blame Rosoa for turning the others into fanatics. The man probably didn’t expect how powerful the crimson orb was.

[ Ugh. You guys are more knowledgeable than me. Can’t you guys decide for yourselves? ]

[ No can do. You’re a very strong pillar for them Izo. They would not be as motivated as they are now if not because of you. You’ll have to lead even if you find it difficult. You can always ask for advice like now. ]

Rosoa described this animal that they could detour to.

[ You remember the King of Swans? ]

[ The one that you told me might’ve come from another world like me? ]

[ Yes! Well, he brought a lot of inventions to this world. He civilized the continent with his Swan Empire that conquered the center of the landmass. One of his earliest finds were the Crafter Snails. ]

As Rosoa continued to describe these slimy mollusks, Izo’s grew more and more surprised.

The height of half an adult human and the width of a small elephant. They were harmless creatures. What’s astounding about them was their ability to eat something then spit them out raised to a power.

[ You mean they can eat rock then turn them to cement, metal to gears and even these so called blessed metals? ]

[ Some of them can. I’m not sure if we’ll find those fancy kinds but there should be the Stone Crafter Snails here. If we are lucky to find a Blessed Crafter Snail, then we can take Phyrite Iron then get blessed weapons. We can turn the Phyrite ores found here into bars. They’re not called blessed metals for nothing. ]

Izo agreed and they moved Northwest until they arrived at a larger cavern area. Red gleaming stones were all over even in the river passing through here. Izo had no knowledge of geology but shouldn’t metals like this be sending particulates downstream?

In the distance, were the Crafter Snails. Suddenly, the orb sent a message to Izo.

[ Izo. These snails. ]

[ What of them? ]

[ Every creature here is feeding from a certain kind of energy. These creatures absorb the equivalent of 10 of the humans here. ]

Before Izo could reply to that, Rosoa also spoke.

[ If only they don’t die once they leave dungeon areas. They simply wilt like a plant and no can explain why. ]