Infinite Cosmic Cafeteria Chapter 22: Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasel Swarm

Translator: Stellar Novels Editor: Stellar Novels

The tranquilizer dart struck the pink rump of the Short-Eared Link Hedgehog!

Suddenly ambushed, the Short-Eared Link Hedgehog instinctively tried to curl up, with the spines on its back standing erect, glinting with a metallic sheen under the sunlight.

However, it couldn’t immediately locate the assailant, so it didn’t fire its deadly quills. This slight hesitation allowed the tranquilizer to take effect.

Its tense body gradually relaxed. It wobbled forward on its short legs, taking a couple of unsteady steps before collapsing to the ground like a drunken animal, falling into a deep sleep.

Bocchi waited a bit longer to ensure the Short-Eared Link Hedgehog was fully unconscious before approaching to pick it up, tying it securely and tossing it into a bag.

Ma Lu’s kitchen knife was already itching to act; two-star ingredients could at least yield blue-quality blessings, and there was even a chance of hitting the purple jackpot.

However, a live Short-Eared Link Hedgehog was worth 40% more than a dead one, so Bocchi naturally wanted to bring it back alive.

Since they were in a team, Ma Lu considered his teammate’s preferences. The hedgehog was already on the motorcycle, and if necessary, he could always finish it off later.

Afterward, Bocchi managed to catch two Horn-Bellied Black Speed Snakes, though he was a bit late; the nest of Jumping Mice had already ended up in the snakes’ bellies.

Fortunately, the two Horn-Bellied Black Speed Snakes, now full, didn’t leave in a hurry but lazily sprawled across the mouse nest, saving Bocchi some effort.

After clearing the prey in this area, the two rode the motorcycle further into the desert.

Ma Lu confirmed with Bocchi that his current location was very close to where he had left last time.

Bocchi also mentioned that the farther they were from The Giant Screen, the more frequently prey would appear, and the chances of encountering rare creatures would increase.

The scan results from the wristband confirmed this.

During their previous hunt, if not for the unexpected encounter with a group of Two-Headed Jackals, they would have only found one-star ingredients. But this time, they stumbled upon two-star ingredients right off the bat.

And this wasn’t just a coincidence. Forty minutes later, they encountered a swarm of Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasels.

They were feasting on the carcass of an animal that resembled a camel from another dimension but was much larger, nearly the size of an adult Asian elephant, and had sharp tusks.

“A Tri-Humped Wolf Camel.”

Bocchi lowered his binoculars. “Its strength is even greater than that of the Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasel swarm. It must have died before encountering them, giving those creatures an easy meal.”

Ma Lu noticed Bocchi’s eyes gleaming with thoughts and raised an eyebrow. “What, got an idea?”

“Yeah. Tri-Humped Wolf Camel meat is highly valuable, but it seems to be rotting, so it's not usable. However, there’s still a whole swarm of Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasels, and those are quite popular in restaurants.”

“But… there are way too many of them.”

Ma Lu didn’t bother to count precisely; he estimated that there were at least forty or fifty Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasels in the swarm.

They clung to the carcass of the dead Tri-Humped Wolf Camel like leeches, occasionally wriggling.

Under normal circumstances, encountering so many Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasels would have made Bocchi turn and run as far as possible.

His recent experiences with the Harpists had already shaken his confidence in becoming a hunter.

It wasn’t until six days ago, when he fought his way out of a dire situation against a pack of jackals, that he regained his long-lost confidence.

The key factor was Ma Lu’s strange Psychic Ability known as Roguelike, which greatly boosted Bocchi’s strength, emboldening him.

“Charging in head-on won’t work, but we can try luring some of them out. Long-Tailed Weasels are highly sensitive to the scent of blood, especially fresh blood. Moreover, their strength, stamina, speed, and intelligence are all inferior to that of the Two-Headed Jackal. As long as we’re careful not to get surrounded, they’re relatively easy to handle.

“I’ll also keep the motorcycle running so that if things go south, we can make a quick getaway.”

Seeing that Bocchi had thoroughly considered all possibilities, Ma Lu had no objections.

Bocchi then set up a few traps and carefully approached the Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasel swarm, holding a Horn-Bellied Black Speed Snake. He stopped about seventy steps away from the swarm.



Bocchi used a small knife to slice off the head of the Horn-Bellied Black Speed Snake and then made his way back.

As he retreated, he kept an eye on the situation. Dozens of Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasels suddenly raised their heads, their blood-red eyes scanning the surroundings.

He immediately covered the wound of the Horn-Bellied Black Speed Snake with his hand and quickened his pace, shifting from a fast walk to a jog.

As the scent of blood in the air faded, some of the Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasels calmed down and resumed feasting on the Tri-Humped Wolf Camel, but seven of them, drawn by the smell of fresh blood, separated from the group and sniffed their way toward him.

When the weasels got closer, Bocchi let the wound bleed a bit more, causing the Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasels to grow excited and speed up.

Bocchi put away the Horn-Bellied Black Speed Snake and grabbed his mechanical spear, crouching behind a small sand dune. As the weasels approached, he thrust his spear forward.

The spear struck the leading Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasel, and with Bocchi's enhanced strength, it continued its momentum, piercing the abdomen of a second weasel!

With this one strike, Bocchi took down two of the weasels, but the remaining Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasels were not intimidated; instead, they became more frenzied.

To them, even the blood of their companions was irresistible. One of the Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasels even lunged at Bocchi’s mechanical spear, trying to suck the blood, only to impale itself.

The other four were smarter, charging straight at Bocchi. However, two of them triggered the traps hidden in the sand—a loud snap sounded as jagged steel collars clamped down on their necks, immobilizing them.

The remaining two were easy for Bocchi to handle. He stomped on the neck of one with his boot, and as the other pounced, he reached out, grabbing it by the throat with lightning speed and slammed it to the ground.

The Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasel was stunned by the impact and, before it could get back up, Bocchi skewered it with his mechanical spear.

Ma Lu wasn’t idle either; he quickly gathered up the dead Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasels and tossed them into the Collection Bag. Then, he and Bocchi jumped onto the motorcycle, leaving before the rest of the Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasels were drawn by the scent of blood.

Once the weasels lost their targets and calmed down, returning to the Tri-Humped Wolf Camel’s corpse to feed, the two sneaked back again.

Bocchi repeated his tactic, using fresh blood to lure away small groups of Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasels. After several rounds of this, the swarm had been reduced to fewer than twenty.

Unlike past hunts, despite several consecutive battles, Bocchi didn’t feel particularly fatigued; instead, he felt invigorated, growing stronger with each fight.

This wasn’t just an illusion—his strength, speed, stamina, and reflexes had all noticeably improved during the battle.

A Psychic Ability that allowed one to grow stronger by sacrificing opponents? Bocchi had never heard of anything like this before.

So this was… the power of Roguelike?

Facing the final Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasels, Bocchi no longer retreated; instead, he charged straight into the swarm, his mechanical spear swinging wildly like the scythe of death.

A rain of blood filled the air. The rare sight was lost on the Vampiric Long-Tailed Weasels, who were too busy fighting for survival. Before long, they lay quietly on the ground.

Bocchi held his mechanical spear, still wanting more. When he turned to look at the one who had started it all, Ma Lu, he saw him standing in place, yet appearing even busier, constantly poking at the air as if interacting with something invisible.

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