The battle between the Black Wolf Leader and Captain Zhao was a scene from a nightmare.
?Slash! Clang!
?The sounds of the Captain’s ragged breathing and the wolf's guttural growls filled the air. Sweat dripped down Zhao’s forehead, stinging her eyes. Her attention was split three ways—the monster in front of her, the safety of her team, and the two clients they were paid to protect.
?When she saw the last of the smaller wolves fall, she let out a quick, shaky breath of relief. Her cold gaze locked back onto the Leader.
?Su Han glanced over at an Iron-Fist mercenary struggling against a Level 7 wolf. The man was exhausted, but another comrade jumped in to help.
?Huff... huff...
?Su Han knew they could handle it. His focus shifted. The Black Wolf Leader wasn't just a beast; it had a cruel intelligence. Seeing its pack slaughtered, the Leader's eyes turned a demonic red.
?The beast let out a roar that shook the trees. Its attacks became a blur of claws and teeth. Captain Zhao was struggling to keep up.
?Su Han didn't hesitate. He didn't look back. He charged straight toward the chaos to finish his mission.
?"Tiger’s Palm!"
?Su Han lunged, slamming his palm into the wolf's thick back. With his Level 6 strength, the blow should have crushed stone.
?Thud!
?The wolf let out a sharp yelp and spun around, its tail whipping through the air like a steel cable. Su Han barely ducked in time.
?Tsk. Su Han stared at his hand, his brow furrowing. "This thing is made of iron," he muttered, rubbing his aching palm.
?The wolf's hide was incredibly thick. Fighting this monster with bare hands was a death wish.
?Shink!
?He pulled out his dagger, his teeth bared. "Fine. Let's see how you like steel."
?Captain Zhao noticed him and her face hardened. "What are you doing here?! Get back and help the others finish the last wolf! I can handle this!"
?She swung her sword, desperately trying to keep the beast at bay. "This thing is too strong! One hit and you're—"
?"I’m helping," Su Han interrupted, his voice cold and determined.
?"Nine-Times Slash!"
?The wolf growled, its fur standing on end as it faced two opponents. It was dangerous—a Level 8 killing machine.
?Captain Zhao was huffing, her strength fading. Su Han wasn't much better. His muscles were screaming, and sweat soaked his hair. Being two levels below this beast made every second a gamble.
?"I have to end this now," Su Han hissed.
?"Supreme Dragon's Rage!"
?He triggered the martial art from his Invincible Supreme Dragon Bloodline.
?Whoosh!
?In an instant, Su Han’s eyes turned a terrifying crimson. Even his hair began to glow with a bloody red hue. The air around him vibrated with raw, violent energy.
?He knew the cost. He had exactly one minute. If he didn't cripple this beast in sixty seconds, he’d be a sitting duck for the next hour.
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?"Die!"
?Su Han moved like a demon. He used his movement technique to weave through the Leader's deadly claws.
?Slash!
?"Nine-Times Slash!"
?Slash!
?"Nine-Times Slash!"
?He struck again and again, raining down a relentless storm of steel on the wolf’s neck and chest.
?Captain Zhao froze for a split second, her eyes wide with shock. She had never seen a technique like this.
?"His hair... his eyes..." she whispered. She couldn't see his cultivation level because of the System's interference, but she could feel the spike in his power.
?The curiosity in her heart flared. Who was this boy?
?But she didn't waste the opening. Her sword began to dance again, matching Su Han’s rhythm as they tore into the Leader.
?[DING! NINE-TIMES SLASH MASTERY: 80%]
?[DING! NINE-TIMES SLASH MASTERY: 82%]
?The notifications flashed in his mind, but Su Han ignored them. He only had seconds left. He gripped his dagger, his red eyes locked on the wolf’s tthroat
As Su Han pushed his Nine-Times Slash to the limit, his power surged with every heartbeat. But then, a sickening sound cut through the chaos—Crack!
?"Shit! Not now!" Su Han cursed internally.
?Spider-web fractures appeared on his dagger. It was only a Yellow-Grade Middle-Grade weapon, and it was reaching its breaking point against this High-Grade beast. He glanced at the system interface.
?[TIME REMAINING: 35 SECONDS]
?He went into a frenzy, but the wolf was a cunning devil. While it seemed locked in a struggle with Captain Zhao, it suddenly redirected its massive claw toward Su Han’s chest.
?Squelch!
?Su Han used his movement skill to dodge, but he was a fraction too late. The claws raked across his chest, shredding his shirt and tearing deep into his flesh. Blood sprayed into the air.
?He fell back, teeth clenched in agony, huffing like a dying man. The beast looked at him with a predatory, almost victorious glint in its eyes.
?"Think you've won? Think again."
?Su Han grabbed two healing pills from his inventory and swallowed them dry. Out of the fifty he had bought, only about ten or fifteen were left. He had been popping them like candy just to stay upright.
?"Time is running out!"
?His eyes darted, watching every twitch of the Black Wolf Leader. He ignored the burning pain in his chest. He needed a plan. Then, a dark, dangerous smirk touched his lips.
?He remembered how he used to fight when he was weak—by exploiting weaknesses. He began to fake it. He slumped his shoulders, making his movements look heavy and sluggish, as if he couldn't hold on any longer.
?Even Captain Zhao was fooled. "Su Han, get back! I'll take it from here! You don't need to force yourself anymore!"
?Su Han didn't answer. He just kept dancing on the edge of death.
?13 seconds left...
?Suddenly, he exploded forward. He didn't go for the body; he slammed his dagger straight into the wolf's eye.
?"Nine-Times Slash!"
?Squelch! Crackle!
?The blade sank deep into the socket. The wolf let out a scream that could wake the dead. Captain Zhao, experienced as she was, didn't miss the opening. She swung her sword with a lethal arc toward the throat, her blade burying itself deep into the beast's chest instead as it tried to flinch away.
?Su Han didn't waste a heartbeat. He ripped the dagger out—Snap!—and the blade broke in half.
?"My knife..." a flash of sadness hit him, but he didn't let go.
?With the broken shard still in his hand, he stabbed the wolf's other eye and throat repeatedly. The Leader was blind now, thrashing in a world of darkness and pain.
?2 seconds left...
?"Tiger’s Palm!"
?He slammed his open hand against the hilt of the broken dagger, driving it deeper into the throat, while his other hand struck the wolf’s skull.
?BOOM!
?The timer hit zero. Su Han’s red glow faded instantly, and he collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. But the system didn't stay silent.
?[DING! NINE-TIMES SLASH MASTERY: 91%]
?[DING! CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HOST! YOU HAVE KILLED THE YELLOW-GRADE HIGH-GRADE BLACK WOLF LEADER!]
?[REWARDS: 500 XP, 5000 SILVER COINS, WOLF LEADER PELT, AND BONES.]
?[DING! HOST OBTAINED: WOLF TOOTH DAGGER (YELLOW-GRADE HIGH-GRADE).]
?[DING! MISSION SUCCESSFUL! REWARDS: 200 XP, 2000 SILVER COINS, 20 SYSTEM STORE POINTS, AND SHADOW STEPS (PART 2).]
?Listening to the notifications, the pain in his body seemed to dull for a moment. He was a mess—covered in blood, clothes in tatters, holding a broken piece of metal—but he was smiling.
?"Just 200 more XP... and I break the realm again," he breathed out, resting his hand on the blood-soaked earth.
?Captain Zhao stood there, catching her breath, her eyes fixed on the boy. He was supposed to be the weakest link, yet he had been the brightest star in this bloodbath. She didn't say much, her cold nature keeping her praise silent, but her eyes held a new level of respect.
?But the peace didn't last. A piercing scream erupted from behind them.
?"You bastard! Wang Pen, die a thousand deaths!"
?The Iron-Fist mercenaries were roaring in fury. Su Han and Zhao spun around.
?Wang Pen had grabbed a wounded mercenary and held a jagged dagger to the man's throat. His face was twisted into a sick, desperate grin. He knew everyone hated him. He knew he was a dead man if he didn't have a shield.
?Captain Zhao’s knuckles turned white as she gripped her sword. Her eyes went from cold to frozen.
?Su Han’s gaze turned lethal. The wolves were dead, but the real filth was still sstanding
