After flicking aside the Scavenging Wolf's claw with a single sword swing, Leilin was taken aback by the beast's raw strength.
Immediately after, his Cross Sword traced a gleaming arc as he thrust it toward the opposing Scavenging Wolf along a trajectory calculated by the Chip.
A direct thrust!!!
The Cross Sword Technique was a secret knight combat method passed down through the Viscount Farell family, centered on unleashing devastating rotational force against an enemy.
Now, with power surging from his waist, Leilin drove his Cross Sword through the air with a howling whistle, striking straight at the Scavenging Wolf.
Pfft!!!
The sensation of the blade sinking into muscle traveled up his arm. Leilin felt the Cross Sword clamped tight, as if the beast's flesh were trying to seize it. The tremendous force came with violent tremors, threatening to wrench the sword right out of his grip.
"Ha!!!" Leilin yanked both hands back and ripped the Cross Sword free. Blood erupted in a fountain!!!
The Scavenging Wolf opposite him let out a wretched howl. Leilin's thrust had pierced precisely into the root of the wolf's forelimb—always a weak point. The injured beast now hopped backward in retreat, one of its claws clearly rendered useless.
Watching the fleeing Scavenging Wolf, Leilin's eyes glinted, but he did not give chase.
"Right now, most of the pressure is being absorbed by the black-robed knights around me. If I leave the defensive perimeter, I'll only be courting death. Besides, a wounded Scavenging Wolf is no longer capable of launching another attack. Before long, it'll be a corpse—or… food for its companions!"
"Well done!" George shouted encouragement from not far away. Bloodstains also marked his body, yet his swordsmanship remained elegant and fluid, looking more like a performance than a life-or-death struggle—and yet it carried overwhelming power. He alone held off two Scavenging Wolves without losing ground.
"The secret sword arts of the great noble families truly are formidable!" Leilin mused briefly before turning his gaze back to the wolf pack across from him.
The brutal human-versus-wolf battle raged on for half an hour as the sun gradually sank, plunging the prairie into darkness.
At that moment, the Scavenging Wolves' eyes all began to emit a pale green glow. The entire camp perimeter seemed ringed by countless emerald orbs—a deeply sinister and horrifying sight.
"Pant… pant…" Leilin gasped for air. At this point he looked as though he had been hauled out of a pool of blood, his face caked with gore, yet he had no time even to wipe it off.
Even with the Chip guiding him to kill wolves in the most energy-efficient way possible, his stamina was nearly depleted.
"If I'm this spent, the other apprentices must be even worse off. Only the black-robed knights still have any reserves, and they won't last much longer either. At this rate, aren't the white-robed wizards going to intervene?"
Leilin glanced toward the center of the camp, where a clear patch of ground lay among the female apprentices. Three white-robed figures sat there, radiating an aura of cold gloom. Not a single apprentice dared come within three meters of them.
Meanwhile, the Scavenging Wolves pressing the assault had been reduced by a full third. Few apprentices like Leilin remained on the front line—most of those still standing were wounded and being tended to by the girls stationed in the rear.
"If I were the Wolf King, these losses would be more than enough reason to pull back. What remains must still deliver one final, most ferocious wave!"
Leilin slashed a Scavenging Wolf away, then took the opportunity to pull several plant berries from inside his shirt and toss them into his mouth, chewing twice before swallowing.
These were useful plants he had gathered along the way—ables to restore stamina quickly—but his supply was nearly exhausted.
"Awoooo!!!" A piercing howl rang out, this time carrying a different weight.
Hearing the call, the Scavenging Wolves went mad all at once, attacking with reckless abandon.
"Here it comes—the final wave!!!" Leilin's eyes sharpened, and he charged forward, Cross Sword swinging.
Boom!!! A tremendous force crashed into his hand, nearly sending the Cross Sword flying from his grasp.
"The Scavenging Wolf in front of me seems a full size larger than the ones before!" Leilin loosened his numbed arm. "Chip, scan the Scavenging Wolf before me!"
"Scavenging Wolf — Strength: 2.3, Agility: 4.1, Constitution: 3.1. Note: Within every Scavenging Wolf pack, there are always individuals noticeably larger than their peers. These are selected as the Wolf King's personal guards. They possess far greater strength than ordinary wolves and are fanatically loyal to their king!"
This was information the former young master Leilin had once read in some bestiary, now retrieved and displayed by the Chip.
"Impressive. Looks like the Wolf King is committing heavy reserves this time." Leilin's mind raced even as he engaged the enormous Scavenging Wolf in combat once more.
In his previous life he had been a researcher, and he had believed that the hot blood of his youth had long since been worn away. But now, thrust into this primitive world and fighting for his life against a wolf pack, Leilin suddenly felt something stir deep inside him—something that set his blood roaring.
"Unlike the comfort of my previous life, this is the primal beasthood awakened by the need to survive!!!" The realization dawned clear in his mind.
"Haha!!! Come on!!! Come on!!!" Having already cultivated the family Breathing Technique to a profound level, Leilin now needed to gain true insight through bloody combat—thereby awakening his own Life Energy and becoming a full Knight!!!
"Kill!!!" Leilin's eyes turned red as he clashed with the Scavenging Wolf in a frenzy.
In that moment he finally let go completely, channeling every swing of his sword to discharge the fear of death from his past life and the anxiety of having been cast into a foreign world.
"Haa!!" Mid-combat, Leilin's eyes suddenly lit up with a flash of insight.
His Cross Sword descended from overhead in a powerful downward slash, trailing a silver gleam.
At the bottom of the arc, Leilin twisted his body, drawing on every ounce of his powerful core muscles. The Cross Sword swung around with tremendous rotational force, transitioning seamlessly into a horizontal cut!!!
A faint, luminous sheen seemed to emanate from the Cross Sword's blade as the two slash marks converged, forming a glowing cross shape!!!
The Cross Sword Technique's secret killing move—"Cross Slash!!!"
A killing move was the distilled essence of any combat art, using advanced technique to amplify one's destructive power.
Although it could not compare to a Knight's secret techniques that enhanced all physical attributes simultaneously, a Preliminary Knight armed with a killing move was more than capable of threatening a full Knight who wielded Life Energy!!!
The Cross Slash hammered into the Scavenging Wolf, ripping a cross-shaped gash into the area around its shoulder. The beast whimpered as blood gushed from the wound!!!
"Now!!!" Leilin's eyes blazed, and he surged forward.
Advance!!! Leaping Slash!!!
The Cross Sword swept through, and the Scavenging Wolf's enormous head flew into the air!!!
The surrounding wolf pack recoiled in shock, their offensive momentum faltering. Even the black-robed knights nearby turned to stare in astonishment.
Standing atop the massive Scavenging Wolf's severed head, Leilin felt a rush of exhilarating satisfaction. Unable to contain himself, he threw back his head and let out a roar.
"Right… I've vented enough.
After his roar, Leilin chose not to charge forward again. Instead, he turned and withdrew inside the defensive perimeter, allowing a rested guard to take his position on the line.
"I'm no fool. That killing move drains stamina like nothing else, and I've already purged all the negative emotions I was carrying today. I should conserve what strength I have for self-preservation…"
Leilin took the water flask handed to him by a trembling girl and drank deeply.
The act of drinking masked the sharp, intelligent gleam in his eyes. "Today I killed more wolves than anyone except the black-robed knights. With this proof, no one can force me onto the battlefield again. From here on, it's about preserving my strength—and getting a look at what the wizards can do!"
Based on the data he had just collected, the Chip projected a 98% probability that the black-robed knights would eventually falter, allowing the wolf pack to breach the perimeter. At that point, casualties among the apprentices would become inevitable, and the white-robed wizards would have no choice but to intervene.
"Awoooo!!!" As the hidden Wolf King's howls continued to ring out, the wolves' charge grew ever fiercer. The guardian wolves—those massive specimens—began appearing in greater numbers. The apprentice guarding the foremost position had his throat torn open and collapsed to the ground.
"There's no more time! Activate the secret technique!" Black-robed knight Angelei barked the command.
Immediately, crackling sounds erupted from the black-robed knights' bodies as their muscles swelled grotesquely. Men who had already looked powerfully built now appeared like miniature giants.
"There it is—the Knights' secret technique!" Leilin watched without blinking. "Chip, collect data!"
"Beep! Task initiated. Data collection in progress!"
"Knight Secret Technique (Strength type?): Upon activation, Constitution and Strength increase; Agility decreases! Defensive capability increases! Blood circulation pathways being recorded — 43.3% captured so far. Insufficient data to complete analysis!"
Leilin studied the display with a hint of regret. "Still can't figure out how Knights activate their Life Energy. But… if I had a test subject with Knight-level strength to dissect, I might be able to understand…"
The black-robed knights who had activated their secret technique not only gained vastly greater physical strength but also seemed to acquire enhanced defensive capabilities. Apart from dodging the guardian wolves' claws, they could now let ordinary Scavenging Wolves slash at their bodies and simply respond by cleaving the wolves' heads off with their greatswords.
However, as the number of guardian wolves continued to increase, one Scavenging Wolf finally found a gap and charged into the cluster of apprentices.
"Ah! Help!!" "Dad!! Mom!!!" "I don't want to die!!!"
Panicked cries erupted from every direction as the camp descended into chaos.
"They're only thirteen or fourteen years old after all!" Leilin sighed.
"Awoooo!" As if triggered by the commotion, another guardian wolf burst through the perimeter and landed right in the small circle belonging to the Golden Flower Alliance.
"Leilin! Come with me—let's take it down!" George's arm was wrapped in bandages. Leilin couldn't tell which noble lady had done the job, but not only was the wrapping thick and layered, it was also finished with a bow tied on top—so absurd that Leilin had to fight back a laugh.
"No need! Give me the Crossbow!"
"This?" George unslung the Crossbow from his back and handed it over. "I'm afraid it won't be much use. These brutes have thick, tough hide. If you don't hit a vital spot… Oh! Damn it! Heavens!"