Chapter 194: Wolf Pack, Shock and Segmentation

Almost the next second after Kashi issued the alert, the entire Sea Spine squad moved.

They were all senior adventurers who had obtained a professional level, and their reactions were extremely fast.

Having just returned to the ground from the tree, the slightly loose formation condensed instantly.

With the spellcaster Mint as the core, a few people contracted inward, in a form similar to "back-to-back" but leaving enough combat space.

Xia Nan, Weiruisi, and Kashi were each responsible for an area, their gazes covering the entire 360 degrees around them.

After all, the squad had not been formed for long, and two of the members were newcomers who had just joined, so the coordination was not enough.

In such a sudden situation, being able to have such a reaction was already not bad.

Xia Nan held the decapitation longsword tightly with both hands, while leaving part of his attention to guard against teammates beside and behind him.

His pitch-black eyes stared at the deep night filled with fog in front, concentrating his intention to perceive the possible danger within.

If Kashi's scent bait really worked, so much time had passed in the Mist Forest at night, it was absolutely impossible for there to be no movement at all.

That left only two possibilities for them.

The first possibility, Kashi did buy a defective product, and the bait didn't work.

Considering the extremely rich rotten stench that was still filling the air, rushing straight from the nasal cavity to the top of the skull.

It didn't look like it had failed at all.

Xia Nan felt the probability of this situation

Then, there is only one possibility left.

Those dangerous predatory animals that live in the forest and are active at night have actually caught the scent of the bait.

They have even taken action and moved toward the place where the group set their traps.

It is just that.

There exists some kind of even more ferocious and brutal aura, causing these predators to forcibly suppress their hunting instincts out of survival, not daring to approach.

I don't know when it started, but the sharp wolf howls that occasionally came from the depths of the mist have not sounded for a long time.

Xia Nan's expression is focused, with no emotional fluctuations on his face.

Yet, he cannot help but feel troubled in his heart.

Where is it?

Which part of their operation had a loophole?

The situation, originally with the enemy in the light and them in the dark, has instantly reversed; the Sea Spine Squad, maintaining their formation in the forest, is like being shrouded under a spotlight, wary of the deep darkness surrounding them.

Time passes quietly.

A few minutes—not even enough to roast the wild boar meat over the campfire.

But for the few people on the scene, it feels like hours have passed.

Even though they are just standing in place, not having—and not daring to have—any unnecessary movements.

Kashi's face is already covered in a layer of fine sweat, his muscles tense, like a spring compressed to the extreme.

The slightest movement could cause it to explode instantly.

Weiruisi, holding dual daggers, has her tall figure and face shrouded in a veil-like shadow, as if she might melt into the darkness in the next second.

Although her specific expression cannot be seen, such a reaction is enough to prove how much she values this.

Bo He, protected in the middle by the others, still tightly grips her branch staff, her teardrop-shaped light green earrings swaying gently in the wind.

Her expression appears somewhat nervous, but her eyelids are lowered, as if she is using other sensory abilities to search for enemies in the surroundings.

Compared to the three, Xia Nan's demeanor and movements seem to have no obvious changes from before.

This is naturally because he is masking it well.

Inside, he is actually just as tense.

The 【Dead Line】 ring on his right index finger reflects an inconspicuous, dull luster under the moonlight, with the "Deflection Field" ready to be triggered.

The four members of the Sea Spine Squad have all completed their combat preparations at this moment.

Like a gunpowder barrel filled to the brim, it only needs the smallest spark—a concrete proof of an enemy's existence—and all the suppression and restraint will be ignited in an instant.

But precisely because of this, that spark to ignite the whole scene never appears.

As if sensing the tense state of the group, there is not the slightest suspicious movement in the surrounding forest.

It is like a top-tier predator with exaggerated patience, hiding in the unknowable depths of darkness, peeking, letting everyone waste their mental energy for nothing.

Staring at the silent, dim, dense bush forest ahead, at one moment, Xia Nan even wonders if he is once again playing a battle of wits with the air.

In reality, is everything that happened just a coincidence, and do the so-called wolf pack and enemies not exist at all?

But in the very next second, he denies the hesitation in his heart.

On the level of the five senses, perhaps there is no special discovery.

But on another level, his perception ability, which far exceeds that of ordinary people, feels an extremely clear and obvious hostility, as if it were a hallucination.

A greedy and cold gaze pierces through the spatial barrier, sticking wetly and coldly to his skin, seeping into his pores under high pressure, and drilling into his flesh;

A hungry and ferocious desire almost condenses into substance in the air, turning into an illusory, bone-chilling wind, blowing past his ears and neck over and over again.

Definitely, absolutely, something is crawling in some shadow, watching him.

Xia Nan is certain in his heart.

Time passes second by second.

Just when Xia Nan thinks they will have to wait here until dawn.

Suddenly, someone moves!

He knows perfectly well that in this situation, dragging it out will only cause the scales of victory to tilt continuously to the other side.

After weighing the options, Kashi suddenly grits his teeth.

He takes three or four small, pitch-black pouches from his waist bag, not even aiming deliberately.

He throws them with force toward the pitch-black, deep forest ahead.

Boom—

The grease and powder are instantly ignited by a stray spark.

A fierce, bright light erupts like an explosion.

Illuminating the forest ahead brightly.

The "Fire Oil Bomb," a versatile throwing item from the River Valley Town grocery store that almost everyone has one of if they have enough wealth, once again demonstrates its power during an adventure.

It doesn't burn any enemies, and the orange-red flames, suppressed by the night fog, are difficult to spread further and will soon extinguish.

But that illumination, lasting only a few fleeting seconds, reveals the blurry figure of the dangerous enemy hiding nearby, which had been casting covetous glances at the group.

Fluffy fur swaying with the wind, a sturdy and powerful huge body, elegant and slender limbs, a powerful long tail dragging behind...

It is fleeting, and its full appearance cannot be seen.

But the blurry phantom remaining from that fleeting glimpse is enough to identify its biological species.

"It's a Temple Night-Walking Wolf!"

"Prepare for battle!!!"

It is like some kind of signal.

As the fire oil bomb is thrown, turning into a fleeting, bright burst of light.

The dense bushes on both sides, which were silent before, suddenly make unusual movements.

Cold, ghostly green eyes like phosphorus rise in pairs in the darkness; the rich stench and pine resin fragrance in the air are blown away by the night wind, revealing a pungent odor unique to beasts;

The low-frequency growls of canine threats make those blurry silhouettes under the moonlight seem to gradually become clearer, and one can vaguely see silver fur flashing between the bush branches.

The huge bodies display a highly contrasting, agile posture, flickering through the forest like phantoms in the moonlit night, making the sound of swaying bushes increasingly noisy.

These wild wolves living in the jungle have extremely strong discipline.

They remain quiet and hidden when undiscovered, patiently draining the prey's attention; but once exposed, they instantly seem to go mad, surrounding and pouncing on the group.

They don't leave the Sea Spine Squad any room to react. Almost the second after the fire oil bomb is thrown, seven or eight silver wolves with shoulder heights reaching an adult's chest rush out of the bushes and grass.

Awoo—

The sharp, somewhat shrill wolf howl makes the eardrums ache. Staring at the two Night-Walking Wolves rushing straight at him.

Xia Nan's expression is extremely focused, and he even feels a slight sense of relief in his heart.

Compared to the high-pressure situation of being coiled but not released, entering combat actually brings him into his comfort zone.

The decapitation longsword in his hand tilts slightly, the iron-grey sword light appearing even sharper under the moonlight.

His brain thinks rapidly.

The current situation is a positional battle between the squad and the wolf pack; he cannot move recklessly.

Otherwise, if one or two slip past his side, not only will Bo He, the spellcaster in the center of the team, be in danger, but the other two teammates will also risk being attacked from the back.

And being in the Mist Forest in the second half of the night, even on the outskirts, the danger level rises significantly.

With such a big commotion, who knows what else will be attracted later.

He must end the battle quickly!

"Squeak."

While thinking, the ground beneath his feet vibrates slightly.

Earth and stones splash, and several green vines with barbs suddenly shoot out from the soil, wrapping around the front leg of one of the Night-Walking Wolves like tentacles.

The barbs pierce deep into the wolf's fur almost instantly, tightening as it moves, and blood seeps out in the blink of an eye.

Behind him, slightly greenish, soft short hair moves without wind; Bo He grips her branch staff tightly with both hands, her lips moving as she chants a spell.

Xia Nan nods imperceptibly and takes two sharp steps forward.

His pitch-black eyes reflect the white wolf, entangled by thorns and rapidly slowing down.

"Bang!"

The thick leather boots connected to the shin guards land suddenly, like the roots of an ancient tree, drawing power from deep within the earth.

Calves, hips, waist, chest, and abdomen... the power conducts all the way up, finally gathering at his fingertips, and is unleashed with the swing of the sword.

Swish—

The iron-grey, perfect arc reflects the bright moon overhead, fleeting in the dark forest.

The long-lost, sluggish sound of a sharp blade cutting through flesh and bone enters his ears.

【Spinning Slash】!

Already practiced to perfection, this only "Mastered" level combat technique he possesses, while seemingly a basic move, remains the most reliable aid in Xia Nan's combat.

It even appears more powerful with the enhancement of his physical fitness.

Tilting, from bottom to top, like an upward sweep.

As the cold light vanishes.

Viscous brains, along with half a mouth, an animal eye, and a few strands of shredded ears, fly out.

Half of its head is sliced off.

The broken wolf carcass still retains the inertia of its forward charge, but its consciousness has already slipped into darkness.

The sturdy body, spurting blood, twitches and convulses as it falls to the ground, with no possibility of attacking again.

The longsword that tore through the wolf's body follows the force of the swing, completing a semicircle.

Xia Nan takes another step to the side, his body turning with it.

He does not relax his vigilance in the slightest.

The longsword is already held horizontally across his chest, in a defensive posture, to deal with the other Night-Walking Wolf flanking from the side.

But unexpectedly.

Just as he moves his feet and shifts his position.

Above his legs, on the surface of the light-grey leg armor, the bone plates—whose texture has become more delicate after cutting and polishing—suddenly flash with an invisible fluctuation.

The ferocious wild wolf in front of him, which was growling and baring its sharp canine teeth, suddenly pauses, stunned in place.

On its long, narrow wolf head, a touch of human-like confusion appears.

In the animal eyes filled with violent and ferocious thoughts, only a blank clarity remains.

It even sticks out its tongue to lick its own nose.

【Bone-Binding Iron Greaves】 (Effect 2):

Hostile beasts with a challenge rating no higher than "1" have a chance to fall into a stunned state;

A quiet realization dawns in his heart.

Xia Nan does not hesitate in the slightest, switching from defense to offense.

Taking another step forward, he exerts force with both hands, and another 【Spinning Slash】 is unleashed.

The iron-grey arc flashes down.

A complete wolf head, splattered with scarlet blood beads, spins and falls to the ground.

In his ears is the dull sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.

At this point, it has been barely ten seconds since the wolf pack appeared.

Breathing slightly, Xia Nan turns his head, his gaze looking toward the other two sides.

Bo He's face, covered in sweat, is pale, and her hands are trembling slightly.

Clearly, the large amount of spellcasting in a short time has taken a heavy toll on her.

But the results are equally outstanding.

The body of a Night-Walking Wolf is convulsing on the ground nearby.

Traces of plant entanglement can be faintly seen on the surface of its limbs.

But what truly caused its death is a small, fatal wound on the side of its neck that is constantly bleeding.

—It comes from the cyan-grey stone spear in Kashi's hand.

At this moment, this middle-aged man who claims to be a fisherman and became a professional by chance is in a bitter struggle.

Unlike Xia Nan, there are three wolves rushing at him.

Even with Bo He's help in taking care of one, he still needs to deal with two Night-Walking Wolves simultaneously.

Although it hasn't reached a fatal point, he appears exceptionally disheveled.

The surface of his decent scale armor already has many traces left by the wolves.

As for Weiruisi...

Xia Nan frowns suddenly.

As a "Rogue" known for agility, whose combat style leans toward fighting while moving.

This Drow half-breed appears very uncomfortable with the current positional battle.

Facing the siege of three Night-Walking Wolves, she might have dodged their pounces thanks to her relatively flexible posture, and left wounds on the wolves, letting the poison coated on her blades gradually take effect.

But Weiruisi's original position has also shifted under the intentional or unintentional siege and pulling of the wolf pack.

The formation has been quietly split.

And the last two Night-Walking Wolves, which had been lurking around since the battle began, also approach silently like phantoms under the moon, lowering their bodies.

They quietly mix in through the gaps.

Charging straight at Bo He in the middle of the team!

(End of Chapter)