Intimidating the Demon Wolf

Chapter Eighteen: Intimidating the Demon Wolf

The Green Wolf Demonic Beast's resentful, unwilling growls gradually faded into the depths of the thick night, but the foul stench in the air and the suffocating pressure did not immediately disperse. Chen An slid down the cold, rough wooden door and sat on the ground, his heart still pounding like a drum. His limbs trembled faintly from prolonged tension and fear.

That heart-stopping scene had been branded into his mind. Those scarlet, savage eyes, those gleaming fangs, that ferocious impact powerful enough to split mountains and shatter stones, and the soul-shaking tremors of the rules when ripples spread across the invisible barrier... Everything reminded him that beyond the courtyard wall lay a true hell of the Primordial Wilderness, where the weak were prey and danger lurked everywhere.

Pure fear surged through his reason like icy waves. He curled up in the shadows behind the door for a long while without moving, merely gasping for breath as he tried to calm his heart, which nearly seemed ready to leap from his chest. The Safe Zone was absolutely secure, but the visual and psychological shock of standing only a hair's breadth from death was simply too intense for a soul from a peaceful world.

Time passed slowly in the deathly silence. Outside the courtyard, the howls of the other Demonic Beasts seemed to deliberately avoid this area, which had just endured a storm, leaving it strangely quiet. That quiet only made things more unsettling.

Chen An's gaze involuntarily drifted toward the crack in the door again. In the darkness, he seemed to still be able to see those scarlet eyes staring fixedly at this place. An indescribable sense of humiliation and anger began to kindle in his heart like a tiny flame.

What am I even afraid of?

A voice sounded in his mind.

That beast can't get in at all! Even if it smashes its head bloody, all it can do is rage helplessly outside!

That thought was like lightning cutting through the darkness, instantly illuminating the heartland of his fear-shrouded mind. Yes, why was he cowering here and trembling like a frightened rat? That barrier was an absolute bulwark that even such a terrifying Demonic Beast could not shake! It was the true ruler of this region, while he was someone protected by that bulwark!

A strange courage, mixed with the anger he had suppressed earlier, began to replace his pure fear. He was no longer merely a refugee passively enduring a threat. He possessed a reliance the other side could neither understand nor overcome.

He slowly rose to his feet. His legs were still somewhat weak, but his eyes gradually became resolute. He walked over to the kitchen stove. The charcoal fire inside still emitted a dim red glow, providing a little warmth and light. He carefully added a few thin sticks of firewood and blew gently. Orange-red flames leaped up once more.

The firelight dispelled the darkness behind the door, and seemed to dispel some of the gloom in his heart as well.

He needed a "weapon"—not one for physical attacks, which would be meaningless, but a "weapon" to assert his presence and intimidate his opponent. His gaze fell upon the burning firewood.

He pulled out the thickest piece of wood, about as thick as his arm, its flames burning most vigorously. Fire danced atop it, radiating scorching heat and bright light. Fire was the starting point of human civilization, as well as the most primal symbol of driving away beasts and bringing light and courage.

Holding the torch, he felt an indescribable sense of strength from its warmth and dancing light. He took a deep breath and walked back to the main house's door.

This time, he did not hide behind the door to spy outside. Instead, he took a deep breath and abruptly yanked open the creaking courtyard gate!

"Creeeak—"

The sound of the hinges grinding together was especially piercing in the silent night.

Outside the courtyard gate, those scarlet pupils suddenly brightened in the darkness. Clearly, it had not expected such a weak being to dare show itself voluntarily! The Green Wolf Demonic Beast let out a growl filled with surprise and fury. Its massive body lowered slightly as it assumed an attacking stance.

Under normal circumstances, that murderous stare and growl alone would have been enough to scare Chen An out of his wits. But now, with a torch in his hand and standing within the absolute safety boundary, he was still nervous, yet no longer had any intention of retreating.

He stepped forward and stood firmly inside the courtyard gate, on the threshold at the edge of the Safe Zone. Then he suddenly swung the torch forward!

"Whoosh—!"

The flames carved a dazzling arc through the air. The light flared brightly, instantly driving away the darkness before the gate and illuminating Chen An's figure clearly.

"Get—lost!"

He poured all his strength into a hoarse yet exceptionally resolute roar. His voice might not have been loud, and had even cracked slightly from tension, but it was filled with an unmistakable command to leave.

He widened his eyes and fearlessly met those scarlet beast eyes. He forced his face into a fierce, threatening expression, even clenching the fist of his empty hand to imitate an attacking stance. He knew he looked ridiculous, like a child waving a toy sword before a giant, but he had to strike this pose!

The sudden light and sound clearly stunned the Green Wolf Demonic Beast. Fire was a natural force it was not unfamiliar with, though it usually signified danger and destruction. Yet now it was being controlled by a tiny creature that was actively provoking it. This behavior, which violated its understanding, caused momentary confusion in its uncomplicated mind.

It instinctively retreated half a step. Its scarlet pupils narrowed slightly under the stimulation of the flames, and its growl carried a hint of hesitation. It could not understand why this weak being had suddenly become so "bold." The dancing flames and the aura emanating from its opponent, so completely different from the earlier fear, made it feel a trace of unease.

Chen An saw its hesitation and felt greatly reassured. It worked!

He pressed forward another step, though he remained within the threshold, and swung the torch even more fiercely as the flames crackled loudly. He continued shouting abuse in crude, direct language, pouring all the fear, anger, and pressure of survival that had built up inside him over the past days into this one-sided "confrontation."

"What are you looking at, you beast? If you've got the guts, come in!"

"Go back to your mountains and forests! This isn't a place where you can run wild!"

"Come any closer and I'll burn you to death!"

His curses echoed across the night sky of the Primordial Wilderness, mingling with all kinds of terrifying sounds in the distance to form a strange and absurd scene: a tiny human holding a torch on the boundary between light and darkness, issuing a childish yet resolute challenge to a terrifying giant in the distant gloom.

The Green Wolf Demonic Beast paced anxiously in place, its claws gouging deep pits into the ground. Several times, it tried to charge forward, but the invisible barrier and dancing flames were like two shackles, firmly restraining its movements. Its simple mind could not understand what was happening, but the instincts of a living creature told it that this seemingly weak being—and the area behind him—was filled with unknown danger.

Remaining here would accomplish nothing except drain its strength and dignity. Its opponent clearly was not afraid of it, while that invisible obstruction was an insurmountable chasm.

In the end, under the incomprehensible rules and sustained intimidation, the Demonic Beast's ferocity was gradually suppressed by the more practical instincts of survival. It let out a growl filled with unwillingness and carrying an almost imperceptible hint of retreat. Its scarlet pupils stared deeply at Chen An, then swept over the dancing flames, as if it wanted to carve this scene into its mind.

Then it abruptly turned around without another hesitation and strode away, its heavy footsteps quickly disappearing into the distant dark mountain forest. Even its steps carried a hint of panic.

Only after the massive figure had completely vanished from his perception did Chen An slowly lower his now somewhat numb arm. The torchlight illuminated his sweat-drenched face, which was filled with exhilaration.

I... succeeded?

Not through luck, and not by hiding, but by making use of the rules and taking the initiative to intimidate it—he had successfully driven away a terrifying Demonic Beast!

An unprecedented and complicated emotion surged throughout his body like a volcanic eruption, mingling immense achievement, relief, and a trace of lingering fear. He braced himself against the doorframe and could not help bursting into loud laughter. His laughter echoed through the silent courtyard, carrying a hint of the delirium of surviving a disaster, as well as the pride of having conquered himself.

At this moment, he had truly begun to become, psychologically, a "resident" who dared to stand tall in this Primordial World.

(End of Chapter Eighteen)