Scattering the Wolf Pack

Lin Yi exhaled softly, silently sensing the source energy within his body.

"Only thirty percent left... but that should be enough to handle things..."

That earth-shattering strike just now had drained over half of his source energy. Thirty percent was a dangerous level—one where he still retained combat power, but also one that required cautious handling.

However, far from feeling any sense of caution, Lin Yi felt his killing intent surge, his gaze becoming even sharper.

For an Abyssal Beast as cunning as the Abyssal Wolf, the balance of fear was extremely fragile.

If he showed any sign of weakness now, even the slightest hesitation or retreat, these bullies would instantly snap out of their panic. Driven by their remaining wild instincts, they would swarm him.

He had to strike while they were still terrified, using an even more violent and brutal posture to burn fear deep into their instincts.

Lin Yi's thoughts raced. Without a moment's hesitation, he surged forward before the pack could turn their brief panic and commotion into tentative growls!

He ignored the two small, timid groups on his flanks.

Instead, he set his sights directly on the largest, densest group of over thirty Abyssal Wolves in front—the ones most capable of regrouping.

"Die!"

With a short, murderous shout, Lin Yi's figure transformed into silver lightning once more, initiating the charge.

He dragged the Abyss Breaking Spear behind him, the tip scraping against the ground with a teeth-gritting screech, sending a trail of sparks flying!

His choice seemed reckless, but in reality, it precisely seized the most vulnerable moment in the wolves' psychology!

The pack of Abyssal Wolves clearly hadn't expected this terrifying creature, having just finished a hunt, to attack again instead of resting. Their formation showed clear signs of panic and retreat.

However, being a pack of over thirty wolves, the cruelty and unwillingness to yield inherent in their nature ultimately gained the upper hand.

Especially when Lin Yi charged into the pack and entered their attack range, the close-quarters scent of blood and their numerical advantage made them howl threateningly once more. Seven or eight Abyssal Wolves lunged from the front and sides simultaneously, their claws and fangs glinting coldly, while dark green acid sprayed from the rear!

Yet this time, despite the dense attack, Lin Yi chose a different strategy.

He didn't use his footwork for large-scale dodging; instead, he spent his source energy to activate the Deflection Field of his Flowing Cloud Armor, ignoring the attacks and taking them head-on!

"Bang! Scritch! Pfft!"

The claws of an Abyssal Wolf on his left raked fiercely across his shoulder armor, only to be deflected by the shimmering light.

The bites from two wolves on his right landed on his arm armor and leg armor, failing to penetrate his defense.

Several globs of acid splashed onto his back armor and side, most being deflected away, with the small amount that remained causing minor corrosion that was quickly dismissed.

Meanwhile, the Abyss Breaking Spear in Lin Yi's hand became the scythe of the Grim Reaper.

He used no fancy moves, just the simplest, most direct, and most energy-efficient thrusts!

The spear tip precisely pierced the eye socket of an Abyssal Wolf lunging from the front, and with a flick of his wrist, the carcass was flung aside.

Immediately following, he retracted the spear and thrust again, piercing the throat of a wolf attempting to bite his calf.

Then, he swept the shaft horizontally, the blade slicing open the neck of a third wolf attempting a sneak attack from the side.

In the blink of an eye, three lives were reaped.

Precise, efficient, cold!

Hot wolf blood splattered onto his silver-gray armor, adding to his fierce aura.

Lin Yi didn't even pause his stride, maintaining his forward momentum as if those attacks were nothing more than mosquito bites.

This savage, domineering posture, treating their attacks as if they were nothing, finally shattered the remaining fighting spirit of the Abyssal Wolves.

"Awooo!!"

Somewhere in the pack, an Abyssal Wolf let out a short, terrified wail.

This seemed to act as a signal!

The collapse began.

The formation of the remaining Abyssal Wolves disintegrated instantly. Their survival instinct completely overwhelmed everything else; no longer caring about the encirclement, they let out chaotic, terrified yelps, then turned without hesitation, tucked their tails, and fled for their lives in every direction.

"Trying to run?"

But how could Lin Yi let them off so easily?

Chasing a retreating enemy was the lowest-risk, highest-reward tactic.

Besides, if he didn't beat them until they were hurt and afraid this time, they would remain a Potential Threat to Hongfu Tower once they recovered.

Lin Yi didn't hesitate, utilizing his Flowing Star Step. His figure moved like the wind as he hunted down the few wolves that were slowest to escape.

"Pfft! Pfft! Scritch!"

Three more muffled sounds rang out as three straggling Abyssal Wolves were pierced through the heart from behind, collapsing to the ground with wails.

He didn't stop, his gaze locked onto two other fleeing wolves, and he pushed himself to give chase.

However, just as he skewered these two unlucky ones and set his sights on more distant targets, a subtle sense of weakness washed over his body.

His source energy was below ten percent, reaching the danger line he had set for himself.

"Forget it, forget it... don't chase a desperate foe..."

Lin Yi decisively stopped in his tracks, choosing not to pursue any further.

With his internal Source Energy nearly depleted, the active Deflection effect of his Flowing Cloud Armor could no longer be maintained. Relying solely on basic defense, the risks were too high if he were to be targeted by concentrated acid from afar or trapped in the desperate, final struggle of the remaining wolf pack.

He had managed to survive in the high-risk profession of an Interstellar Mercenary for thousands of years not just by being daring and aggressive, but also by knowing when to quit while he was ahead.

Leaning on his spear, Lin Yi watched the Abyss Wolves that had already fled into the distance. Only after confirming they had absolutely no courage to turn back in the short term did he slowly relax his stance.

The battlefield fell silent in an instant, leaving behind only the scent of blood slowly dissipating and the corpses of the Abyss Wolves gradually turning to ash.

Lin Yi rested for a moment, and once his Aura had calmed slightly, he turned back to begin cleaning up the battlefield.

He first picked up the crystals left behind by the Abyss Wolves that he hadn't had time to collect while pursuing them.

The ten dead Abyss Wolves had left behind ten ordinary Gray Crystals shimmering with a dull, hazy glow.

Lin Yi sensed the information within them as he picked them up, then placed them into the specialized slots on his waist designed for storing crystals.

Three Guidance Technique manuals and seven Level 1 Source Energy Crystals—a standard haul.

Next, he walked to the large crater where the Giant Rock Abyss Bear had met its end.

By now, the corpse of the Abyss Bear had vanished, leaving behind only a high-grade Gray Crystal streaked with faint white clouds.

Lin Yi bent down to pick it up. He silently sensed the information within, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"So it's this thing... a 'Sentinel' small Mechanical Dog... this is a good find..."

This could be considered an unexpected delight.

In his past life, the "Sentinel" Mechanical Dog was a highly practical low-level construct during the early stages. It only required one Tier 1 Source Energy Crystal to operate for a long time, boasting extremely high energy efficiency.

Although its combat power wasn't high—comparable only to a single Corrosive Abyss Wolf—its advantages lay in its tougher metallic body, lack of fear, absolute obedience to commands, and a built-in simple sensor module that provided Dynamic perception, distance alerts, and scent tracking within a certain range.

For Hongfu Tower, which currently needed night watch, patrols, and early warnings, the value of this item even exceeded some offensive techniques or weapons found within white crystals.

Lin Yi nodded in satisfaction and tucked this high-grade Gray Crystal into the slots at his waist as well.

Only after finishing all this did he begin walking in the direction of Hongfu Tower.