Finding the Path in the Woods

As a merchant who had traveled far and wide, Mace had certainly seen wolves before, but he could swear on his life that he had never seen a wolf of such immense proportions since the day he was born.

Judging by its size alone, this giant wolf stood as tall as a man. Its thick, lustrous fur shimmered, and it was currently squinting lazily, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun. Its thick tail flicked back and forth behind it, giving it an air of complete ease. Lize had long since clamped her mouth shut, holding her breath as she followed closely behind Rhode. As a mercenary, Lize knew full well how terrifying and dangerous these beasts were. Although she wasn't as paralyzed with fear as the fat merchant, the young girl kept her gaze fixed on Rhode, waiting for his command.

Rhode himself was deep in thought.

The silver wolf, "Moon Soul," was a Level 10 elite. While it didn't possess boss-level attributes, it was still troublesome. After all, on the Dragon Soul Continent, outside of humanoid creatures, the danger level of monsters was categorized into three tiers: Beast, Behemoth, and Magic Beast. Beasts were ordinary creatures, while Behemoths were monsters that had grown massive and fierce due to long lifespans or external stimuli. Once they awakened their soul power, they evolved into Magic Beasts. At that point, they no longer relied solely on their physical bodies to fight, making them significantly more difficult to handle.

Although the silver wolf before them wasn't as high-threat as the previous Wind Serpent lord, and it wouldn't be difficult for Rhode to take it down, however...

At this thought, Rhode instinctively glanced around. If this were still a game, he wouldn't hesitate to slaughter the creature for experience and materials. But this wasn't a game, and there were only three of them. Lize was only a Spirit Master and lacked the ability to protect herself. As for Mace, he was dead weight in combat. In this situation, avoiding unnecessary trouble was the best policy.

With that, Rhode made a gesture and turned to walk in another direction. The Moonlight Lake was large enough that there was no need to do something so thankless just to take a shortcut. Seeing his movement, Lize and Mace exchanged a look before following Rhode, intending to leave. Unfortunately, luck did not seem to be on their side.

"Snap."

The moment the fat merchant turned, his foot slipped, and he fell heavily to the ground, crushing a branch beneath him.

At that exact moment, Rhode, who had been walking in front, immediately turned back and raised his right hand. With a crisp bird cry, a verdant figure shot from his hand, lunging toward the area behind them.

"BOOM!!"

Following the sound of the impact, a low howl echoed from behind them. Lize and Mace turned around, only to be shocked to find that the giant white wolf, which should have been some distance away, had somehow reached them. Its massive body was now sprawled on the ground, as if struck by some external force.

Then, a shadow flashed past their sides.

The moment the fat merchant fell, Rhode had sensed that something was wrong. After all, in the Silver Moon Forest, the keen senses of these giant wolves ranked in the top three. Fortunately, in the game, Rhode had encountered trouble caused by pig-like NPCs more than once, and that experience paid off now. Although Rhode's perception wasn't high enough to lock onto these Behemoths, his familiarity with the giant wolves allowed him to make an immediate judgment. While the resting "Moon Soul" was unlikely to attack them immediately, it had definitely sensed their presence. Given the nature of these wolves, it would likely tail them quietly and wait until nightfall to strike. They could afford to wait, but he could not. Rather than being forced to deal with them later, it was more effective to take the initiative and control the situation.

Rhode's judgment was spot on.

Moon Soul had not expected the target to launch an attack so quickly. It reacted instinctively to the incoming soul bird, but it was a split second too slow. The cyan spirit bird struck its body squarely, and the resulting shockwave sent it flying.

While the giant white wolf lay on the ground, still reeling from the impact, Rhode activated Shadow Blink and appeared at its side. He stared intently at the giant wolf before him and extended his right hand.

"Cage!"

The cyan bird flew back into his hand, transforming into a card, its color shifting from green to white in an instant. Without a second glance, Rhode gripped the card tightly and thrust it into Moon Soul's right hind leg.

A beam of white light pierced through the leg, pinning it firmly to the ground. In an instant, a snow-white longsword appeared in Rhode's hand.

"---!!!"

The silver wolf let out a pained howl. It widened its eyes, glaring at the detestable human before it, and tried to stand up. But as it steadied itself, its body swayed, and it was forced to stabilize once more.

At that moment, Rhode's second strike arrived.

Seeing the silver wolf's movements, Rhode felt a sense of relief. The greatest trait of these elites was their speed; if he couldn't cripple that advantage immediately, it would inevitably become a grueling battle. Now that one of its hind legs was disabled, the silver wolf could no longer rely on speed, making the rest of the fight much simpler.

Despite the injury, the silver wolf did not panic. It stared fixedly at its target, and just as Rhode lunged forward with his sword, it raised its front claw and swiped heavily at him.

Although the silver wolf had counterattacked, Rhode, having anticipated the move, did not panic. Instead, he flicked his right wrist, and the white blade slid beneath the wolf's claw, drawing a spray of blood. As the silver wolf recoiled in pain, all it saw was the sharp, radiant blade, brighter even than the sunlight.

Critical Hit!

The dancing Blade of Ruin pierced its massive body, tearing through the tough fur with ease. Accompanied by a painful wail, the giant white wolf was sent flying into the air, crashing into a small tree before falling back to the ground. Half of its body had been torn open, revealing a bloody mess where one could even see the white bones and internal organs slowly spilling out.

The sight was truly nauseating. Even Rhode, who had intended to deliver the final blow, couldn't help but frown. In the game, critical hit damage was represented by data, not such vivid scenes. Although he had seen it during the battle with the Wind Serpent, such things were never easy to stomach.

Struck by the impact of the soul bird and Rhode's targeted attacks, the giant white wolf had reached its limit. Its threatening roar had turned into a faint whimper. It struggled to support its body, attempting to stand once more, but Rhode did not give it the chance. With a swift motion, he drove Star Trace into its brain, decisively ending its life.

Though it felt like a long ordeal, it had actually only been a minute or two. To Lize and Mace, they had simply seen the silver wolf knocked to the ground, followed by Rhode appearing at its side and ending its life with a few clean, efficient strikes. Both were incredibly astonished; this was a giant wolf, not something easily dealt with. Lize doubted that even her own mercenary group, even at full strength, could have killed a giant wolf so easily. But looking at Rhode's performance, it didn't look like he was killing a wolf at all—it was as effortless as killing a chicken!

As for the fat merchant, his feelings were even more complex. When he had fallen earlier, his heart had turned cold. He knew what that meant and feared the wolf would sense their presence. He had guessed the process, but not the ending. While the silver wolf had indeed sensed them, it had been turned into a corpse before it could act on its appetite.

Although the danger had passed, the fat merchant's heart was still pounding. He looked at the young man not far away with trepidation. He understood this was his own fault; what if the other party turned hostile and left him here? In normal times, he wouldn't worry, as he would be surrounded by guards he had paid for, and a small mistake wouldn't matter. But things were different now. This young man was no guard or mercenary; his relationship with him was entirely equal. If he were displeased, he could simply leave him behind. If that happened, he would be finished!

"This... I... I didn't mean to..."

At this thought, the fat merchant broke into a cold sweat. He licked his dry lips, intending to say something, but nothing came out. Just then, he saw Rhode stand up, turn around, and look at him with a calm expression.

"Watch where you're walking."

And so, the fat merchant found that there was nothing he could do but nod.