Only Forward

Galle's words did not untie the knot in Lu Mingfei's heart, but they were like a frail straw, letting him barely grasp a sliver of comfort at the edge of collapse.

At least... I could still keep going for a while.

There was no way back for now, and he could not remain trapped in the church forever. That left only one path: forward.

A large number of enemies occupied the checkpoint ahead, so Lu Mingfei naturally would not charge in recklessly.

His philosophy for getting by was simple: lie low.

If he could avoid dying, then he would avoid dying.

Since Runes could strengthen him, he would grind here. He would use the Demi-Humans on the beach and the soldiers in the woods to hone himself until he was strong enough to move forward.

Did they understand the value of the Ten-Mile Slope Sword Saint?

However.

Before long, the plan fell apart.

Whether Demi-Humans or Godrick Soldiers, the Runes they provided were already negligible to Lu Mingfei.

And in this starter village, there were only two places left that might still be of use to him.

The Groveside Cave guarded by Godrick Soldiers, and the Coastal Cave occupied by Demi-Humans.

To be honest, Lu Mingfei truly did not want to enter either of those pitch-black places. Who knew what bizarre ways of dying awaited him inside...

But he really could not squeeze out even a single Rune anywhere else...

After making every possible preparation, Lu Mingfei set off for the nearby cave.

He skillfully concealed himself, crouched as he advanced, and landed precise backstabs, easily dealing with the scattered Godrick Soldiers in the forest.

Yet as he neared the cave entrance, he still alerted the final guard.

But that was fine.

He had long since memorized these soldiers' sword techniques.

And he, Lu Mingfei, was no longer the same as before.

Lu Mingfei ended the battle cleanly and efficiently.

Watching the soldier in a surcoat embroidered with trees and beasts slowly collapse, he moved his mind and took out a torch from his storage space.

This otherworldly high-tech torch was truly amazing—one pull and it lit itself, never going out through wind or rain, and it could even be used as a weapon.

Did they have torches like this? It was truly fire fire and torch torch.

Complaining as he went, he walked toward the cave entrance.

Not far in, a dim golden mark flickered in the darkness. Lu Mingfei skillfully activated the Site of Grace and continued deeper inside.

What exactly was hidden within this dark, deep cave? To be honest, Lu Mingfei had been curious for a long time.

The Godrick Soldiers patrolling back and forth along the road, the sentries resting at the cave entrance—all of it signaled that this place was special.

What were they searching for? Or what were they guarding?

Lu Mingfei did not know.

Holding his breath, he slowly descended along the damp rock wall. Before long, a faint light appeared ahead.

Behind a protruding rock wall, the ground suddenly dipped, forming an open space.

"This is way too dark..."

Lu Mingfei muttered softly, extending his torch ahead.

The dancing firelight spilled forth, illuminating a patch of grayish-white fur.

In an instant, countless pairs of green eyes lit up like ghostly flames.

A bead of cold sweat slid down Lu Mingfei's forehead.

This was bad.

"Rrrr..."

The beasts' low growls echoed through the cave.

Lu Mingfei swallowed, gripped the small knife in his hand, and unconsciously took two steps back.

Within the torchlight, three gray wolves bared their white fangs and slowly closed in.

Their hind legs tensed, while growls that promised attack rumbled in their throats.

Behind them, a giant wolf the size of a calf scraped its forepaws against the rocky ground.

Damn... this thing looked much harder to deal with than ordinary mobs!

Accompanied by the sound of gravel rolling, the gray wolf on the left suddenly leaped!

Whoosh!

Lu Mingfei reflexively swung his torch in a horizontal sweep, flinging out a crimson arc.

Bang!

The burning flames collided with the wolf's claws, erupting with astonishing force.

The gray wolf howled as it rolled away, wisps of charred smoke rising from its forepaws.

"Howl!"

Sometimes, fire was far deadlier than blades.

Why was it so weak?

Lu Mingfei froze slightly.

In the next instant, another gray wolf seized the opportunity to pounce, but its movements looked like slow-motion playback in Lu Mingfei's eyes.

With a light twist of his wrist, Lu Mingfei's dagger precisely sliced through the wolf's throat. Blood sprayed out, and he followed up with a side kick that sent the gray wolf flying.

Ah, right. It was not that they were too weak. It was that he had grown stronger.

The Runes he had accumulated through day after day of fighting ordinary mobs had long since tempered his body into something entirely new.

Every life-or-death battle had become muscle memory, allowing his combat instincts to grow at an astonishing, almost unreasonable speed.

Could I really be an S-Rank Mixed-Blood?

The thought invigorated him, setting his blood ablaze. He immediately rushed forward, intending to press his advantage and finish off the gray wolf before him.

However, the sound of wind splitting suddenly came from above.

Whoosh—

A shadow descended!

The calf-sized giant wolf pounced through the air. Under the pressure of the wind, Lu Mingfei performed an awkward roll to evade the attack.

Even with such quick reflexes, the wolf's claws still left four burning claw marks across his thigh.

"Hiss!"

Blood dripped down, splattering against the rocks.

The agonizing pain only made his mind clearer.

Lu Mingfei twisted around, driving his dagger viciously into the wolf's flank.

Warm wolf blood sprayed across his hand, but before he could pull out the blade, a sharp pain struck. At some point, a fourth wolf had circled to his side and bitten into his shoulder.

At the critical moment, Lu Mingfei spun the torch and viciously stabbed it into the wolf's belly. The beast released him instinctively from the pain and staggered backward.

Seizing the chance, Lu Mingfei took a huge gulp from the Flask.

The power of Tears slowly flowed through his body, repairing his wounds and restoring his strength.

"Come on!"

Panting heavily, he assumed a stance. Blood flowed down his left shoulder and leather armor before falling, drawing broken lines through the air.

Drip.

The giant wolf's dark pupils narrowed into vertical slits as the bloody scent of man and beast spread through the air.

One man and two wolves faced each other, their eyes filled with killing intent.

Lu Mingfei tightly gripped the single-edged knife in his hand, his knuckles turning pale from the force.

Ahh.

Compared to humanoid enemies, he hated fighting beasts even more.

These animals not only hunted in packs and attacked without any pattern, but worse still was what happened if he lost: his flesh torn apart by sharp teeth, listening to the sound of his own organs being devoured amid unbearable pain...

So he could not lose his nerve... If he did, he would really become dog food!

"Die for me!!"