Entering the Woods

Olvia's condition worsened again, and Ye Chen was beside himself with worry. Her whole body was burning with fever. Ye Chen asked Basan and confirmed that her cold illness had relapsed. She had never fully recovered, and her body was already weak. The freezing snow-laden air of Freezing Hell was simply more than a woman like her could endure.

Ye Chen gritted his teeth and looked toward the distant woods, suddenly making up his mind. That woods had always been like a forbidden zone to him. It was too far from the Prison, and war wolves often prowled there. But Ye Chen knew he had no more time to hesitate. Olvia's illness could not be delayed any longer.

He put on wolfskin clothing and made sure everything was neat and secure. Carrying a musket, with a dagger and wolf bone tucked at his waist, Ye Chen plunged resolutely out of the Prison through the wind and snow.

Seeing Ye Chen head straight toward the distant Woods, Basan repeatedly warned him, "Be careful! Don't throw your life away!"

The Navy rear admiral, Jace, also sighed and muttered softly, "The courage is admirable, but he's only six years old. Those War Wolves are incredibly ferocious and usually travel in groups of three or five. If they spot Ye Chen and swarm him, he'll be torn to pieces."

Although Ye Chen had been training all this time, none of the prisoners held much hope. Many tried to stop him from taking the risk. If Ye Chen died, their good days would be over too.

Who would bring them wolf meat after that? Besides, ever since Ye Chen arrived, there had been many more smiles on everyone's faces.

In this dull, dreary Prison, having a clever little brat around had lifted everyone's spirits considerably.

No matter who tried to persuade him, Ye Chen did not turn back. Yet after walking only two hundred meters, he encountered two War Wolves. One stood to his left and the other to his right. The pair moved in perfect coordination, instantly forming a pincer attack.

Their sharp claws pounded hard against the frozen snow, kicking up sprays of powder. Their icy eyes gleamed with bloodthirsty light. Baring their fangs, the two War Wolves let out low growls, both looking excited. To them, Ye Chen was exactly to their taste. It was a lucky day for a hearty feast.

"Ye Chen, get back here!"

Jace hurriedly shouted, but Ye Chen still did not look back.

Ye Chen lowered his body slightly and drove his toes into the ground. A fierce glint shone on his resolute face. His hands darted to his waist, and in an instant, he gripped the wolf bone and dagger.

A closer look would reveal that Ye Chen's stance resembled a Cheetah poised to strike its prey. He held the dagger in a reverse grip. Since it was a short weapon, even while holding it, his fist remained clenched, allowing him to use close-quarters combat techniques without affecting his punches. A reverse grip was also more concealed, delivered stronger thrusts, and allowed for more flexible variations—stabbing, slicing, and slashing. It was fiercer than a standard grip and better suited for close combat.

"That brat is serious."

A scar-faced man in the cell beside Basan's studied Ye Chen for a long time before withdrawing his gaze and muttering approvingly.

"Brothers, since we've got nothing else to do, why don't we place a bet? Let's bet on whether Ye Chen gets eaten by the War Wolves, escapes, or kills them."

Someone made the suggestion, and quite a few people eagerly joined the wager. They did not really care about winning or losing. They were merely looking for some amusement to pass the time.

There were few people here who truly sympathized with Ye Chen. Most of them were pirates who killed without batting an eye.

"Awwooo..."

The two War Wolves attacked at the same time. Like two streaks of lightning, they were unbelievably fast, whipping up twin gusts of cold wind as they pounced on Ye Chen.

Instead of retreating, Ye Chen charged toward one of them. The War Wolf suddenly leaped up, opening its bloody jaws as its sharp front claws raked viciously at Ye Chen. With the savage momentum of a hungry wolf hunting its prey, anyone else would have been terrified stiff.

But Ye Chen leaped up as well, swinging his right fist hard into the wolf's head. With a bang, his fist felt as though it had struck a steel plate. Instead, the War Wolf clawed him. Had he not been wearing wolfskin, he would have been injured and bleeding.

Ye Chen landed first and immediately swept his right leg low across the ground. The force of his kick howled through the air, throwing up a burst of snow. As the War Wolf's vision blurred, Ye Chen quickly stepped back, spun around, and launched a turning kick. The War Wolf behind him had not expected the brat to react so swiftly. It had no time to dodge and took the kick head-on. But its hide was thick and tough; to it, Ye Chen's kick was little more than a scratch.

Seeing the two War Wolves set up their pincer formation again, Ye Chen made a snap decision and ran straight into the Woods. It had only been a probing exchange, yet dealing with even one War Wolf was already difficult for him. Two were far too much.

The War Wolves chased after him relentlessly. Once in the Woods, Ye Chen did not slow down and sprinted directly toward a large tree. Reaching its base, he slipped the dagger into his sleeve, leaped up, and formed claws with both hands. Like a civet cat, he used the Eagle Claw Technique to rapidly climb the tree.

The War Wolves rushed beneath the tree, leaping and snarling in fury, wishing they could climb after him. But just as Basan and the others all breathed a sigh of relief, Ye Chen suddenly flipped upside down in midair and actually launched himself down from the trunk.

The two War Wolves were caught off guard. Ye Chen slashed them with two backhanded strikes, leaving a bloody gash on each of them.

The War Wolves flew into a rage and chased Ye Chen again. Ye Chen raced around the Woods, moving as swiftly as the wind. His body twisted and darted, his speed pushed to the limit, as he played hide-and-seek with the wolves.

Ye Chen ran ahead while the War Wolves pursued him from behind. Just as they were about to catch him, Ye Chen suddenly jumped up, kicked off a nearby tree trunk with his toes, flipped backward through the air, and drove his right fist hard into one War Wolf's eye.

With a bang, the War Wolf saw stars. It let out an enraged howl and was just about to rush forward and tear Ye Chen apart when Ye Chen shot away again without stopping.

The two War Wolves had been toyed with again and again by Ye Chen. They bared their claws and fangs in rage, yet there was nothing they could do. In the Woods, Ye Chen was like an agile monkey or a nimble civet cat, twisting, vaulting, leaping, and climbing. One moment he circled around, the next he climbed a tree, leaving the two War Wolves in a thoroughly miserable state.

It had to be said that these War Wolves were truly powerful. Even after Ye Chen stabbed them with his dagger, they acted as though nothing had happened, like indestructible monsters.

Ye Chen knew his own strength was still too weak. Gritting his teeth, and before any other War Wolves could be drawn over, he made up his mind to target the more severely wounded one. That wolf's injuries worsened by the moment. Before long, Ye Chen suddenly leaped down from a tree and viciously plunged his sharp dagger into the War Wolf's eye. The wolf could barely endure the pain, its vision obstructed. It flailed its limbs wildly and spun in place without stopping. Its miserable cries made everyone's skin crawl.

Ye Chen evaded the other War Wolf and swept his leg low across the ground. The instant the blinded War Wolf fell, Ye Chen lunged at it. The dagger and wolf bone in his hands stabbed viciously toward the wolf's throat.