I'm More Vicious Than a Wolf

The gray shadow crashed to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust. The wolf pack erupted into chaos, howls rising and falling like those of lost souls who had lost their leader.

Lu Chen stood beside the wolf king's corpse, feeling power surge through his body like a flood. A bloodthirsty smile curled his lips.

"Now that the alpha's dealt with, it's time for you lot to... give me whatever value you've got left!"

He was in no hurry to leave. The lure of SSS-grade talents made this forest seem like a walking treasure trove!

"Heh, heh, heh. Don't be scared, little ones. Big brother's here to send you on your way, and see if you've got anything valuable while he's at it!"

With dynamic vision far beyond that of an ordinary person, Lu Chen soon noticed something unusual.

Something seemed to be imprisoned in a hidden cave not far away.

He flashed forward, appearing at the cave entrance like a ghost.

The cave was dim, and a nauseating stench filled the air.

"Sniffle..."

Faint sobs reached Lu Chen's ears.

He narrowed his eyes and adjusted to the light in the cave. Only then did he make out a small, thin figure curled up in a corner, trembling.

It was a little girl, her hair disheveled and her face filthy. She wore tattered clothes, and whip marks and bruises covered her body. She had clearly suffered inhuman abuse.

"Well, would you look at that? Wolves have learned to raise child brides these days? That's pretty twisted!" Lu Chen couldn't help remarking. There was no guarding against all the perverts in the apocalypse.

He walked over, crouched down, and asked softly, "Little girl, what's your name?"

The little girl raised her head and glanced at him timidly. "I... my name is Xiaobai."

Lu Chen noticed that Xiaobai's eyes were clear and ethereal, and a strange energy fluctuation faintly emanated from her.

A thought struck him, and he activated [Infinite Replication] to scan her.

"Ding! Target: Xiaobai. Talent: B-grade [Telepathy] (incomplete). Copy?"

Telepathy? It's actually a psychic talent! Lu Chen was delighted. This was a real find!

Psychic talents were rare in the apocalypse and could often turn the tide in unexpected ways.

"Copy!"

"Copy successful! B-grade [Telepathy] has been upgraded to SSS-grade [Absolute Perception]!"

A cool surge of energy instantly flooded Lu Chen's mind. His mental power soared, as though a door to a whole new world had opened.

He could clearly sense everything around him, even hear the distant howls of the wolf pack and the fear deep within Xiaobai's heart.

"Don't be afraid. I'll take you away from here," Lu Chen said gently, carefully picking Xiaobai up.

"Thank you... thank you, big brother..." Xiaobai's voice was weak and trembling. She clutched the hem of Lu Chen's clothes tightly, as though she had grasped her last lifeline.

Just as Lu Chen was about to leave, a series of urgent wolf howls suddenly came from outside the cave.

Clearly, the remaining wolves had discovered them.

"Awooo-!"

Several powerfully built wolves charged in, baring their fangs, their green eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

"Hmph, you're asking for death!" Lu Chen sneered, shielding Xiaobai behind him.

"If you're so eager to die, I'll oblige!"

He set Xiaobai down to one side and told her to find the best hiding place she could. Then he slowly stood and loosened his muscles.

"Now, let me show you what speed and passion really mean!"

Lu Chen took a deep breath, and the power of [Extreme Speed Storm] and [Wild Charge] erupted simultaneously within him!

His speed instantly reached its limit, leaving a trail of blurred afterimages among the wolves.

"Whoosh-!"

He darted through the pack like a ghost, now swift as lightning, now raging like a gale.

His fists and feet were like the Grim Reaper's scythe, each strike snuffing out a living creature.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Muffled impacts rang out one after another. The wolves couldn't track Lu Chen at all and could only watch helplessly as their companions fell one by one.

"Awoo... awoo..."

Fear spread through the pack. They began to lose their nerve and shrink back.

"Trying to run? Too late!"

Lu Chen grinned. He suddenly stopped moving at high speed, took a deep breath, and concentrated all his strength in his throat.

"Sonic Boom-!"

A deafening boom echoed throughout the forest. The air itself seemed to tear apart, forming shock waves visible to the naked eye.

The terrifying sound waves instantly shook the wolves, making blood pour from their orifices. They collapsed, twitching, no longer able to fight.

"Done!" Lu Chen clapped his hands and looked with satisfaction at the wolves on the ground.

"Next time, don't go making a racket for no reason. You're disturbing the neighbors!"

After dealing with the wolves, Lu Chen returned to Xiaobai and found her gazing at him with admiration.

"Big brother, you're amazing!" Xiaobai exclaimed sincerely.

"Of course I am. Your big brother is going to be the king of the apocalypse!" Lu Chen smiled proudly and patted Xiaobai's head.

"Come on, it's time to go home."

When the first rays of sunlight pierced the darkness and illuminated the land, Lu Chen brought Xiaobai back to Su Wan and the others.

"Lu Chen, are you all right?!" Su Wan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him return safely.

"What could possibly happen to me? I did bring a little one back, though," Lu Chen said with a smile, pulling Xiaobai in front of him.

"This is Xiaobai. She's one of us from now on."

Su Wan noticed Xiaobai's injuries and asked, her heart aching, "What happened to this child?"

"She was imprisoned by the wolves for a long time and suffered a lot." Lu Chen sighed and gave a brief account of what had happened to Xiaobai.

"How pitiful..." Su Wan embraced Xiaobai, her heart aching, and comforted her gently. "You can stay here without worrying from now on. We'll take good care of you."

Xiaobai seemed not to have felt such warmth in a long time, and tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.

Lu Chen knew that the prolonged abuse had left Xiaobai deeply traumatized and that she would need time to recover.

"Xiaobai, stay with me for now. If you need anything, you can tell me anytime," Lu Chen said.

"Mm..." Xiaobai nodded and stayed close behind him.

"By the way, Xiaobai, do you know of any safe places nearby? Or any camps where we can get supplies?" Lu Chen asked.

Xiaobai thought for a moment and said, "I know a place not far from here. It's a veteran's camp. They might be able to help."

"A veteran's camp? That's great!" Lu Chen's eyes lit up.

"There's no time to lose. Let's go now!"

With Xiaobai leading the way, Lu Chen and the others soon arrived at the veteran's camp.

The camp was situated in a dense forest, surrounded by traps and defensive fortifications. It had clearly been laid out with care.

A one-armed veteran stood at the camp entrance, watching Lu Chen and the others warily.

He was powerfully built, with a resolute face and sharp eyes, and exuded the iron-blooded air of a man who had seen countless battles.

"Who are you?" the veteran asked in a low voice.

"We're survivors. We came here looking for help," Lu Chen answered truthfully.

The veteran looked Lu Chen up and down. "Come in."

After entering the camp, Lu Chen found it even more rundown than he had imagined. There were only a few dilapidated wooden huts and some basic living facilities.

"My name is Li Qi. I'm in charge of this camp," the veteran said.

"You can call me Old Li."

"Hello, Li Qi. My name is Lu Chen," Lu Chen said.

"What brings you here?" Li Qi asked bluntly.

"We're looking for some supplies and a safe place to shelter," Lu Chen said.

Li Qi fell silent for a moment, then said, "I can give you some supplies, but a safe place to shelter... I'm afraid I can't."

"Why?" Lu Chen asked with a frown.

"Recently, the military has been mobilizing its forces to wipe out survivors on a large scale. This place will be exposed soon," Li Qi explained.

"You have to leave here as soon as possible."

"Why is the military wiping out survivors?" Su Wan asked, puzzled.

"Because they believe survivors are a threat to the apocalypse and must all be eliminated." Li Qi sighed.

"This is a crazy world. The strong prey on the weak, and the fittest survive."

Lu Chen fell silent.

He knew Li Qi was telling the truth.

In the apocalypse, strength was the only truth.

"All right, we understand," Lu Chen said.

"We can leave as soon as possible, but before that, we still need some help."

"I can give you some homemade crossbow bolts and a map of the surrounding area," Li Qi said.

"Those things might help you survive."

"Thank you, then," Lu Chen said gratefully.

With Li Qi's help, Lu Chen and the others obtained enough supplies and weapons, as well as a detailed map.

As they were parting, Li Qi suddenly gave Lu Chen a meaningful look and asked tentatively, "Who... exactly are you?"

Lu Chen didn't answer. He merely smiled faintly, turned, and left the camp.

Li Qi narrowed his one eye, trying to pierce the mist surrounding Lu Chen, as though he wanted to see through to his soul.

"Who... exactly are you?" he asked cautiously, as though probing a landmine about to detonate.

Hearing this, Lu Chen paused for a moment, an inscrutable smile curling his lips.

He didn't answer directly. He merely glanced back at Old Li, his gaze carrying a hint of amusement, a hint of disdain, and a hint of... deeply hidden madness.

Then he turned away, his figure blending into the thin morning mist.

"Whoosh-"

The others saw a blur before their eyes as the shrill sound of something cutting through the air pierced their eardrums.

Su Wan rubbed her eyes, hardly able to believe what she was seeing.

Lu Chen had already appeared on a ridge hundreds of meters away. Like an agile cheetah, he vanished into the vast sea of trees in a few bounds.

Old Li looked in the direction Lu Chen had disappeared, shock and bewilderment written all over his face.

He murmured to himself, his voice low as though suppressing a storm, "That speed... that boy is no ordinary man..."

Su Wan hurried over to Old Li and asked worriedly, "Uncle Li Qi, Lu Chen..."

Old Li waved a hand, cutting Su Wan off. He raised his head and gazed into the distance, his eyes full of worry and anxiety, and said softly, "Prepare for battle, children!"