Volume One: First Signs of Brilliance Chapter Eighty: Still Trying to Play Tricks on Me?

The possibility of acquiring new Star Source Points instantly gave Wang Jue a burst of motivation. Without a word, he took up his longsword and began dissecting the blood wolf. He soon discovered that it had previously been injured; its pelt was incomplete, and one of its lower limbs was lame. Nevertheless, its fangs and claws remained intact.

The only regret was that he didn't find a blood bead.

His spoils consisted of no wolf pelt, just four fangs and four claws. As for the three leg bones, they were too cumbersome, and could impede him, so Wang Jue simply left them behind, taking only the fangs and claws and slipping them into the snakeskin bag he'd acquired from those annihilated squads earlier—the weight was almost negligible.

"Now that blood wolves have begun to appear, it means I'm getting ever closer to their territory," he thought.

He tightened the snakeskin bag slung across his back and pressed deeper into the woods, sharpening his senses and remaining vigilant: "I must be even more cautious, lest I attract a larger pack—then I'll be in real trouble..."

Twenty minutes later.

Wang Jue suddenly halted, his brows furrowing as he gazed ahead.

"Thud, thud, thud..." A jumble of hurried, uneven footsteps approached from the front.

Wang Jue had no desire for trouble and was about to slip away to the side when he saw a dozen or so martial artists, faces smeared with blood, racing straight toward him without hesitation.

Behind them, at least a hundred roaring blood wolves surged in pursuit, a black mass that thundered through the forest, sending dust and debris flying.

Faced with this terrifying spectacle, Wang Jue's expression changed instantly. His mouth went dry. If it were a few wolves, or even a dozen, he might have been able to act. But now, with over a hundred, not even a master at the Red Star Mirror level would stay—they would choose to flee without a second thought.

As the small group was about to be surrounded by the blood wolf pack, Wang Jue was about to leave, not wishing to invite disaster, when a voice made him pause.

"Brother, you can't escape from the wolf pack. Hurry and help us, or else we'll all die here!"

The speaker was a burly man among them, gripping a blood-stained axe in both hands.

His name was Sun Shan, leader of this adventurer squad. Today, he had led the hunt, but ended up in dire straits, chased relentlessly by the blood wolves. In fact, he was the first to spot the lone Wang Jue and immediately led his squad toward him.

He was shrewd—regardless of Wang Jue's strength, having another potential scapegoat could always help share the risk. Perhaps they might even escape unscathed.

Unfortunately, before Sun Shan had finished his sentence, Wang Jue was already on the move, paying the group no heed and running off.

Was he supposed to save them in this situation? He had no intention of dying in vain! He was furious at the leader who had deliberately drawn the blood wolves toward him, clearly hoping to use him as bait.

Wang Jue fled decisively, and seeing this, Sun Shan's face darkened. He had thought Wang Jue was young and could be intimidated, but the man was even more clear-headed than he expected.

When he glanced back, not only were a dozen swift blood wolves closing in, but the massive pack was about to catch up as well—the situation was becoming increasingly dire...

"Zhenbang, fire!" Sun Shan roared. The only squad member armed with a gun, protected by his teammates, took aim.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In an instant, seven or eight shells flew from his weapon, landing among the blood wolves. Explosions rang out.

"Boom!"

Whether by chance or design, one shell landed right beside Wang Jue, blasting a tree as thick as three men directly to the ground. Flames burst forth, scattering wildly, and the shockwave nearly sent Wang Jue flying.

"You fools want to die!" Wang Jue's face twisted in fury at the scene.

The tiger bears no ill will, yet man seeks to slay it.

He had no malicious intent, but his opponents were aggressive.

"Ha ha ha! Boy, even if we die, you’re dying with us!" Sun Shan, wielding his double axes, split the head of a blood wolf lunging at him, looking smugly at Wang Jue. "Why are you standing around? If you want to live, come help us!"

Damn it!

Wang Jue's expression turned cold; his hesitation had cost him the chance to escape. Now, two blood wolves were already attacking from either side, the stench of their breath filling the air.

Seeing this, Wang Jue quickly dodged, twisting his foot and shifting his body aside. The ground was gouged by their claws, dust rising as Wang Jue gripped his sword in his right hand.

In the next moment!

His longsword became a dazzling streak of light, howling like thunder as it slashed at the two blood wolves leaping in midair.

"Crack!"

"Crack!"

The sound of bones snapping echoed instantly.

[Star Source +1, Experience +100!]

[Star Source +1, Experience +100!]

As these two notifications appeared on his panel, two headless corpses collapsed, blood spraying everywhere.

It was swift and clean, like water flowing.

Not far away, Sun Shan saw Wang Jue’s display clearly. His eyes lit up as he called to his companions in surprise, "Brothers, hang on! This kid’s stronger than I thought—he can share most of the firepower. Give it your all, kill the wolves in front of you, then rush toward him!"

"Understood!"

The other squad members responded together, killing the blood wolves before them and, with the pack behind, charging toward Wang Jue's position. In their eyes, Wang Jue's life seemed utterly worthless.

Meanwhile.

Wang Jue, having resolved the immediate threat, knew he couldn't linger.

"Damn it, they want to drag me down?"

Seeing Sun Shan's shameless attempt to use him as a scapegoat, Wang Jue laughed coldly: "If you're so eager to die, don't blame me!"

Then, with a flick of his sword, Wang Jue lifted the broken tree beside him and kicked it hard.

The next instant.

The thick, broken trunk shot out like a precise cannonball, sweeping toward Sun Shan and his men like a barricade, landing right in front of them.

No one but Wang Jue had expected him to fight back, especially at such a perilous moment—any delay could mean being devoured by the wolves.

Wang Jue’s counterattack stunned Sun Shan and his companions, who shouted in horror and rage.

"Damn it, boy, you’re asking for death!"

"Bastard! I'll kill you!"

"If I get out alive, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

...

Wang Jue, after breaking out of the encirclement, left them with a parting shot: "Want to kill me? Try it—if you survive!"

"Damn bastard!" Sun Shan snarled, his face contorted.

No sooner had he spoken than—

"I can't hold on, Brother Shan, save me—ah!"

A scream rang out.

Zhenbang, who had just shot a blood wolf, was suddenly grabbed by his left ankle. Five steel-like claws gouged deep holes, blood gushing forth, a gruesome sight.

Having carried his heavy gun—over two hundred pounds—during the escape, Zhenbang was exhausted. Now, caught, his face drained of color.

Sun Shan, for his part, could barely save himself, let alone others.

The outcome was obvious.

Zhenbang didn’t even finish his scream before he was dragged into the blood wolf pack, his terrified face quickly swallowed up.

"Rip—"

Blood sprayed everywhere, the sound of bodies being torn apart making everyone’s scalp crawl.

Next, four others struck by the broken tree Wang Jue had sent flying were likewise torn apart by the wolves—a scene of utter carnage.

"Ah—"

"Help—"

"I don’t want to die—"

Sun Shan heard the desperate screams of his companions beside him, but dared not look back. He wielded his axes as if each blow was worth ten, desperately hacking a path through the wolves, his hatred for Wang Jue reaching its peak.

...

Half an hour later.

At the edge of the Blood Forest valley.

Sun Shan, covered in blood, was accompanied by a young man equally bloodstained. The two, clothes tattered, staggered out, leaning on each other.

Having survived, they collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.

Ten brothers had died, and only the two of them escaped in the end.

It sounded tragic, yet Sun Shan’s face showed no sorrow. Especially when he thought of Wang Jue, the culprit behind it all, his barely concealed hatred made him wish to tear the man apart on the spot.

In his mind, if not for the broken tree Wang Jue had sent flying, their losses wouldn't have been so severe.

"Brother Shan, what do we do now? Xiaoliang, Mingzi, Sister Lin—they’re all dead..." The bloodied young man’s face was pale; recalling the ordeal still terrified him. "Now, only the two of us are left in the whole squad."

"I know. I’ll avenge them myself."

Sun Shan composed himself, gazing coldly at the young man. "I’m certain that kid hasn’t left the Blood Wolf Valley. As long as he’s still here, we’ll meet again—then it’ll be time for revenge!"

Hearing this, the young man seemed to regret his actions, his tone bitter: "Brother Shan, if we hadn’t provoked him, maybe..."

"Shut up! We’re in this mess because of that bastard!"

Sun Shan snarled at him, but after venting, he calmed down, took a deep breath, and sneered: "Though we lost so many brothers, we didn’t come away empty-handed. I took the spirit herb the blood wolves were guarding—why do you think those beasts kept chasing us?"

"Brother Shan, you mean..." the young man exclaimed, surprised to learn the squad’s near-extinction was tied to Sun Shan.

Sun Shan said nothing more, just glanced back at the valley they’d escaped from, eyes burning: "I’ll send you back first, then return. By then, the wolves should have retreated, and most of our spoils are still left there. That’s our capital for making a comeback!"

"Right, we can go back and pick up what’s left."

The young man’s excitement returned. "I remember Mingzi and Sister Lin still had backpacks full of loot. If we sell those, we can recruit new members and rebuild the squad!"