Zam ran as fast as he could, experiencing the exhilaration of speed like never before in his life. His agility matched that of a first-layer body-tempering practitioner.
The wolf was steadily closing in on him, causing his nerves to fray. He couldn't help but feel anxious, with the wolf's enraged expression signaling its eagerness to tear him apart.
Finally, Zam spotted the trap in the distance, but the wolf was dangerously close.
Reaching the trap, Zam leaped towards the rope hanging from the tree at the center. The hole was cleverly concealed with leaves, so the wolf failed to detect anything suspicious. Moreover, apart from lacking intelligence, it was blinded by anger.
The wolf lunged, attempting to sink its teeth into Zam, but he deftly evaded and kicked it downward, sending it plummeting into the spike trap.
The wolf met its demise on the spot, but Zam also sustained an injury. Blood trickled down his leg from a deep cut inflicted by the wolf. He could only manage a bitter smile.
Nonetheless, this outcome exceeded his expectations. He had single-handedly slain a first-layer body-tempering wolf, with only a minor cut on his leg. The thought filled him with pride, and he couldn't wait to share his accomplishment with the captain and the others.
Suddenly, Zam's wide smile froze as he noticed the wolf's body slowly disintegrating.
Shortly after, the wolf's remains vanished, leaving behind a white light. Before he could react, the white light swiftly entered his body at the speed of light.
'Crack.'
Zam heard a cracking sound emanating from within him, realizing with delight that he was on the verge of a breakthrough. He relaxed and sat down, gradually sensing his skin growing tougher and his bones strengthening.
As the name suggests, the Body Tempering realm involves fortifying and refining the body to store qi.
Over time, Zam felt his strength increasing, while his senses became sharper. Now, he finally understood how the wolf had evaded his arrows.
After a while, he successfully broke through, stepping into the body-tempering realm. Zam thrust his fist through the air.
'Swish.'
His wide smile grew even broader, as he realized he was now three times stronger. He couldn't help but marvel at his achievement in defeating the wolf, such a vast disparity in strength.
Examining the cut on his leg, he was surprised to find that it had healed, not completely, but it had closed.
"This time, our village will thrive," Zam's eyes burned with determination. Killing a first-layer wolf had miraculously propelled him to this breakthrough.
-------------------------
Outside the dungeon,
Half an hour had elapsed since Zam entered the dungeon, and the two remaining companions grew increasingly worried. The captain and the others were taking too long to arrive.
Shortly after, their faces lit up as they spotted a group of people in the distance—it was Arnoux's group. The two instantly rushed towards them.
"Oh, where is Zam?" Arnoux immediately noticed the absence of one person upon their arrival.
"Captain, Zam ventured in alone... We tried to persuade that fool, but he wouldn't listen at all." The two then explained their experience.
"What! A teleportation portal!" Everyone was taken aback, but Arnoux's surprise surpassed them all.
He had never even seen a teleportation array, let alone a more advanced teleportation portal. Even in the Oland Kingdom, where they were located, teleportation arrays were exceedingly rare. Only three cities in the entire kingdom possessed such arrays. This rarity became even more apparent considering the kingdom's dozens of cities.