Beside Jake, Eli, accompanied by several squadron leaders, had already charged forward. Clearly, Eli realized that continuing in this manner wasn't a viable solution. The adage "capture the ringleader first" held true here; only by killing the red-eyed wolf could they alleviate the current crisis.
Now that the members of the other squads had joined the battle, they could temporarily share the burden, allowing Eli's team to focus on eliminating the red-eyed wolf king.
Jake nodded and continued to let the red-eyed wolf king summon reinforcements. If it continued this way, they would all be doomed. Consequently, Jake joined this impromptu assassination team.
Among these individuals, Jake and Eli were the strongest. They formed the sharp edge of this ad hoc assassination squad, charging at the forefront. The other captains from the third squadron followed them, covering their flanks and rear, defending against attacks from these three directions, ensuring they could focus on attacking the front.
Eli and these captains had clearly cooperated before, and their teamwork was seamless. Jake, though a newcomer, only needed to focus on attacking the front, acting as the spearhead, so there wasn't much room for mistakes.
A group of seven individuals, powerful in strength, advanced steadily. Along the way, all the red-eyed wolves they encountered were repelled. Their target this time was the red-eyed wolf king. Hence, they only needed to fend off the wolves nearby and didn't pursue them further. This left Jake somewhat regretful about the lost experience points.
The red-eyed wolf king was still occupied with rallying its underlings, not paying much attention to Jake and the others' approach. Seeing an opportunity, Eli drew the longbow strapped behind him, aiming at the red-eyed wolf king.
Almost simultaneously, Jake also made the same motion, bending his bow and taking aim. Two arrows were launched in quick succession at the red-eyed wolf king, carrying a sharp whistle.
The red-eyed wolf king only became aware of the danger at the last moment, agilely dodging to the side. It cast a disdainful gaze at Jake and the others. However, as it turned its attention in their direction, it noticed another arrow flying toward it. Given the short interval between the two arrows, evading was no longer feasible.
"Thud!" The red-eyed wolf king evaded the arrow fired by Eli but failed to evade Jake's arrow. The arrow accurately struck the right front leg of the red-eyed wolf king.
"Awooo!" The red-eyed wolf king let out another howl, but this time, it was filled with pain and rage. The intense pain had agitated the red-eyed wolf king. Rather than retreating, it fixed a savage gaze on Jake and the others, especially Jake, who had hit it.
"Very good, it's injured!" Eli's spirits soared as he saw Jake's arrow hit home and wound the red-eyed wolf king.
The group continued to advance, and at this point, they were not far from the red-eyed wolf king. However, the wolf king had now noticed them, understood their intentions, and was completely infuriated. Naturally, it wouldn't allow them to approach easily.
More red-eyed wolves swarmed in from all sides under the wolf king's orders, launching a frenzied assault on Jake and the others. In the face of this overwhelming assault, injuries were inevitable. Among the five squads, two individuals were already wounded. However, they didn't show fear or retreat; they gritted their teeth and persevered. The pace of their advance slowed down, and the process became exceedingly difficult.
"Captain, cover me!" Jake suddenly shouted to Eli.
Eli didn't know what Jake had in mind, but he positioned himself in front of Jake, brandishing his broadsword with vigor, driving back the approaching wolves.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Jake forcefully pushed off the ground with his feet, propelling himself into the air. He soared over Eli's head and directly headed towards the red-eyed wolf king!
Tiger's Leap! A skill inherent to the Bronze Cloud Boots, an item of Bronze tier equipment. Before leaving Hermit Village, Jake could have easily equipped a pair of better boots, at least Silver tier. However, due to the power of the "Tiger's Leap" skill, the value of the Bronze Cloud Boots wasn't inferior to ordinary Silver tier equipment. Now, the time had come to showcase the prowess of this skill.
Amidst the astonishment and horror of the crowd, Jake flew a distance of seven or eight meters and directly approached the red-eyed wolf king.
"Die!" In mid-air, Jake swung the sword in his hand vigorously, bringing it down with force.
The red-eyed wolf king seemed unprepared for Jake to cover such a distance, landing right in front of it. Its reaction was somewhat sluggish. Although it was desperately trying to evade, it was still struck by Jake's attack.
"Thud!" The sharp blackstone sword swept across the body of the red-eyed wolf king, cutting into its flesh and drawing forth a large amount of blood.
"Awooo..." The red-eyed wolf king howled in anguish once again. Its condition had deteriorated significantly. An arrow was embedded in its right leg, and a large chunk of flesh had been severed from its side by Jake, revealing the bone underneath. Blood flowed incessantly.
Along with the blood loss, the red-eyed wolf king's strength was waning. It had transitioned from its prime to a state of weakness. Not wasting any time, Jake didn't pause; he continued wielding his sword, attacking the red-eyed wolf king. Since he didn't know any fancy techniques or sword skills, Jake's attacks were a bit haphazard. Under normal circumstances, against a fully powered red-eyed wolf king, Jake's attacks might not have caused any harm.
However, the red-eyed wolf king was already wounded and had limited mobility. It was constantly in pain and suffering, which meant Jake was able to completely suppress it with his chaotic attacks. Its injuries were also becoming more severe.
Ordinary red-eyed wolves surrounding them kept attacking Jake in an attempt to rescue their leader. With Jake focusing on chasing the red-eyed wolf king, he had little opportunity to evade the attacks from the surrounding wolf pack. Fortunately, Jake's equipment was of high quality and provided strong defense, so he wasn't in immediate danger of dying. However, the health bar only he could see was decreasing rapidly. Once it reached zero, Jake would meet his demise.
Just at this critical moment, Eli and several squadron leaders arrived, relieving some pressure from Jake.
After Jake inflicted severe injuries on the red-eyed wolf king, the other wolves abandoned their attacks on Eli and his group, redirecting their focus toward Jake. This allowed Eli's team to continue advancing and arrive in time to support Jake before he was overwhelmed.
With the assistance of Eli and his team, Jake was able to focus on attacking the red-eyed wolf king once more. Deprived of allies, the wolf king could only futilely resist. Before long, it met its end under Jake's sword.
"Congratulations, your level has increased!" In the moment the red-eyed wolf king fell, a familiar mechanical voice sounded in Jake's ears. He had finally leveled up again.