Snow surged forward, his blade cutting through the cold air as he closed the distance between himself and the Alpha. The massive beast did not flinch. It met him head-on, moving with terrifying speed for something its size.
Their clash sent a shockwave rippling through the clearing, rustling the trees and scattering dirt. Snow's sword lashed out, aiming for the beast's throat, but the Alpha twisted mid-motion, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow. Its claws swiped in retaliation, forcing Snow to leap back.
A hair slower, and he would've been torn apart.
Behind him, Lian fought her own battle. The lesser wolves attacked in bursts—darting from the mist, snapping at her blind spots, then retreating before she could land a decisive blow. They weren't mindless. They were tactical, forcing her to stay on the defensive.
"They're trying to wear us down!" Lian gritted out, blocking a lunging wolf with her dagger before twisting her blade into its side. It yelped and collapsed, but another quickly took its place.
Snow didn't answer. His focus was locked onto the Alpha.
The beast circled him, moving slowly now, its golden eyes assessing. It wasn't attacking recklessly like the others. It was patient. Experienced.
And it wasn't alone.
The pack had closed in, their glowing eyes flickering from the darkness beyond the trees. A dozen. Maybe more. They weren't charging in—they were waiting.
For the Alpha's command.
Snow's grip tightened around his sword. This wasn't a normal battle. The wolves weren't hunting them for food or mindlessly attacking.
They were defending their home.
A realization settled in his chest.
They weren't intruders anymore.
They were invaders.
The thought barely had time to take root before the Alpha moved.
A blur of black fur and glowing eyes—then pain.
Snow barely managed to parry, but the force sent him skidding back, his boots digging deep into the dirt. He grit his teeth, adjusting his stance just as the Alpha lunged again.
Faster this time.
It was learning.
Snow twisted, narrowly avoiding its claws as he countered, his sword slicing toward the beast's ribs. The blade met flesh—just barely—a shallow cut forming beneath the thick fur.
The Alpha barely reacted.
But the air around them shifted.
The pack growled in unison, the sound reverberating through the trees. A warning.
Snow inhaled sharply. Killing the Alpha wouldn't end this But they had no choice
It would make things worse.
But there was no running. No diplomacy. The wolves wouldn't stop until they were forced to.
The only way out of this territory…
Was through blood.
Snow met the Alpha's burning gaze. The battle had only just begun.
The moment stretched, a razor-thin edge between stillness and slaughter. Snow's grip on his sword was unyielding, his breath steady despite the tension coiling through his body. The Alpha's golden eyes burned with primal intelligence, muscles coiled like a drawn bowstring.
Then the world exploded into motion.
The Alpha lunged, a blur of black fur and lethal claws. Snow met it head-on, his sword flashing in a deadly arc. Metal met flesh—claws raked against steel. A shockwave tore through the clearing, uprooting dirt and sending dead leaves scattering. The sheer force of their collision sent Snow skidding backward, but he caught himself, shifting his weight instantly.
The Alpha was relentless. It twisted mid-motion, its tail whipping toward Snow like a battering ram. He ducked, barely avoiding the crushing force, but the wind of the strike brushed his cheek.
Close. Too close.
A flicker of battle intent flared in Snow's eyes. He had no time to waste. He used one of the battle techniques he had learned in his previous sect.His qi surged, condensing around his blade, its edge glowing with a cold, lethal light.
Phantom Strike!
His figure blurred—splitting into three mirages, each attacking from a different angle. The Alpha reacted with frightening precision. It swiped through the first illusion, then the second.
But Snow had already predicted this.
By the time it struck at the fakes, he was already at its exposed flank, his sword descending in a deadly arc.
A perfect strike.
The blade cut deep into the Alpha's side. Blood sprayed, dark and thick, staining the ground. The beast howled, staggering as pain finally registered.
But it didn't collapse.
Instead, it roared.
The surrounding wolves went into a frenzy, their howls reverberating through the trees. The air thickened with their bloodlust.
Lian barely dodged a lunging wolf, her dagger flashing as she drove it into its throat. "Snow! They're getting more aggressive!"
Snow's gaze never wavered. He knew.
The Alpha's breath was ragged now, its golden eyes dimming with pain. But it still refused to back down.
That was fine.
Snow would end this.
His qi surged again, power crackling through his body. He dashed forward, faster than before, his sword humming with killing intent.
The Alpha braced itself, but it was too slow.
Snow's sword flashed—carving straight through its throat.
The golden-eyed beast let out a final, gurgling snarl before its body went limp. Blood poured from its wound, darkening the earth beneath it.
The Alpha was dead.
For a brief moment, silence.
Then—chaos.
The remaining wolves lost control. Their Alpha was gone, and with it, their order. Some howled in rage and threw themselves at Snow and Lian with reckless abandon. Others turned and bolted, vanishing into the mist.
Lian spun, slicing another wolf across the ribs before kicking it back. "They're panicking!"
Snow didn't waste time. He turned, his sword cutting through the nearest wolf's skull in a single fluid motion.
One down.
A second lunged—he sidestepped, driving his blade through its ribs before ripping it free in a spray of crimson.
Another came from his blind spot. Lian intercepted, her dagger flashing as she slit its throat in one swift motion.
The remaining wolves, now fully frenzied, attacked without coordination. They weren't a pack anymore—just beasts driven by desperation and fury.
And that made them weak.
Snow's movements became an unrelenting storm. His sword weaved through flesh and bone, each strike decisive. Limbs were severed, throats torn open. Blood misted the air, staining his robes.
One after another, they fell.
Until none remained.
The clearing was littered with corpses. The air reeked of blood and death.
Snow exhaled, his breath slow and steady despite the massacre around him. He flicked his sword, sending the last remnants of blood flying off the blade before sheathing it.
Lian wiped her brow, her hands slick with blood. "That was insane…"
Snow glanced at her, then at the path ahead. The wolves were dead. The territory belonged to no one now.