**Chapter 44: One-on-One Wolves!**
Su Yu completely ignored the shouting brothers behind him, who sounded like they belonged in a rehab program for gambling addicts. With only 47 minutes and 58 seconds left on the countdown for the [Howling Moon Wolf King] siege, there was no time to waste.
In a burst of speed, he quickly put all 46 pieces of rare equipment on the market, each priced at 420 psionic coins. With mere seconds left on his [Invisibility], he swiftly dashed out of the crowd before the effect wore off.
As the [Invisibility] faded, Su Yu's figure reappeared on the outskirts of the bustling crowd. But just as he emerged, a wave of excited exclamations erupted behind him.
The crowd had noticed the stall's updated inventory, their eyes widening in disbelief as they scanned through the newly posted items:
"I'm not dreaming, am I? There's dozens of rare equipment in this booth!"
"No way, there's no mistake! How does someone have this much rare gear for sale?"
"Could this be some kind of rare-equipment refresh stall?"
"Doubt it. Other villages don't have anything like this."
"I don't care! I'm buying this right now! Level 5 rare gear for only 420 psionic coins? That's an absolute steal!"
"Ugh, I'm so jealous. I only have 10 psionic coins left..."
Among these voices, one particularly heart-wrenching cry stood out:
"Hey! I just spent 50 psionic coins! That's like 1,000 real-world yuan!"
None of this mattered to Su Yu. He folded up his oversized leather backpack and stashed it in his system inventory before sprinting out of the mercenary market.
Stopping briefly in the square outside the warehouse, Su Yu spent 200 psionic coins to purchase a [Frostbolt] scroll. Without wasting another moment, he raced toward Wolf King Valley at top speed.
**[Frostbolt (Rare)]: Conjures a bolt of frost energy that deals 300% of spell power as magic damage and slows the target's movement speed by 40% for 3 seconds. Casting time: 0.5 seconds. Mana cost: 15 points.**
Now, Su Yu's running speed was comparable to a car on the highway, a near blur as he cut through the air like the wind.
And he wasn't even bothering to hide his presence.
As he dashed through the game world, it didn't take long for people to notice him.
"Who was that? He's moving so fast!"
"That's got to be an NPC. Maybe there's some kind of hidden quest nearby?"
"No, it's not an NPC. Look at the white hood he's wearing—it's a [Hillside Sheep Leather Hood], something tailor players craft."
"Wait, so it's a player? How can a player run that fast?"
"Oh, I bet he's using some kind of speed hack. Everyone, report him!"
"I've got a video of him! I'll upload it to the forum."
Soon after, news of a "Flying Man in Novice Village 6" spread both online and offline, creating a frenzy. With the simultaneous events of "a monster siege" and "rare equipment flooding the mercenary trading market," Novice Village 6 quickly became the center of attention. Its popularity skyrocketed, surpassing even that of the once-dominant Novice Village 1, Qingfeng Village.
A wave of players began migrating to Novice Village 6 from all over, turning it into the hottest spot for new and experienced players alike.
Unbeknownst to Su Yu, who had inadvertently sparked this frenzy, he had already arrived in the depths of Wolf King Valley.
Facing the formidable Wolf King and its pack, Su Yu knew he couldn't afford to be careless.
Taking a moment to rest, he leaned against a sturdy tree to recover his stamina. As he caught his breath, he quickly checked his stats.
Since he was wearing a full set of equipment focused on boosting movement speed, his spell power had dropped to 61 points. He'd also lost bonuses like [Spell Penetration] and [Casting Speed] that were tied to his previous gear.
But that was fine. No matter how much health the Wolf King had, as long as his plan worked, it wouldn't make a difference. The Wolf King would fall.
Feeling rejuvenated, Su Yu stepped out from behind the tree, walking calmly but with purpose toward the Wolf King.
He downed a bottle of [Primary Wisdom Potion], gaining a temporary +10 boost to his spell power (usable only by those level 10 or higher).
Casually, he cast [Ice Shield] to protect himself and then activated the scroll, summoning a [Rock Element] to his side. He instructed the hulking elemental to follow him closely.
On the other side of the battlefield, the wolves were already assembled into a neat formation under the command of the [Elite Wolf King Guards].
At the head of the pack, the [Howling Moon Wolf King] strutted back and forth, inspecting its troops with its head held high. When the Wolf King caught sight of Su Yu walking toward it with only the rock elemental as backup, a flicker of confusion crossed its eyes.
Was this human foolish? Couldn't he see the entire wolf army standing before him? Did he not fear death?
Su Yu marched forward unfazed.
Once he was within 40 meters, the range for spellcasting, he raised his hand and shot a [Lightning Arrow].
**Crack!**
–147!
The arrow hit the Wolf King squarely in the back, leaving a faint scorch mark.
"The damage isn't bad. Looks like the Wolf King's defenses aren't that high," Su Yu noted, nodding to himself.
**Ow-wooo!**
The Wolf King howled in rage.
This puny human had dared to attack it! It wasn't just an insult—it was a direct challenge! The Wolf King's body tensed, and with blinding speed, it vanished, rushing toward Su Yu like a storm of fur and teeth.
The pack of wolves followed their leader's furious howl. They couldn't believe this audacity—someone had dared to harm their leader right in front of them! Hundreds of [Howling Moon Wolves], flanked by a dozen [Elite Wolf King Guards], surged forward to surround Su Yu, intent on cutting off any chance of escape.
The ground trembled under the stampede of wolves, a massive and intimidating sight.
The Wolf King's charge skill, [Rush], was like a warrior's [Charge], allowing it to close the distance between itself and its target in an instant.
But Su Yu remained calm.
Timing it perfectly, just as the Wolf King was about to reach him, Su Yu cast [Blink].
**Swoosh!**
Su Yu disappeared, and the Wolf King's attack hit nothing but air.
Reappearing a short distance away, Su Yu immediately countered with a [Frostbolt], while simultaneously launching a [Secondary Fireball] from a scroll in his left hand.
**Boom! Boom!**
–107!
–113!
Both spells struck the Wolf King's head, a combination of ice and fire creating a jarring contrast.
The Wolf King clearly did not appreciate this 'dual experience.'
Frustrated by its failure, it howled once more, its body expanding by 30% as it charged at Su Yu again, closing the distance quickly.
Though the [Frostbolt] had slowed the Wolf King's movements, it wasn't enough. As a rare boss, the Wolf King had strong resistance to status effects. The slowing effect was reduced to only 20%, and its duration shortened to less than 3 seconds.
But even with the reduced effect, Su Yu breathed a sigh of relief. The Wolf King, while still faster than him, wasn't so much faster that it couldn't be outmaneuvered. With the experience he had from his past life, he could handle this.
Su Yu quickly turned and sprinted toward a cliff, drawing the Wolf King with him.
Meanwhile, he gave one final command to the [Rock Element] at his side—hold off the wolves.
The sturdy rock elemental lumbered toward the pack, knowing full well it was headed to its doom. As it approached the front line of wolves, it cast [Group Taunt], drawing the attention of the wild wolves in its range.
The wolves in the lead immediately stopped, snarling as they focused their attacks on the elemental. In the middle of the chaos, the rock elemental held its ground for only 5 seconds before being torn apart, shattering into chunks of stone.
But that brief distraction had served its purpose. Su Yu had already drawn the Wolf King far enough away from the pack.
(End of this chapter)