The wolves lunged at the group with astonishing speed, attacking anyone in their path. Wolves were known for hunting in packs, displaying excellent cooperation. Two or three wolves pounced on each member of Lan Qisheng's team, who had encircled the others to protect them.
In mere moments, everyone was engaged in combat with the wolves. No matter how hard they struck or what they threw, the wolves kept coming back with even greater ferocity. Even with their large military knives, they struggled to kill the creatures with a single blow. The wolves were cunning and swift, striking and retreating with remarkable agility.
After two minutes of intense fighting, the team was exhausted, having managed to kill only two or three wolves. The live broadcast froze momentarily due to the overwhelming number of comments flooding in:
- "Oh my God, are they all going to die like this?"
- "Behind you... Behind you, soldier!"
- "Upstairs, do you think they'll hear you screaming in the comments? Just pray they survive this mess."
- "Look! The soldiers are slowing down; it seems like their strength is completely drained."
- "Is it that hard to deal with wolves? Sure, they're strong, but they have knives, don't they?"
- "Upstairs, are you blind or stupid? Look closely at why they can't handle the wolves. They're protecting the others behind them from every attack. Every time they're about to kill a wolf, another attacks one of the ten participants. That's why they're forced into a defensive stance."
- "Oh... I didn't realize that. My God, are the wolves really this clever?"
- "I guess you don't know much about the animal kingdom. Animals always target the weakest members of a group."
- "I don't know... I just hope no one dies."
+1
+1
...
Yang Cheng was trying to block a wolf that had leaped toward Marco, who was cowering behind him. But before he could react, a gray wolf sank its teeth into the hand holding his knife. Marco's heart nearly stopped as he saw the wolf flying toward him. Without a second thought, he grabbed the nearest person and shoved them forward to shield himself with their body.
Aaron Wang had been standing defensively, prepared to strike if any wolves came his way. He didn't expect the person beside him to suddenly drag him forward and throw him into the wolf's path. Shocked, Aaron froze, staring straight into the wolf's claws. His breath caught in his throat as fear and panic overtook him. In that instant, his life flashed before his eyes—thirty years condensed into a few seconds that felt like an eternity.
Just as he shut his eyes and resigned himself to his fate, he felt a strong hand yank him by the collar, pulling him aside. Aaron was hurled toward Michael, who stood nearby and caught him.
When Aaron opened his eyes, he was stunned by the sight before him.
Sian had been watching the intense battle from the beginning but hadn't intervened. He didn't have the strength to face such wild animals. Yet, for some reason, an ache in his chest grew unbearable, sweat dripping down his face as he clutched the left side of his chest. He wanted to tear out his cursed heart. This didn't feel normal. Perhaps the original owner of this body had suffered from a heart condition, but there was no way to confirm it now.
Just as Sian decided to retreat to a rock behind him to sit, he caught Marco's actions out of the corner of his eye—using Aaron as a human shield.
A bloodthirsty aura erupted from Sian's body as he boiled with rage. He despised people like Marco the most. In moments of danger, instead of running, defending themselves, or seeking help, their first thought was to sacrifice others to save their miserable lives.
Sian found this utterly unacceptable. He hated it with every fiber of his being... because he had lost his family to people like that. His anger exploded, and he completely lost control of his emotions.
Since coming to this world, Sian had been desperately suppressing the darkness within him—the bloodlust and savage instincts that screamed for violence. He wanted to live a peaceful life in this new world, to forget the horrors of his past and treat it as nothing more than a bad dream. It wasn't because he loved life, clung to the world, or feared death. No, it was because his family had made him swear to survive, no matter the cost, to live even when the pain was unbearable.
For four years, he had endured hell for that promise alone. For that reason, he hadn't pulled the trigger when holding a weapon to his head.
But Marco's actions pulled the trigger on Sian's suppressed memories, unleashing the darkness within him. And Sian allowed that darkness to consume him completely.
Sian moved with inhuman speed. Lan Qisheng, who had been fighting fiercely, saw Sian's sudden movement. In an instant, Sian had pulled Aaron away and thrown him behind him.
Something felt off about Sian. Lan Qisheng couldn't quite put his finger on it, but a sudden fear gripped his heart. There was no time to deal with all the wolves and reach Sian, so he could only watch as Sian grabbed a wolf's jaw with his bare hands.
Those pale, delicate hands gripped the wolf's jaw with unbelievable strength. The wolf struggled and howled in pain, trying to retreat, but it couldn't escape the death grip. Animals had sharp instincts, and this wolf sensed the imminent danger in the human's eyes. It thrashed desperately to flee.
But Sian didn't kill the wolf. He simply tossed it aside. The sight of the wolf crawling away instead of attacking Sian was almost comical. Yet no one laughed. The oppressive aura emanating from Sian froze everyone in place.
Even Lan Qisheng and his soldiers, seasoned fighters, felt a chilling bloodlust surrounding Sian. They were stunned that a boy barely in his twenties could possess such a terrifying aura.
Lan Qisheng, more observant than the others, noticed Sian glaring at Marco with deadly intent.
"Damn it," he cursed under his breath. "Sian, don't kill him!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the forest.
Everyone turned to look at Sian, who stood eerily calm amidst the chaos. But if they looked closer, they'd see his amber eyes tinged with red and the veins pulsing beneath his pale skin. This was no ordinary calm.
Sian suddenly crouched on the grass, reaching out to the fallen leaves before him. With deliberate care, he began selecting a few.
The others stared at him in confusion. What was he doing? Had he gone mad? Marco, still trembling with fear, watched Sian's seemingly childish actions in disbelief.
Lan Qisheng narrowed his eyes, doubting his earlier judgment. Had he misread Sian's intent?
But as Sian raised a large green leaf to his lips and blew, the sound that echoed through the forest froze everyone in their tracks...including the wolves.
To Be Continued...
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ERATO-SAN has something to say:
Do you remember anyone, after reading this chapter?
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