Lord Of The Lost

William quickly learned the names of the two players standing before him, Chris and Dave.

Their talents immediately caught his attention.

Chris possessed the talent of [Clairvoyance], which came with an impressive array of abilities: night vision, farsightedness, dynamic and static vision, glare resistance, and even microscopic vision. It was as if nothing could escape his sight.

On the other hand, Dave's talent, [Super Ear], gave him the ability to hear subtle sounds across several miles. Even more impressive, he could focus his hearing to pick out specific information.

William's gaze swept over them briefly before turning to the other players.

Among the group, one face stood out, Jack. William wasn't surprised to see him here. It would have been odd if the captain hadn't brought him along.

Jack was also a level 8 player. His talent, [Ferocious Beast], allowed him to channel the abilities of wild animals; such as the immense strength of a bear or the speed of a leopard.

This revelation caught William off guard. Jack's appearance was far from what you'd expect from someone with such a talent. Slender and frail-looking, with a shy and awkward demeanor, he was the type who blushed at the slightest interaction. A classic introvert, awkward even in casual conversations.

And yet, hidden beneath that timid exterior was a ferocious beast.

"Never judge a book by its cover," William thought to himself.

The other players in the group also displayed an intriguing range of talents:

- [Arson]

- [Rage]

- [Weapon Master]

- [Fusion]

- [Subjective Slow Time]

- [Divine Power]

- [Hit]

Generally speaking, as a player's level increases, the mysterious characteristics within them become more pronounced. Over time, these traits develop into specific talent abilities.

For most players, talent awakening begins around level 2. However, early awakenings are rare, often triggered by extreme external stimuli. For instance, the talent [Rage] can emerge when someone is pushed to the brink of despair.

By now, nearly all players had their own talents. And the earlier these talents awaken, the better, as they play a crucial role in a player's growth and development.

The captain had recruited players who typically awakened their talents around level 3 or 4, which put them in the category of advanced players.

However, they were still leagues behind players like the Forum Master or Metatron, who awakened their talents the moment they entered the game.

William couldn't help but feel a mix of awe and curiosity about the team he had joined. The diversity of talents and the potential they carried were undeniable, but how they would fare in the trials ahead was yet to be seen.

William discovered that among the ten players the captain had recruited, three stood out, they had already obtained excellent-grade items. Their talents were [Rage], [Weapon Master], and [Fusion], and their capabilities made them invaluable in combat.

The [Rage] player wielded a Berserker Axe, a powerful weapon befitting his aggressive style. Excellent-grade items weren't exactly rare, but his purpose for joining this mission was straightforward: to assist William in dealing with the werewolves. He had previously helped the captain with other tasks, like fighting thieves, and was one of the rare few who openly discussed his talent early on in the forums. William remembered him well.

The [Weapon Master] talent allowed its user to master any weapon with exceptional proficiency. This player could even dual-wield, and he had one goal in mind: to secure a second excellent-grade weapon to maximize his effectiveness in combat.

As for [Fusion], this talent enabled the player to integrate physical materials from powerful creatures into their own body, enhancing their attributes and abilities. This player hoped to claim a fresh werewolf corpse from the mission, which would help him further strengthen his own body.

Once the introductions were complete, another player, Jackie, suddenly spoke up. "My talent is heavily reliant on my spiritual value. My physical and energy values are quite low, so I can't engage in direct combat. You all need to protect me."

This statement caught William's attention. Jackie's stats were revealed: she had an astonishing 14 points in spirit, but her physical and energy values were each a meager 5 points.

"That's... pretty extreme," William thought, momentarily stunned.

For comparison, his own spiritual value was only slightly higher, sitting just above 15 points, but at least his other attributes weren't nearly as unbalanced. Jackie's distribution was so skewed it seemed borderline reckless.

In theory, for a level 8 player with a total of 24 attribute points, the most extreme distribution should be something like 12, 6, 6. Jackie's 14, 5, 5 setup defied logic and balance. Such uneven stats could create serious weaknesses:

- A strong body but weak energy and spirit leads to sluggish movement and limited stamina.

- A strong energy but weak body and spirit makes for poor control in combat.

- A strong spirit but weak body and energy, like Jackie's case, results in poor physical resilience and an inability to handle sustained combat.

William couldn't help but point out the imbalance. "Your stats seem like a recipe for disaster."

Jackie sighed, clearly frustrated. "I know. But my talent demands a lot of spiritual energy. I don't really have a choice."

She explained that her high spirit value had its own drawbacks. With such an extreme focus on one attribute, she often experienced side effects: nausea, retching, sleep paralysis, and waking up feeling stiff, almost like a walking corpse. Though it was manageable for now, the strain was real.

Fortunately, her role in battle didn't require direct combat. Her talent allowed her to control mechanical servants, which did the fighting for her. Still, she knew how precarious her setup was.

Turning the conversation back to the mission, William briefed the group on the werewolves' abilities and characteristics.

Werewolves, he explained, had only two defining traits, though these were developed to an exceptional degree. Their third trait was negligible, almost irrelevant. The group discussed strategies and their individual fighting styles, trying to figure out how to best work together.

The tension in the room was palpable. Everyone knew the werewolves weren't going to be easy to handle, but with their talents and teamwork, William hoped they'd be ready for the battle ahead.

William had no intention of working with the group.

Known as the Demon Wolf, he was a lone hunter, moving in silence, striking swiftly, and vanishing without a trace. Teammates were nothing but a liability for someone like him.

For instance, if he faced an opponent with an 80% chance of victory on his own, adding a teammate would complicate the battle dynamics, reducing his advantage to a mere 50-50. The Demon Wolf's fighting style thrived on independence.

He recalled his encounter with the Scarred Thief, who had attacked him ferociously with the ability [Hand of the Madman]. Despite the thief's relentless sneak attacks, Scarface only managed to land two hits before William turned the tide. The more injured William became, the faster and deadlier he moved. By the end, Scarface could only watch in despair as William slaughtered his subordinates, forcing the thief to retreat in chaos.

Had there been a teammate in that fight, William wouldn't have been able to focus on the kill while protecting someone else. His efficiency depended on working alone.

"You all continue discussing tomorrow's strategy," William said, addressing the team. "Captain, make sure you retrieve the [Puppet] later. I have something to take care of."

Without waiting for a reply, William shifted into a black crow and soared into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.

---

Not long after, a white-faced owl glided through the mist, flying beside him. Border towns like this had their own intricate communication networks, and with the Forum Master's influence, these resources were now at William's disposal.

"We haven't found any leads on the butcher you mentioned," the White-Faced Owl reported.

William clicked his tongue in frustration.

The butcher was clearly an expert at hiding. Even with the Forum Master's sketch circulated among players and townsfolk, no one had spotted him yet. But William knew the search time had been short; there was still a chance.

"Any other news?" William asked.

The White-Faced Owl replied, "We've found signs of a werewolf."

The owl led the way, guiding William to the location of the traces. It wasn't far from where the hunters had been killed, separated only by a mountain.

On arrival, William immediately noticed the evidence.

Dried blood and chunks of flesh were smeared across the rocks, clinging to crevices like vomit. But this wasn't ordinary spatter. The remains seemed to have fallen to the ground like a giant leech, twisting and writhing for some time before finally dying. The grotesque movement left winding, earthworm-like trails across the rocks, which eventually faded into lifeless stains.

"It seems Little Bob's contamination caused some serious damage to the elite werewolf," William observed, piecing it together.

The elite werewolf had clearly escaped Little Bob's grasp, but not without a cost. When William had last seen the creature, its wounds were crawling with tiny, wriggling granulations, a sign it was rejecting the infected flesh and blood. The werewolf had survived, but it was clearly suffering.

William's mind sharpened as he considered the implications. Tomorrow was the full moon, a night when werewolves would be at their strongest. If elite werewolves were this formidable, would there also be werewolves at the level of a Wolf Lord?

This thought hung heavy in his mind as he prepared for what was to come. The werewolves weren't just a threat, they were predators honed for battle, and the full moon might bring enemies far beyond what the team was ready to face.