Lord Of The Lost

SWOOSH!

The attack struck Karon square in the chest, forcing him back two steps. Blood sprayed from the fresh wound, a crimson line stretching across his torso.

But it wasn't enough. The strike only managed to cut through the surface of his thick skin and tendons, leaving his internal organs unharmed.

The werewolf's ambush was a failure. He had intended to cut off the group, to stop all twelve riders in one fell swoop.

The five pack horses, sensing the danger, broke into a full sprint, their hooves pounding the earth as they pushed their limits.

Behind them, arrows from [Hit] rained down on the pursuing pack. Each arrow struck true, delaying the werewolves' advance.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In rapid succession, seven or eight werewolves fell, their bodies crumpling mid-run. But even as he fired, [Hit] began to falter, his breathing growing labored. His continuous use of talent was draining him fast.

Although his arrows hadn't landed any kills, they had bought the group precious time, disrupting the werewolves' pursuit.

William and the elite werewolf disengaged mid-air. William hit the ground hard, rolling twice before releasing his black crow form.

With a sharp movement, he sprang to his feet, his breathing steady, his eyes cold.

Dragon Scale Armor, activate!

Though incomplete, the armor shimmered with power, exuding an aura both majestic and deadly.

William fixed his gaze on the werewolf before him. "You're not the one who attacked Border Town earlier," he said coldly.

The elite werewolf, his eyes glowing blood-red, bared his teeth. "Roca failed to capture Little Red Riding Hood. He returned covered in wounds. Wolf Lord Mort had to intervene personally to deal with Wolf Lord Iris. This is a disgrace to the werewolf clan!"

William smirked, his tone sharp and mocking. "You'll soon understand why he failed."

The werewolf, Karon, let out a low, guttural laugh. "Human, your kind's short lifespans make you ignorant. You can't even begin to grasp how ancient the werewolf clan truly is."

William didn't flinch. His voice was steady and cutting. "So ancient that you've forgotten your origins. Now you're just vermin, skulking in the shadows of the world."

Karon's lips curled back into a snarl. "Your words won't anger me, human. They'll only hasten your death!"

And with that, Karon lunged.

He moved like a flash of lightning, his massive frame belying his incredible speed. Before Roca had become an elite werewolf, Karon had already reached Sequence 8. In both power and experience, he was leagues ahead of his younger counterpart.

It was only out of caution, to avoid drawing the attention of Snow Wind City, that the werewolves had sent Roca first. But now, Karon was here to finish the job.

William didn't hesitate. He surged forward, the evil spear in his hands tearing through the air with a piercing whistle.

CLANG!

Spear met claws, the sound of the impact reverberating across the wilderness.

William staggered back several meters from the force of the collision, his feet digging into the dirt to stop his momentum.

Karon didn't move. He stood tall, his hulking three-meter frame towering over William like a giant over a child. His razor-sharp claws, each half a meter long, extended and retracted with a menacing gleam.

The werewolf said nothing, his blood-red eyes fixed on William with predatory focus.

William gripped his spear tightly, his body tense but steady, ready for the next move.

The silence between them was heavy, broken only by the distant howls of the approaching pack.

And then, the sun dipped fully below the horizon.

Night had fallen.

The moon hung high above, its bright glow spilling over the wilderness, bathing the grass and trees in a silvery light. The night felt almost serene, until Karon moved.

Like a coiled spring, he exploded forward, launching into a relentless assault.

[Frenzied Assault]!

This was a signature combat skill of the werewolves, an unrelenting barrage of attacks with speed and power amplified to terrifying levels.

William's body tensed, his instincts screaming in alarm. As the one standing directly in the path of Karon's ferocity, he could feel the full weight of the werewolf's power bearing down on him.

One mistake, and it would all be over.

In that critical moment, William's passive ability, [Desperate Situation], activated at full force. His physical attributes surged, pushing his limits beyond their normal capacity.

With a loud shout, William raised his spear to block.

BOOM!

The clash of claws and spear echoed like a storm of thunder, sparks erupting with each collision, lighting up the night like fireworks.

Karon pressed the attack, driving William back with relentless force. His claws tore through the air, leaving streaking afterimages as he unleashed dozens of strikes every second.

The sheer force of Karon's blows was enough to pulverize stone, and William could feel the ground beneath him cracking with every retreating step.

"You can't fight him head-on…" William thought, his eyes tracking the blur of Karon's claws.

Werewolves were unparalleled in close combat, their strength in melee fights unmatched in the lower sequences. For a transcendent on the Demonic Path, going toe-to-toe with a werewolf of the same level was a near-impossible challenge.

The werewolf path had few weaknesses. They were fast, powerful, durable, and lethal, apart from their inability to ascend to the higher sequences, they were a near-perfect force of destruction.

Even with his temporary boost, William felt the crushing weight of the fight. He could feel his attributes had surged significantly, perhaps by as much as six points across the board, but even that wasn't enough to close the gap.

At this level, the higher your stats climbed, the less meaningful a small advantage became. A difference between a physique of 25 and 27 was almost negligible. And yet, here William was, fighting an opponent with far greater raw power.

Karon, however, began to falter. He realized something alarming: despite his overwhelming attacks, his opponent was still standing.

"What is this…?" Karon's expression turned grim, disbelief creeping into his bloodshot eyes.

His claws should have shredded William like paper. But it was as if he was striking a fragile egg, only to find it unbreakable.

Enraged, Karon roared, his claws flashing as he unleashed a devastating strike:

[Claw Slash]!

Three crimson arcs slashed through the air, like fiery brands burning into the void.

"Not good!" William's eyes widened.

The claws connected, and although his dragon scale armor absorbed most of the impact, the force sent him flying back over ten meters.

Bang!

He hit the ground hard, skidding across the dirt. Karon advanced, his feral eyes scanning the battlefield. But when he looked toward the crater left by William's landing, there was no sign of his opponent.

Swish!

A blur shot across Karon's peripheral vision. His instincts screamed, and he turned just in time to see William reappear, now at his lower left flank.

Karon's sharp eyes locked onto him, but it was too late. William's spear was already in motion, driving upward with lethal precision.

Karon's pupils shrank.

"Where's his weapon?!"

Then came the pain.

"AAARRGH!" Karon let loose a blood-curdling howl.

Somehow, in the chaos, William's spear had pierced through Karon's right eye, driving deep into his skull.

The werewolf reacted with terrifying speed, his massive hand shooting up to grab the spear. With one powerful yank, he ripped it free, eyeball and all.

SPLATTER!

Blood erupted into the air like a crimson geyser, painting the wilderness in streaks of wolf blood.

Karon staggered back, clutching his empty eye socket, his howl of pain echoing through the night. William stood firm, spear in hand, ready for the next move. The tables had turned.

Karon ignored the blood streaming from his ruined eye and the gaping wound in his chest. Instead, his aura grew darker, more ferocious. Every move he made seemed to radiate raw, primal brutality.

Gripping William's spear tightly, he spun it in his claws and slammed it into the ground with all his might, dragging William along with it.

BOOM!

The earth trembled violently, the shockwave rippling across the field and throwing mud and debris into the air. William felt the impact reverberate through his body as the ground beneath him cracked open, swallowing him into a shallow pit.

BOOM!

Another crushing blow struck the earth, creating a meter-deep crater. Mud exploded upward like a geyser. William's dragon scale armor absorbed much of the damage, but the sheer force left his blood pounding in his ears and his limbs feeling like lead.

Pinned in the pit, William glanced up at Karon, whose blood-soaked right eye socket and glowing crimson left eye burned with murderous rage. The werewolf gripped the spear with one claw and swung his other claw, aiming to rip William apart.

William tightened his grip on the spear with both hands, steadying it to maintain leverage. His instincts flared, he knew his moment to counterattack was now or never.

With a sharp inhale, he lifted his right leg high and swung it down with brutal precision.

[Slash]!

A wave of thick black energy erupted from his strike, extending into a two-meter-long blade that carved through the air like a scythe.