NOVEL NEXT Chapter 72: Devil
The wolves whimpered, but it wasn't out of confusion or hesitation anymore.
They weren't stalling to plan their next move, nor were they waiting for a chance to regroup.
They were whimpering because deep down, every instinct they had was screaming the same truth — they couldn't win.
No matter how they looked at him, no matter how desperately their bodies tried to convince them to fight, the outcome was already decided.
Their legs trembled, not because they wanted to retreat, but because their strength had already left them the moment they laid eyes on HIM.
The figure standing before them wasn't just a threat.
He was a wall that could not be climbed, an obstacle that had already swallowed them whole before they could even react.
Their morale shattered instantly, crushed by the weight of his presence alone.
They had faced predators before, bigger beasts with sharper fangs, but none of that mattered anymore.
This was different. This wasn't nature. This was something else entirely.
And of course, this motherf*cking maniac noticed it.
The moment Lanz realized the fear crawling through their bodies, the way their eyes shook and their whimpers scraped at the air, his visor tilted slightly downward and a wide grin spread across his face beneath the helmet.
The sound that followed was worse than anything they had expected.
A laugh broke out, loud, cruel, and unhinged, yet muffled by the helmet, making it feel distorted and hollow.
The laughter bounced in their ears, heavy and mocking, a sound that stripped away any last sliver of courage they might have been clinging to.
And then it stopped.
The silence that replaced it was absolute, pressing down on the forest with the weight of something unnatural.
Even the wolves froze in place, too afraid to let out another whimper, too paralyzed to even breathe properly.
Their fear was raw, and their silence was proof of it.
When Lanz spoke again, his voice cut through that silence like a blade of its own. Sinister, muffled, and deliberate, the words came slow and heavy.
"I only need one."
They couldn't understand what he meant, but the intent sank in instantly, and the fear in their eyes only deepened.
One of them would be left alive. The others would not.
And then, he moved.
The blade swung with merciless precision, and three wolves fell before they even had a chance to react.
His strikes weren't just fatal, they were excessive.
Flesh tore, blood sprayed, and the dirt beneath them grew darker with every second.
One was decapitated cleanly, the head rolling to the side while the body twitched violently.
Another was ripped apart from chest to stomach, organs spilling onto the ground in a disgusting heap.
The third was struck down with enough force to split its torso, its body collapsing in a mess of torn muscle and bone.
The brutality was intentional.
Every kill screamed of someone who wasn't just finishing a fight, but enjoying every second of dominance he had. The kind of killing that made the survivors question if they were witnessing a man or something far worse.... and he was enjoying it. Sick bastard.
And then, in less than four seconds, it was done.
Four wolves reduced to corpses, and only one remained.
The survivor's entire body shook, its ears pinned back, its fur bristled in sheer terror.
It didn't growl or bothered attacking, it simply stared at him, broken down to its very core.
[EXP +7]
[EXP +7]
[EXP +7]
The system notifications flared across his vision, stacking on top of one another, and he barely paid them any mind.
Instead, he lifted his weapon, tilting it casually as if the massacre hadn't just happened, and with one sharp motion he whipped the blade to the side.
The spray of blood scattered into the dirt, leaving the steel glinting under the pale light once more.
Lanz didn't waste time savoring the aftermath of the slaughter.
His boots pressed against the dirt, carrying him forward step by step until he stood directly in front of the only survivor.
The wolf shook uncontrollably, its body jerking from the weight of its fear, and when Lanz crouched down in front of it, the beast flinched.
The beast was still on the ground and never tried to rise again, its remaining legs trembling too hard to even function, the front pair already nothing more than bloody stumps.
With a tilt of his wrist, Lanz lifted his blade and slid the edge beneath the wolf's snout.
He moved with intention, raising the beast's head until its terrified eyes met the dark visor of his helmet.
For a brief moment, there was nothing but silence between them.
The wolf didn't resist, it just stared, frozen, allowing him to hold its face up like he was his broken toy.
When Lanz finally broke the silence, his voice was full of mocking amusement, dripping with sarcasm that made the situation even more unbearable for the creature pinned in place. "Howl for me, b*tch."
The wolf didn't move. It couldn't.
Its body refused to answer him, too overwhelmed by fear and pain to react at all.
It was stunned, hollow, and even if it had the mind to understand his intent, there was nothing left in it that could respond.
Lanz let out an exaggerated sigh, tilting his head before pulling the blade away.
"Okay, okay. I'll take that as a no," he muttered, standing back up. He adjusted his grip on the weapon, casually resting it on his shoulder, then added with a sarcastic chuckle, "I'll just leave you here to die. Have fun with that."
Turning his back on the wolf, he started walking away, every step dragging out the tension.
His boots crunched softly against the ground, and the distance between them grew with each second.
The wolf remained where it was, completely paralyzed.
Ten seconds passed, maybe even more, and still it hadn't moved.
The only thing left inside it was the pounding of its heart, hammering against its ribs, unable to calm.
Finally, the pressure became too much.
The wolf tilted its head weakly toward the sky, chest heaving as it forced out a broken, pitiful attempt at a howl.
The sound cracked midway through, barely louder than a whisper, so faint it was swallowed by the forest immediately.
No one could have heard it.
Desperation twisted in its body.
Every muscle it had left fought against the trembling just to make another attempt.
This time, it dragged out whatever scraps of strength still clung to its bones.
Its lungs burned, its throat tore, and the noise ripped out of its mouth louder than before, a howl so shaky and broken it sounded more like a cry for mercy than a call for aid.
But thankfully, it was enough.
The sound carried just far enough for the three white wolves laying in the distance to turn their heads.
End of Chapter 72.
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ALT SYSTEM — USER PROFILE: ZERO
Level: 15
EXP: 116 / 150
Next Reward: Quick Sever
Global System Tracking: DISABLED
World Rank Association: UNLINKED
Stats:
STR: 20 | AGI: 10 (Affinity) | VIT: 5 | DEX: 5 | INT: 17 | WIS: 5
[Available Stat Points: 0]
[Derived Stat — MANA: 85 / 90]
Skills:
[Crimson Slash Lv. 1]
[Phantom Stride Lv. 2]
[Instinctive Blade Lv.1]
[Predictive Guard Lv.1]
[Skill Fusion Menu: Active]
[Dev Tree: Tier 0 Access Granted]
[Developer Node – Fusion Core Anchor: Active]
[Skill Slot Available — Unassigned]
Equipment:
Aged Blade Fragment (??? Rarity) (Bound)
Training Ring (+1 VIT)
Bag :)
Ring of Genorya - ???