Chapter 65: With Steel in Hand, the Wolves Bow Down

"Kill!"

The word had barely left his lips when the military saber in his hand suddenly flashed, transforming into a seven-foot-long spear. Seven feet described only the shaft; the spearhead itself added another foot. The bluish-green blade glinted with a chilling, razor-sharp light.

The entire weapon bore a striking resemblance to the silver spear wielded by the white-robed general Zhao Zilong of the Three Kingdoms era. Zhao Zilong, the God of War from Changshan, had charged seven times into and out of Cao Cao’s camp at Changban Slope, rescuing the future lord Liu Shan with nothing but his spear. Now, Li Xin was channeling that same indomitable spirit and courageous cunning, intending to charge seven times into and out of this vicious pack of wolves, leaving nothing but chaos in his wake.

Why switch to a spear? The change was dictated by the need for speed. The Nepalese saber was light, allowing him to move quickly and create an intimidating display for the wolves. But once in close quarters, the saber was too short to maintain an advantage. Transforming it into a spear covered the gap, letting him strike from a distance. Though it slowed him a bit, the reach and power more than compensated.

“Stand still, you dare act so wild? Prepare to die!” Li Xin’s voice rang with heroic vigor as his spear, quick as lightning, pierced the skull of the nearest adult male wolf.

The spearhead, sharp and unstoppable, shattered bone and plunged deep. Hot, scarlet blood sprayed out in a torrent, splattering across Li Xin’s face.

“Filthy luck,” he spat, but his excitement only grew. With a nimble step, he darted aside, narrowly avoiding another wolf lunging for his throat from behind.

At the sight of their fallen comrade, the lead wolf raised its head and let out a mournful howl. The rest replied with howls of their own, and the pack quickly closed ranks, sealing off all possible escape routes.

“Well, aren’t you a clever lot,” Li Xin said with a cold smile.

With a flick of his spear, he felled another wolf, then sprinted away, gaining some ground.

Three seconds, two wolves down—an astonishing pace.

The lead wolf howled in fury, its round eyes flashing with a fierce, unwilling light. Though the wolves were many and formed what seemed an impenetrable wall, their close formation actually hampered their individual fighting ability.

And this human opponent understood perfectly the advantage of reach in combat. Dancing on the edge of close-quarters fighting, he wielded an eight-foot steel spear. The two slain wolves hadn’t even managed to get close before their skulls were shattered.

His spearwork was precise, his instincts razor-sharp, his speed unmatched—a formidable foe. The lead wolf, seasoned by countless battles in the deep mountains, possessed an intelligence rivaling that of any human. Now, it barked in alternating short and long calls, venting its fury and issuing orders to the pack to shift their formation.

Swish, swish, swish! The pack leapt and shifted, their powerful limbs exploding with energy as they reached their full speed. It had been a long time since the wolves had faced such a fierce adversary. Now, with bared fangs and wild eyes, they intended to tear him to pieces. In mere seconds, the formation had changed.

The lead wolf took center position, with six robust males as squad leaders, each leading a dozen or so wolves in a triangular assault formation. The six triangles formed a hexagon, each spaced two to four meters apart—enough that the tips of the triangles were separated, while their rears were joined together.

This provided both flexibility at the front and a steady reserve of force at the rear.

Li Xin quickly counted their numbers—nearly a hundred, more than enough to complete his task.

“Well done, what a formation!” Li Xin laughed heartily. The wolves' intelligence was truly advanced, capable of forming such a complex and powerful attack array.

What if wolves could become human? Who knew what potential they might show? Li Xin committed the pack's tactics to memory. If the chance came, he would form a strike team like this himself, to test new ways of battle.

His silver spear whirled and thrust, striking with precision. Though attacked on all sides, Li Xin’s extraordinary speed allowed him to defend himself and continue reaping the wolves’ lives.

The lead wolf bared its teeth, growling low. The deaths of its kin enraged and pained it, but the honor and pride of its clan were at stake—there could be no retreat. Otherwise, they would surely be swallowed by rival packs in the future.

After a full minute, Li Xin had slain twenty wolves, his silver spear growing ever more agile in his hands.

The lead wolf, though furious, gave a sly grin. No matter how strong this human was, he had limits of stamina and speed. If they could just wait him out, the pack would eventually tear him apart, drink his blood, devour his flesh, crush his bones.

The lead wolf howled commands, and the pack slowed their attacks.

“Damn, that’s cunning!” Li Xin shook his head. The wolves were pressing him, probing for weaknesses, but never getting too close. When his spear stabbed out, the rear triangle would immediately pull back, dragging the flanking wolves with them. Meanwhile, the other five points would lunge at him, forcing him to defend and gradually putting him on the back foot.

Fortunately, he could still just keep up his speed and ensure his survival.

A moment’s distraction, and a wolf’s claw raked down his back, tearing his shirt with a rip and drawing blood.

HP: 87/100. This was his health in “Odyssey.”

HP: 87/100. This was his health in “Game King.”

In that instant, Li Xin was startled to find that the two values were synchronized. A strange and bold suspicion flashed through his mind. But that was a matter for later—first, he had to deal with the wolves.

“Here I come, wolves!”

With a thunderous shout, Li Xin resolved to kill as many as possible with the fifty seconds of stamina he had left. If that wasn’t enough, he’d just have to add more points to his stats.

Fortunately, his strength attribute was high. Each thrust of his spear, with its sharp tip and massive force, was a killing blow to the wolves.

The pack howled, dust billowed.

In the distance, Uncle Chalem and his family, drenched in sweat, finally herded all the cattle and sheep back into their pen. As they were about to head inside and prepare a feast of beef and lamb, a sudden scream rang out.

Startled, Chalem and the others hurried over.

“Silamu, what’s wrong?”

“Father, big brother, look over there…” Silamu pointed in terror.

Following his gaze, they saw, through the swirling dust, a ring of wolves roaring and surging forward.

On the ground inside the pack, the bodies of many dead wolves lay strewn.

“He… he actually!” Uncle Chalem murmured, stunned beyond words.

“Father, he’s not afraid of the wolves at all—he’s killed so many… What strength this man has,” his youngest son, Abdullah, exclaimed in awe.

“Father, look!” Silamu shouted again.

They rushed to the high platform behind the tents. This time, they saw clearly: in the midst of the wolf pack, a youth wielded an eight-foot spear, striking left and right, charging back and forth.

Suddenly, he paused and wiped the sweat from his brow.

The wolf pack, too, stopped as if frozen!

Then, the lead wolf raised its head and let out a long, resounding howl, its spirit soaring to the heavens!