Chapter 18: Surrounded by Wolves (Please Bookmark, Please Follow)

BANG!

Several giant logs rolled down, blocking their path.

If the driver hadn't braked in time, the car would have been wrecked, and they would have died.

"What happened?" Chu Yi sensed something was wrong. He immediately called to Bika, his gaze sweeping forward as he asked.

"Looks like there's a problem. There's been a landslide on this section. We need to turn around and find another route."

The older driver wiped sweat from his brow, cursing under his breath as he prepared to turn the car around.

Chu Yi narrowed his eyes.

This stretch of road is sparsely populated and not very safe.

His hand rested on the interior door handle, ready to jump out and flee at any moment.

[Progress: ...11%...]

WHOOSH!

A massive fireball arced perfectly through the night sky and slammed down.

"Damn it!" The driver was scared out of his wits.

He floored the accelerator, wrenching the steering wheel, and the car swerved sharply, narrowly avoiding the impact.

BOOM—

The fireball exploded less than a meter from the car's rear. The violent shockwave jolted the entire vehicle and momentarily lit up the night.

The car windows cracked, glass shattering into snowflake-like fragments.

"Son of a...! Could this be a Demon attack?"

The driver was terrified; his wig had slipped askew. He then winced at the sight of the shattered car window—another expense he'd have to cover.

Soon, a man appeared in the car's headlights. He wore a Fire Bird mask and a sinister grin, advancing step by step.

A red vulture with a slowly burning candle on its head perched on his shoulder.

An ominous premonition sent shivers down the driver's spine. He hastily reminded the seemingly half-asleep Chu Yi, "Young man, run! This guy is dangerous!"

At that moment, the man in the Fire Bird mask snapped his fingers.

"Burn!"

The Fiery Firebird spread its wings and soared into the air. A glaring flame erupted from its mouth, the line of fire spreading rapidly and instantly raising the temperature on the dry, silent path.

Being an ordinary person, the driver was so frightened his limbs went stiff.

The flames engulfed most of his vision, the scorching heat licking at his body.

At the brink of death, scenes from his life flashed before his eyes like a rapidly spinning lantern.

Unwilling...

He had finally built a happy family, with a gentle wife and a child who had just started kindergarten...

The details of life were so beautiful.

He'd call his wife while he was out on his nightly runs. He had good relationships with his neighbors. When the pipes at home broke, Old Wang from next door would often come to fix them, saying they needed to be cleared out frequently to prevent clogs...

Eh?

In that instant, an epiphany struck the driver. As he realized something, his face flushed red, and his whole body trembled.

Just then, he was shocked to realize he hadn't been burned by the flames; in fact, he was completely unharmed.

In front of the car, a fox the size of a large wolf-dog crouched on the hood.

Its orange-red fur, stirred by the turbulent air, glittered with sparks, resembling a fiercely burning flame.

On its forehead, an intertwined cross of embers shone with a dazzling light.

"Sir, get out of here quickly. This is no place for you," a calm voice said from the back seat.

Chu Yi stepped out of the car, hands in his pockets. His slender figure cast a long shadow in the firelight.

The driver was stunned by the sight.

The young passenger is a genius Beast Tamer! He's so strong and looks incredibly reliable!

He immediately unbuckled his seatbelt, turned, and fled.

"Be careful, young man!"

[Progress: ...24%...]

...

"It really is the Burst Gun!" the Fire Bird exclaimed, his pupils constricting as a greedy look spread across his face.

He was a fire-type Beast Tamer, and this greatly interested him. He felt a sudden urge to form a contract with it, to make it his Pet Beast.

"Fiery Firebird, use Flame Charge!" he commanded.

The Stage Two, Tier Six Fiery Firebird shrieked, spiraling into the sky before diving towards Bika.

"Bika, shoot the Beast Tamer!" Chu Yi ordered.

"YIP!"

Bika's slit pupils fixed on the Fire Bird. The cross of embers on its forehead transformed into a Flame Pillar that blasted horizontally through the night sky with incredible speed.

"Fool," the Fire Bird muttered, the corner of his mouth curling as his figure became illusory.

This was the Fiery Firebird's skill, Fire Shadow, which allowed its Master to transform into fire, granting immunity to fire-type attacks while replenishing Spiritual Energy.

CHIRP!

The Fiery Firebird whipped up a blade of fire and crashed towards Bika.

Bika also raised its paw. Its claw, shimmering with sharpness and wreathed in flames, activated Fierce Claw.

WHOOSH!

They shot past each other with a harsh clang, sparks flying in all directions.

WHINE!

A sharp pain stung Bika's cheek as the impact sent it flying. The momentum from the high-altitude dive was too much for it to withstand. Even with its fur providing maximum defense, wounds appeared, and it was bleeding profusely.

The Fiery Firebird staggered, its speed drastically reduced.

It hadn't expected this Red Fox to possess such fighting strength; that one claw packed a serious punch.

CHIRP! CHIRP!

Just as it was pulling up from its dive, a cloud of lime was thrown at it.

It was a sneak attack! A dark red flash, like lightning, then traced a breathtaking arc across the Fiery Firebird's belly.

PFFT!

A sudden chill in its belly.

The Fiery Firebird's pupils widened. A bloody gash had opened on its abdomen, the wound lengthening with the inertia of its flight.

Moments later, the Fiery Firebird let out a strangled screech, as if its throat were being crushed.

Afterward, like a kite with a snapped string, it flew erratically before plummeting to the ground, gouging out a small crater as its body twitched violently.

A devastating blow!

Chu Yi's Ghost Hand, having devoured many Souls, had long since reached Stage Two, Tier Two.

The Tearing Claw, which Chu Yi had developed with his characteristic cunning, had become increasingly proficient, its destructive power greatly enhanced.

The defenses of a Stage Two Pet Beast below the elite level would be effortlessly pierced and gutted by his claw, as fragile as paper.

Earlier, he and Bika had discussed their strategy: first, a head-on collision to break the Fiery Firebird's momentum from its charge, creating an opening for Chu Yi's sneak attack. Under the gaze of the second Deceit Beast, the hit rate was very high.

"What? My Fiery Firebird!"

The Fire Bird had been focused on Bika, completely oblivious to Chu Yi's cunning move, and mistakenly thought Bika had used some special technique.

"Bika, kill it!"

Chu Yi had Bika drink a revitalizing concoction, instantly restoring it to full strength.

"YIP!"

Bika crouched low, coiling for an explosive burst. Sparks floated around it, coalescing into fierce flames that enveloped its entire body.

The skill, Big Fireworks, formed an armor that offered little defense.

WHOOSH!

Bika leaped.

Like a war chariot, it streaked across the hundred-meter distance in an instant, pouncing on the Fiery Firebird and smashing its Fierce Claw onto its head.

SMASH!

Blood splattered!

Under the continuous assault of Fierce Claws, the Fiery Firebird finally lay motionless, utterly dead.

It happened so fast that even the Fire Bird couldn't intervene.

"No!" Feeling the bond with his Pet Beast sever, the Fire Bird spat out a mouthful of blood.

He never expected that his Fiery Firebird, with all its advantages—flight, combat prowess, and ranged attacks—could be ambushed and killed in a single exchange!

Moreover, how did this Red Fox recover so quickly?!

"Tell me, who sent you," Chu Yi said coldly, staring at the stunned Fire Bird.

The next moment, Chu Yi's pupils shrank.

His keen Spiritual Power detected three... no, four individuals around them!

And there were more! The numbers were increasing...

[Progress: ...55%...]