Chapter 4: Cruelty

He was a human.

Specifically, he was a young boy, roughly around ten years old, yet more robust and taller than his peers. Perhaps due to years of physical activity, his limbs were long and muscular, resembling a young snow wolf in its prime.

The boy had a head of ash-gray hair, clearly unkempt and crudely cut with a sharp object, lacking any discernible style but exuding a wild and untamed aura. His eyes, bright and ruby-like, were strikingly rebellious.

With a faint smile, he approached the antelope, squatted down, and gently stroked its forehead, saying, "I'm sorry, mate. Food has been scarce lately, so you see, I can't let you go. Let me free you from this."

He grasped the handle of the dagger, pulled gently, and severed the antelope's artery. Strangely, no blood spurted from the wound. As the boy extracted the dagger from the carcass, the blood on the blade seemed to boil!

The blood was mysteriously absorbed by the blade, vanishing completely. The dagger remained as clean as ever, with golden patterns reflecting the sunlight in subtle halos. The boy looked at the dagger and said, "You're getting greedier."

He sheathed the dagger and secured it at his waist, then lifted the antelope, larger than himself, onto his back. Walking towards the shade, he murmured to himself, "I hope Bai Fang gets better after eating this deer."

This boy was naturally Allen, who left the Gobi town five years ago with the silver snow wolf Bai Fang. Over the years, he had grown from a child into a teenager.

During these five years, Allen lived with the wolf pack. He hunted with Bai Fang and learned many things from the wolf. Occasionally, when Allen looked at the dagger his mother had left him, he would recall the stark black and white scene.

The black ground, the white severed finger, and the silver ring on it emitting a sorrowful glow.

Each time he saw this image, Allen had to bury himself in the winter snow to extinguish the burning rage within him. That rage was filled with hatred for the man who had abandoned his family.

Archimedes! That father he had never met, one day, he would drive this icy dagger into the man's heart!

As he neared the valley where the wolf pack resided, Allen suddenly heard gunfire. His face changed, and he dropped the antelope, sprinting away.

Hunters!

This was bad news, as the pack was in a dire situation. Bai Fang was injured! Seriously injured.

Half a year ago, the pack had migrated to this valley in the mountains, where there was a large cave of several hundred square meters, an old den for the snow wolves. They had migrated here half a year ago, and to secure the cave, Bai Fang fought a giant spider, a third-tier dangerous creature, that originally inhabited it.

Though Bai Fang tore the spider to pieces, the spider's dying counterattack left Bai Fang gravely wounded.

Six months had passed, and Bai Fang's condition had not improved. Its fur no longer shimmered with silver light as when Allen first met it. The fur had turned dull and began to fall out, and some parts of Bai Fang's body were even rotting, the air around it filled with the stench of death.

If the pack were attacked by hunters now, they might refuse to leave because of Bai Fang, giving the hunters a chance to wipe them out. Snow wolves never abandon any of their companions, a trait that had also taken root in Allen's soul.

The boy ran swiftly, soon reaching the outer edge of the valley.

From a distance, he saw several soldiers firing into the valley, yellow smoke with a pungent odor wafting through the air. Snow wolves, forced out by the smoke, were being shot dead before they could grasp the situation. One particularly strong male wolf charged bravely even after being shot, almost breaching the soldiers' firing line. But Gutt picked up his rifle and fired a long burst, knocking it down. Several more shots finished it off, leaving it twitching but unable to rise.

That was Tony! A lazy but decent wolf.

Allen's already crimson eyes now blazed as if bleeding. He let out a young howl, leapt onto a camphor tree, and pounced on a soldier's back. Swift as a monkey, he slashed the soldier's throat, ending his life instantly.

"Damn!" a white soldier nearby shouted, drawing his pistol and firing at Allen.

Years of wilderness living had honed Allen's animal-like instincts, allowing him to dodge the shot by crouching. He slid between the white soldier's legs, slicing his tendons. The soldier screamed and fell to his knees, and Allen sprang onto his back like a wolf.

With another flash of the dagger, he ended this soldier's life too!

Gunfire erupted, and Allen's right shoulder was hit, causing him to drop the dagger. He dived forward, using the soldier's corpse as temporary cover. The boy picked up the dagger with his mouth and slid sideways, spotting Gutt's enraged face.

In those brief seconds, a mere child had killed two of his men. If word got out, Gutt's mercenary team would be a laughingstock until next spring. Furious, Gutt's attacks grew more vicious. His pistol's bullets rained down, each shot aimed to kill. But Allen's agility surpassed his expectations. Moving in a zigzag pattern, Allen dodged shot after shot.

After several dodges, Allen reached Gutt's blind spot. He leapt from the ground, the dagger falling into his left hand. His pupils dilated, blood rushing through his veins, and with a flick of his wrist, the dagger's blade aimed for Gutt's throat. Gutt gritted his teeth, switching his gun to his left hand, aiming at Allen's head.

Just as they were about to clash, a hand appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Allen's wrist and flinging him aside. Allen crashed into a tree, a punch landing on his face, throwing him to the ground. A foot pressed down on his head, increasing in pressure as if to crush his skull.

"Don't kill him," ordered Captain Andy.

"Why?" came a woman's voice from above.

"The boy seems to have been raised by wolves, a wolf-child. Hey, don't you think that's a remarkable find? Some nobles in Babylon might like a novel pet. Besides, old Hearn wanted a boy with no records to replace his son in the survival games. I bet he'd pay handsomely for this one," Andy explained.

Allen struggled to move his head, catching a glimpse of the woman's thighs. She spat on him, saying, "Lucky you, kid."

At that moment, a mournful wolf howl echoed through the valley. Allen's heart tightened; it was Bai Fang.

Andy raised his hand excitedly, signaling his men to hold fire. Moments later, a staggering snow wolf emerged from the valley. Bai Fang had changed drastically, no longer adorned with shimmering silver fur. Now, its fur was dull and shedding in large patches. In the balding areas, there were even signs of rot.

The only constant was those serene blue eyes.

Seeing Baifang, Andy's smile froze. He clutched his head and shouted in anger, "Damn it, what is this? A silver snow wolf? Fine, it might have been once, but now? Did I spend all those resources just to hunt down something that's about to die?"

Even if Andy killed Baifang without a scratch, it clearly wouldn't fetch a good price in its current state. While Andy cursed, Baifang glanced at Alan. In that moment of eye contact, Alan understood Baifang was asking why he hadn't fled.

Alan gave a defiant smile.

Baifang understood and let out a low growl before starting to run. Just as Alan wouldn't abandon it or the pack, Baifang reciprocated his loyalty with its actions. It had long regarded Alan as one of the pack. The ancient law of the wolves dictated that the young must survive.

As Baifang charged towards the enemy lines, Andy let out a strange cry and leaped at it. Baifang exhaled a breath of icy wind, but being summer and in its weakened state, the breath was thin and weak. Andy didn't even bother to dodge, punching through the icy breath and landing a heavy blow on Baifang's head.

Baifang collapsed to the ground.

Shaking its head, it sprang up again, trying to bite Andy. He twisted his body in an uncanny way, causing Baifang to miss. Andy then circled Baifang, seemingly doing nothing. But Alan could see Andy releasing thin purple threads of source energy from his fingertips, gradually wrapping Baifang like spider silk.

The more source threads wrapped around it, the slower Baifang's movements became. Eventually, it could barely move. Andy patted its head, then, with a smile at Alan, pulled the threads tight with his hands, tearing Baifang apart!

Alan's pupils dilated to the extreme.

"No!"

He screamed, finding a surge of strength to lift his head. Sienna looked surprised before cursing and stomping Alan back into the dirt. Now, with only one eye able to see, he watched as Baifang's head was severed, its tranquil blue eyes gazing at him.

Just like five years ago, when Lanny gave him one last look before they parted. That fleeting glance held more emotions than words could express.

Alan stared intently at Baifang, as if to etch its gaze into his soul.

Overwhelming grief consumed him.

But he had no tears.

Five years ago, he lost Lanny.

Five years later, he lost Baifang.

Now, he was alone again. The world remained as cruel as ever.