Chapter 64: Human Factors

The setting sun bled red across the horizon.

At the edge of the Blackwind Forest, despite the blazing midday sun and the bustling crowds, an eerie and chilling spectacle unfolded, sending shivers down every onlooker’s spine.

Dire Wolves—countless Blackwind Dire Wolves! At this moment, they had assembled outside the forest, forming a black river dozens of meters wide—a surging wolf pack.

Amidst the Blackwind Dire Wolves, there were a few smaller, yet remarkably tough Earth Wolves; Razorfang Wolves with sharp fangs and claws; and Swift Wolves whose eyes gleamed with a savage light.

There were at least several hundred of them!

Divided into dozens of groups, they hunted and pursued nearby teams of first-tier players in waves.

How could these novice players, faced with such overwhelming numbers and wolves proficient in both melee and magic, hope to resist? They didn’t even dare to dream of fighting back. Amid the sharp screams of terrified women, they scattered and fled in panic.

Yet Blackwind Dire Wolves, creatures of darkness and wind, were terrifyingly fast. Only those with speed-enhancing skills had any hope of escape. The rest were doomed to become prey, their fates sealed by the wolves’ claws and fangs.

Dozens of Blackwind Dire Wolves would give chase, then suddenly halt. Blades of wind would shoot forth!

First-tier newcomers, most lacking any magical defense, were sent flying by the relentless wind blades. Even if they survived the initial onslaught, the wolves would pounce, sinking their teeth into unprotected necks or other vulnerable spots.

Occasionally, someone would try to stand and fight back, but would be immediately surrounded on all sides by dozens of wolves. In a flash, wind blades, claws, and fangs overwhelmed them completely—utter annihilation.

With such terrifying numbers and a display of ferocity, the air around the Blackwind Forest was filled with unending screams and wails.

The immense concentration of wolves revealed their most bloodthirsty impulses; they threw back their heads and howled in unison, turning the land before the forest into a place of dread—an arena ruled by blood and the sovereign might of the Dire Wolf pack.

...

When we reached the outskirts of the Blackwind Forest, the six of us gasped in horror. Only then did we finally understand why we hadn’t seen a single Blackwind Dire Wolf on our way here—no matter how far we walked.

Damn wolf pack!

The Blackwind Dire Wolves had formed a terrifying pack within the forest—once praised by our instructors as Earth’s most formidable collective of beasts, a force so fearsome that even the mightiest creatures would rather flee than confront them.

Now I understood why the Dire Wolves hadn’t returned to the forest—once a wolf pack is formed, it never disperses easily.

The truly frightening prospect, however, would be the emergence of a Wolf King within the pack.

That would be a true catastrophe. If a powerful team couldn’t eliminate it, the pack would follow the Wolf King wherever it roamed, attacking any living creature it encountered under its command.

Right now, I dared not venture out to investigate, nor could I determine whether a Wolf King lurked among them. I had no time to study the problem—if there was indeed a Wolf King, it was far beyond my ability to handle. The most urgent task was to get Xiao Mei and the others out of Blackwind Forest safely.

But just as we were debating how to bypass the wolf pack, a sudden rush of footsteps sounded behind us!

My heart leapt. I swung around.

Three archers, two warriors, and a mage appeared in my line of sight—six players, all strikingly equipped and moving with remarkable speed.

They paused briefly when they saw us, their gazes sweeping over our group with tacit understanding before they immediately averted their eyes, faces calm, pace unbroken as they pressed on toward the forest’s edge.

Annoying—our team must have been quite conspicuous.

With just a glance, they had effortlessly assessed our group: the lowest was level fourteen, the highest seventeen, nothing more than a typical first-tier newbie team.

But suddenly, I sensed something amiss, and my eyes narrowed. I turned my gaze to the depths of Blackwind Forest behind the six players and instantly focused.

“Wolf pack! Run!”

The moment I detected the strange sounds from Blackwind Forest, there was no time to explain further. I swung around and shouted, grabbing Xiao Mei by the hand and taking off at a sprint.

Almost simultaneously, Meteor, ever sensitive to the outside world, felt the faint tremor in the ground. My shout jolted him to attention, and he pulled Black Jasmine with him as he dashed after us.

Squatting Speaker and Xuanwu Titan, startled into action, saw me dragging Xiao Mei away right in front of them and leapt up to follow—never mind what I’d shouted, there was no time to hesitate.

As the six of us bolted, a dozen gigantic wolves, even larger than the Blackwind Dire Wolves, burst from the dark depths of the forest, hot on the heels of the six players.

In just two seconds, dozens more enormous magic wolves charged out from the gloom.

At this, Xiao Mei and the others felt a wave of relief mingled with dread. Glancing back, they realized with horror that, if not for the Scavenging Kirin’s warning, their four hours of hard-earned progress would have been for nothing.

“Who the hell are those bastards? They nearly got me killed!” Squatting Speaker grumbled.

“Lucky I made it out alive, or I wouldn’t sleep a wink tonight… Damn, being high-level sure makes people arrogant.” Xuanwu Titan, though irritated, could only accept it—higher levels meant greater power.

But I, face grave, kept watching the six who had led the wolf pack our way. They had clearly known about the wolves, yet hadn’t said a word—acting calm and unbothered, as if nothing was amiss. It was obvious they’d hoped to get rid of us along with the wolves… But to what end?

Deep in thought, I dragged Xiao Mei some thirty meters away, only stopping when I was sure we were safe. I turned to look at the six who had attracted the wolf pack.

Our eyes met—a dozen startled gazes. Clearly, they hadn’t expected that, despite their flawless act, I’d still sensed the threat behind us and led my team to safety before we were overrun.

“That bow-wielding warrior’s no ordinary player. Should we teach him a lesson?” a voice said with a mischievous laugh, only to be cut off by another: “Go ahead—if you’re willing to forfeit that commission…”