But—
suddenly—
**SQUEAK!**
A strange sound echoed through the forest.
The wolves immediately turned toward it.
Their ears perked up.
Their eyes shifted toward the source of the sound.
Then—
they froze.
Lían stood among the trees.
Thunder Vein was already drawn.
The blade had pierced directly through the head of one of the First Stage wolves.
Blood slowly dripped from the edge.
The wolf's body collapsed.
**THUD.**
The remaining wolves immediately growled.
**GRRRRR!**
Several of them charged toward him.
Lían calmly pulled his sword free.
*...If I've already been marked as prey...*
His eyes sharpened.
*...Then it's better to become the hunter.*
He stepped forward.
Thunder Vein swung.
**SHING!**
Water clinging to the nearby leaves suddenly gathered.
Droplets rose from the foliage.
They converged toward his sword.
At the same time—
Lían's blade swept across the charging wolves.
**SHHK!**
Two First Stage wolves were caught within the arc.
One was struck directly across the neck.
Its head flew from its body.
The second—
managed to avoid the killing blow.
But its front paw was severed.
**CRACK!**
The wolf crashed onto the ground.
It howled in pain.
**AOOOO!**
Lían's eyes immediately shifted.
Another wolf lunged toward him.
He swung Thunder Vein.
**CLANG!**
The blade struck its iron-like armor.
A visible scratch appeared across the surface.
Lían's eyes narrowed.
*...Only a scratch?*
The Second Stage wolf immediately retreated.
Lían used the momentum to move backward.
He created some distance between himself and the pack.
His eyes swept across the battlefield.
*There isn't enough water around.*
His gaze moved toward the trees.
Most of the leaves were already dry.
The water he had gathered earlier was almost gone.
Lían frowned.
*But...*
He glanced at Thunder Vein.
Blood coated the blade.
His eyes suddenly narrowed.
*The water mixed with the blood.*
A thought surfaced.
*I can control that too.*
Lían immediately reached into his storage pouch.
He pulled out a bamboo tube.
The moment it appeared—
Thunder Vein flashed.
**SHING!**
The bamboo tube was cut cleanly in two.
Water spilled into the air.
**SPLASH!**
Lían's other hand was already moving.
His finger touched the falling water.
His spiritual energy surged.
**WHOOSH!**
The water suddenly wrapped around his entire body.
A thin layer of water formed over his skin.
Lían's eyes sharpened.
*A water coat.*
The next instant—
a wolf lunged.
Its jaws opened wide.
**GRAAAH!**
It bit directly toward Lían's arm.
**CLANG!**
Its fangs struck Thunder Vein.
The sword blocked its jaws.
Lían's arm trembled slightly from the impact.
But—
he didn't retreat.
The remaining water floated beside him.
His finger moved.
A portion of the water condensed.
Compressed.
Then—
**SHHK!**
A sphere of water shot forward.
It pierced directly through the wolf's head.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
The wolf's body collapsed.
Lían remained standing.
The water sphere slowly returned.
It floated quietly before him.
But—
it was no longer clear.
It had turned crimson.
Lían stared at it for a moment.
"...Blood."
The sphere slowly rotated before him.
The remaining wolves stopped.
They no longer charged.
One of them lay on the ground, its severed paw leaving it unable to move.
Only two remained in fighting condition.
And—
at the back of the pack—
stood their leader.
The Third Stage Iron Wolf.
Its cold eyes remained fixed upon Lían.
A low growl escaped its throat.
**GRRRRRR...**
Lían slowly tightened his grip around Thunder Vein.
His gaze met the leader's.
The forest became completely silent.
For a moment—
neither side moved.
Lían stared at the crimson sphere floating before him.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
*...As I thought.*
*Mixing blood into the water really does increase its reserves.*
He watched the sphere slowly rotate.
*Though there seems to be a limit.*
*The amount of blood I can mix depends on how much water I'm using.*
He glanced toward the remaining water.
*Still...*
*This should be enough.*
Lían slowly exhaled.
His grip tightened around Thunder Vein.
Then—
he raised his sword.
**SHING!**
The blade swung downward.
It struck the crimson sphere.
**SHHK!**
The sphere rippled.
Another swing.
**SHING!**
Then another.
**SHING!**
Lían wasn't simply attacking the sphere.
Each time Thunder Vein passed through it—
a thin line of crimson energy was launched forward.
**SHHK!**
**SHHK!**
**SHHK!**
Thin, blood-infused water blades shot through the forest.
The Third Stage Iron Wolf's eyes narrowed.
**AOOOO!**
It suddenly howled.
Its body moved.
**WHOOSH!**
The first attack passed beside its head.
The second tore through several strands of fur.
The third—
**BOOM!**
Split the tree behind it.
The remaining wolves immediately followed their leader.
One charged forward despite its severed paw.
Lían's gaze shifted.
*Too slow.*
Another crimson slash flew forward.
**SHHK!**
The injured wolf was struck directly through the chest.
Blood sprayed.
Its body collapsed.
The other two wolves pushed through the barrage.
Lían's eyes narrowed.
*They're trying to close the distance.*
He didn't retreat.
Instead—
he stepped forward.
His body shot toward the leader.
The Third Stage Iron Wolf's jaws opened wide.
**GRAAAAAH!**
Lían's eyes sharpened.
He raised Thunder Vein.
Then—
he lunged.
At the same instant—
the wolf's body twisted.
Its jaws snapped toward Lían.
Lían's sword flashed.
**ZZZT—!**
A brilliant white light suddenly erupted.
The blade crackled violently.
Lightning raced across its surface.
Lían's expression changed slightly.
*There it is.*
He had discovered this during his previous battle.
The Lightning Essence embedded within Thunder Vein reacted whenever spiritual energy was infused into the blade.
Instead of simply strengthening the sword—
it transformed the energy into lightning.
He had deliberately kept that ability hidden.
*I never used it before.*
*Because I was saving it for the leader.*
The blade descended.
**BOOOOM!**
Lightning exploded through the forest.
The Iron Wolf's body violently twisted away.
It narrowly avoided the center of the strike.
But—
it wasn't fast enough.
**SHHK!**
The lightning-coated blade tore across its face.
Blood exploded outward.
The wolf retreated several meters.
Its body remained tense.
Its claws dug into the earth.
Then—
it raised its head.
Lían's expression became serious.
One of the wolf's eyes was gone.
Blood poured down the side of its face.
The remaining eye glared directly at him.
**GRRRRRR...**
Lightning continued crackling around Thunder Vein.
**ZZZT... ZZZT...**
Lían stared at the wounded leader.
*I couldn't kill it with that.*
He glanced at the blood covering the blade.
*But at least...*
*I took one of its eyes.*
The Iron Wolf's breathing became heavier.
Its remaining eye burned with killing intent.
Lían slowly raised Thunder Vein.
His expression became calm.
*I'll take the other one.*
He shook his head.
*No.*
*I don't need it.*
His gaze hardened.
*I'm taking its life anyway.*
The crimson sphere continued floating beside him.
The remaining wolves hesitated.
The forest became eerily quiet.
Lían took one step forward.
Thunder Vein crackled with white lightning.
**ZZZT.**
His eyes remained fixed upon the wounded Third Stage Iron Wolf.
"...Let's finish this."
Lían immediately reached into his storage pouch.
He pulled out another bamboo tube.
**CRACK!**
He crushed it within his hand.
Water spilled across the ground.
Lían released the broken bamboo.
His fingers moved.
The water immediately rose.
**WHOOSH!**
It gathered around him, flowing toward the remaining crimson sphere.
The two merged.
Clear water mixed with the blood essence.
The sphere grew larger.
Lían's expression became serious.
*My spiritual energy is already running low.*
He glanced at Thunder Vein.
*Using the sword like that consumes far more energy than I expected.*
He slowly exhaled.
*I can't keep wasting it.*
The crimson sphere suddenly separated.
One became two.
Two became four.
Then—
**WHOOSH!**
Several smaller spheres formed around Lían.
They floated silently in the air.
Lían tightened his grip around Thunder Vein.
Spiritual energy surged into the blade.
**ZZZT!**
White lightning immediately erupted across the sword.
Lían's eyes sharpened.
He raised the blade.
"Go."
His arm swung.
The spheres shot forward.
**WHOOSH!**
Several streaks of blood-infused water tore through the forest.
The Third Stage Iron Wolf growled.
**GRAAAH!**
It moved first.
Its massive body twisted aside.
The other two wolves followed.
One sphere passed directly between them.
Another struck the ground.
**BOOM!**
Earth exploded upward.
But—
the Iron Wolf suddenly snapped its tail.
**BANG!**
Its armored tail slammed into a sphere that had been approaching from behind.
The sphere suddenly changed direction.
The wolf's remaining eye widened.
*...What?*
The sphere curved around its body.
**WHOOSH!**
The wolf barely managed to duck.
The projectile passed above its head.
But—
the other two wolves weren't so fortunate.
**BOOM!**
**BOOM!**
Both were struck almost simultaneously.
Their bodies were thrown backward.
Blood sprayed through the air.
One crashed into a tree.
The other rolled across the ground.
Neither immediately stood.
The leader turned toward them.
But—
that moment of distraction was enough.
Lían was already there.
**WHOOSH!**
He closed the distance instantly.
Thunder Vein rose.
**ZZZT!**
Lightning erupted from the blade.
The Iron Wolf's remaining eye narrowed.
**SHING!**
Lían swung.
The wolf twisted its body.
The blade passed along its armored shoulder.
**CLANG!**
Sparks flew.
The wolf immediately retaliated.
Its claws tore toward Lían's chest.
**SHHK!**
Lían leaned backward.
The claws passed inches from his body.
He stepped sideways.
Another claw swept toward his head.
He ducked.
**WHOOSH!**
The massive paw passed over him.
Lían immediately countered.
Thunder Vein swept upward.
The wolf jumped backward.
**SHING!**
The blade barely missed its abdomen.
The Iron Wolf landed.
Its claws dug into the earth.
Then—
it lunged again.
Lían's eyes sharpened.
The wolf's attacks came one after another.
A claw.
Another claw.
Then its armored tail.
Each attack carried tremendous force.
Yet Lían continued dodging.
He stepped.
Twisted.
Ducked.
Retreated.
Then advanced again.
**CLANG!**
Thunder Vein collided with the wolf's claws.
Lían's arm trembled from the impact.
*Strong.*
He immediately disengaged.
The Iron Wolf pursued.
Its jaws snapped toward him.
Lían twisted his body.
The fangs closed on empty air.
He stepped around its side.
Thunder Vein rose.
White lightning crackled across the blade.
**ZZZT!**
Lían's eyes became cold.
*I only need one opening.*