The howling never stopped.
It grew louder—deeper—layered with something far more ancient and violent. The northern sky pulsed with an eerie blue light as if something huge was distorting the very rain. Even the wolves paused for a heartbeat, trembling instinctively.
The Greater-Commander had arrived.
It stepped through the storm like a living calamity. Rain slid off its enormous frame, rolling down coarse black fur that bristled with demonic energy. Each step sank deep into the ground. Its eyes burned with cold, calculating hatred.
The hunters on the wall froze.
Even the Warrior-level wolves recoiled.
Zhan Kong appeared atop the battlements in a blur of wind. Lightning illuminated him from behind, casting his silhouette against the monstrous shadow.
His voice cut through the storm.
"Stay back."
The Greater-Commander snarled, low and rumbling, shaking the raindrops suspended in the air. It lowered its body, claws digging into the mud.
Zhan Kong's stars ignited—
Wind Trail
Wind Disc
Wind Wings
—all layered with the seamless precision of a man who had fought in countless wars.
He launched forward.
Wind wrapped around him, turning him into a streak of green light. The commander struck upward with a massive claw—fast, far faster than something its size should move—but Zhan Kong twisted midair, sliding past the blow and carving through the beast's shoulder with Wind Disc.
Blood sprayed, steaming in the rain.
The Greater-Commander didn't flinch.
It roared—
and the ground erupted.
Mo Fan, Xu Mang, and Lu Jun were thrown back as shockwaves blasted outward. Stone shattered. Walls collapsed. The northern district broke into fragments under the creature's weight.
Hunters fell screaming into the mud as the beast charged again.
"Wind Wings!"
Zhan Kong's form exploded upward, slicing through the rain like a knife. He came down hard with a second Wind Disc, this time aimed for the spine.
The blade only cut halfway.
The commander twisted and slammed him with its tail.
Zhan Kong shot across the battlefield, smashing through a partially collapsed tower. Dust burst outward upon impact.
Hunters gasped.
The Greater-Commander howled triumphantly.
But Zhan Kong rose from the rubble, blood running down his arm, coat torn and flapping violently.
His eyes sharpened.
"Is that all?"
Wind spiraled around him again, wrapping him like armor.
The battle resumed, titanic and violent.
The two forces clashed near the district wall, each collision disturbing the storm itself. Lightning flickered erratically. Rain evaporated from sheer force. The ground cracked open beneath them.
The heart of Bo City trembled.
—
Mo Fan wasn't idle.
A wave of wolves sprinted from the east gate, forcing the hunters to retreat. Their claws slashed deep grooves into the pavement. Their howls drowned out the thunder.
Among them—
A Shadow Wolf.
Its body flickered between physical and intangible, slipping through attacks like mist. Every movement came with a streak of purple-black aura—the signature of the Shadow Element.
It rushed Mo Fan instantly, claws glowing like dark blades.
He countered with fire.
"Fiery Fist!"
The flame erupted, but the Shadow Wolf blurred—
Fleeing Shadow.
It moved behind him in an instant.
Mo Fan spun, lightning already crackling in his palm.
"Lightning Strike!"
The bolt pierced straight through the beast's shoulder, tearing off a chunk of flesh. The wolf yelped, its body flickering, then reappearing several meters away.
Its eyes locked onto Mo Fan.
The wolf lunged, silently this time.
No roar.
No warning.
Shadow Spike!
Black spears erupted from the ground. Mo Fan leaped aside, flames bursting at his feet to launch him upward. The spikes shattered the pavement where he had stood.
The wolf appeared behind him again.
Mo Fan slammed his hands together.
"Fiery Fist—Hellfire Smash!"
Flame surged around his arms, shaping the blow into a blazing arc. It struck the wolf mid-lunge, hammering it into the ground with a deafening thud. But the Shadow Wolf dissolved into black mist—
—and reformed behind him yet again.
It slashed him across the back.
Mo Fan staggered, teeth clenched, fire boiling along his spine.
Lightning surged instinctively.
He traced the Intermediate diagram—
not fully mastered,
but stable enough now.
Thunderbolt—Thunderclap's younger sibling.
He extended his hand, violet light rupturing the air.
"Thunderbolt!"
The lightning smashed into the Shadow Wolf point-blank.
Its body convulsed violently, sparks racing across its limbs. It collapsed into the mud, frothing at the mouth.
Mo Fan exhaled sharply, chest burning, clothes torn.
He looked up—
—and saw hell unfolding.
—
The northern district was collapsing. Houses fell as beasts burst through walls. Civilians screamed, running down flooded streets. Children clung to parents. Elderly stumbled through the mud.
Hunter squads struggled to hold ground as Warrior-level beasts tore through lines.
Water mages cast Water Shield after Water Shield, only to have them shattered instantly.
Fire Burst spells lit the night, illuminating fear-stricken faces.
Wind Discs sliced through bodies, severing limbs.
Earth Waves rose to block wolves, only to be shredded moments later.
Rain washed blood into the gutters.
Xu Mang electrocuted a leaping wolf with Lightning Strike, its body twitching as it fell into a pool of water. A moment later he ducked as a Warrior-level beast crashed through a wooden stall, splinters flying like arrows.
Lu Jun swept his arm.
"Metal Slash!"
The sharp arc carved deep into the beast's leg. It stumbled.
He followed with a surge of water—Violent Waves—blasting it backward into a wall.
But the flood wouldn't stop.
More wolves.
More shadows.
More claws.
More screams.
The city had become a nightmare.
And above all the chaos—
the roar of the Greater-Commander shook the heavens.
Lightning flashed again, illuminating Zhan Kong trading blow after blow with the monster. His body flickered like green lightning, blades of wind cutting deep, but every strike drained him more.
He couldn't hold forever.
And the storm…
the storm would only worsen.
Tonight, Bo City was being devoured.