Night's grand shade covered the world, whilst the moon's pale glimmer was cast upon the land, its slender ray lighting Zixin's path. His steps halted as his gaze drifted afloat, gazing at the vast night sky. Stars shone with brilliance, forming countless constellations echoing with grace.
The winds roared, rustling the leaves and causing them to fall to the ground. Zixin's mouth parted momentarily, only to close, his gaze landing upon the path ahead.
Crack!
The sound of branches breaking pierced through the night as howls echoed. Backing off, Zixin glanced back, his eyes witnessing hordes of wolves rushing at him.
With grey-colored fur, scarlet red eyes, and salivating mouths, the wolves ran, aiming to feast upon him. Zixin's heart sank, but his mind remained steady.
His thoughts raced, searching for an answer: What made the wolves act so strangely? If I don't do something, I might end up as a corpse. There must be something…
Emerging from the darkness, the image of an even greater threat rose. Howling amidst the wind, its razor-sharp fangs glimmered with ill intent. Its gigantic size towered over its kind, whilst its eyes glowed with a scarlet hue. Silver fur covered it, reflecting the pale moonlight.
An unforeseen disaster has been born!
Zixin's lips twitched as his body trembled, moving on its own and running away. Just as he took his first step, a murderous wolf lunged ahead.
Reacting instinctively, he tried entering the Hex Zone. His heart raced, causing his thoughts to race aimlessly, leading to failure.
The wolf landed, reaching forward and biting Zixin's right arm.
"Ugh!" Groaning in pain, he forced himself to keep calm, successfully splitting in mind.
With strength surging through his body, he grabbed forward, taking hold of the wolf's head. Upon concentrating his strength on his hand, his grip tightened–nearly crushing its skull and destroying its eyes.
After inhaling a large gulp of air, he shoved the wolf away, exhaling and running away.
Although he ran with all his might, the barrage of wolves never ended. There was always one waiting to replace another.
His breath grew heavy as his sweat poured like rain, but his steps remained steady throughout his run.
Eventually, he saw the rock formation and dashed ahead, using all of his remaining strength.
The moment his body landed inside the formation, a wave of light erupted from each stone, encompassing several meters away.
…
Once he woke, Fang Hau's figure entered his view, tilting his head and asking, "What did you…" He paused, shooting a glance at Zixin's bitten arm before continuing, "An encounter, it seems."
Pushing himself back up, Zixin took a few deep breaths, slowly regaining his strength.
Fang Hau stepped forward, examining Zixin's bleeding arm. He voiced out, "I can treat you, but you first need to tell me what has happened; otherwise, you may perish."
Shaking his head, Zixin began explaining whilst taking deep breaths, "I was taking my daily stroll, appreciating tonight's beauty, until a pack of wolves led by an even greater monster chose to make me their prey."
Zixin paused, his mouth inflating right before he spat out a mouthful of blood. Losing strength, his legs gave i, but Fang Hau's quick arm reached out, lending him aid and helping him stand up.
"I presume that due to this encounter, you obtained this awful wound. Don't worry, the wolves born from Mount Lorebale's life essence can never contain poison. I was quite the fool when I studied it back then." Fang Hau smirked faintly, deducing the rest of the events.
"Are you sure you already know? I clearly saw a large wolf leading the pack." Zixin commented.
Fang Hau's grip tightened, and his voice shivered, "A disaster was born? How curious, this is unexpected. I call such a monster a 'Wolf Lord', a creature nourished with immense life essence. Although I have prepared dozens of countermeasures, none could be of use in our current predicament."
"Let us go before your wound grows worse." Fang Hau spoke, helping Zixin walk out of the Throne Room and stepping into the hallway.
As they walked ahead, Zixin's body swung like a drunkard. He muttered, placing a hand on his head, "I'm… dizzy."
"Keep yourself together for a while longer, we're almost there." Fang Hau patted Zixin's shoulders, collapsing his feet and floating ahead, his speed rising by the second.
Turning ahead, Fang Hau saw the rough wooden door, his feet recondensing as he walked closer. A second later, he stretched his hand, pushing the creaking door open.
Smooth grey tiles covered the floor, whilst an out-of-place wooden chair sat beside a soft mattress. Porcelain cyan walls held the grey ceiling that hung dozens of grey lanterns. Several grey drawers were scattered across random, out-of-place pieces of paper plastered on them.
"Go on, take a seat. I'll search for the herb." Fang Hau released his grip, letting Zixin wobble around.
His footsteps were heavy, and his eyes were blurry, but he still persevered, taking his seat and closing his eyes to rest.
While he rested, Fang Hau spoke, "The death of the Wolf Lord should be beneficial to all of us. After all, once it perishes, its abundant life essence would return to Mount Lorebale, significantly raising the chance of our plan to succeed. However, a fixed schedule is needed to prevent things from going wrong."
"Hmm? Found it." Fang Hau grinned, taking the medicine and applying it to Zixin's wounds.
"Then, how much greater would our success rate be if we use the Wolf Lord's death to our advantage?" He probed, heaving a deep sigh.
Fang Hau rubbed his chin, muttering, "Our success rate would be roughly sixty-one percent."
Zixin's lips twitched, asking, "What would it be without the monster?"
"A flat thirty-nine percent. No matter how you view it, the risks are indeed worth it." Fang Hau stood up, taking a seat in front of Zixin.
Zixin shook his head, asking, "How are we supposed to even defeat such a beast? I doubt that I can."
Fang Hau pointed down, speaking solemnly, "That is the job for those Hunters. It's a perfect opportunity for both of us, isn't it? Not only are they given a chance to earn greater wealth than what their minds could imagine, but they are also allowed to slay one another and use the blatant lie that 'the monsters killed my comrades' like a bunch of hungry insects…"
He suddenly sounds so irritated. I wonder if he has any particular hatred towards them. Zixin's thoughts wandered off before he squeezed his cheeks, returning his attention to the matter at hand.
Fang Hau continued, "But this is only the case if they are led by fools; otherwise, a worthy individual would rise, gaining fame from commanding his legion."
"Are you referring to a capable leader?"
"Yes, but also a powerful one–someone that could hold their own even against their troops." Fang Hau rubbed his chin, his mind slipping into his memories.
"In that case, I may have someone in mind–Vanor. But I'm not a Hunter, and I lack connection. The chances that I could help him reach such a status are unlikely." Zixin voiced out.
"Vanor? Oh, the one whose legacy will be painted with scarlet blood. Out of the countless futures that I foresaw, his rise was one of the many constants that always occurred, no matter the era or situation. He should be capable of leading." He pondered before continuing, "If you're curious, you are an unknown variable. I never foresaw your arrival, but I always knew that someone sharing my Bloodline would come to this land."
"Carry out the original plan as intended. The appearance of the Wolf Lord only benefits us. According to my predictions, if things go according to plan, then a miraculous day is upon us, but if not, then it has gone south." Fang Hau sighed, glancing at the grey lantern hanging above.
"Are you truly willing to bet on luck after meticulously planning everything until now?" Zixin asked, shooting Fang Hau a glance.
"Why not? Letting an uncontrollable variable do as it pleases sometimes bears sweeter fruits than what it would initially have." Fang Hau chuckled, a soft smile forming on his lips.
"Sometimes, huh? Perhaps I, too, have been relying on it more than I had hoped for." Zixin smiled lightly, fading almost instantaneously.
After experiencing Elmer's memories, I have been letting my guard down more than usual. Sigh, why do I find this enjoyable? Zixin thought, drifting into sleep.