Under such extremely primitive and bloody combat, humans are not necessarily smarter than beasts. The hunting instincts and tactical cunning of beasts can absolutely exceed the expectations of those who have never experienced them. William Reed had already stopped running, reversed his grip on his sword, sat cross-legged in the snow, closed his eyes, and used slow, deep breaths to recover his strength and composure.

He knew very well that if he kept running, there would be only one outcome: to die under the wolves’ jaws and become a meal for this pack of plateau snow wolves. The only sliver of hope was to risk his life for theirs, aiming to kill the bronze-rank alpha wolf in a single strike. Although the chances of winning were slim, William Reed had no other choice.

The snow was still falling.

The wild wind howled, and several pale white figures, treading lightly on the snow, appeared in the midst of the blizzard. The sword wound at the alpha wolf’s waist had somehow stopped bleeding, and a pair of green, indifferent eyes stared fixedly at the motionless, cross-legged William Reed.

“Awooo—”

The alpha wolf let out a mournful howl; at this moment, it was no longer just about filling its belly. In the world of wolves, there are also grudges and vendettas. Including the alpha, four fierce wolves darted in from four directions, bringing with them a gust of vicious wind.

William Reed still did not move. The hand gripping the longsword Iceflame was steady, without the slightest tremor.

Just as the two sides were only a few yards apart, on the verge of clashing, William Reed, almost sculpted by the wind and snow, moved. All his remaining strength and battle energy erupted in an instant. Truly, he was as still as a maiden, but when he moved, he was like a startled rabbit, or like a sudden thunderclap on flat ground. The longsword Iceflame emitted a cold, eerie glow, crackling with lightning, and shot through the air like a meteor, stabbing at the alpha wolf’s throat.

His gaze was as focused as iron, with nothing in his heart but the alpha wolf’s throat. This strike was so resolute, so determined, stripped of all flourish, taking the shortest straight line between two points.

The One-Word Lightning Sword.

A sword move contained within the Heavenly Thunder Three Transformations battle technique—simple and direct, paired with the Thunderbolt Flash movement, driven fundamentally by heavenly thunder battle energy, forming a move of absolute speed. The essence of this move was only one thing: speed. But precisely because it focused solely on speed, it was a do-or-die move—if it failed, death was certain.

In just an instant, the few yards between them vanished as they passed each other. At the alpha wolf’s bronze-rank throat, a fatal, slightly charred wound appeared. Meanwhile, William Reed’s abdomen, under the alpha wolf’s desperate counterattack, was raked by several deep claw marks, the ice-attributed battle energy flooding into his body, freezing him stiff, his face turning pale with a bluish tinge.

It was over. Everything was over. The remaining three wolves, seeing their leader slain in an instant, immediately stopped their charge, tucked their tails, and fled in panic. They didn’t know that the terrifying human who had killed their leader had, at this moment, exhausted all his strength and battle energy, unable even to lift a finger.

But the danger was far from over. With his battle energy depleted, William Reed could not circulate his heavenly thunder energy to resist the cold inside and out. His blood and skin gradually stiffened under the ice. Even though his constitution far surpassed that of an ordinary person, if this continued, in less than half a stick of incense’s time, he would freeze to death right here.

“Julia Bennett, Samuel Bennett.” The moment William Reed thought of these two names, a raging fire ignited in his heart. It was these two people who had forced him to flee like a stray dog, endlessly hunted. In the end, he was driven to die on this desolate, snowy plateau.

Unwilling—he was truly unwilling. At the very least, he was unwilling to let Julia Bennett have her way so easily. Even more unwilling to die so obscurely, ending his life together with a bronze-rank snow wolf. Perhaps, in Julia Bennett’s eyes, he was just a small figure she could crush at will. And in the eyes of the Grand Chancellor Samuel Bennett, he was not even a speck of dust. But hadn’t he once sworn? No matter what, he would make Julia Bennett and Samuel Bennett taste the anger and power of a small person. Had all his months of suffering been for nothing?

Somewhere inside his body, a faint strength seemed to gather, though it was extremely weak. Yet it was this tiny bit of strength that allowed his finger to tremble slightly. His half-conscious mind, driven by an overwhelming survival instinct, moved him—he didn’t even know how—bit by bit to the alpha wolf’s side, where he opened his mouth and bit into its torn throat, desperately sucking its remaining blood.

The wolf’s blood still retained some warmth, and it was this trace of warmth that slightly thawed his stiffening body, gradually restoring some of his strength.

……

Chapter Six: Blessing in Disguise

“Eh?”

A crisp, lively voice rang out, and as William Reed heard it, it was like hearing the music of immortals, causing his mind to relax slightly. It was this small relaxation that made the willpower he had been holding onto finally collapse, and he lost consciousness.