For no particular reason, Brian Carter felt that The Elder posed a threat to him. Judging by his entire appearance, he was clearly no ordinary person. Brian Carter himself was no saint, and he had considerable confidence in his own instincts. Since he sensed this person was a threat, he had to eliminate the possibility before it became reality—this was undoubtedly the wisest course of action!

Brian Carter always felt that the moment the black mist around The Elder completely dissipated would be when he would make his move, and now the mist was growing thinner and thinner.

Without further hesitation, and without any warning, Brian Carter suddenly exerted force with his legs. In the next instant, his hunting knife appeared three feet in front of The Elder. Gripping the knife with both hands, he slashed down with all his might. Although he had not yet recovered to his peak physical state, Brian Carter was certain that The Elder would die on the spot from this blow!

Suddenly, The Elder opened his eyes, and his pupils were actually emerald green. Brian Carter was startled, and instinctively paused for a moment. Just as he was about to strike again, he found both his wrists firmly gripped by a large black hand, unable to move at all, the bones in his wrists feeling as if they were about to crack!

Chapter 003: Forced to Take a Master

"Young man, you and I are strangers, with neither grievance nor enmity. Why would you try to kill me so ruthlessly at your young age?" The Elder stared at Brian Carter and said in a gloomy tone. Under the faint glow of the pearl, those emerald green eyes looked indescribably eerie.

Although Brian Carter's hands were being held and the pain was intense, his expression remained completely calm, his gaze cold and ruthless.

"In the dead of night, in the wilderness, you appear here shrouded in black mist, your actions mysterious. Who knows if you are human or ghost? If you are some kind of monster, wouldn't I fall victim to you? Of course I have to strike first!" Brian Carter said calmly, his eyes fixed on The Elder to guard against any further moves.

"What a joke! By your logic, why are you wandering here in the middle of the night? You say my actions are suspicious, but aren't you the same? Just because of the black mist, you label me a ghost? That's far too arbitrary."

The Elder laughed instead of getting angry, and the force of his grip increased. Brian Carter felt as if his wrists were clamped by two iron hooks, the blood flow seemingly cut off.

"I'm a hunter from nearby. I got lost while chasing prey and came here after hearing sounds from the cave. What about you? Why are you here? Senior, could you let go of my hands? Now that I know you are human and not a ghost, I naturally won't harm you again!" Brian Carter thought for a moment and spoke slowly.

"What a cunning boy. But even if I let you go, what can you do? How could an ordinary person like you possibly harm me? That's laughable!" As he spoke, he released his grip, his green eyes darting around as he pondered something.

Brian Carter moved a distance away from The Elder, slowly rubbing his wrists to get the blood flowing, his eyes glancing toward the exit, but his attention remained fixed on The Elder in case anything happened.

After a moment, The Elder seemed to have made up his mind about something. He stood up from his cross-legged position. Once standing, The Elder's body appeared exceptionally tall, only slightly shorter than Brian Carter, and he walked with a powerful, imposing stride, showing none of the frailty expected of someone his age.

Looking at the skin on his hands, there were no wrinkles at all; it was dark, shiny, and unusually smooth, his muscles strong and well-developed. His body was in its prime, nothing like what a man in his fifties should be!

When he was five feet in front of Brian Carter, the man stared at him and said, "Are you willing to take me as your master?"

His tone was extremely serious. As he approached, an overwhelming pressure swept over Brian Carter, making it feel as if the very air around him had solidified. He couldn't even feel the movement of the air. It was a sense of death—Brian Carter felt like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, with no chance to resist!

What kind of power was this? It was completely beyond Brian Carter's imagination!

It was a fear that came from the soul itself, his heart beating much faster than usual, the thumping sound clearly audible!

"What can you teach me? What do I need to do?" Brian Carter replied, his voice still fairly calm.

The pressure on his body suddenly vanished, as if everything just now had been an illusion of Brian Carter's own making. But Brian Carter was certain it was no illusion—his heartbeat had not yet returned to normal.

At this moment, Brian Carter noticed that The Elder's eyes had returned to their normal dark brown color, and he suddenly felt that the sense of danger from The Elder had lessened considerably.