He was as if petrified, not daring to move a muscle. Thinking back to reading novels in the past, every protagonist was fearless and unafraid of death, knowingly heading into danger. At that time, it felt like death and injury weren’t all that different.

But now, truly facing death, William Carter finally realized how hard it was to overcome the fear of dying, how difficult it was to keep a calm heart in the face of death.

This feeling—he would never forget it for the rest of his life.

In the world of games, it turned out that heaven and hell were separated by only a thin line.

Hiss...

The demonized antelope was the first to crack under the pressure, leaping up with its three sharp horns pointed forward, charging at the demonized giant wolf’s belly from the side. The giant wolf opened its bloody maw and bit fiercely at the antelope’s foreleg.

A tooth-grinding sound of bones grinding together rang out—the giant wolf bit through the antelope’s knee, while the antelope’s horn stabbed into the wolf’s belly. The two beasts tangled together, knocking over the campfire.

William Carter didn’t have time to check how much health the antelope had left. He raised his dagger and desperately stabbed at the giant wolf. No matter how scared he was, he had to fight—otherwise, there was no chance of survival.

Chapter 6: Skill—Vitality

As the saying goes, a wolf has a copper head, iron tail, and tofu waist. But William Carter’s target wasn’t the wolf’s waist. He knew that no matter how strong he was, he couldn’t match the demonized antelope. Seeing that the antelope’s horn only went halfway into the wolf’s belly before it couldn’t go any further, William Carter realized that if he stabbed the wolf’s waist with his dagger, at most he’d only cause minor injuries, while the giant wolf could kill him with just three bites.

So William Carter chose the stick between the giant wolf’s hind legs—the one used for reproduction—as his target.

As he swung the knife, William Carter’s eyes turned red. He had never used so much strength in his life. With one slash, the giant wolf’s stick and balls were sent flying.

Awooo... The giant wolf let out a miserable howl, loosening its grip on the antelope’s foreleg. The antelope’s horn drove in a few more inches, already reaching the internal organs.

The wolf’s ghostly blue eyes seemed to shoot fire. Its leg kicked out, striking the outside of William Carter’s thigh. William Carter only felt a rush of heat and a stab of pain in his thigh, but he didn’t have time to check what had happened. He stabbed the giant wolf’s anus with his dagger again. Using every ounce of strength he had, the hilt of the knife split the skin between his thumb and forefinger.

“I’ll stab your ass till it blossoms!”

William Carter screamed wildly, slashing with the dagger like a madman. In just a moment, he stabbed four times in a row. Even if the wolf survived this, it would be doomed to die from being unable to relieve itself.

William Carter’s face was splattered with blood. Just as he was about to deliver a fifth stab, he felt a powerful force hit his lower abdomen. He tumbled through the air and crashed to the ground, his stomach churning as if he was about to vomit up all his internal organs.

Just as he tried to get up, William Carter felt a handful of blood. Looking down, he saw that his thigh had been ripped open by the wolf’s claws, three ghastly wounds deep enough to expose bone.

The giant wolf shook off the antelope and, with a furious roar, lunged at William Carter, jaws wide open, aiming for his throat. It was completely enraged.

“Ah!” Seeing the bloody maw coming at him, with no way to dodge, William Carter shouted, thrusting his arm and dagger together into the giant wolf’s mouth. With a crunch, his arm bone snapped without suspense.

William Carter was knocked to the ground by the wolf, pain searing through his arm and thigh. He didn’t have time to think about his injuries. With his other hand, he grabbed another dagger and stabbed it hard into the giant wolf’s navel. The blade sank halfway into the wolf’s belly, and William Carter twisted it with all his might. Blood gushed out like a fountain.

At that moment, the wounded antelope also joined the fray. Although it wasn’t as ruthless as William Carter, since it charged from behind the giant wolf, its sharp horn inevitably visited the wolf’s anus once again.

The giant wolf went berserk. Its mouth, blocked by William Carter’s dagger and arm, couldn’t open. It raised its front paw and stomped hard on William Carter’s chest. This time, William Carter couldn’t dodge. Three claw-like blades pierced his lung like slicing through tofu.

One stab, one pull—William Carter’s chest was like a burst water bag, blood gushing out in torrents, his lungs punctured and unable to breathe.

William Carter’s vision blurred. The giant wolf’s head became a hazy afterimage, and the wolf’s roar in his ears sounded like a dying tape recorder—distorted and eerie.

In that instant, William Carter’s mind went blank. He had no thoughts at all. Vaguely, he saw a purple light, bathing him as if in a mother’s embrace—warm and full of security. Just as he thought he was doomed, William Carter suddenly opened his eyes, shocked to find that the wound on his chest was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. Even his broken arm was as good as new.

What was even more unbelievable to William Carter was that even the antelope, which had been on the verge of death from the giant wolf’s bite, was also bathed in the purple light, its wounds healing as well.

A hoarse prompt sounded: “Skill Vitality used. Restores 50 health points to allied units within a 30-meter radius and increases armor by 2. Duration cannot be stacked. Mana cost: 5 points.”

Duration: 25 seconds. Cooldown: 1800 seconds.

This was the effect of Mekansm, the only item in Dota that could instantly restore health. Who used this skill?