Chapter 1158, The Wolf Pack

Translator: Silavin

 

*Awoooo…* A wolf howl split the sky. Countless birds and creatures scattered in all directions at once.

 

Su Bai heard it and frowned slightly, then let the expression go.

 

He scanned the surroundings, sensing the environment around them, trying to determine where the sound had originated.

 

“Shaman, Ferocious Beasts.” Yan Hua tensed immediately and reached for her recurve bow.

 

Yan Hua’s sharp red eyes swept the area. A Totem Warrior’s instinct told her danger was closing in.

 

Her grip on the recurve bow was firm. She was confident she could make any target regret showing itself the moment it came into view.

 

“Keep the Shaman between us.” Sha Lan said at once. She had her weapon ready as well.

 

Sha Lan had chosen not her recurve bow but her long blade. Her role was to catch anything that slipped past Yan Hua and cut it down before it reached them.

 

“It’s fine. Do not be so tense. This could well be something very useful.” Su Bai said, calming them both.

 

Seeing how wound up they were, he felt only anticipation. Wolf howls meant something worth having.

 

Su Bai found himself quietly appreciating the Hunting Ground’s generosity.

 

*Grrrr…* The Giant Shell Land Tortoise began to grow uneasy, rumbling with low, unhappy sounds.

 

“You are fine. Keep going.” Su Bai stamped firmly on the shell.

 

It was the only way. The shell was so high and thick that a light tap was entirely unfelt.

 

*Grrrr…*

 

A few calls and the Giant Shell Land Tortoise steadied itself, continuing on toward the Flame Dragon Tribe without further complaint.

 

Su Bai did not want it making too much noise. The surrounding Ferocious Beasts would be frightened off.

 

He still intended to capture a few more that could be of use to the Tribe before they returned. There was much he wanted the Tribe to develop.

 

“Shaman, are you thinking of capturing these Ferocious Beasts?” Yan Hua asked, still watching the surroundings.

 

It would not be easy. The Giant Shell Land Tortoise kept moving, and the environment around them kept changing. A momentary lapse in attention could mean a Ferocious Beast attack from nowhere.

 

This was the risk of riding a mount. The speed of travel was faster, but quick and cunning Ferocious Beasts could exploit the movement. Full concentration was required at every moment. One slip up could mean falling from the mount’s back without even knowing how it happened.

 

“Indeed. Many of our Warriors still have no mounts. I would like to bring some back so everyone can be equipped.” Su Bai said.

 

The Six Eyed Red Birds had originally been intended to form a land combat unit, but had ultimately become primarily cargo birds.

 

So, he had been thinking about finding something suited to Totem Warriors, something with advantages in ground combat.

 

He had been deliberating over what that might be. Then the wolf howl came, and he had his answer.

 

“Though we do not yet know what kind of Ferocious Beast. Only that it is wolf related.” Yan Hua continued scanning.

 

She was tense precisely because of that. Wolves had exceptional mobility. Speed and lethality were both very high. A lapse in attention could mean being torn apart.

 

“I can sense a group of them approaching slowly. And there are quite a number. Pay attention.” Su Bai began preparing.

 

“Understood.” Yan Hua raised the recurve bow.

 

“Wait. We need them alive, not dead. Whatever happens next, let me handle it. Trust me.” Su Bai said, quite seriously.

 

He was looking for mounts for the Totem Warriors, after all. Killing them all would defeat the purpose.

 

His current strength was more than enough to capture them alive. And beyond simply capturing them, he also wanted to test himself.

 

“Shaman, are you sure this is all right?” Yan Hua was a little concerned.

 

“I worry they are more dangerous than we think.” Sha Lan said.

 

“It’s fine. I have more than enough confidence to handle this.” Su Bai said, with an easy and unhurried smile.

 

From his Spatial Awareness, the creatures were on par with Early-Stage Totem Warriors. They posed no threat to him at all.

 

Even as a collective type, it made no difference. Su Bai’s current strength was at the level of a Late-Stage Totem Warrior, and then some.

 

These opponents were, in truth, simpler than drinking water with all his Skills.

 

“Okay.” Yan Hua trusted him, and quietly stowed the recurve bow.

 

Sha Lan put the long blade away as well. But her body remained alert, ready to respond if any of the creatures broke through.

 

*Awoooo…*

 

The howling rose again, closer this time. It sounded as though it came from just beyond the trees.

 

“Here they come.” Su Bai narrowed his dark eyes and dropped into a half-crouch.

 

*Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh…*

 

In the space of a blink, a great many grey-brown wolves burst from the undergrowth. Twice the size of modern wolves. Similar enough in appearance otherwise, but the claws and teeth were distinctly sharper.

 

Their fur was also considerably longer. Two tails each, swishing behind them. The lethality they projected was noticeably greater than their modern counterparts.

 

Su Bai reacted instantly. His legs pushed off the shell, and his right fist drove into the head of the wolf lunging directly at him.

 

He did not use full force. Only half. Full force would have taken the head apart entirely.

 

He needed them alive.

 

The wolf in front of him yelped and went down. He pivoted immediately, and his left leg swept hard into another wolf. It yelped too, and collapsed.

 

But Su Bai did not pause. More wolves were still charging.

 

He swept several more down in quick succession, then dropped both hands to the ground and spun into a wide windmill kick, legs sweeping through the wolves lunging at him from both sides.

 

Every movement was clean and direct. Nothing wasted, nothing drawn out. Within minutes, more than a dozen wolves were down.

 

They were still alive. Only their heads felt utterly blank with dizziness. They lay where they had fallen and could not move.

 

“Oh…” Yan Hua went completely still. Her red eyes had gone very wide.

 

Yan Hua found she had no words. She knew only that what she had just witnessed was extraordinary.

 

“The Shaman is amazing.” Sha Lan had also frozen entirely.

 

She could not believe what she had just seen. It was too far beyond reason.

 

Even the most formidable Totem Warrior could not have done what he just did. And every movement flowed into the next without pause.

 

Fast enough to blur. Dizzying to follow. And each strike was placed with precision that avoided anything vital.