Chapter 13: The Giant Wolf

At this moment, Fang Qingyun was utterly bewildered. How could this even be happening!?

Watching the ever-increasing origin points, Fang Qingyun’s expression twisted in conflict. The fact that his origin points were growing meant he was about to become stronger again. That, of course, was good news! Yet, being hunted down by Xu Tao and his gang brought with it a strange sense of humiliation.

Was he really on the verge of death? Damn it, he couldn’t see it at all! Pushed to the brink of death by Xu Tao’s pathetic crew? Just a few weaklings like them?

His dislike for Xu Tao grew yet again.

As Fang Qingyun continued his flight, his face suddenly changed. In that instant, his strength, speed, and physique erupted all at once. He accelerated sharply, darting forward almost as if he were teleporting.

A soft “pop!” sounded from below his feet. Fang Qingyun’s face darkened as he stared at the hole, “A sniper rifle?”

“Damn it, such weapons should never be allowed during the college entrance examination!”

No wonder he was in mortal danger—getting hit by a sniper rifle meant certain death! Never mind that he was only a would-be martial artist; even a true martial artist couldn’t withstand a sniper bullet with just their body!

Fortunately, he’d been on high alert when his origin points began to fluctuate.

Suddenly, a more ferocious barrage descended—the light machine gun began spitting fire.

“This can’t go on!”

Watching the bullets streaking toward him, Fang Qingyun’s face turned grim. Without hesitation, he boosted his strength by one point.

[Origin Points -100]

[Strength +1]

[Strength: 8]

Crack! A surge of overwhelming power exploded from within. All exhaustion was swept away.

Boom! Two deep footprints appeared in the ground. Like a rocket, Fang Qingyun shot into the air, his body tracing a graceful arc to evade the rain of bullets, landing steadily several meters away.

Xu Tao and his group stared in disbelief.

“How is that possible?”

Someone blurted out, aghast, “How could an ordinary person do that? Has Fang Qingyun already become a martial artist?”

“Nonsense!” Xu Tao, noticing the fear creeping into his companions, cursed, “A martial artist? Could you hunt down a martial artist with just these guns? If a real martial artist stood before us, we’d be dead already.”

“Then… how did he…”

“Enough!” Xu Tao barked. “He must have used some secret treasure left by his parents. He can’t use it more than a few times; otherwise, he wouldn’t be running. After him!”

Without another word, Xu Tao led the charge toward Fang Qingyun.

Fang Qingyun smiled slightly, though his eyes flashed with a hint of ferocity as he gripped his long blade more tightly.

Even a tiger fallen from the mountain is not at the mercy of dogs. You weaklings, I’ll show you the power of an aspiring martial artist.

A furious roar suddenly erupted from behind.

Fang Qingyun’s expression changed drastically.

Once his strength reached eight, the origin points had stopped fluctuating—evidence that the system deemed him safe. But now, they were surging again.

Danger?

Without a second thought, Fang Qingyun charged at Xu Tao and the others, simultaneously boosting his speed by two points, increasing it to nine.

[Origin -100]

[Origin -100]

[Speed +1]

[Speed +1]

[Speed: 9]

Crack! Another crisp sound came from his body.

Fang Qingyun’s face took on a greenish hue. He didn’t particularly like adding to his speed. Increasing strength brought a swelling, muscular sensation. Speed, on the other hand, increased muscle density. In short, continually raising strength would turn you into a hulking muscleman, while speed optimized your body, making you lean and balanced without adding weight. He wanted definition, not bulk!

With a sudden whoosh, his speed soared. He effortlessly dodged countless bullets—and a massive beast’s claw that came crashing down.

In the corner of his eye, Fang Qingyun glimpsed a creature resembling a wolf, a half-demon, half-monster, yet standing two meters tall. Its appearance alone suggested it was not to be trifled with. Worse still, there was a whole pack—eight of them in all!

Another furious, thunderous howl rang out.

Though Fang Qingyun had evaded both bullet and beast, many of the bullets struck the creature’s paw. Not fatal—but they sank in several inches.

Pain!

The giant wolf was enraged. Relative to its two-meter height and three-meter length, a few inches wasn’t much, but the pain was real. With another furious roar, it led the other wolves in a charge toward Fang Qingyun, Xu Tao, and the rest.

“Why are you chasing me?”

Glancing at his now-jumping origin points, Fang Qingyun couldn’t help but shout at the giant wolf, “They’re the ones who shot you! Go after them! You tried to ambush me, and I let it slide—don’t push your luck, or I’ll make you suffer later!”

The giant wolf’s expression grew even fiercer.

All humans deserved death.

It and its pack had already slaughtered more than a few people—not merely expelled them from the secret realm, but truly killed them. This time would be no exception.

Xu Tao and his companions blanched, shrieking, “Shoot! Shoot them all!”

Gunfire erupted, bullets whistling toward the giant wolves. Unfortunately, even the most powerful sniper rifle in their arsenal could not deal a fatal blow to these monsters. Half-demon, half-monster, they boasted tough hides, thick flesh, and bones that could serve as weapons. Unless a vital spot was hit, the bullets would only enrage them.

Indeed, wounded and in pain, the giant wolves became even more ferocious, howling as they charged.

“Damn it!” Xu Tao cursed, turning to run.

The others did the same, some even tossing their guns aside.

Why were sniper rifles and machine guns—indeed, even more dangerous weapons—allowed in the entrance exam? Because they were heavy. Inside the secret realm, a gun weighing dozens of pounds could feel like hundreds. Who could wield such weapons effectively? If you couldn’t kill a giant wolf on your first try, it would tear you apart. In comparison, a handgun was much more practical.

“Scatter!” Xu Tao shouted.

But his lackeys didn’t listen, clinging tightly to his side.

Xu Tao, both furious and alarmed, snapped, “You guys…”

His followers shouted enthusiastically:

“Boss, don’t worry!”

“We’re with you! We’ll protect you!”

“That’s right, that’s right!”

“With us here, you have nothing to fear.”

“You—you all…”

Xu Tao trembled, not from excitement but from rage, nearly cursing them out loud.

Did he need their protection?

Fang Qingyun couldn’t help but laugh.

“What are you laughing at?” Xu Tao glared at him.

“I just remembered something delightful,” Fang Qingyun replied with a smile. “Goodbye, Xu Tao. Thanks for all your help. If I get the chance, I’ll give you a real ‘thrashing’ someday.”

“One last piece of advice: don’t take everyone else for fools.”

He glanced meaningfully at Xu Tao’s henchmen. While they gaped in shock, Fang Qingyun overtook them all in a few strides, dashing off into the distance.

In the blink of an eye, Xu Tao and his followers became the first line of defense against the charging giant wolves.