Chapter 101: An Ambush!
Chapter 100
And with Lana’s movement, the battle with the wolves had just begun, and so did the so-called friendly competition officially kick off.
To be honest, the fight erupted with brutal intensity right from the start. Jake leaped up high into the air, reaching nearly seven metres. His legs enlarged as he descended, and when he shot back down, he slammed both feet into the skull of one of the wolves.
The impact was devastating. A violent shockwave burst outward as the beast’s head caved in against the earth. The ground itself cracked and sank from the sheer force, sending thick clouds of dust swirling across the battlefield.
GROWL!
Another wolf lunged toward Jake, but before it could sink its fangs into him, Jake spun around, thrusting his hands into its jaws. The beast’s razor teeth clamped down hard, but Jake didn’t even flinch. He pulled back his fist, ready to finish it off, but then a shadow leaped past him.
A palm slammed down on the wolf’s skull, and the creature staggered, twitching uncontrollably, before collapsing with a heavy thud.
Foam poured from its mouth, its body convulsing violently. Jake’s eyes narrowed in surprise. The hunter who poisoned it landed gracefully on the ground, smirking with satisfaction. He had wavy green hair and was one of Zach’s squad members.
Seeing his kill stolen so brazenly, Jake’s face hardened in anger. But the green-haired hunter only licked his lips, stuck out his tongue in mockery, and dashed off to claim more prey.
"Bastards," Jake muttered under his breath. A guttural growl sounded behind him. Without even looking back, he twisted around, slamming his fist into the beast’s jaw.
Its fangs shattered as its head snapped sideways, and the wolf’s massive body lifted into the air before being hurled away like a ragdoll.
Meanwhile, Lana dominated the skies. Her wings stretched wide as she rained down a barrage of feather-like bullets, each glowing faintly with a sharp edge. It took about half a dozen to bring down a single wolf, but her unrelenting precision tore through the horde.
She spotted one wolf lunging toward Jim, its jaws open wide. In an instant, she launched feathers directly at it, but before they struck, another figure stepped in.
A towering hunter from Zach’s squad swung his massive blade, batting her feathers aside as if they were an annoyance. In one fluid motion, he slammed the blade down into the wolf, cleaving it and sending its carcass skidding across the dirt.
The man grinned broadly up at her, clearly expecting acknowledgment. Lana, however, didn’t even spare him a glance. She continued her assault from the air, ignoring him entirely.
The hunter’s grin faltered, irritation flashing across his eyes. Being disregarded so coldly gnawed at his pride, and already he was devising ways to annoy her further.
On the ground, Daki and Jasmine fought side by side. They didn’t possess the overwhelming hybrid powers of their teammates, so they relied on skill, precision, and teamwork.
FWOOOSH!
Daki’s whip lashed through the air, the razor tip piercing into the skull of a wolf about to ambush them. Jasmine seized the opening.
She sprang onto the beast, clutching its thick fur with one hand while repeatedly driving her sword into its head. Blood sprayed as she struck again and again. The wolf’s legs faltered, its body swaying left and right. One more blow would have been enough to end it.
But before Jasmine could deliver the final strike, something fast zipped through the air. A spike embedded itself deep into the beast’s skull, killing it instantly.
Jasmine froze in shock, then quickly leaped away from the collapsing body. Her eyes snapped toward the source.
And sure enough, Zach stood there with a smug grin, spikes protruding from his hands, as if mocking her effort.
In Zach’s group, out of the six, three were actively stealing kills while the remaining three stood at a distance, their gazes sharp as they watched the battlefield with suspicious intensity.
One of the watchers tapped his earpiece and muttered in a low voice. "Two o’clock."
The green-haired hunter reacted instantly, leaping aside to avoid a wolf’s snapping jaws. His hands elongated grotesquely, flesh stretching unnaturally as mouths formed at his palms. With a sick grin, he jammed them into the beast’s back.
Tendrils shot out, burrowing deep into the wolf’s body. The creature staggered, foam spilling from its mouth as its life drained away. The green-haired hunter swung the corpse by the spine and hurled it, the body crashing into another wolf that Max had been lining up to kill.
"Oops. My kill," the green-haired man mocked with a wide grin.
’This is fucking annoying!’ Max thought, his fists clenched tight, fury boiling in his chest.
"How long?" one of the three observers whispered as he tapped his own earpiece.
"Just a little longer. His calm facade is cracking. I need it to shatter completely for my plan to work," Zach whispered back, his hand covering his ear as a sinister smile tugged at his lips.
A wolf lunged straight for Zach’s face. At the last second, he spun around, exposing his back to it.
The beast impaled itself onto the spikes protruding from his spine, shrieking as blood sprayed across the ground. Without hesitation, Zach released the spikes, flinging the corpse away. A fresh row of jagged spikes sprouted instantly, glinting with lethal menace.
Up above, Lana continued her relentless barrage of feather bullets, tearing through beast after beast.
But more often than not, before she could finish her target, the massive-sword-wielding hunter from Zach’s squad would leap in and claim the kill for himself. Each stolen strike chipped away at her patience.
"Oh, you want to play?" she muttered, fury sparking in her eyes. "Well, two can play that game."
Her wings spread wide as she dove down with reckless speed. She didn’t aim for a free beast this time but went straight for the one the sword-wielder was already fighting.
Just as he prepared to deliver the finishing blow, Lana swept in, her wings slicing out like blades. They cut clean through the wolf’s neck, severing it in one smooth motion. The beast collapsed lifelessly to the dirt with a resounding thud.
"That was fun," Lana said coldly, hovering just above the ground. A throbbing vein pulsed on the side of the man’s head as his pride took a heavy hit.
"Tch!" he spat, face tightening with annoyance. He spun away, targeting another beast to vent his rage. But again, before his blade could land, Lana swooped in, claiming the kill as her own.
From then on, a silent but vicious competition ignited between them, each determined to outdo the other by stealing kills at every chance.
On the opposite end, Jake was swarmed by more and more wolves. Nearly a dozen beasts circled him, all singling him out as a threat. Because of their sheer numbers, Zach’s teammates had no chance to interfere with his kills. That left them free to redirect their efforts toward Max.
The dragon was in the thick of battle, weaving past a wolf’s claws that narrowly missed slashing across his face. Pivoting sharply, he lunged forward, sword raised high, aiming for its chest. But before his blade could connect, the wolf dropped dead.
Max’s eyes widened. Zach stood nearby, his grin stretched wide with malicious delight, watching him unravel.
Minutes ticked by. The wolves’ numbers thinned, corpses littering the battlefield, but the frustration mounted. Max’s team was losing the so-called competition, and rage boiled in his chest until it finally spilled over.
"Enough is enough!" Max roared, his voice thundering across the field. His hands shot outward, and power surged through his veins. Without hesitation, he unleashed his skill.
{Draconic Force Palm Activated}
BOOOM!
A violent shockwave burst outward, rattling the air. He hadn’t directed it at anyone in particular, but the sound caught the attention of the remaining wolves.
Every beast’s head snapped toward him, their glowing eyes locking onto their new target. Growls erupted in unison as nearly twenty wolves broke from the chaos and charged his way.
Max smirked. "Oh yeah!" he shouted, welcoming the challenge.
From the sidelines, the three men who had been quietly observing suddenly tapped their ears.
"It is time," one whispered.
Zach’s lips curled as he mirrored the gesture. "Now we move," he commanded.
The wolves closed in, surrounding Max in a tightening circle of claws and fangs. His vision was blocked by their towering forms, but he didn’t care. His sword flashed as he weaved between them, fighting with raw desperation.
Then, in a chillingly calm voice, Zach gave the signal. "Now."
He clapped his hands together.
BANG!
The sound thundered through the field. Spikes across his body writhed, intertwining into one colossal spear, thick and jagged almost like a tree trunk. With a deafening roar, it shot forward at blinding speed, tearing through five wolves in its path as it barreled straight toward Max.
Jim’s eyes widened. Out of the corner of his gaze, he spotted the green-haired hunter creeping toward Max in perfect sync with the strike.
"MAX! LOOK OUT! IT’S AN AMBUSH!" Jim bellowed, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify the warning.
Max’s heightened senses caught the call. He spun just in time to see the massive spike streaking toward him.
"Shit!" he cursed, muscles tensing. His palms slammed against the earth.
{Draconic Force Palm Activated}
BOOOOM!
The ground shattered as a massive slab of rock erupted upward, intercepting the incoming spike. The collision sent shockwaves rattling across the battlefield.
Max staggered back, skidding several inches before regaining balance. The monstrous spear smashed through his barrier, bulldozing through several more wolves before dissipating.
Breathing heavily, Max steadied himself, heart pounding like a drum. "Th... that was close," he muttered under his breath.
"Was it?" a chilling voice hissed into his ear.
His eyes widened. Pain exploded in his back as something sharp jammed deep into him, injecting a vile substance straight into his veins.
{WARNING! Poison detected in Host’s bloodstream}
"ARGHHHHHH!" Max’s agonized scream tore across the battlefield, silencing the chaos. The last of the beasts lay dead, and every head snapped toward him as his body convulsed violently.
Foam spilled from his mouth as his eyes bulged. His knees buckled, and he dropped to the dirt, trembling in agony.
Before anyone could react, a booming voice thundered through the air, dripping with authority.
"I had my doubts, but I must say... I am impressed you managed to do your part, younger one."
Everyone’s heads whipped around. From the shadows, a man stepped forward, flanked by a hundred figures radiating suffocating auras of dominance.
Zach chuckled darkly, his eyes glinting with malice. "I needed to make my revenge easier for you to accomplish, brother."
Jake’s heart sank, realization hitting him like a hammer. ’Fuck! His brother and father’s gang are involved?! This is bad. This is really bad.’
Max’s vision blurred as the system screen flashed before his eyes.
{Host will now experience a reduction in HP by 5 every two minutes until poison is removed. Failure to remove poison in time will result in Host’s death.}
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{A/N}
Hey guys! Congratulations to us! We just hit a hundred Chapters 🥳 unfortunately, it didn’t have that impact I expected 😞 but anyway, we go again. This is my first milestone and I’m excited. Thank you all for reading so far.
It only gets better. I love you all 😊🫶