"Haven't we arrived yet?" Dai Yuan asked, stepping over a thick root as he walked in front of Wang Linlin, clearing the tangled undergrowth from their path.
"Nope! Just a little bit further," Wang Linlin said, pointing a finger enthusiastically over his shoulder.
"Sigh. That is the fourth time you've said that." Dai Yuan felt a wave of exhaustion hit him. They had been walking for over five hours since passing through the heavy gates of Brightmoon City, heading deep into the western sector of the Brightmoon Forest.
Unlike the dense, suffocating jungles of the lower valleys, this part of the forest was spacious. The topography consisted of rising rocky slopes punctuated by massive, ancient trees. These trees did not grow closely together, leaving wide gaps between them, but their sheer size was intimidating. Each one boasted a remarkably thick, broad trunk covered in dark, mossy bark, their massive roots anchoring deep into the stone floor like the talons of giant birds.
"Oh, there it is!" Wang Linlin suddenly called out, pointing through a gap where the great trees slightly obscured the trail ahead.
"Where?" Dai Yuan asked, his eyes scanning the rugged landscape.
Emerging from the treeline, they stepped into a wide, sunlit clearing nestled directly beneath a towering mountain cliff. Standing solitary in the center of this clearing was the massive berry tree. It was a giant of its species, its thick branches drooping under the weight of hundreds of plump, deep-purple Fullmoon Grapes that glistened like polished gems in the afternoon light.
"Awoooo!!"
Before they could take another step, a sharp, resounding cry shattered the quiet of the clearing. From the base of the cliff, a small pack of five wolves rose from their lazy, sun-warmed positions. They bared their long fangs, growling low in their throats as they locked their eyes onto the intruders.
"Moon Dancing Wolves," Wang Linlin muttered, her voice dropping to a nervous whisper as she immediately shrank back, hiding her slight frame behind Dai Yuan's towering, muscular figure.
These beasts were distinct and deadly. Each Moon Dancing Wolf was nearly the size of a small calf, covered in sleek, milky-white fur that seemed to trap and reflect the daylight, giving off a faint, iridescent glow. They had long, slender limbs built for extreme agility, and their amber eyes burned with a calculating, predatory intelligence.
Looking at the aggressive wolves slowly fanning out to encircle them, Dai Yuan lowered the tip of his cloth-wrapped iron rod, his expression turning serious. He gently placed a hand on Wang Linlin's shoulder, nudging her backward.
"Stay behind that large boulder we just passed. Let me handle these guys," he said, his eyes never leaving the lead wolf.
"Be careful!" Wang Linlin whispered, her footsteps quickly retreating toward the safety of the rocks.
"Alright, boys," Dai Yuan muttered, curving his free hand into a blunt gesture. "Which one of you wants to go first?"
With a low growl, the five wolves lunged simultaneously. Their slender legs kicked up dirt as their speed rapidly increased, their white fur blurring as they closed the distance to Dai Yuan's position.
"One… two… three… Hah!"
Dai Yuan released a sharp battle cry, using the momentum of his hips to unleash a massive, horizontal sweeping strike with the iron rod.
Bang!
The heavy iron collided squarely with the ribs of the lead wolf, the blunt force sending the beast flying backward into the dirt. However, the remaining four wolves deftly maneuvered in mid-air, dodging the tail end of the swing and landing gracefully as they formed a tight circle around him.
The wolves began to pace, their paws moving silently over the soil, while the one he had struck managed to scramble back to its feet. It shook its head, letting out a furious howl. Dai Yuan leaned forward, bracing his weight against the iron rod, its tip dug slightly into the earth from the force of his opening swing.
"Hah!"
Twisting his torso with sudden agility, Dai Yuan brought the rod over his head, smashing it downward toward a wolf trying to sneak up on his blind spot. The heavy iron struck the forest floor with an explosive thud, sending a shower of dirt, shattered rocks, and dried leaves flying into the air.
But his attack missed. The Moon Dancing Wolves possessed incredible sensitivity and agility; the beast had bounded away a fraction of a second before the weapon connected. Before Dai Yuan could recover his balance or wrench the heavy rod back into a defensive stance, two wolves lunged at him from opposite sides—one snapping its jaws toward his throat, the other flashing sharp, gleaming claws.
"Ugh!"
Dai Yuan barely managed to jerk his upper body back to avoid the gaping maw of the first wolf, but he grunted in pain as a tearing sensation sliced across his lower back. The second wolf had successfully landed a strike, its sharp claws drawing a bloody trail down his lower back and hip.
"Awoo!"
The scent of fresh blood immediately stimulated the pack. The remaining three wolves joined the fray, their movements turning wild and ferocious. Teeth and claws snapped continuously, leaving thin red marks across the youth's massive frame.
"Damn it!"
Feeling choked and frustrated by the erratic, overlapping attacking patterns of the beasts, Dai Yuan roared. He swung the iron rod in a desperate, wild circle to clear his perimeter. The wolves easily anticipated the slow, heavy movement and leaped back out of range. Dai Yuan cursed his bad luck internally. It was becoming clear that his very first successful hit had been nothing more than a fluke. Against opponents this fast, the extreme weight of his new weapon was slowing him down, turning his mastery into a clumsy joke.
His eyes flickered dangerously as the wolves closed in again. Amidst the intense concentration, a sudden rush of hot breath warned him of an attack from his left flank. Without a second thought, Dai Yuan gripped the rod with both hands and thrust it violently sideways like a spear.
The blunt tip connected with a heavy thud, sinking into the attacking wolf's chest. But before he could capitalize on the hit, the rest of the pack howled, launching another chaotic lunge while his weapon was extended.
Grimacing with displeasure, Dai Yuan realized the rod was momentarily wedged against the beast's ribs. Deciding instantly, he let go of the weapon entirely.
Clenching his massive hands into heavy fists, Dai Yuan launched a straight right punch forward like a torpedo, meeting the nearest charging wolf head-on.
Bang!
His knuckles collided squarely with the wolf's throat. The sheer, unadulterated force of the impact snapped the beast's neck instantly, flinging its lifeless body backward into the dirt. Dai Yuan's eyes jumped with sudden realization. The raw sensation of using his bare fists felt entirely different.
With a new resolve, he shifted his stance. Without the dead weight of the two-hundred-kilogram iron rod holding him back, his natural, monstrous physical strength and enhanced physique were completely unleashed. His strikes became incredibly fast and direct.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The rhythmic sound of his knuckles striking flesh and bone echoed through the clearing. Abandoning the weapon, his rate of landing successful hits increased exponentially. One heavy punch after another sent the white wolves tumbling backward, their agile bodies crashing violently into the thick trunks of the surrounding trees and rocky stumps.