Chirp! Chirp!! Chirp!!!
The bright and cheerful morning melody of hummingbirds sang through the leafy branches, gently soothing the wilderness creatures from their night-long sleep. As the morning mist started to unveil the forest, Cao Yuan's muscular body took the shape of a large figure stretched out on the branch of the tree where he had spent the night.
The morning sun shone warmly on his body as his broad chest rose and fell in time with the morning aura. The whole scene was calm and harmonious until a single, piercing howl of a wolf shattered the morning hymn of the birds.
"Howuuu… Howuuu… Hooowuuuu…"
It rung out, sequentially, three times in a row, and the strange sound was incredibly bizarre. It seemed like the sound came from miles away, but at the same time, it seemed like it was right next to your ear. It was like a sound that was both far and near at the same time.
Bang!! Thud!!
Right after the howling of the wolf, two distinct thuds resounded throughout the grove at the same time. The first one was the huge figure of Cao Yuan falling from the tree to the forest floor below, sending a flurry of dust and leaves into the morning air as he landed, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the area. The second thud was much lighter and came from a strange insect that had fallen right next to him.
Cao Yaun stumbled back in shock as he looked at the strange beetle that had landed a few feet away from him. He felt creepy all over as he stared at the bizarre creature. What the fuck is this? For a moment, the two strange-looking creatures locked eyes with each other, studying the other in the dim morning light, neither moving an inch.
The beast was bizarre-looking. Its body was covered in a hard, dark green exoskeleton that had a metallic shine to it. Its six strong legs held up its round, armored body like a regular rhinoceros beetle. But the most notable feature about the strange insect was its head.
It was almost identical to the head of a wolf. Pointed ears, a snout, and a set of sharp fangs came together to form the head of a beast that looked like it belonged in a fairy tale. However, the head looked as if it had been attached to the beetle's body in an unnatural manner. It seemed to stick out from the insect's body at an odd angle, connected by a long, thin neck that came from the cracks in the beetle's exoskeleton.
The beetle's eyes glowed a faint red color, and its jaws were dripping with saliva. Small spines ran along the creature's back, and its mandibles clicked hungrily.
While Cao Yuan was busy admiring the strange wolf beetle's appearance, it suddenly shot forward like a falcon diving down for its prey. It attacked without warning and without any trace of courtesy. It did not growl or show any signs of aggression before attacking. It simply launched its heavily armored body at Cao Yuan like a cannonball.
The wolf beetle moved so fast that it created a whooshing sound as it flew through the air, targeting Cao Yuan's head. Cao Yuan ducked instinctively as the creature's armored shell whizzed past his head, sending a gust of air that messed up his hair. It slammed into the tree trunk at the back of Cao Yuan, denting the hard wood before rebounding back into the air, not giving him a second to catch his breath.
It used the force from the rebound to launch itself at Cao Yuan once more. Cao Yaun raised his iron rod to meet the attack, but the beetle's hard exoskeleton deflected most of the force. The impact sent the creature flying back a short distance.
The wolf beetle was incredibly fast and aggressive, its wolf-like jaws snapping at Cao Yuan while its spiked body rammed into him at the same time. It forced Cao Yuan to constantly move, using his rod to parry the beast's attacks before countering with a few of his own. The wolf's attack did not give him a single moment to breathe or take the initiative as he was forced to always be on the defensive. Sparks flew as the iron rod clashed against the beetle's exoskeleton.
Remarkably resilient, the wolf beetle had launched several heavy blows, occasionally injuring Cao Yaun's body. Despite taking several heavy blows from the rod, the creature kept coming.
It jumped at him one moment, and then bit or rammed its plated skull into him the next, forcing him to remain on the defensive. Cao Yaun had landed several solid blows on the creature, cracking its exoskeleton, but it refused to give up.
Clank! Clank!! Clank!!!
The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out as the sun began to rise higher in the sky. After nearly twenty minutes of continuous fighting, Cao Yuan's breathing had become heavier. He was exhausted, but the wolf beetle seemed to have endless energy.
After another round of the two combatants clashing, the wolf beetle clung to the rear end of Cao Yaun's rod, refusing to let go. Taking advantage of this, Cao Yuan flung the weapon away from him, sending it flying into the distance.
But before he could catch his breath, the figure of the wolf beetle rocketed toward him.
"fuck!!!" Cao Yuan cursed under his breath as he raised his arm in front of him, now weaponless. The strange wolf's attack had changed, and it seemed to have become more deliberate on its side.
The beetle's armored wolf-head rammed into Cao Yuan's raised arm. Thanks to his late-stage Silver Bones, his flesh did not split open, but the force of the small insect's body sent him skidding backward by half a step. The wolf-beetle was relentless and used its spiked legs to latch onto his sleeve while its jaws gnawed furiously at his arm.
"Get off!" Cao Yuan roared as he slammed his left arm into the side of a tree.
The force sent the strange creature flying, but it quickly rolled on the ground before coming up to charge at him again. Its spiny legs churned as it moved in a dizzying zig-zag pattern, making it difficult to follow with the eyes.
Knowing that his shamanic runes were still cold and useless for the time being, Cao Yuan focused his mental power to track the creature's movements. As the wolf-beetle launched itself at him for another head-on collision, Cao Yuan moved his stance and pulled his right hand back, folding his fingers into a tight, heavy palm strike.
Cao yaun focuses all his strength, slapping down onto the emerald exoskeleton of the wolf beetle. Delivering a devastating blow while also channeling the sonic shock ability though his attack.
BOOM!
His palm connected with the top of the wolf-beetle's carapace, sending a shockwave through the creature's body. The sheer power in his strike caused the beast's exoskeleton to dent inward, forcing it to the ground.
A second later, the sonic shockwave from the strike impacted the creature's body, sending ripples of energy through its body.
The heavy blows sent the beetle's internal organs smashing together before its emerald green blood spurted out from its wolf-like head. Using his bare hands, Cao Yuan grabbed the creature and smashed it into the ground with all his strength. The impact sent the insect flying, leaving a small crater in the ground.
Before it could recover, Cao Yaun delivered two more powerful palm strikes, channeling his power directly into the creature's body. The final strike crushed through the exoskeleton of the beetle.
The strange Wolf Beetle twitched one last time before going completely quiet, By the time the battle ends the morning had already fully arrived. The bright, golden sun broke through the horizon, illuminating the whole mirrored inner layer with warm sunlight, revealing the dusty clearing.
Cao Yaun wiped the sweat and dirt from his face and looked at the dead creature. Going through the just concluded battle, Cao Yaun cursed at his luck, even though the monster was of the same realm as him, it took him almost over two hours to finally finish it.
Even though he was caught off-guard and ambushed, Cao Yaun was still not satisfied with his performance, feeling that he could not fully display his strength.
As he went through the aftermath of their battle, the forest, having served Cao Yuan's morning breakfast, resumed its usual peaceful life, with birds chirping, a gentle breeze blowing, and distant beast growls ringing in his ears.
Shaking his head, Cao Yaun went back to where he had spent the night, picking up his bag and weapon before returning with a dagger to the wolf body, as he went to work harvesting a few useful parts from the wolf beetle's body, an action that Cao Yaun strangely became more perfect at.
The wolfs chitin and exoskeleton, would make a good armor, despite the serious clash only a dent and a few cracks were on the exoskeleton. It might also sell for some money, having harvested what he needed Cao Yaun returned his focus and continued on his way forward.