Saliva dripped continuously from its sharp, pointed teeth. Accompanied by continuous low growls, fierce yellow eyes stared straight at him, filled with bloodthirsty killing intent and menace.
It was indeed a gray wolf!
The moment he locked eyes with the beast, the speed of Chuck's blood flow instantly accelerated, and his potion-enhanced perception was maximized. He quickly sensed several rustling sounds coming from behind the hill ahead.
A single wolf is not dangerous; the pack is.
Although the wolf currently made no moves, only threatening him with fierce low growls, Chuck knew that in the next second, this wolf could raise its head and call its companions, and the pack would swarm him from the surrounding hills and bushes!
Perhaps if Chuck turned and ran now, this wolf would call its companions to chase him, or perhaps it wouldn't.
But as he said before, this time, Chuck had come to actively seek trouble with the beasts.
So, there was naturally no reason to run…
Without any unnecessary movement, in a flash, a flint axe flew through the air at a speed far exceeding before, heading straight for the wolf's head!
Still Chuck's favorite move: the flying axe sneak attack!
But unfortunately, although Chuck's physical quality had evolved since before, the enemy he faced this time was different.
The gray wolf's reaction was exceptionally quick and agile. Although Chuck's sneak attack was fast and accurate, the wolf flexibly dodged it, allowing the flying axe to merely graze its fur, drawing a few strands of blood, but missing any vital spot.
Instead, it completely enraged the beast.
And so, immediately after…
"Awoooo—!"
The gray wolf threw its head back and let out a long howl.
At the same time, as if in response, a series of howls rose and fell from the front!
Silhouettes of gray and black, and fierce yellow eyes, appeared from different directions.
One, two…
Chuck's perception was maxed out, and he quickly discerned the pack's number.
A total of six!
Piercing wolf cries sounded from all directions. The former rustling sounds turned into rapid footsteps, quickly approaching Chuck.
This unprecedented sense of oppression!
Chuck stood his ground, gripping the spear tightly with both hands. A drop of cold sweat slowly rolled down his forehead.
This is a wolf pack?
Every second made death feel one step closer.
This sheer pressure alone was enough to completely terrify most people and leave them unable to fight back.
But as the seconds ticked by, the wolves that were slowly surrounding Chuck delayed their attack.
Sensing this, Chuck's previously highly tense nerves relaxed slightly.
Wolves were indeed the most cunning creatures.
Even in a group, even when facing only one enemy, and even when they had him completely encircled, they would still try to use intimidation to force the prey to expose a weakness before daring to attack.
A smile crept up Chuck's lips at this thought.
You want a weakness?
No problem.
The combat trick he learned while fighting the clouded leopard resurfaced in his mind. Chuck remained vigilant but slightly adjusted his posture.
His shoulders slowly lowered, and his body tilted slightly. He adjusted the angle of the long spear held horizontally in front of him.
The result of this was that Chuck actively exposed all his weaknesses to a gray wolf that had just quietly circled around his blind spot and was now positioned at his side.
This was, of course, deliberate.
At the same time, Chuck's other hand was already posed in a half-clench. The Workbench storage space was open, and his gaze had already selected three of the Molotov cocktails inside.
If he couldn't predict where the attack would come from, he would rely on a defensive counterattack!
Just like the clouded leopard before, this gray wolf easily took the bait.
Chuck suddenly felt a burst of dense, rapid four-legged running sounds from his side.
He glanced sideways. Sure enough, a gray-black figure was charging toward him at an extremely fast speed!
Immediately after, all the surrounding gray wolves moved simultaneously at that instant.
They coordinated with the initial attacker, swarming toward Chuck!
In a flash, Chuck showed no panic.
He pulled out a Molotov cocktail and smashed it hard onto the ground near his side!
Crack!
The scalding Molotov cocktail instantly shattered on the rocks of Red Stone Hill. The fuel inside burst out, turning into a towering ball of flame the moment it contacted the fire, instantly engulfing the gray wolf that happened to be stepping right on it.
The sharp, fierce wolf howl instantly turned into a dog-like yelp of pain. The gray wolf struggled madly in the flames, its fur quickly turning to charcoal in the firelight.
And while the wolf pack froze in their tracks, startled by the sudden appearance of the fire, two more Molotov cocktails followed closely, exploding right under their feet!
The same scene unfolded again.
Out of the total six wolves, three were accurately hit by Chuck's Molotov cocktails exploding at their feet, instantly engulfed by towering flames!
It proved that Chuck's choice of fuel was extremely wise. The resin clinging to the fur, once ignited, not only burned fiercely but was also impossible to shake off.
Like the Amaterasu fire, it turned them into roasted wolves amidst the pack's wailing.
The remaining three wolves, though not directly hit by the Molotov cocktails, also lost their ability to attack. One was caught by the fire because it was too close to its companion and was jumping around in flames.
The other two, though unburnt, were utterly terrified by the horrific fate of their companions. They turned and fled in the opposite direction from their attack.
Chuck didn't miss the opportunity. Already prepared, he immediately charged forward, thrusting his tusk spear with full force, accurately piercing the back of a fleeing gray wolf's neck.
The powerful force skewered its neck completely, and after a brief death struggle, it quickly became lifeless.
He pulled his spear back, charged again, and mercilessly killed the heavily burned gray wolf with overwhelming force.
In an instant, five out of the six gray wolves in the pack were dead!
Chuck shook the blood off his spear, let out a breath, and turned to look at the riverbank behind him.
—Which was the direction the last gray wolf had fled.
But what he saw instantly made his relieved mood tense up again.
On the stone beach, there was indeed a gray wolf running away frantically.
But also, not far in front of that gray wolf…
Three familiar figures had appeared, he didn't know when.
A layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on Chuck's forehead. He immediately stood up, put away his spear, and without even bothering to collect the Higanbanas, he started running at full speed!
As he ran, he didn't forget to shout a loud warning.
"Be careful!!!"
Time Reversal
Half an hour ago, Southwest Bay.
On a cool morning after breakfast, Tang Yumo called Kanae and Kaoru over before heading out to gather wild fruits.
"I have something I want to talk to you about."
On a cool morning, the older sister who had always taken good care of them suddenly spoke with such seriousness. Kanae and Kaoru instantly became serious too.
Yet, they were not surprised.
After all, the atmosphere in the cave last night had been inexplicably stiff due to Chuck's sudden arrival the day before. So, both girls had a rough guess about what Tang Yumo was going to say.
Tang Yumo hesitated for a moment, finally looked up, her brows furrowed, and spoke to them in an extremely solemn tone.
"Starting today, I want both of you to stay with me 24 hours a day and move together."
This single sentence instantly froze the air between them.
Kaoru's eyes were filled with disbelief, and her gaze gradually turned cold.
She looked at Tang Yumo and asked in an almost emotionless voice.
"Ms. Tang Yumo, are you planning to restrict our personal freedom?"
"…"
Tang Yumo's face slightly changed at the remark. Noticing the dissatisfaction in Kaoru's tone, she let out a long breath and replied.
"I'm not restricting your freedom, I'm protecting you."
"Ms. Tang Yumo, I really don't think Mr. Chuck is as scary as you make him out to be…"
Kanae spoke up at the right time, her tone cautious.
Hearing this, Tang Yumo's face suddenly changed. She shouted anxiously, "No, you two don't know anything! You must listen to your teacher, I really am doing this for your own good!"
At that moment, she really wanted to tell them what she had seen and heard on the eastern part of the island. But as a female teacher from a traditional family, it was difficult even to describe such a scene.
Not to mention, even if she did tell them about such an absurd incident, they probably wouldn't believe it and would only misunderstand her more.
"Enough!"
Kaoru suddenly interrupted Tang Yumo's next words with a loud voice.
"Ultimately… you're not really our teacher, are you?"
Tang Yumo's gaze suddenly froze at the words. She then saw that the former's face, which had always worn a smile, now displayed an unfamiliar, icy expression.
"Ms. Tang Yumo, I'm completely sure now. That middle-aged man named Chuck is actually your boyfriend, right?"
"?!?"
At this, the gold-rimmed glasses on Tang Yumo's pale nose bridge involuntarily skewed. Her mole-adorned lips trembled, and her eyes were filled with disbelief. It seemed she hadn't processed what Kaoru had said.
Boyfriend?
That Chuck is my boyfriend?!
What kind of joke is this!!!
"Boy… boyfriend?"
Kanae next to her also looked shocked and surprised. Her eyes, beneath her short hair, looked at her friend Kaoru, and then at Tang Yumo.
A faint, almost imperceptible hint of disappointment gradually surfaced in her eyes.
"I… I don't understand what you're saying. Why—"
"Stop trying to fool us!"
A much louder, angry reprimand directly cut off Tang Yumo's words.
"At this point, you're still pretending?"
"To be honest, that man isn't my type anyway. If you hadn't pulled these tricks, we would have just continued playing this teacher-student game with you."
"But since you want to play…"
Kaoru's expression was finally dark. She looked coldly at the teacher who had taken such good care of her for the past few days, speaking with hostility and sarcasm.
"Then as women, let's see who's got what it takes."
With that, the JK hottie tossed her blonde hair and turned to walk out of the cave without hesitation.
"Wait… Kaoru!"
Kanae, who had been standing by and didn't even understand what was happening, was suddenly anxious when she saw her friend leave. She looked at her friend's retreating back, and then at the teacher who had cared for her so much over the past few days. For a moment, she didn't know what to do.
As for Tang Yumo.
Her mood, in simple terms, could be summarized in two words.
What the fuck.
After staring blankly for a long time, Tang Yumo still couldn't figure out why Kaoru thought the man she was so wary of was her "boyfriend."
But no matter what, she couldn't let Kaoru leave now.
After all, except for this bay, the rest of the island was full of danger!
Thinking this, Tang Yumo immediately turned to Kanae.
"Quick, we have to catch up with Kaoru!"
Hearing Tang Yumo's words, Kanae snapped out of her confusion, immediately nodded, and rushed after her.
As an athletic girl and the volleyball team's ace, Kanae quickly caught up with Kaoru.
Then, as usual, she began trying to persuade her stubborn friend.
But also, as usual, when Kaoru decided to do something, it was hard for Kanae to change her mind, no matter what she said.
Tang Yumo, who was still following behind the two, remained confused.
Why would she think Chuck is my boyfriend?
I was clearly devoted to them, always putting their safety first, so why was I being so misunderstood?
Thinking this, Tang Yumo felt both sad and wronged. She didn't dare to approach them but was worried about the two girls' safety, so she could only slow down and follow from a distance.
Thus, the trio walked from Southwest Bay, across the northern swamp, and through the redwood forest.
They eventually reached a wide stone beach.
Yesterday, Kaoru had learned from Kanae that Chuck's settlement was generally in this direction.
Kanae's words of persuasion continued to ring in her ears, but Kaoru ignored them all.
She glanced slightly behind her and saw that "Ms. Tang Yumo" was still following far behind.
A look of mockery surfaced in Kaoru's eyes.
What a ridiculous woman, so worried about me getting close to your boyfriend?
"…Kaoru?"
Kanae spoke up again beside her, calling her name.
Kaoru ignored her, continuing to lead the way, blindly walking on the stone beach.
"Kaoru!"
The second call rang out, Kanae's voice clearly showing some impatience, which finally made a hint of confusion surface in Kaoru's mind.
But just as Kaoru was about to turn her head.
Two louder shouts suddenly came from two different directions.
"Look out!!!"
"Kaoru!!!"
Immediately after, along with Kanae's anxious cry, a powerful force suddenly pulled her arm. Kaoru felt her body yanked backward. She stumbled and fell to the ground.
The next moment, a familiar figure inexplicably rushed in front of her.
What happened?
Just as Kaoru's mind went blank, still trying to figure out the situation, a rush of wolf howls, accompanied by her friend Kanae's scream of pain, instantly cleared her eyes.
"Grrrrr—howl!"
"Ah! Let go of me!!!"
At that moment, Kaoru, fallen on the ground, was frozen stiff.
She watched Kanae, who had rushed out to protect her, being savagely bitten on the calf by a gray wolf that had appeared from nowhere. She watched her friend struggle painfully, trying to pry open the wolf's mouth with her hands…
All she could hear was a buzzing in her ears.