"This?"
As if he saw a faint light at the end of the dark, desolate tunnel, Arthur quickly scanned the skill information, silently hoping it would be useful.
[ King's Bloodline (A): Advanced sub-skill of "Primal Predator" that makes your bloodline purer, stronger, and more primal.
– Effects –
– Enhances appearance, increasing intimidation and presence.
– Increases XP gained from each kill and feeding by 10%.
– 30% chance to awaken a Mythic Bloodline Skill upon each rank-up.
– Improves instinct control during Full Moon Frenzy.
– Raises all Attributes by 5% when facing an enemy of the same species.
– Reduces enemy Attributes by 20% if they are of the same species and rank (value adjusts if their rank is higher or lower). ]
Despite all the impressive effects of King's Bloodline, Arthur didn't feel happy. His fear and anxiety eased only slightly.
'Bloodline? And reducing my enemies' power by 20%… this seems useful? But it's not enough to survive this ordeal. I need more than this.'
Even if he used all his abilities and intelligence, he would most likely not make it out alive. His enemies were too numerous, and to make matters worse, about half of them were of the same rank as him.
Growl!
As if the other wolves were savoring his despair, they didn't attack right away. Instead, they slowly closed in, tightening the encirclement step by step.
Their massive bodies and ferocious faces were enough to strike terror into anyone's heart, enough to make them wet themselves, without even mentioning the bloodthirsty aura pouring out of them.
Arthur kept what little calm he had left. With time running out and no solution in sight, he activated the skill "King's Bloodline" without any hesitation. It was better than nothing.
Instantly, the skill's first effect manifested. His appearance began to change. His fur grew much longer, its color shifting into a dark black tinged with blood-red.
His body grew slightly larger, his features becoming rougher and more savage. His eyes turned crimson, and thick red fur sprouted around his neck, forming something like a lion's mane.
He stood tall, exuding dignity and authority, like a true leader. His expression turned cold, as if fear no longer existed for him.
In short, he became magnificent—not by human standards, but from the perspective of the wolves. So much so that all of them froze for a few seconds, staring at him with a mix of awe and fear.
At that moment, the next effect appeared. A terrifying, oppressive aura suddenly burst from his body, causing all the wolves to tremble in fear.
Strangely, they all felt their strength weaken, especially the Rank F wolves. They could no longer raise their heads, their courage and discipline completely shattered.
As for the Rank E wolves, although their strength dropped slightly and fear crept into their hearts, their minds remained clear. More than that, they now saw Arthur as an extremely dangerous threat—one that had to be eliminated immediately.
'This works better than I expected.'
Arthur's eyes sparkled with surprise as he felt a huge difference in his enemies' state. For the first time since being surrounded, a glimmer of hope reached him, and he muttered,
'Maybe… I'll survive. No, I will survive.'
His mental and morale state mattered too, so he tried to stay positive. Even if he failed, he wasn't planning to go down easily.
Grrr!
His enemies' shock didn't last long. One of the wolves behind him quickly gathered its courage, bared its teeth, and lunged at him, growling ferociously despite its hesitation.
"Die."
Arthur spun swiftly, bared his teeth even more fiercely, and met the attack head-on. Their bodies collided with a brutal force.
Thanks to his increased strength and the enemy's weakened state, he pushed the wolf back slightly. Without giving it a chance to recover, he bit down on its shoulder with savage force, crushing bone with his teeth.
Crack!
The wolf howled in pain. Desperate, it tried to fight back, biting and slashing with its claws, but it was useless, its attacks barely scratched him. Arthur shattered its shoulder completely and finished it off quickly.
[ +21XP ]
Seeing one of their own die sent the rest of the wolves into a frenzy. Their hesitation vanished.
They charged at him all at once, from every direction, and in the blink of an eye, Arthur was swallowed by the mass of bodies surrounding him.
Screams!
Growls!
Crashes!
It felt as if he'd been hit by a freight train. Pain exploded throughout Arthur's body.
He couldn't tell how many fangs and claws had sunk into his flesh at the same time, but he knew one thing—he was still alive.
Enduring the agony of his flesh being torn apart, he opened his mouth without thinking and bit the first thing he saw.
His fangs sank into the back of a wolf that was biting into his front leg, and with savage force, he ripped off a large chunk of flesh.
The wolf howled in pain and staggered back, limping. Instantly, another wolf took its place, biting into Arthur's leg and dragging it, tearing mercilessly.
And it wasn't alone, within a single second, Arthur suffered multiple injuries as the rest of the wolves attacked him, his blood splattering across the ground.
He clenched his blood-soaked teeth, twisting and staggering violently. At the same time, he drove his claws into anything his paws could reach, biting whatever came within range.
Flesh tore apart—his own flesh suffering even more. Skin was ripped, and his skin was ripped with it.
His frenzied, utterly unrefined movements finally allowed him to break free from the jaws and claws of his enemies.
But the price for that brief freedom was steep, large chunks of his flesh were left behind in the mouths of the surrounding wolves.
He knew they would surround him again in moments. Without hesitation, he pushed "Regeneration" to its limit, dulling the pain, and chose to strike first.
His body lunged forward, charging at the nearest E-Rank wolf, killing intent blazing in his eyes.
At the same time, the other wolves attacked again, biting into his back and hind legs.
He ignored it. He didn't even spare himself a second thought, letting them tear into him. His eyes never left his chosen target.
He attacked with everything he had—biting, tearing—and thanks to his increased power, he brought it down quickly.
[ +20XP ]
Immediately, he issued commands to the system, distributing all the Evolution Points he had gained into Endurance and Strength.
Without stopping, he spun around and bit down on the head of a wolf that had torn a chunk out of his shoulder.