The outskirts of the Black Wolf Mountain Range were no longer just a backdrop; they had become a silent witness to a desperate game of survival.

  ?The air, thick with the metallic tang of blood and the musk of enraged beasts, seemed to vibrate with the raw energy of the ongoing slaughter.

  ?Su Han watched from behind a massive, moss-covered crag, his eyes narrowed into slits as he observed the chaos he had orchestrated.

  ?The herd of Three-Horned Obsidian Bulls was a force of nature—a tidal wave of muscle and stone-hard horns that crashed into the two Shadow-Blade Sect members with mindless fury.

  ?"Damned beast! Get back!"

  ?Viper roared, his voice cracking with a mixture of exertion and disbelief. The bandits hadn't expected the prey to turn into the predator.

  ?They hadn't noticed Su Han's disappearance immediately, their focus entirely consumed by the literal tons of obsidian-hided muscle charging at them.

  ?Viper's eyes were bloodshot, his teeth gritted so hard it sounded like grinding stones. He realized, with a sinking feeling, that the time to escape had long since vanished.

  ?'That little rat...'

  ?Viper thought, his mind racing through a thousand ways to tear Su Han apart.

  ?'If I get my hands on him, I won't just kill him. I'll split him into a thousand pieces. How dare a low-level stray play with the elites of the Shadow-Blade Sect!'

  ?A terrifying, jagged smile spread across Viper's face, even as he dodged a lethal thrust from a bull's central horn.

  ?He wasn't planning on running. His pride as a 4th Level Body Refining cultivator wouldn't allow it.

  ?Besides, Su Han had seen their faces. If even one witness survived, the repercussions within the sect would be fatal.

  ?Unknown to them, Su Han wasn't miles away. He was crouched behind a smaller rock, just twenty yards from the clearing, a cold, calculating smile playing on his lips.

  ?'You tried to hunt me,'

  ?Su Han whispered to the shadows, his voice a chilling rasp.

  ?'Now, let's see who is the prey.'

  ?He knew the Shadow-Blade Sect was dangerous. He knew that leaving even a single one alive would be like leaving a viper in his bed.

  ?He had to end this here. His eyes, usually calm, began to take on a reddish tint—a sign of his killing intent manifesting.

  ?Su Han looked down at his shoulder. Despite swallowing a Spring-Dew Pill earlier, the deep gash wasn't fully healed—perhaps only halfway.

  ?The system's blue interface flickered, showing his remaining resources. Without hesitation, he commanded:

  ?[System, use one of the remaining Spring-Dew Healing Pills!]

  ?He swallowed the cool, minty pill, feeling the energy wash through his meridians.

  ?His plan was simple but deadly: wait until the bulls exhausted the bandits, then strike when they were at their weakest and most desperate.

  ?Ten minutes passed like hours. The clearing was a scene of carnage. Only two bulls remained standing, their breathing heavy and labored.

  ?Scar, the 3rd Level lieutenant, was in bad shape. His charcoal-grey tunic was shredded, and blood seeped from several deep punctures in his thighs.

  ?Viper, however, was a different story. Though he looked tired, his internal strength had kept him mostly protected.

  ?Su Han sensed the end of the fight was near. In two or three minutes, the bandits would finish the bulls and come for him.

  ?He shifted his position, moving like a ghost through the ferns to a smaller rock closer to the path they would take.

  ?He lay flat against the earth, the scent of damp loam filling his lungs. He knew they had seen him run toward the large crag earlier.

  ?They would expect him to be far ahead or hiding there. They wouldn't expect him to have doubled back to a position almost under their noses.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  ?He pulled the Venom-Tooth Dagger from his belt, the lizard-skin grip feeling steady in his palm.

  ?Finally, the sounds of the struggle died down. Silence returned to the forest, broken only by the heavy, ragged gasps of the two survivors.

  ?"Boss... the kid... he's gone,"

  ?Scar panted, leaning heavily against his Iron-Breaker Sword.

  ?"What do we do?"

  ?Viper stood amidst the carcasses of the obsidian bulls, his face a mask of murderous intent.

  ?"Where can he go? He was wounded, Scar. I don't believe he has any more healing pills."

  ?"If he did, he would have fully healed before running. That path leads toward the market town—he's likely trying to reach an apothecary."

  ?"But the way he fled leads deeper into the Black Wolf Range. He's close. I can smell his fear."

  ?Scar's eyes lit up with a cruel light.

  ?"Then let's go. I want to be the one to peel the skin off his back."

  ?"No,"

  ?Viper corrected, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl.

  ?"I will break him into so many pieces that no one will be able to recognize him as human."

  ?They moved toward the path, ignoring the valuable beast materials—horns and hides—that could have fetched hundreds of silver coins.

  ?Their only currency now was vengeance. As they reached the cluster of bushes where Su Han lay hidden, a shadow suddenly erupted from the earth.

  ?Su Han didn't hesitate. Using the maximum output of his Shadow-Step Flicker, he became a blur of motion.

  ?His target wasn't Viper, but the already wounded Scar. Scar, caught off guard and focused on the path ahead, had no time to react.

  ?The Venom-Tooth Dagger flashed in the dim light, aimed directly at his heart.

  ?At the last micro-second, Scar twisted his torso, the blade missing his heart by a mere two inches and burying itself deep into his chest.

  ?Scar screamed, a sound of pure agony. Tears of pain sprang to his eyes, but Su Han gave him no quarter.

  ?"Tiger's Claw!"

  ?Su Han roared. With 100% mastery, his palm glowed with a ghostly amber light.

  ?He slammed his hand directly into Scar's forehead. The impact was sickening. Bone shattered, and the force of the strike sent brain matter and blood spraying onto the nearby trees.

  ?Scar's body went limp instantly, crashing into the mud like a sack of stones.

  ?[DING! Congratulations to the Host! Target Slain: Body Refining Realm - Level 3!]

  ?[Gained 50 Experience Points and 250 Silver Coins!]

  ?[DING! New Skill Obtained: 'Triple-Strike Dagger' (Yellow-Grade, Low-Level Martial Art)!]

  ?The system's cold voice brought a momentary sense of relief, but Su Han's heart was still pounding.

  ?The real threat was still standing. Viper, the 4th Level expert, wasn't wounded, only slightly fatigued.

  ?Seeing his last comrade die so brutally sparked a fire in his eyes that looked like madness.

  ?Four of them had come to these woods, and now, three were dead—all killed by a 2nd Level brat.

  ?"I will kill you!"

  ?Viper screamed, his voice shaking the leaves above.

  ?"Even if the sect elders execute me for losing my team, I will see your entrails hanging from these branches!"

  ?Viper didn't wait for Su Han to recover. He lunged, his speed far superior to Su Han's current base movement.

  ?Su Han tried to counter with a Tiger's Claw strike, but Viper was a seasoned fighter.

  ?He caught Su Han's wrist and slammed a heavy palm into his chest. Su Han felt as if he had been hit by a runaway carriage.

  ?He was launched five meters back, blood spraying from his mouth as he hit the ground.

  ?He scrambled to his feet, gasping for air, and tried to use Shadow-Step Flicker to create distance.

  ?But Viper was relentless. He appeared behind Su Han in an instant, delivering a crushing kick to his lower back.

  ?Su Han was sent flying ten meters, slamming into a cedar tree with a bone-jarring thud.

  ?Leaves rained down as Su Han vomited another mouthful of blood. Desperate, Su Han pulled his last Spring-Dew Pill from the system space and swallowed it mid-run.

  ?'He's too fast... too strong,'

  ?Su Han thought, his mind racing.

  ?'I can fight a Level 3, but a Level 4 is another world. I need to increase my skill mastery now!'

  ?Viper watched him flee, his eyes filled with a sadistic joy. He licked the blood off his lips.

  ?"Run, little rat! Run until your heart bursts! No one can save you today!"

  ?Viper had no movement technique, but his higher cultivation realm gave him a natural advantage in speed.

  ?Su Han, however, had the Shadow-Step Flicker. As he dodged and wove through the undergrowth, the system's notifications began to chime rapidly:

  ?[Movement Skill Mastery: 35%... 40%... 46%...]

  ?Su Han tried to lead Viper toward another beast territory, but his luck had run out.

  ?There were no more bulls, no more distractions. Suddenly, Viper pulled a hidden throwing knife from his sleeve and flicked his wrist.

  ?Su Han felt a sudden chill down his spine. He twisted his body to avoid a lethal strike, but the knife buried itself deep into his upper arm.

  ?"Aaargh!"

  ?Su Han cried out, pulling the knife out and tossing it away.

  ?But as he looked at the wound, his blood didn't run red—it was beginning to turn a sickly, dark purple.

  ?A numbing cold began to spread from his arm to his shoulder.

  ?'Poison...'

  ?Su Han's heart sank.

  ?'The bastard had a poisoned blade.'

  ?He didn't stop running, but his legs were starting to feel like lead.

  ?The only hope now was to reach the market town and find an antidote. But how much time did he have?

  ?[Movement Skill Mastery: 52%...]

  ?Despite the mastery increasing, his body was failing. The numbness was spreading to his chest.

  ?He stumbled, his vision blurring. A sudden, powerful punch caught him squarely in the back, sending him skidding across the dirt.

  ?Su Han tried to rise, but a heavy boot slammed into his ribs, pinning him to the ground.

  ?He didn't have the strength to fight back anymore. Viper walked up to him slowly, one deliberate step at a time.

  ?The red light in his eyes was blinding, a terrifying smile stretched across his face.

  ?"Now, you little sewer rat,"

  ?Viper whispered, his voice dripping with malice.

  ?"How dare you provoke me? How dare you kill my men in front of my very eyes?"

  ?"I won't let you die quickly. I'm going to make you watch as I tear you apart piece by piece."

  ?"You will beg for the mercy of death, and I will deny it."

  ?Viper began to laugh—a loud, echoing sound that filled the dark woods—as Su Han lay helpless at his feet.

  ?Su han eyes were bloodshot and his fists clenched in a final, silent roar of defiance.