Chapter 100: Chapter 99: Uninvited Guest

On a cold, snowy night, a bright bonfire was incredibly eye-catching.

Any nocturnal animals nearby, upon seeing the firelight, would be drawn by curiosity to investigate.

But once they saw the massive wolf’s head—which, even in death, retained a shred of a king’s majesty—they would almost always choose to steer clear.

And this was the exact scenario Jon had orchestrated—deliberately exposing himself to bait a trap.

Night was when predators were most active. The beasts he had failed to find during the day might just make an appearance after dark.

Any beast that could be scared off by the head of a dead Wolf King was hardly worth making a contract with.

’If a dead wolf can scare you, what good are you?’

He wanted a mount that was strong enough, with enough grit to run dungeons and fight monsters by his side!

But unfortunately, even after half the night had passed and he had roasted and eaten skewer after skewer of Wolf King meat until his stomach was nearly full, not a single daring creature had come forward to test him.

’Are they really this cautious? I thought the smell of cooked meat was supposed to be an irresistible temptation to wild beasts.’

Jon chewed on a piece of wolf tenderloin, pushing his Perception to its absolute limit.

Ever since he started eating the Wolf King’s meat, at least thirty or forty beasts had come and gone.

The vast majority of them fled without a second glance upon seeing the Wolf King’s head. Only a few would leave and then return for another look, as if weighing whether to make a move and snatch some of the Wolf King’s Flesh and Blood from him to devour for their own empowerment.

But these few were also extremely cautious. Even though Jon tempted them with the aroma of roasting meat, they showed no intention of striking immediately, apparently waiting for the right opportunity.

Jon wasn’t worried, either. He continued to roast the meat at his own unhurried pace.

Hunting was an activity that required immense patience. Unless you were completely sure of your success, the one to strike first would often lose the advantage.

He had already memorized the auras of the predators lurking nearby. If none of them dared to make a move by dawn, he would just have to grab the best-looking one and make do.

Time ticked by. The surrounding snow piled ever thicker, and Jon, having filled his stomach, lay back in the rocky hollow in a relaxed posture, appearing completely defenseless.

It could be an opportunity, or it could be a trap. To the beasts, there was little difference between the two.

Soon, a creature that could no longer restrain its impulse made its move.

These predators were more cunning than the great snow fox Jon had faced, their movements creating far less of a disturbance. But Jon was no longer the same unlucky, wounded boy he had been.

The Perception granted by his 18 points in Spirit far surpassed the limits of an ordinary person.

With his full concentration, no movement within a certain range could possibly escape his senses!

RUSTLE...

It was an extremely faint rustling, barely louder than the sound of falling snow, and utterly unremarkable on this silent, serene night.

Jon remained lying down, but his hand rested, as if by chance, on the hilt of the blade at his waist. The muscles in his back were tensed, ready for him to spring up and draw his weapon at a moment’s notice!

Through his Perception, he knew a beast had drawn near the rocky hollow, its paws treading on the stone and creating the faintest of vibrations.

’Here it comes...’

The creature had already moved past the Wolf King’s head, which was set on the high ground of the hollow. Just one more step, and it would be face-to-face with Jon!

In the next instant, the beast lunged—a snow-white shadow pouncing from above!

Cleverly, it didn’t pounce on the bundled Wolf King’s Flesh and Blood, nor did it attack Jon. Instead, it went for the bonfire!

With a swat of its thick paws, it scattered the fire. Sparks flew, and the small bonfire was immediately extinguished!

But how could Jon, who was already prepared, be affected by such a petty trick?

He didn’t hesitate for a moment. The very instant the creature moved, he drew his blade!

[Agile Stance] + [Swift Strike] + [Magic Mastery]!

Amid the scattering embers, an azure glint of light flashed, followed by a muffled CRACK!

[-136 (Hit!) -40 (Magic Bonus Damage!)]

"AWOOOO—!"

The flat of the heavy blade had likely broken a few of its bones, and the beast let out a pained howl. But Jon had no intention of stopping and immediately followed up with a Triple Slash!

[-73 (Hit!) -40 (Magic Bonus Damage!)] x3!

As a Chain Attack Skill, while its individual hits weren’t high in damage, it was perfect for applying bonus damage.

After those three strikes, the bonus damage alone was enough to put the beast in a world of hurt.

The successive blows, however, only roused the beast’s ferocity. Ignoring its injuries, it dug its four paws into the ground and threw its entire body at Jon!

"Perfect!"

Jon grunted, thrusting the Arm Shield on his left arm forward. He stood his ground, unmoving and unshakable, like a mountain!

[Vibrating Shield]!

The beast’s charge was powerful, to be sure, but his training as a tank was nothing to scoff at!

In the next instant, beast and man collided violently!

THUD!

The muffled sound of the impact was startlingly clear in the silent, snowy night.

At the moment of impact, Jon finally got a clear look at his opponent: a silver-maned snow leopard, over three meters long!

Its silver-gray coat was dotted with dark, cloud-like patterns that held a cold, metallic sheen under the faint glow of the snow. It bared its bone-white fangs out of pain and ferocity, its emerald eyes burning with Frenzy and rage.

It wasn’t the rare, dire-wolf-class beast he had been expecting, but it could still be considered an excellent choice.

’As for whether I’ll make a contract with it, I’ll beat it into submission first and decide later!’

Jon twisted and shook his shield. The force from the collision was completely absorbed, then channeled, compressed, and finally, rebounded!

"BWOOM—!"

[-76 (Stunned! Impact!) -40 (Magic Bonus Damage!)]

"AWOOOO—!"

The silver-maned snow leopard let out a low howl. Its body went limp as if all its strength had been drained in an instant, and it began to twitch in pain.

Pressing his advantage, Jon showed no mercy. He didn’t use his blade. Instead, he lunged forward, grabbed the big cat’s ear, and began hammering its head with fists enhanced by [Magic Mastery].

"Do you submit?! Do you?! I’m asking you, do you submit!"

Under the relentless barrage, the beast was beaten into a daze, unable to muster the strength to resist. The mist from its mouth and nose was flecked with blood, and it could only let out futile, muffled howls.

Seeing that he was about to beat it to death, Jon slowed his assault slightly.

But the next moment, every hair on Jon’s body stood on end. He instinctively let go of his prey and retreated!

"FWOOSH—!"

An abrupt, bone-chilling cold descended without warning! It was as if the very air had frozen solid in an instant!

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