Chapter 4

"Roar!!!"

"Bang!!!"

Wu Yan used all his strength to stabilize his body as it flew backward, then supported himself with one hand on the ground, flipped over, and half-crouched, using his long sword to stop his retreat.

He panted heavily, looking at the tiger-like, wolf-like creature not far away that was still roaring at him. Wu Yan cursed inwardly.

Tiger-Body Demon Wolf: (Level 20)

Wu Yan glanced again at the words above the head of the three-meter-tall magical beast, steadied his mind, stood up, and raised his long sword.

He had originally thought that a Level 20 magical beast would be just like any other, not much different from a Level 10 magical beast. Since he could kill a Level 19 magical beast, killing one that was just one level higher shouldn't be too difficult.

But who would have thought that a Level 20 magical beast was a completely different existence from a Level 19 one? The difference between them was like the distance between heaven and earth. Wu Yan could confidently tell you that a Level 20 magical beast was at least twice as strong as a Level 19 one!

After all, even a Level 19 magical beast was only about half as strong as a Level 10 one, and that half was the result of the nine-level gap.

Now, with just a one-level difference, the strength was nearly doubled. How could they be compared?

At this point, Wu Yan realized that being rash was really a mistake...

But it was also understandable. After all, Wu Yan had only been in this world for a month, and to have reached this level was already quite impressive.

If he hadn't raised his sword in time to block the creature's charge just now, he wouldn't have just flown backward; it would have been much worse!

Holding the sword with both hands, Wu Yan calmly watched the Tiger-Body Demon Wolf slowly approach.

After a month of battles, Wu Yan had developed a warrior's mindset. At least, he wouldn't panic in a crisis, which was a significant improvement from the person who would tremble at the sight of a giant snake a month ago!

Although it wasn't an absolute certainty that he couldn't win, after a month of battles, Wu Yan's level had improved significantly. With his 'Sword Mastery' ability, he had the capability to fight a Level 20 magical beast!

Of course, being at a disadvantage was a given...

Since the battle had already started, there was no point in regretting it. At this moment, only the brave could win!

With this thought, a cold light flashed in Wu Yan's eyes. He stepped forward and charged at the Tiger-Body Demon Wolf like the wind.

"Roar!!!" Seeing this 'little brat' dare to challenge him, the Tiger-Body Demon Wolf roared in anger. His soft body sprang like a spring, launching himself at Wu Yan.

Wu Yan ignored the Tiger-Body Demon Wolf's movements and continued to charge. When he was less than a meter away, he suddenly leaped up!

Almost brushing past the demon wolf's back, Wu Yan twisted his body, grabbed the tail (whether it was a tiger's or a wolf's), and pulled himself to the creature's back. A cold light flashed in his hand, and the Kusanagi sword stabbed fiercely into the demon wolf's... buttocks...

With a splash of blood, the demon wolf let out a painful roar, as if it had lost its parents. It swung its tail, throwing Wu Yan away.

Wu Yan's body came into intimate contact with the ground, sliding nearly two meters before he managed to stand up.

Although his body was tough enough to withstand such a force without even a scratch, his clothes were not so lucky. His casual outfit (short-sleeved shirt and shorts) was now more like a beggar's outfit.

Watching the demon wolf jumping around, Wu Yan chuckled, tore off the tattered cloth, and revealed his well-built upper body.

After leveling up, Wu Yan's back no longer ached, his legs no longer hurt, and his belly fat was gone. His body was in top condition, much stronger than before!

He spun his long sword and, before the demon wolf could react, came behind it and slashed its back, leaving a huge bloody wound.

Wu Yan knew the weakness of wolves: their soft waists. People usually attacked them there.

Unfortunately, Wu Yan had forgotten that the wolf in front of him was not just a wolf but a hybrid with a tiger's body...

The demon wolf roared in anger, ignoring the wound on its back, and raised its paw to smash Wu Yan, who was preparing for a second strike.

With a 'bang,' Wu Yan was thrown into a tree trunk, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Although he had been injured and bled during the past month, it didn't mean he had gotten used to it. After all, Wu Yan was very afraid of pain.

Before Wu Yan could catch his breath, the demon wolf jumped in front of him, raised its paw, and swept toward him.

His pupils contracted in shock. Wu Yan rolled awkwardly to avoid the attack. As soon as he avoided it, the tree trunk was shattered by the demon wolf.

Wu Yan rolled again, under the demon wolf's belly, and thrust the Kusanagi sword upward. In the demon wolf's painful howl, he pulled the sword out forcefully.

The demon wolf's eyes began to turn red, a sign of madness! Of course, no matter how mad it got, the battle wouldn't end so easily. From the beginning, it was a fight to the death!

When Wu Yan thought that being under the demon wolf's belly would prevent it from attacking, the demon wolf's tail lashed out like a whip. In a hurry, Wu Yan could only raise his hands to protect himself, but he was still thrown away.

"Cough... cough..." Rolling several times, Wu Yan barely managed to stand up, coughing up blood. His eyes were dim, and his face was pale.

Wu Yan felt his internal organs churning, and his whole body was in excruciating pain. Although he had been injured before, this was the first time he had suffered such severe injuries.

If it had been a month ago, Wu Yan might have been lying on the ground, moaning in pain...

The demon wolf struggled to turn its body. With its movements, blood dripped from its back and belly. It glared at Wu Yan with wide eyes.

It seemed that the demon wolf's condition was not much better than Wu Yan's.

"Breath... breath..." Panting heavily, Wu Yan stared at the demon wolf. At this moment, it was a test of willpower. Whoever gave up first would fall.

He just needed to stay calm... calm...

Repeating this in his mind, Wu Yan calmed down, held his sword with both hands, and slowly turned it, eventually holding it behind him.

He slowly closed his eyes, regulated his breathing, and calmed himself down.

With 'Sword Mastery,' Wu Yan had the sword skills of a master who had practiced for decades. Using a bit of intuition and sword sense, he was more than capable. Knowing that his body could no longer support intense movement, he decided to use this to decide the battle.

The demon wolf didn't care what Wu Yan was planning. With its immature intelligence, it only knew that the person in front of it was the cause of its injuries. It just needed to tear him apart and eat him.

Bowing its body, the demon wolf leaped at Wu Yan, raising its paw to strike his body.

This is it!

Feeling the wind rush past, a light flashed in Wu Yan's mind. His eyes snapped open, and a sharp light flashed in them. His sword, as if acting on its own, stabbed into the demon wolf's eye before its paw could strike.

"Grunt... grunt..." Blood dripped continuously. Wu Yan, holding the hilt of the Kusanagi sword, panted heavily. The demon wolf let out an incomprehensible sound, blood flowing from its mouth like saliva, forming a small pool on the ground.

Pulling out the sword, Wu Yan was splattered with blood. He took a few steps back and sat down, his eyes filled with fatigue.

The demon wolf slowly fell, its massive body making a loud thud. Its hind legs kicked a few times and then slowly stopped.

"Ding! Congratulations, user level up! Current level: 16!"

"Ding! Congratulations, user level up! Current level: 17!"

"Ding! Congratulations, user level up! Current level: 18!"

"Ding! Task 1 completed! Gained 2000 equipment points, 2000 item points, 1000 ability points, 1000 summon points!"

"Ding! Task 3 completed! Gained 10000 equipment points, 10000 item points, 5000 ability points, 5000 summon points!"

Warm currents surged from deep within Wu Yan's body, rapidly flowing through him. As the flow accelerated, his body was quickly repaired, until it was completely restored!

Wu Yan's pale face began to turn rosy, the fatigue in his eyes gradually faded, and his eyes became sharp, with a glint of determination.

Smiling happily, Wu Yan 'grunted' and got up, hands on his hips, twisting left and right, and finally burst into laughter.

Full health, full mana, fully revived!

Level-up benefits, indeed!

Laughing heartily, Wu Yan sheathed his sword and ran to the dead wolf, raising his hand and smacking the demon wolf's head several times, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Stop opposing me, you stubborn wolf. Now you're back in your wolf master's embrace. What are you looking at? If you keep looking, I'll sell you!"

Saying this, Wu Yan handed it over to the system, gaining 5000 item points and 1000 ability points.

Satisfied, he patted his hands and checked his character status.

Character: Wu Yan

Abilities: 'Sword Mastery,' 'Cooking Mastery'

Equipment: Kusanagi Sword (D-Rank)

Summoned Characters: None

Equipment Points: 24000

Item Points: 120000

Ability Points: 30000

Summon Points: 30000

Level: 18

Clearly, the item points were much more than the other types of points. This was thanks to the unfortunate magical beasts that had contributed their bodies. Although he had also obtained many magic crystals, the ability points they could exchange for were not many. Even a Level 20 magical beast could only exchange for 1000 points, and the summon points were only this high after Wu Yan had raided countless beast nests.

It was evident how precious ability points and summon points were.

This was the result of completing three tasks.

As for equipment points, what could you expect in a forest full of magical beasts? Even if there were any, they would be from some unfortunate soul swallowed by a beast, so equipment points were not many.

As for the ridiculous 'Cooking Mastery,' Wu Yan had exchanged it for a skill ability after eating fruit for nearly ten days. It allowed the user to become a master chef.

Standing up, Wu Yan frowned at his blood-covered, naked body.

"I should take a bath. When was the last time I bathed? Well, never mind, I'll just take a bath!"

(New book upload, third day! Requesting recommendations, collections, and reviews! All kinds of requests!...)