Chapter 83 of 100

Chapter 83

18 min read4,521 words

The activation of the skill tree was not surprising to Xalan. By observing the pattern of the system's skill tree activations, he could roughly predict the level at which the next skill tree would open. Therefore, on his way to the capital, he spent a considerable amount of time completing several optional quests to quickly level up and activate the skill tree again.

However, he did not expect that the level-up and the activation of the skill tree would be so delayed.

The selection of skills prioritized the completion of quests, followed by his survival, while the issue of strength was something Xalan rarely considered.

Because the system would not assign a mission that would inevitably lead to death.

For example, when he became a mid-rank swordsman, his enemy would never be an upper-rank swordsman.

Although there might be a gap in strength among mid-rank swordsmen, intelligence could make up for it, and it was even possible to avoid a desperate battle. He was very clear that his goal was to complete the mission, not to waste unnecessary energy in combat.

Therefore, whenever he chose skills, the issue of strength was always the last thing he considered.

But this time, in his mandatory quest, he might not be able to avoid a fierce and life-or-death battle. With his wisdom, he could not come up with a perfect plan to complete the mission without fighting.

He was not a prophet or a sage.

His strength lay in calm thinking and cautious action.

When his plans were repeatedly interrupted by unexpected events, the entire meticulous plan would be in ruins. Most of the time, he could only follow others' scripts to act within his own scope.

Small trends ultimately could not resist the big trends.

When he used others as pawns in his carefully planned schemes, he himself was often an unexpected pawn in others' eyes. The world is like a chess game, unpredictable.

The growth of a warrior becomes increasingly dominant as they advance. A newly promoted mid-rank swordsman might have a chance to defeat a peak mid-rank swordsman in a direct confrontation, but a newly promoted upper-rank swordsman would never be able to stand against a peak upper-rank swordsman. This is a qualitative difference.

Although peak upper-rank swordsmen have not fully grasped the FerNu law to form their own domain, they at least have a small amount of law comprehension that ordinary upper-rank swordsmen cannot touch. In this regard, ordinary upper-rank swordsmen cannot compare.

Once a peak upper-rank swordsman officially breaks through the threshold and steps into the FerNu law, ordinary upper-rank swordsmen become mere weeds for them to cut down at will.

This clearly shows the gap.

Although Xalan did not expect to have the means to kill a peak upper-rank swordsman directly, he at least needed the strength to stand against them, and the source of this strength was skills.

*The White Wolf Sword Technique*.

According to legend, during the age of the gods, the Goddess of Ice and Snow had a group of proud White Wolf Guards, who were her most loyal protectors.

The goddess bestowed them with intelligence, and they became her sharp blades.

The first time the various human races witnessed their power was during the Old Faith War, when they fought against Galbord's army of the dead.

"The white terror always appeared in the darkness, their icy green eyes gleaming coldly. They hunted death calmly and composedly, lured death with cunning and deceit, and slaughtered death with ferocity and bloodlust... Every time we saw them, we knew victory was ours!" — *The Age of the Ancient Gods: The Old Faith War: Excerpts from Salog's Notes*

The last time people heard news of the White Wolf Guards, they fell and turned into stars along with the Goddess of Ice and Snow during the divine war. Whenever people look up at the southeastern night sky in winter, the brightest star they see is the legendary Goddess of Ice and Snow, and the stars around her are her once-loyal White Wolf Guards.

The White Wolf Guards disappeared into the dust of history along with the gods, but people could not forget them, especially their exquisite and fierce coordination in battle.

When the era of dominance arrived, people created countless tactics for war based on the descriptions of the White Wolf Guards' battles in ancient texts. Their influence can still be seen in modern military manuals.

In a sense, they have been reborn in this world in another form.

*The White Wolf Sword Technique* had attracted Xalan when he considered improving his strength, but he had to reluctantly give it up due to the priority of quests and survival. This time, in a mission where he could not avoid a powerful enemy, the need to enhance his strength made him think of *The White Wolf Sword Technique* again.

Each skill in the system has a detailed description, and the advantage of *The White Wolf Sword Technique* lies in its fierce and aggressive attacks in one-on-one combat.

Xalan's strength relied on speed, but when his speed was suppressed, he would be in a difficult situation. If he had to activate *Sword Technique Proficiency* to deal with every situation, death would gradually approach.

*The White Wolf Sword Technique* could make up for his weakness when he lost his speed advantage, and when combined with *Swift Movement*, it could be both offensive and defensive, making it a good match.

When Xalan decided to choose *The White Wolf Sword Technique* in his mind, the skill in the technique branch of the skill tree glowed. After a short while, a mysterious and indescribable force instantly invaded Xalan's brain.

Xalan clutched his head, which felt like it was about to explode, and fell onto the sofa, curling up and trembling in pain. This was not the first time he had endured this, as he would always suffer such torment after choosing a skill.

The system seemed to force a large amount of skill knowledge into his brain. When everything stopped and the pain disappeared, all the details of *The White Wolf Sword Technique* became clear in his mind.

Xalan, lying on the sofa, gasped for breath, wiped the sweat from his face, and slowly sat up. His already exhausted body became even weaker, making him extremely vulnerable.

One of the reasons he did not choose a skill immediately at the academy was because of this.

Closing his eyes, Xalan began to carefully understand the essence of *The White Wolf Sword Technique*.

*The White Wolf Sword Technique* is divided into nine different attack methods.

Three strong attacks, three auxiliary attacks, and three feints.

There are no defensive moves because *The White Wolf Sword Technique* is an extreme sword technique that focuses solely on offense.

Because it is extreme, it is powerful.

What Xalan needed to do was to combine each attack method in a complex way to respond correctly to different enemy attacks, defenses, and counterattacks, to avoid hesitation and mistakes in future battles.

He knew that practical combat was the best way to test and refine these combinations, but without preparation, how could he talk about victory in combat?

Gradually, Xalan's breathing became steady. The continuous physical and mental fatigue had pushed his body to its limits, and he gradually fell into a deep sleep.

Occasional shouts of alarm could be heard from the street, but in the hotel room, Xalan was already deeply asleep.

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