Ethan watched the confrontation from above.
"Let's see who you are?" He mumbled in amusement.
It had been quite some time since he took over the wolf-kin tribe. However, he hadn't encountered a single other race in the meantime.
This was the first time he had encountered another race.
Valen couldn't see through their appearance, but he could tell from their silhouettes who they were:
Wolf-kin.
"Lina! Elior! Run—now!" Valen barked, not daring to look back.
"But—!"
"GO!"
He knew he wouldn't be able to defend them. Hence, he ordered the two to leave while he stayed behind to protect.
He had to hold on as much as possible.
Just as the two left, he averted his gaze in the direction where he had spotted them. Then he assumed a defensive stance and raised his guard.
He exhaled deeply, calming his turbid heart.
Just then, a figure emerged, followed by two more.
From the underbrush, three wolf-kin warriors burst forth, claws extended, bodies low and coiled with muscle. Their amber eyes glinted with primal intensity.
One of them let out a short bark.
Valen met them head-on.
"Elf, huh?" Ethan finally saw his appearance.
The iconic long ear, slender figure, resembling an elf. However, his visage was rather rugged, unlike the elegance of an elf. His clothes were tattered. But Ethan could tell that he had come across an elf.
Though the visage and appearance might be different than what he remembered, he had encountered an elf.
He couldn't help but curl his lips upon seeing this elf.
"Where are your other compatriots? Did you tell them to escape? Oh, how nice of you…"
Ethan suspected Valen and his compatriots were scouts of another settlement. However, he wasn't certain.
"He's outnumbered. So, we should capture him alive and extract information from him."
Ethan wanted to capture this elf alive and extract information from him. However, he wouldn't have made this decision if he were at a disadvantage.
Clang!
The first wolf-kin lunged at him, slashing downward with his claws. Valen twisted and parried the strike. Then he followed up with a rippling sweep of his blade.
The wolf-kin dodged with a snarl and retreated just enough to allow his companion to make a follow-up.
Valen saw the incoming attack and crouched low, ducking under the swipe and slamming the hilt of his sword into the warrior's ribs.
The hit landed—but barely staggered him.
However, before he could even catch his breath, a third came from behind. Valen spun, his blade slicing upward just in time to block another clawed strike aimed at his neck.
Steel met bone.
Sparks erupted as Valen's sword locked with the warrior's claws.
'Their coordination is near perfect, and their strikes are packed with power.'
Valen could feel a force traveling through his hands. Just deflecting their strikes alone sent a wave of force coursing through his arms.
The raw strength of the wolf-kin tribe was just like what his father had told him— fierce and untamed.
He was also told that the wolf-kin tribe hunted in a pack, and he was witnessing their excellent coordination firsthand.
Even though he was in a perilous situation, he didn't feel intimidated for some reason.
He looked into the distance where Lina and Elior had escaped. Their figure had vanished, and he couldn't detect them.
But that made him even more relieved.
Then he averted his gaze and rolled his pupils, attempting to gauge the strength of his opponents. His opponent looked fierce, each possessing an impressive build.
Their sharp claws glinted with eerie light.
His heart thundered in his chest as he tightened the clutch on his sword.
'Should I escape?'
The thought flashed in his mind as he found himself surrounded. He could tell these three weren't the only ones.
So, he couldn't help but entertain the thought of escaping.
'No, I won't be able to outrun them.'
He shook the thought of escaping. His opponents were swift and agile. He knew he wouldn't be able to outrun them even if he tried escaping.
'There's only one way I can survive this predicament— I'd have to carve a path through their cranage.'
Valen resolved, his killing intent growing stronger.
His emerald pupils reflected a cold light as he prepared to confront these three beasts in front of him.
Valen exhaled slowly, centering his balance.
One heartbeat.
Two.
Then he burst into motion.
He feinted left, then dashed right—his sword slicing across one warrior's thigh. A yelp followed, but he didn't stop. He pivoted mid-step, swinging wide to knock the second off balance.
The third lunged again, but this time Valen didn't parry.
He stepped inside the range of attack.
Their shoulders collided. Pain shot down Valen's spine, but he gritted his teeth and rammed his elbow into the wolf-kin's gut, driving him back with a growl.
"That's impressive. Just what kind of talent does he possess?"
In the chamber, Ethan couldn't help but feel mesmerized. Before him, on the screen, the elf was confronting three wolf-kin and holding his ground.
Just from a glance, Ethan could tell that this elf possessed some kind of talent.
The swordsmanship he executed was flawless and refined. It was as if he were watching something straight out of a martial-arts movie.
"But I think it's time to wrap up…" Ethan's eyes flashed with a cold light as he leaned back. "Right, Kael?"
Just as Valen was starting to believe that he could survive, something struck him from his blind side. The sheer force rippled through his bones, sending a jolt of pain all over his body.
Before he could even let out a gasp, he was sent flying.
The debris underneath rustled as the force hit him.
Bam!
Crack!
He collided hard against a tree, and the tree ruptured, sending particles of wood and dust flying all over the place.
What hit him? Valen couldn't tell.
But before he could even figure out what had struck him, he lost his consciousness.
"Young Master!"
Valen heard a familiar voice, faint but audible.
'Who? Who's calling out me?'