However, the Wolf Spirit Lord showed no sign of slowing down. As Vikram continued to evade, its attacks grew faster and more savage, each swing carrying overwhelming force like a raging storm crashing down upon him.
Even though Vikram's reaction speed allowed him to dodge most of the blows, every close exchange placed tremendous pressure on his nerves and body.
He clearly understood one thing now: in terms of raw power, the Wolf Spirit Lord still stood above him.
At this moment, the battlefield was chaotic. Guardian Sprout was locked in a brutal clash with two surviving guards, its shield ringing again and again like a struck bell.
Warrior Sprout darted through the shadows, its blade flashing as it tried to finish off the remaining enemies.
Healer Sprout's soft green glow flickered constantly as it struggled to keep Vikram's stamina stable.
Seeing his support momentarily tied down, the Wolf Spirit Lord suddenly seized the opportunity.
With a ferocious roar, its massive claw struck straight toward Vikram's chest.
"Bang!"
The terrifying impact blasted him backward like a broken kite. He crashed heavily onto the cold stone floor, his Iron sword slipping from his grasp and clattering away.
Blood slowly seeped from the corner of his mouth.
He lay motionless.
The Wolf Spirit Lord paused for a moment, then a grotesque grin spread across its wolfish face. It was utterly convinced that the human had already lost his life.
With heavy, deliberate steps, it approached the fallen figure. Its golden eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction as it lowered its head to inspect the "corpse."
To ensure absolute certainty, its sharp claws slowly extended, aiming directly for Vikram's heart, a final strike meant to end everything.
Yet the man lying on the ground was far from dead.
The opening he had just shown… had been deliberate.
Vikram had gambled everything on a single calculation. He was betting that the Wolfskin Inner Armor he wore could withstand at least one full-power strike from this terrifying opponent.
The gamble had succeeded, but only barely.
The armor had indeed prevented the blow from penetrating his chest, yet the sheer force of the impact had still shaken his internal organs, leaving his chest burning with dull pain and his breathing uneven.
It was not the flawless outcome he had imagined.
But it was enough. Because at this very moment, while the Wolf Spirit Lord leaned closer in careless triumph…
Vikram's lips had already curled into the faintest, coldest smile.
Suddenly, his tightly shut eyes snapped open.
His fingers instantly closed around the Iron sword lying beside him. At the same moment, he activated his Berserk ability.
A violent surge of power exploded through his body. His muscles swelled visibly, veins rising like coiled serpents beneath his skin.
Both his strength and speed rose to a frightening level, while the dull pain in his chest was forcibly suppressed by the burning energy raging inside him.
It felt as if a dying flame had suddenly been reignited into a blazing inferno.
"Whoosh!" The Iron sword in his grasp burst into a dazzling arc of light. Before the Wolf Spirit Lord could react, the blade swept low in a ruthless crescent aimed directly at its legs.
Only then did the monster sense the danger.
Its golden eyes widened, and it instinctively tried to retreat, but it was too late.
The razor-sharp edge cleaved through both of its legs with terrifying force.
A heavy thud echoed as the massive body crashed violently onto the cold stone floor.
Vikram slowly rose to his feet. He brushed the dust from his clothes and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.
Even after being crippled, the Wolf Spirit Lord still struggled like a cornered beast, letting out hoarse howls to summon help that would never come.
"I've let you live long enough," Vikram growled hoarsely, his eyes burning with a savage light.
"Now it's time for you to die."
In a single step, he closed the distance. The Iron sword flashed once more, a cold streak of death plunging straight into the monster's heart.
"Guh…" A muffled sound escaped the Lord's throat.
Dark blood gushed outward as resentment and unwilling fury froze forever within its fading gaze.
Moments later, its enormous body finally went still.
With their commander slain, the remaining Wolf Spirit Guards instantly lost all fighting spirit. Terror filled their eyes as they turned and fled in panic.
But Guardian Sprout had already surged forward like a living shield, blocking their escape routes, while Warrior Sprout's blade flickered mercilessly through the dim ruins. Within moments, both fleeing guards fell lifelessly to the ground.
Silence gradually returned to the ancient hall.
Only Vikram and his loyal Sprout Team remained standing amidst the scattered corpses.
The Berserk energy slowly receded like a withdrawing tide. His breathing became heavy and uneven. Exhaustion crept into his limbs, dull and unavoidable.
Standing in the middle of the battlefield, he closed his eyes briefly, feeling a strange, almost serene calm settle over him.
"Cough…" A thin line of blood slipped from his lips once again.
"I was still too overconfident," he muttered weakly, pressing a hand against his aching chest. "These internal injuries… will get worse if I'm careless again."
He slowly removed the torn Wolfskin Inner Armor, letting it fall heavily onto the cold stone floor.
His bare chest was revealed beneath the dim ruin light.
After the drastic enhancement of his physique, Vikram's body had already reached an almost flawless state, firm pectoral muscles rising and falling steadily with each breath, with sharply defined abdominal lines resembling carved stone.
But at this moment, an ugly crimson, palm-shaped bruise spread across the center of his chest.
Looking closely, one could tell it was far too large to belong to a human.
It was clearly the mark left by the Wolf Spirit Lord's devastating strike.
"That hit was truly vicious…"
He gently pressed the swollen area. A dull, throbbing pain immediately radiated inward, reminding him just how close he had come to serious danger.
For a brief moment, Vikram felt a trace of relief. If he had not been wearing the Wolfskin Inner Armor, the claw strike might have shattered his ribs completely, perhaps even turning the battle in the Lord's favor.
This time, the armor had undeniably saved his life. Yet the price was obvious. The inner armor now looked utterly ruined, a deep claw gash tearing across its surface like a wound that could never heal.
[Wolfskin Inner Armor: Blue — Damaged
Lightweight defensive inner armor capable of resisting moderate physical damage. Provides additional resistance against claw-type attacks. Current durability: Nearly exhausted.]
Blocking a single full-force strike from an Epic-tier monster had nearly exhausted all of its remaining durability.
"…Great. My only armor… destroyed in one blow."
Vikram let out a quiet sigh and set the useless armor aside. For now, there was no way to repair it. Plant Essence could mend structures, but personal equipment was another matter entirely.
At that moment, the Healer Sprout had already approached him silently. Its glowing leaves trembled gently as soft green light flowed from its stem and wrapped around Vikram's injured chest.
Warm vitality slowly seeped into his body.
The pain eased slightly, but the recovery was far from immediate.
It was like pouring water onto smoldering embers, helpful, yet painfully slow.
Feeling the gradual but insufficient healing, Vikram raised his wrist and summoned the familiar interface of the Plant Life System.
"System… how much Plant Essence will it take to fully heal my injuries?"
[Slight internal organ damage detected.
Recommended treatment cost: 100 Plant Essence. Proceed?]
"What the hell?"
Vikram's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You just said it's only slight damage. And you still want a hundred points?"
"Last time, I was so badly injured that the bone was visible, and you only charged me sixty! Now I'm still standing and fighting, and suddenly the price increases?"
For a moment, he genuinely felt cheated.
The system's calm, mechanical voice soon responded.
[Internal injuries require significantly more Plant Essence than external trauma. Additionally, as the host's physical attributes increase, the energy required for full recovery also rises proportionally.]
"…So getting stronger even makes medical bills more expensive."
Vikram's head immediately began to ache after hearing the system's explanation. This clearly wouldn't work.
In the apocalypse, injuries were bound to happen frequently. If he had to be drained of Plant Essence every single time he got hurt, how could he possibly continue developing his Shelter and Territory?
He frowned and asked at once, "Is there any permanent solution… something that doesn't require spending Plant Essence every time I get hurt?"
[It is recommended that the host exchange for a Verdant Healing Grove in the system store.
This item can generate a 6×6 living, plant-based recovery area. Within the grove, natural life energy continuously restores wounds. Healing efficiency is approximately one-fifth that of direct Plant Essence healing.]
"How much does it cost?"
[Only 1,500 Plant Essence are required to permanently own it. Would you like to—]
Before the system could finish, Vikram shut the interface with a grim expression.
This thing really loved suggesting outrageously expensive solutions.
"One-fifth the healing efficiency… for 1,500 points?"
He snorted. "At that price, I'd rather just grit my teeth and endure."
"Ugh—"
A sudden cough escaped him. Another mouthful of blood splattered onto the stone floor. His expression instantly stiffened.
"…Forget pride. My life matters more. System. Heal me."
Warm, dense energy surged through his body like a tide. The dull pain in his chest vanished almost instantly as his damaged internal organs knitted themselves back together at an unnatural speed.
At the same time, the Healer Sprout pulsed with soft green light, quickly replenishing the fatigue that still lingered in his muscles.
Within seconds, Vikram felt completely refreshed, as if the brutal battle had never happened.
He stood silently in the center of the ruins. Around him lay the scattered corpses of Wolf Spirits, their dark blood staining the snow like ink on white paper, forming a cold and brutal painting of victory.
Just as he bent down to begin collecting the spoils, the surrounding air suddenly seemed to freeze in place.
A mechanical voice echoed directly in his mind.
[Congratulations, Warrior. You have defeated the Wolf Spirit Lord.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Title — Wolf Slayer (Blue)]
[Effect:
Damage dealt to wolf-type and canine-type creatures +15%.
Reaction speed +5% when facing pack-type enemies.
Intimidation effect on low-grade wolf creatures (chance to reduce their attack intent).]
[Passive Aura: When fighting wolf-lineage monsters, the host's killing intent will be slightly amplified, increasing battle focus and resistance to fear-type roars.]
A faint golden light descended upon him.
Immediately afterward, several rewards materialized before his eyes.
A curved purple blade radiating a faint feral aura… A shadow-like cloak that seemed to absorb the surrounding light… And finally, a heavy, ancient horn carved from bone and engraved with primitive runes.
[Wolf's Howl Blade — Purple
A weapon engraved with the Lord's Howl Mark. Attacks have a chance to trigger a deterrent howl, reducing enemy morale and reaction speed.]
[Moonshadow Cloak — Purple
Provides moderate defense. Grants concealment and presence suppression in darkness or low-light environments.]
[Lord's Horn — Gold
Special relic of the Wolf Spirit Ruins. Activating the horn summons six Exquisite-grade Spirit Wolves to fight alongside the user.
Duration: 5 minutes. Cooldown: 12 hours.]
Vikram's breathing unconsciously slowed.
These rewards… were far beyond his expectations.
But before he could fully digest his excitement, the system's voice sounded again.
[Ruin clearance condition fulfilled.
Host may choose:]
[Option 1 — End exploration here.
Wolf Spirit Ruins will permanently disappear.]
[Option 2 — Advance to Epic-Level Dungeon: Kobold Dungeon. This dungeon has only one clearing opportunity. Failure or retreat will cause the dungeon to vanish forever.]
Hearing this, Vikram was momentarily stunned.
This was clearly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. An Epic-grade dungeon could completely change his strength and accelerate his Territory's development.
But… He had just barely defeated the Wolf Spirit Lord. Even with his Sprout Team, victory had been dangerously close.
If the next dungeon's difficulty scaled further… there was a real chance he might never walk out again.
His mind wavered between greed and caution.
Just as he was hesitating, a Plant Life System notification suddenly rang in his mind.