Chapter 27: The Reaper's Dance
The moon hung high, casting a pale, chilling light over the battlefield. The battle's end had arrived—not in a burst of fire, but in an eerie silence, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Lei Feng stood alone in the clearing, his chest heaving, his body a canvas of blood, dirt, and grit. The stench of battle hung thick in the air, yet there was something else—a tension, a quiet promise that this moment would not be the end.
Not yet.
Scar Fang lay before him, its form crumpled, its eyes wide open in shock. A monster—an alpha, feared and revered—brought low by one man's unyielding will. The beast had been lethal, primal, a force of nature. But now... it was nothing more than a Wolf struggling to survive.
The remaining wolves—those that had watched, the ones that had waited for their chance—seemed to understand the gravity of the moment. One by one, their postures shifted from defiance to retreat.
Scar Fang shook it large head, growling in fraustration and began to circle him—slow, deliberate, almost predatory. Its crismon eyes gleamed with cunning, tracking Lei Feng's every breath, every twitch of muscle. It wasn't attacking now. No—this was something more dangerous. It was studying him. Testing his reactions. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike… or watching to see if he would break first.
"Trying to wear me down, huh?" Lei Feng wiped blood from his mouth and smiled, sharp and dark. "Too bad… I've got stamina to spare."
With a sudden roar, Lei Feng surged forward—faster than he'd ever moved. The potion still coursed through his veins, igniting his speed and sharpening his reflexes to a razor's edge.
He feinted left, then rolled right beneath Scar Fang's ferocious lunge, dragging his blade across the beast's underbelly.
Slice.
Blood sprayed as a gash opened across Scar Fang's belly. The alpha howled, fur bristling as it twisted mid-air, slamming a massive paw down toward Lei Feng's head.
Lei Feng rolled just in time—
Boom!
The ground erupted as the paw struck, debris flying in all directions. He staggered to his feet, body coated in dust and blood, but his focus never wavered.
Scar Fang, too, staggered—its movements sluggish, its breath labored.
Both were bleeding.
Both were tired.
But only one would fall.
Lei Feng adjusted his grip on the sword, knuckles white with determination. "Let's end this."
He rushed again—feint, spin, slash.
Scar Fang swiped with its claws. Lei Feng ducked, then leapt high, slamming the hilt of his sword into the Alpha's temple.
Crack!
The beast stumbled, disoriented. Lei Feng landed, pivoted, and swept his blade toward the Alpha's exposed throat.
Scar Fang twisted away, just barely dodging—but not fast enough.
Slice.
The blade tore across Scar Fang's snout—right over the old scar.
Blood spilled anew.
The beast howled, not in pain, but in unrelenting rage and resistance.
It reared back, then slammed its paws into the ground, sending shockwaves through the earth.
BOOM!
The shockwave tore through Lei Feng, throwing him off his feet.
–10 HP
HP: 90/150
He stumbled, barely keeping his footing. His arms shook. His sword trembled in his hands.
Scar Fang charged—a final, desperate lunge.
Clang!
Lei Feng blocked the strike—barely. The force of the impact pushed him backward, his heels digging into the earth as he struggled to maintain his balance.
But his eyes stayed locked on the Alpha.
Unblinking.
"You're… starting to slow down," he muttered through gritted teeth.
Scar Fang growled, but its stance wavered. The fight was leaving it.
Lei Feng could feel it. This beast had never encountered someone like him—someone who refused to die, who refused to back down, someone who adapted.
Then—everything shifted.
As Scar Fang lunged again, Lei Feng's foot caught on a hidden root. His body twisted involuntarily, not the way he intended. His sword swung wide.
Then, like a flash, instinct took over.
A jolt ran through him. His fingers shifted. His sword reversed its grip mid-motion—and stabbed upward, piercing straight through the underside of Scar Fang's jaw.
Schhk!
The blade drove deep, exiting from the top of the Alpha's skull.
Scar Fang's eyes widened, a look of pure shock overtaking its face. A gasp—silent, almost human in its disbelief—escaped its throat.
It hadn't seen this coming.
Not from him. Not like this.
The beast convulsed, then—stillness.
---
Ding!
Successful Kill
+45 EXP
EXP: 55/225
Lei Feng let out a long, steady breath. His body sagged with exhaustion, his sword slipping from his grip to hang limply at his side. Blood, sweat, and dirt coated every inch of him, but his eyes remained sharp.
"Hah… Hah…" he panted, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "The System… gave me 15 bonus EXP, huh? Heh... guess even it was surprised."
He turned, slowly, toward the remaining wolves.
They had seen it all.
And they were terrified.
One by one, the black wolves began backing away.
Then—
They turned to flee.
Lei Feng's eyes sharpened like the edge of his blade.
"Oh no… you don't."
He took a single step. Then another.
Then he charged—his blade gleaming, his body moving like a phantom through the night.
"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!"
The clearing exploded with howls and screams as Lei Feng descended like a reaper under the pale moonlight. His blade danced—cold, merciless steel cleaving through fur and flesh without pause.
Blood flew. Wolves fell.
---
Ding!
Successful Kill!
+20 EXP
EXP: 75/225
---
His sword rained down with the fury of a death god, turning retreat into slaughter.
Slash!
One wolf lunged—too slow. Lei Feng's blade whistled through the air and met it mid-leap, cleaving its body clean in half. The corpse hit the ground with a dull thud.
---
Ding!
Successful Kill!
Successful Kill!
Successful Kill!
---
Then—
A flash of silver under moonlight.
Lei Feng's blade swept out in a final arc, slicing clean through the last wolf's neck. Its head sailed through the air, landing with a soft thump in the grass.
---
Ding!
Successful Kill!
+20 EXP
EXP: 115/225
---
"Aah… Aah…"
Lei Feng staggered, panting heavily, his shoulders rising and falling with each breath. His arms trembled. Blood dripped from his fingers. His blade—now soaked in red—hung limp at his side.
The air was thick. Metallic. The scent of death lingered.
And then—
A translucent screen blinked into view before his weary eyes.
---
Ding!
You have unlocked Ability: Killing Intent – [Details Locked]
Lines of text began scrolling across the interface—descriptions, details, maybe even something important—but Lei Feng couldn't focus.
His vision blurred. His strength ebbed.
He only caught one more line—
---
Ding!
Instant Quest Completed
Calculating Rewards…
---
A tired, breathless smile tugged at his lips.
"Heh… finally."
His fingers loosened. The sword slipped from his grasp, clattering against the bloodstained ground. And then—he fell.
Darkness claimed him.
And the last sound he heard was the sweet, satisfying chime—
Completed!