The moment the Voidfang Dreadwolf vanished from its position, a blinding white light slammed down from above and struck the ground where it had stood.
Boom—!
A violent explosion erupted, sending dirt, shattered stone, and waves of dust blasting outward in all directions.
Several players were thrown backward, barely managing to keep their balance as the shockwave swept past them.
When the dust slowly settled, the forest fell into an eerie silence.
At the same time, the Voidfang Dreadwolf, which had vanished from its position just moments ago, suddenly reappeared a few meters away from its previous location.
The wolf slowly lifted its head and glanced back toward its previous position, clearly trying to determine what had just attacked it.
At the spot where it had been standing only a few breaths ago, a long white staff was now embedded deeply into the ground.
The impact had been terrifying.
The earth around the staff had shattered, cracks spreading outward in a dense spiderweb pattern.
Looking at the white staff embedded deeply into the ground, the Voidfang Dreadwolf's pupils narrowed.
It let out a low, rumbling growl from deep within its throat.
The other players were also left completely stunned when they saw the white staff embedded deeply into the ground.
Before they could even process what was happening, the staff suddenly trembled.
Buzz—!
A sharp hum rang out as the white staff tore itself free from the earth. Soil and shattered stones exploded outward as it shot into the air, transforming into a streak of blinding white light that rushed straight toward the group of players.
"W—Watch out!"
Someone shouted in panic.
The staff moved too fast.
In the blink of an eye, it pierced through the space between the players; the pressure it carried alone even forced some of the players with low levels to their knees. Even without making direct contact, the sheer force of its passage ripped open the ground and sent violent shockwaves rolling through the area.
The Voidfang Dreadwolf's growl deepened.
Its gaze shifted from the trembling players to the flying staff, killing intent surging like a tide.
In the next instant, all the players turned their heads together, as if possessed, their gazes snapping toward the same direction.
Then they saw a middle-aged man with golden hair holding the same pristine white staff that had just flown past them moments ago, walking toward them at an unhurried pace.
But what truly shocked them when their eyes fell upon the golden-haired man was neither his appearance nor the white staff in his hand—it was the long golden tail swaying calmly behind him.
"I think it's best if you all leave this place first."
Just as the players' thoughts began to clear and they were wondering about Hou Jinhai's purpose, Hou Jinhai spoke.
"I don't think you guys will want to be caught in the upcoming battle."
Hou Jinhai said indifferently.
The players snapped back to their senses when they heard Hou Jinhai. Then, without any hesitation, they scattered in all directions like headless flies, scrambling desperately to escape the area.
They didn't even have time to thank Hou Jinhai for stepping in to save them.
Hou Jinhai turned his head and looked at his teammates, then said calmly,
"You guys should also move away from this place."
"Captain—!" The young man who had spoken earlier blurted out instinctively, taking a step forward. "We can still—"
Hou Jinhai raised one hand without even turning around.
"This magic beast isn't something you guys can interfere with," Hou Jinhai said flatly. "Staying here will only slow me down."
The sharp-eyed woman clenched her fists tightly. She wanted to argue, but the terrifying pressure rolling off the Voidfang Dreadwolf made her legs feel heavy, as if they were nailed to the ground. She knew Hou Jinhai was right.
"…Understood," she said quietly.
The other three teammates exchanged looks, unwilling but clear-headed enough to recognize reality. Their captain wasn't abandoning them—he was protecting them.
"Captain… don't die," after a few breaths, one of them said through gritted teeth.
Hou Jinhai didn't reply. His golden tail simply swayed once behind him, steady and unshaken.
Seeing that he had no intention of changing his mind, the team finally turned and retreated, quickly disappearing into the forest, just like the other fleeing players before them.
Soon, the clearing fell eerily silent.
Only Hou Jinhai remained, standing alone between the shattered ground and the massive silver wolf, his white staff resting against his shoulder as his gaze locked onto the Voidfang Dreadwolf.
"It's just you and me now...."
ROAR!
The Voidfang Dreadwolf did not wait for Hou Jinha to even finish speaking. Then it let out a deafening roar that shook the surrounding trees; it suddenly changed direction and charged straight toward Hou Jinha at an incredible speed.
In just an instant, the distance between them shrank violently, the overwhelming pressure crashing down like a tidal wave.
Looking at the Voidfang Dreadwolf charging straight toward him, Hou Jinhai remained calm.
He began spinning the white staff in his hand at an astonishing speed. The air screamed as it was torn apart, and faint afterimages formed around the staff, as if multiple weapons were spinning at once.
Then—
With a powerful roar of his own, Hou Jinhai stepped forward and hurled the white staff like a spear.
BOOM—!
The staff shot through the air like a streak of white lightning, tearing apart everything in its path. The ground cracked open beneath it, rocks exploding into fragments as it flew straight toward the Voidfang Dreadwolf.
The Voidfang Dreadwolf's pupils shrank.
At the last moment, it twisted its massive body violently to the side, dodging the attack.
Then, with a powerful stomp, Hou Jinhai struck the ground.
BOOM—!
The earth beneath his feet shattered as cracks spread out like a spiderweb. Using the rebound force, his body shot forward like a golden comet, tearing through the air toward the Voidfang Dreadwolf.
In an instant, the distance between them collapsed.
The long golden tail behind Hou Jinhai whipped through the air, stabilizing his body as he twisted mid-charge. A golden aura surged around him, forming the vague phantom of a towering monkey king behind his back.
Hou Jinhai slowly clenched his fist.
The white staff trembled in the distance—then shot back into his hand on its own, humming violently.
Before the Voidfang Dreadwolf could fully react, Hou Jinhai was already within striking range.
He raised the white staff high above his head, and in the next second, the staff expanded to four times its original size, crashing down like a falling mountain, aiming straight at the Voidfang Dreadwolf's skull.
Sensing the terrifying danger contained within the descending strike, the Voidfang Dreadwolf's pupils contracted violently.
In the next instant, its massive body blurred—then collapsed into a pool of twisting shadows.
Whoosh!
Just as the gigantic staff smashed down, obliterating the ground and sending dust flying in all directions, the Voidfang Dreadwolf vanished from its original position, leaving nothing but a deep crater behind.