The morning sun had just begun to shine over Blackstone Territory when Allen was already awake.
He sat at his desk, spreading out a piece of parchment with a crude map of Shadow Forest drawn on it.
"The Shadow Wolf King's lair should be here..." He tapped a location on the map with his finger.
Based on his past life's game memories, the Shadow Wolf King was a late Tier 1 BOSS with strength equivalent to early Tier 2, possessing skills like [Shadow Assault][Wolf King's Pressure][Rend].
The most troublesome was its [Shadow Concealment]—it could briefly enter a shadow state and become invisible.
"To defeat it, I must prepare thoroughly."
Allen wrote down several key words on the paper:
- Explosives (destroy terrain, restrict movement)
- Magic potions (sustain combat)
- Beast trap (restrict movement)
- Illumination flares (dispel shadows)
These were all effective items for dealing with the Shadow Wolf King in the game.
"Although Anna is a Tier 2 knight, facing the Wolf King would still be too much for her. I must win through strategy."
He put away the map and pushed open the door.
"My lord, you're going to Blackstone Town?" Anna was somewhat surprised.
"Yes, I need to purchase some things." Allen said, "Come with me."
"Yes!"
The two rode horses toward Blackstone Town.
The streets of Blackstone Town were bustling with people, even more lively than last time.
Allen headed straight for the town's largest adventurer shop—[Hammer & Magic].
This shop specialized in selling adventurer supplies, from weapons and equipment to various items.
"Welcome!" The shopkeeper was a burly man with a full beard. His eyes lit up when he saw Allen. "Oh, isn't this the lord of Blackstone Territory? Were you satisfied with your last purchase?"
"Very satisfied." Allen nodded. "Today I need some special items."
"Please tell me."
"Explosives, powerful ones. Magic recovery potions, at least five bottles. And a beast trap, one that can restrain a late Tier 1 magical beast."
The shopkeeper paused: "My lord, are you planning to hunt a large magical beast?"
"That's right." Allen said calmly.
"Tsk tsk..." The shopkeeper looked Allen up and down. "You're quite bold. But I must warn you, explosives aren't cheap, and improper use can injure yourself."
"I know."
"Alright then." The shopkeeper turned to fetch goods from the warehouse. "I have two types of explosives—regular explosives and magic explosives. Regular ones are 50 silver each, magic ones are 200 silver each."
"What's the difference?"
"Regular explosives just explode. Magic explosives not only explode but also produce bright light and loud noise, capable of briefly blinding and stunning magical beasts."
Allen's eyes lit up.
Bright light could perfectly counter the Shadow Wolf King's [Shadow Concealment]!
"Give me three magic explosives."
"Excellent!" The shopkeeper beamed. "Magic recovery potions are 80 silver per bottle, five bottles would be 400 silver. As for beast traps... ones that can restrain late Tier 1 magical beasts, I only have one, 300 silver."
Allen calculated in his mind:
3 magic explosives: 600 silver
5 magic potions: 400 silver
1 beast trap: 300 silver
Total: 1300 silver = 130 gold
A bit expensive, but worth it to defeat the Wolf King.
"Anything else?" the shopkeeper asked.
"Give me a bundle of rope, sturdy ones. Also... do you have illumination flares?"
"Illumination flares?" The shopkeeper thought for a moment. "I do have some, but those are usually used by expedition teams for signaling. What do you need them for?"
"They're useful." Allen said. "How much?"
"10 silver each, I have five."
"I'll take them all."
In the end, Allen spent 1350 silver coins and purchased all the items.
Looking at his shrinking wallet, Allen felt a pang of pain.
But thinking of the Shadow Wolf King he was about to obtain, he felt it was worth it.
"My lord, are you really going to hunt a large magical beast?" The shopkeeper looked concerned. "Should I hire some adventurers to help?"
"No need." Allen shook his head. "Too many people would be inconvenient."
"Then be careful." The shopkeeper said seriously. "The depths of Shadow Forest are very dangerous. Many adventurers die there every year."
"I will."
Walking out of the shop, Anna couldn't help but ask: "My lord, these items you bought... are you going to hunt the Shadow Wolf King?"
"Yes." Allen nodded.
"But... the Wolf King is too dangerous." Anna said worriedly. "Should we bring more people?"
"No need." Allen smiled. "I'm confident."
He patted the [Lantern - Caron's Eye] at his waist.
This world-class item not only could summon skeleton warriors but also provided a 50-point intelligence bonus, greatly enhancing his magical abilities.
More importantly, the system's built-in contract function—as long as he defeated a powerful magical beast, he could sign a contract with it and make it a permanent summon.
"Let's go, we'll prepare and set out early tomorrow morning."
"Yes!"
Returning to Blackstone Territory, Allen carefully inspected the items he'd bought.
Magic explosives—fist-sized black spheres with complex magical patterns etched on their surface.
Magic recovery potions—blue liquid emanating faint magical fluctuations.
Beast trap—a massive iron trap with razor-sharp edges that could instantly snap a Tier 1 magical beast's leg bone once triggered.
Illumination flares—white spheres that would produce intense light when thrown.
"These should be enough."
Allen opened the system to check his status.
[Current Status]
Level: LV.1 (950/1000)
HP: 70/70
MP: 200/200
Strength: 8
Agility: 6
Constitution: 7
Intelligence: 12 (Base) + 50 ([Lantern - Caron's Eye] Bonus) = 62
Skills: [Skeleton Summon][Shadow Arrow]
"Just 50 more experience points to level up."
He looked toward Shadow Forest outside the window.
"Tomorrow, I'll clear some small monsters to level up first, then go find the Wolf King."
Night fell, and Allen lay in bed, recalling the game strategies in his mind.
The Shadow Wolf King had three weaknesses:
1. Afraid of bright light—[Shadow Concealment] would be dispelled by bright light
2. Fast but poor agility—easily loses balance during sharp turns
3. Strong territorial awareness—would fight to the death to protect its lair
"As long as I exploit these weaknesses and use these items, my chances are good."
Allen closed his eyes and slowly drifted into sleep.
Tomorrow would be a crucial day.
The next morning, Allen woke up early.
He put on light leather armor, hung [Lantern - Caron's Eye] at his waist, and filled his backpack with various items.
"My lord, are you ready?" Anna walked over, dressed in knight's attire, looking heroic.
"Yes." Allen nodded. "Today we're going deep into the forest. We might encounter danger, so be careful."
"Don't worry, protecting you is my duty." Anna said seriously.
The two left the territory and headed toward the depths of Shadow Forest.
Deep in Shadow Forest, the light was dim and the trees dense.
Allen advanced cautiously, constantly alert to his surroundings.
[System Notice: Entering Shadow Forest Deep Zone]
[Warning: This area has numerous Tier 1 magical beasts]
"As expected, the deeper we go, the more magical beasts there are." Allen said quietly.
Just as he finished speaking, the bushes ahead suddenly rustled.
"Watch out!" Anna drew her longsword and stood in front of Allen.
A shadow leopard leaped out from the bushes, its fangs gleaming coldly.
[Shadow Leopard]
Level: LV.3
Strength: Early Tier 1
Traits: Fast speed, strong attack power
"Come on!" Anna slashed with her sword, the blade flashing.
The shadow leopard nimbly dodged and circled to the side for a sneak attack.
"ᛞᚱᚨᚢᚷᚱ!"
Allen raised [Lantern - Caron's Eye], and two skeleton warriors crawled out from the ground.
The skeleton warriors wielded bone swords and blocked the shadow leopard's path.
"ᛋᚲᚨᛞᚢ!"
Allen formed hand seals, and a shadow arrow shot toward the shadow leopard.
The shadow leopard couldn't dodge in time and was hit in the side, letting out a pained cry.
Anna seized the opportunity and thrust her sword through its throat.
[Defeated Shadow Leopard ×1]
[Gained Experience: 30 points]
[Current Experience: 980/1000]
"Just 20 more points to level up." Allen calculated mentally.
[System Notice: [Lantern - Caron's Eye] curse triggered]
[Lost: 30 silver coins]
"Here we go again..." Allen's mouth twitched.
This damned lantern, deducting money every time he summoned.
But there was no time to worry about that now.
"My lord, your magic is becoming more proficient." Anna sheathed her sword and said approvingly.
"Not bad." Allen wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Let's continue."
Along the way, they encountered several more waves of magical beasts.
Shadow spiders, rotting treants, poison-barbed bats...
With Anna's protection and the skeleton warriors' assistance, Allen defeated them all.
[Defeated Shadow Spiders ×2]
[Gained Experience: 20 points]
[Current Experience: 1000/1000]
[Congratulations! Level Up!]
[Current Level: LV.2]
[HP: 70→90]
[MP: 200→220]
[Strength: 8→9]
[Agility: 6→7]
[Constitution: 7→8]
[Intelligence: 12→14]
[Gained Free Attribute Points ×3]
"Finally leveled up!" Allen felt power surging through his body.
He opened the system panel, considering how to allocate the attribute points.
"After leveling up, all attributes increased, but I should still put the free attribute points into intelligence."
Allen didn't hesitate and allocated all 3 points to intelligence.
[Intelligence: 14→17]
[MP: 220→280]
"With the [Lantern - Caron's Eye]'s 50-point intelligence bonus, my total intelligence is now 67. My magical output will be much stronger."
Just then, Anna suddenly stopped.
"My lord, listen."
Allen perked up his ears and faintly heard intense battle sounds ahead.
The clash of metal, the roar of magical beasts, human shouts...
"Someone's fighting?" Allen's eyes lit up. "Let's go check it out."
The two carefully moved toward the sound.
Passing through a dense grove of trees, a massive cave appeared before them.
The cave entrance was piled with white bones, emanating a strong bloody smell.
"This is it." Allen said quietly. "The Shadow Wolf King's lair."
He hid behind a large tree and carefully observed the battle ahead.
Five adventurers were besieging a massive shadow wolf.
The wolf was over two meters tall, its fur pitch black, its eyes glowing blood-red.
[Shadow Wolf King]
Level: LV.8
Strength: Late Tier 1 (equivalent to early Tier 2)
Skills: [Shadow Assault][Wolf King's Pressure][Rend][Shadow Concealment]
Traits: Extremely fast, extremely strong attack, commands Shadow Forest wolf pack
"That's it!" Allen's heart leaped with joy.
The five adventurers coordinated well—
A warrior tanked damage in front, two swordsmen attacked from the sides, a mage cast spells from the rear, and an archer continuously harassed with arrows.
Allen carefully observed the warrior and his pupils suddenly contracted.
"That's... Scarface Jack?!"
That's right, the bald warrior tanking damage in front was the thug leader he'd taught a lesson in the tavern!
"Didn't expect he'd become an adventurer too..." Allen narrowed his eyes.
But even with Jack as a warrior tanking damage, the five were still being suppressed by the Wolf King.
"Awoo—!"
The Wolf King let out a furious roar, [Wolf King's Pressure] instantly erupting.
All five adventurers simultaneously felt a terrifying pressure, their movements slowing.
"Now's the time!"
The Wolf King activated [Shadow Assault], instantly appearing behind the mage.
"Watch out!" Jack shouted.
But it was too late.
The Wolf King swiped with its claw, sending the mage flying. He crashed heavily to the ground, coughing blood.
"Damn it!" The swordsmen charged forward angrily.
But the Wolf King was too fast—they couldn't even touch it.
"Retreat! Retreat now!" Jack shouted. "This BOSS isn't something we can handle!"
The five hastily retreated, helping up the injured mage and fleeing the battlefield in disarray.
The Wolf King didn't pursue, just stood at the cave entrance, vigilantly watching the surroundings.
It also had many wounds, blood seeping out.
"It's injured..." Allen's eyes lit up.
Just then, the Wolf King suddenly raised its head and looked toward where Allen was hiding.
"Oh no, discovered!"
Allen's heart jumped, immediately holding his breath.
But the Wolf King's sense of smell was too keen—it had already caught the human scent.
"Awoo—!"
The Wolf King let out a furious roar and charged toward Allen's direction.
"My lord, run!" Anna drew her longsword and stood in front of Allen.
"No, wait!" Allen suddenly said.
He noticed the Wolf King's movements were somewhat sluggish, its breathing heavy.
That battle had consumed a lot of its stamina.
"It's at the end of its rope!"
Just as the Wolf King was about to reach them—
"Boom—!"
A loud explosion suddenly came from the distance.
Immediately after, an intense magical fluctuation swept over.
"That's..." Allen's pupils contracted.
The adventurer team that had just fled returned, and they'd brought reinforcements—
An old man in white robes, holding a staff embedded with a dark red gem, was casting powerful magic.
"A Tier 3 mage?!" Allen gasped.
The white-robed elder was about sixty years old, with a sinister face, cold eyes, and unsettling magical fluctuations emanating from his body.
A memory from his past life's game suddenly flashed through Allen's mind—
"It's him... [Blood Curse Mage] Morris Graven!"
Allen's heart shook.
Morris Graven, the strongest Tier 3 mage near Blackstone Town. On the surface, he was a respected advisor to the Adventurer's Guild, but in reality, he was a ruthless evil mage.
In his past life's game, this old man had massacred three entire villages to research forbidden magic, using living people for experiments. Later, when players discovered the truth, they joined forces to kill him, obtaining numerous rare materials.
"Didn't expect that at this point in time, his identity hasn't been exposed yet..." Allen narrowed his eyes.
In the eyes of outsiders, Morris was still a highly respected powerhouse. But Allen knew this old man's hands were stained with blood.
More importantly—
Morris was extremely greedy. Any precious magical beasts, materials, or treasures—he wouldn't let them go.
"If he gets the Shadow Wolf King..." Allen's heart sank.
The old man waved his staff, and a massive fireball shot toward the Wolf King.
"Awoo—!"
The Wolf King cried out in pain as the fireball struck it, singeing its fur.
"Hahaha! Beast, today is your death day!" Jack laughed.
Fear flashed in the Wolf King's eyes.
It knew it was no match for a Tier 3 mage.
"Awoo—!"
The Wolf King let out a long howl, its body suddenly transforming into a black mist and disappearing.
[Shadow Concealment]!
"Want to run? Not so easy!" Morris sneered, his voice hoarse and grating. "Illumination!"
A bright light illuminated the entire forest.
In the black mist, the Wolf King's figure was faintly visible.
"There!" The archer shot an arrow.
The Wolf King couldn't dodge in time and was hit in the hind leg by the arrow, crying out in pain.
It desperately fled toward the forest depths.
"Chase! Don't let it escape!"
The adventurers pursued relentlessly.
Allen and Anna hid behind a tree, watching this scene.
"My lord, should we..." Anna asked quietly.
"Follow them." A gleam flashed in Allen's eyes. "But don't let them discover us."
He calculated in his mind.
The Wolf King was now severely injured and exhausted—at its weakest moment.
"If I can sign a contract with it before they kill the Wolf King..."
Allen's lips curved slightly upward.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
The two quietly followed behind, maintaining a safe distance.
The Wolf King fled desperately, but its injuries grew worse.
Its speed slowed, its breathing became more labored.
"Almost caught up!" The adventurers shouted excitedly.
Allen followed from afar, calculating the timing.
"Can't let them catch the Wolf King, but can't let it run too far either..."
He suddenly remembered something.
"Right! The beast trap I set up earlier!"
Before coming to the forest, Allen had already placed beast traps at several key locations—based on game memory, these were all possible escape routes for the Wolf King.
"If the Wolf King steps on the beast trap, that adventurer team will definitely catch up..."
Allen's eyes rolled, forming a plan.
"Anna, let's take a detour and flank from the side!"
"Yes!"
The two quickly changed direction and ran down another path.
Ten minutes later.
The Wolf King dragged its wounded body, struggling through the forest.
It had run far, and the sounds of pursuit gradually faded behind it.
"Awoo..."
The Wolf King growled lowly, wanting to find a place to hide.
Just then—
"Click!"
A crisp mechanical sound rang out.
The Wolf King stepped on something.
"Awoo—!"
It let out a piercing scream, its entire body caught by tremendous force and thrown heavily to the ground.
It was a beast trap!
The Wolf King struggled desperately, but the beast trap bit tightly into its hind leg—it couldn't break free.
"Awoo..."
It let out weak whimpers, blood continuously flowing from its wound.
...
In the distance, the adventurers heard the Wolf King's scream.
"Over there!"
"Quick, chase!"
The five quickened their pace and rushed toward the sound.
But what they didn't know was that from another direction, Allen and Anna had quietly approached the Wolf King.
Allen hid behind a large tree, looking at the Wolf King trapped in the beast trap.
"Success..." Excitement flashed in his eyes.
The Wolf King was now severely injured and trapped by the beast trap, completely losing its combat ability.
"Now's the time!"
Allen was about to step out when he suddenly heard footsteps in the distance.
"Damn, those adventurers caught up!"
He immediately stopped and hid back behind the tree.
"No good, if I go out now, they'll definitely discover me..."
More importantly, that old man Morris was there.
Allen's heart sank.
With his current strength, he was no match for a Tier 3 mage. And Morris was cruel by nature—if he discovered Allen trying to steal the Wolf King, he might kill him outright.
"I must lure them away..."
Allen gritted his teeth and made a decision.
"Anna, hide here and don't make a sound. After they leave, return to Blackstone Territory immediately."
"My lord?" Anna was stunned. "Then you..."
"I'll lure them away." Determination flashed in Allen's eyes. "After they chase me and leave, I'll shake them off and come back to deal with the Wolf King."
"But it's too dangerous!" Anna said urgently. "That white-robed mage..."
"Precisely because it's dangerous, you can't come with me." Allen said seriously. "Trust me, I'm confident."
He took a deep breath and added: "Remember, if I don't return within an hour, go back to the territory first. Don't wait for me."
"My lord..." Anna bit her lip, her eyes reddening.
"This is an order." Allen's tone brooked no argument.
"...Yes." Anna nodded.
Allen took a deep breath, then suddenly rushed out from behind the tree—
But not toward the Wolf King, toward the other direction!
"Who's there?!"
The adventurers immediately spotted him.
"Stop!"
Allen ran into the forest depths without looking back.
"Chase!"
Jack led the team in hot pursuit.
Morris narrowed his eyes, watching Allen's fleeing direction.
"Interesting... a Tier 1 youngster dares to appear here." He sneered coldly. "Jack, take your men and capture him alive. I want to ask what he's doing here."
"Yes, Lord Morris!"
Allen ran wildly through the forest, the shouts of pursuers behind him.
"Stop!"
"Don't let him escape!"
Allen's lips curved slightly upward.
"Good, they're all lured away..."
He was too familiar with this forest—in his past life's game, he'd farmed monsters, fled, and explored hidden routes here countless times.
"Run a bit further, and I can shake them off."
Allen quickened his pace and ran toward a hidden cliff.
Meanwhile, the Wolf King trapped in the beast trap lay weakly on the ground.
Its breathing grew weaker, blood continuously flowing out.
"Awoo..."
The Wolf King let out a low whimper, despair flashing in its eyes.
It knew it was dying.
Just then—
A figure quietly approached.
Allen had circled back from another direction, successfully shaking off the pursuers.
He looked at the trapped Wolf King, excitement flashing in his eyes.
"Finally... just you and me."
Allen raised [Lantern - Caron's Eye], black mist beginning to swirl.
"Come, Shadow Wolf King. Become my summon, or... die here."