The Red Wolf
The path toward the top of the mountain was far more arduous than expected. Xiao did not remember the original protagonist having to fight so many beasts and monsters on the way up. He even had to have a duel with a small, beast-like humanoid that wielded a rusty, broken sword with far too much skill.
But eventually, after a long while, he and Ai made it up the mountain, passing through clouds and finally laying eyes upon the ruin that was the highest point of the Chen domain.
Sitting atop the very peak of the great mountain was a massive building of an architecture that was common to all of the great clans.
It was shaped in the form of a towering pagoda. Despite the destruction, the wear and tear, as well as the passage of time without receiving any care, the building still stood triumphant over its surroundings… But it was clear that it had seen better days.
Xiao and Ai took refuge in a small, underground area. The crimson-eyed disciple pretended to stumble upon it by chance, but it was another piece of information acquired thanks to his knowledge of the plot. Originally, the protagonist would be wounded during his first fight with the creature guarding the buried vault, and would luckily be taken here by his harem members, who had discovered the place by chance.
However, he went to it immediately.
Although small compared to the massive building it was close to, the underground was spacious enough and had apparently served as a place of seclusion for a member of the Chen clan in the past. As such, it possessed all the necessities one might need.
Knowing that the fight against the beast was going to be dangerous, he told Ai to stay here as he went out to scout the area... And quickly, after traversing ruined hallways created by the violent shattering of several walls, he found it.
In an area that had been thoroughly reclaimed by nature, a wolf-like beast was resting… Its fur was a reddish-orange with a deeper shade around the neck, almost like it had a mane… Its ocean-blue eyes lazily scanned the surroundings as it lay right atop the spot where the vault containing Weapon Encyclopedia was buried.
Xiao was fairly certain that the sheer power and essence of the Chen clan’s magnum opus was being absorbed by the beast, granting it enhanced capabilities, and perhaps even the ability to slowly cultivate…
That wolfish beast wasn’t the size of the average pack-oriented wolf either. This being had long, powerful legs that made it taller at the shoulder than a bear by a large margin, and quite a long body as well.
In short, that thing had the physique of a predator. However, the worst part was that it had a giant greatsword just lying by its side, which was not a coincidence. That was its weapon. It had adapted not just to develop bestial intent, but also the ability and skill to wield a blade despite the lack of hands.
That creature did not fight like a person would in the least, and that was where lay the biggest challenge to bring it down. Its fighting style was simultaneously instinctive and bestial, but also refined and strangely human.
The intent it could wield was somewhat in between sword and bestial intent, making this beast unpredictable even for masters of the craft. The only saving grace was that–According to the novel–The red wolf was actually quite young, and also, its defences were far from stellar. This meant that one good strike could be all that it took to clinch victory over it.
As long as Xiao could get past its unconventional fighting style and impressive capabilities, he could win and slay the beast to claim the ultimate prize… That, or he could sneak up on it in its sleep and kill it that way.
He didn’t have any reservations about playing dirty, but he knew that its instincts were too sharp for him to actually perform a sneak attack... So the only option was to confront it the way the story intended.
It sounded a bit silly, but he had to have a sword fight with a giant wolf inside of a decrepit, once great building of his destroyed clan.
The sun was still high in the sky, its light poured through gaps in the walls and through what were once simple windows… Xiao spun the sword in his hand, making sure that it was properly weighted. However, he sheathed it, bringing out the spear he had claimed from the hands of the bandit leader instead.
Its unnatural lightness made it most comfortable to wield, and without hesitation, Xiao stepped out from his hiding spot. This action did not seem to surprise the red wolf in the least. It would seem like it had already smelled the young cultivator and had merely been waiting for the would-be challenger to take action first.
With the grace and poise of a seasoned swords master, the great wolf picked up its greatsword from the ground, wielding the weapon using its maw, growling as it locked onto Xiao directly.
The greatsword was in perfect condition, featuring two equally sharp edges and a terrific weight that could break bones and crush flesh on its own.
The beast surged with bestial sword intent, manifesting floating swords in the air from it.
It was incredible what a beast’s instinct could manage when some sapients could never even come close to doing anything so refined and complicated.
Xiao did not practise the technique the bandit leader had possessed, so he could not summon winds to aid him in his fight, but it didn’t matter. He had learned how to wield this spear thoroughly, putting his natural constitution as a Chen to good use to familiarise himself with this particular spear.
The wolf took a step forward, making the summoned blades surge forth without hesitation, all of which were dodged by Xiao as he rushed straight at the beast. It showed no apprehension and used the full weight of its body. It swung into a wide arc, moving alongside the blade to perform several circular slashes in a row.
...An easily exploitable move for the opponent, but Xiao wasn’t close enough to actually take advantage of it, and the wolf knew it. Furthermore, the protagonist knew that there was another layer of deception to this particular move.
The wolf’s tail came swinging as well. It looked harmless, lacking the strength or muscles to actually deal damage, but that was wrong. It was imbued with impressive amounts of bestial sword intent, turning the harmless, fluffy tail into a tool of slaughter.
Each individual strand of red hair upon it was sharp like a blade. If Xiao were struck, he would be reduced to countless pieces of meat.
He used the spear like a vaulting pole, propelling himself above the beast's tail... Landing perfectly, before instantly swinging at one of the wolf’s legs.
Unfortunately for him, steel ground against steel as the beast parried the attack.
‘One good hit is all I need…’