I can receive unlimited protection; my parents handed me over to the state.

The wolf pack's encirclement was slowly tightening.

More than twenty pairs of eyes, burning with eerie green flames, stared intently at Lu Yuan in the center of the encirclement in the dim forest, as if they were looking at a dinner that was about to be eaten. The air was filled with a heavy, fishy smell and a sense of oppression, making one's scalp tingle.

Lu Yuan's heart started pounding uncontrollably.

Although he had just managed to kill one enemy in a flash, the primal fear he felt in the face of so many enemies still inevitably surged up. His legs felt weak, and his back was soaked with cold sweat.

"Scared?" Yan Ji's voice sounded behind him, tinged with a hint of mockery. "Blacksmith, if you beg me now, I can turn them all into roast meat for you. Of course, the price is that your training tonight will double."

Beg her?

Lu Yuan took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He recalled a sentence his father, Lu Tianhe, had written in his battle diary: "On the battlefield, fear is the best stimulant and the most deadly poison. Control it, and you are a god; be controlled by it, and you are a corpse."

Control it...

Lu Yuan closed his eyes, his mind racing.

Twenty-three shadow wolves were distributed in twelve different directions around him. The closest one was less than five meters away, and the furthest was about fifteen meters away. Their formation appeared loose, but it subtly blocked all his escape routes.

If you're just a regular level 0 newbie, the only outcome in this situation is being torn to shreds.

But... I'm not!

Those pupils, which had been somewhat unfocused by fear, refocused at this moment, becoming clear and calm.

"I...have a sword."

He murmured to himself, as if trying to convince himself, or as if declaring a fact.

Yes, what am I afraid of? The sword in my hand is a "pseudo-divine weapon" that even the level 78 Flame Princess was shocked by! It's a monster that combines the power of three kinds of rules!

A mere twenty-odd level 5 Shadow Wolves are nothing compared to it!

That surge of pride from the bottom of his heart instantly dispelled his fear. Lu Yuan felt a rush of heat to his head, and every cell in his body trembled with excitement.

"Awooo—!"

The closest Shadow Wolf could no longer contain itself. It roared and transformed into a black lightning bolt, lunging from Lu Yuan's left side, its sharp claws drawing five streaks of cold light in the air.

"Well done!"

Instead of retreating, Lu Yuan advanced, clumsily twisting his body to the right, narrowly avoiding the wolf's claws. At the same time, the "Wind and Thunder Guide" in his hand once again burst forth with astonishing speed. The effect of the [Azure Bird] buff made his arm movements completely disconnected from the trajectory of the sword, creating a strange visual illusion.

To outsiders, it appeared as if he had simply raised his arm casually, but the purplish-blue short sword had already struck first, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, piercing the eye socket of the shadow wolf with unparalleled precision!

"Pfft!"

The sword tip plunged in, and the paralyzing current of [Thunder Source] instantly erupted.

The shadow wolf's attack came to an abrupt halt in mid-air, its fur standing on end and emitting a burnt smell before it slumped to the ground, motionless.

[Slay a level 5 Shadow Wolf and gain 50 experience points]

Current experience: 100/100

[Ding! Level up! Current level: 1!]

A warm flow of data coursed through his body, instantly wiping away the muscle soreness from training and the energy depleted by tension. Lu Yuan felt his body become lighter.

Character Panel

Name: Lu Yuan

[Level: 1]

[Mental Strength: 14/14 (+2)]

Physical fitness: D (+)

The upgrade brings a real boost to all attributes!

"So... this is what battle feels like, this is what leveling up feels like!"

Lu Yuan felt the power surging within him, even stronger than before, and his eyes changed completely. If before he was just a child wielding a divine weapon, then after personally slaying two monsters and experiencing the thrill of leveling up, the beast within him called "ambition" was finally awakened.

"Awoo!"

The death of their companion completely enraged the wolf pack. The remaining twenty-odd shadow wolves, no longer hesitant, launched a simultaneous attack!

In an instant, shadowy figures loomed, and a foul stench filled the air. Deadly claws and fangs appeared from all directions, sealing off all of Lu Yuan's escape routes.

Yan Ji, standing at a distance, frowned slightly.

She admitted that she had underestimated Lu Yuan. This newcomer not only possessed extraordinary weaponry, but also had a mental fortitude far exceeding that of ordinary people. He had overcome his fear in such a short time and even knew how to use his weapon advantage to fight back.

But how will he cope with the wolf pack's attack, given his zero combat experience?

Just as Yan Ji was preparing to make her move, Lu Yuan made an unexpected move.

Instead of breaking through in a certain direction, he slammed the "Wind and Thunder Guide" in his hand into the ground!

"Blessed by the Water God, form transformation—Water Whip!"

As Lu Yuan silently chanted in his heart, the purplish-blue short sword suddenly emitted a buzzing sound. The sturdy sword body, like melting ice, quickly turned into a pool of flowing liquid metal, and then suddenly exploded in all directions, turning into dozens of slender, light blue whip shadows flashing with electric arcs!

Centered on Lu Yuan, these whip shadows, like living tentacles, lashed out wildly in all directions!

"Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!"

The crisp, crackling sounds echoed densely through the forest.

The shadow wolves that pounced on them didn't even have time to react before they were struck squarely by these extremely fast whip shadows that carried paralyzing electric currents.

"Awooo! Awooo! Awooo!"

For a moment, screams of agony rose and fell.

The shadow wolves struck by the whip immediately suffered deep, bone-revealing wounds. Even worse, the powerful paralysis effect of [Thunder Source] caused them to stiffen instantly, fall to the ground, and be unable to move for a moment.

one move!

With just one move, the wolf pack's first wave of attack was neutralized!

"This...this is..." Yan Ji's golden eyes were filled with disbelief.

She had seen weapons that could change form, a characteristic usually found only in legendary-level equipment. But Lu Yuan's sword could actually transform from a solid sword into a liquid whip? And it even had an area-of-effect attack?

Just how many unreasonable rules did this kid add to this sword?

Yan Ji felt her worldview was being turned upside down. She even began to doubt whether her epic-level "Burning Heaven" was no more than a fire poker in front of this "Wind and Thunder Guidance".

"Chance!"

Lu Yuan had no time to pay attention to Yan Ji's shock. After succeeding in one move, he did not hesitate at all and immediately seized the opportunity he had created.

With a thought, he instantly retracted the dozens of water whips, which then reformed into a short sword in his hand.

Then, he moved.

His steps were still somewhat unsteady, and his movement technique was not particularly skillful, but with the 200% attack speed boost brought by the [Azure Bird] buff, the sword in his hand was so fast that it only left behind a series of purple-blue afterimages!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

A flash of sword light, and wolf heads shot into the sky.

Those shadow wolves, still paralyzed and unable to move, became lambs to the slaughter in front of Lu Yuan.

Harvest!

This was an outright massacre!

Lu Yuan's movements became faster and more skillful. From initial nervousness and awkwardness to current calm and decisiveness, it only took him less than five minutes.

His brain was working at high speed, applying all the theoretical knowledge he had learned—human anatomy, star beast weakness analysis, combat dynamic capture—to practice.

Attack where the weakness is.

Strike the sword in the way that requires the least effort.

He wasn't like a soldier; he was more like a cold-blooded surgeon performing a precise operation. And this Fallen Star Forest was his operating table.

[Slay a level 5 Shadow Wolf and gain 50 experience points]

[Slay a level 5 Shadow Wolf and gain 50 experience points]

……

[Ding! Level up! Current level: 2!]

[Ding! Level up! Current level: 3!]

His experience points increased rapidly, and the glow of leveling up shone brightly on him one after another.

In less than ten minutes, all twenty-odd shadow wolves had been converted into his experience points.

In the silent forest, only Lu Yuan's heavy breathing and the slowly dissipating corpses of star beasts on the ground remained.

He leaned on his sword, half-kneeling on the ground, his whole body soaked in sweat, but his eyes shone with an alarming light.

Cool!

So cool!

The feeling of personally wielding power, cutting down enemies with your sword, and then experiencing a rapid increase in your own strength is more exciting than any form of entertainment in the world!

"How are you feeling?"

Yan Ji slowly walked to his side and handed him a bottle of healing potion and a high-energy nutrition bar. Her voice no longer held the previous mockery and scrutiny, but instead contained a hint of equality that she herself hadn't even noticed…

"Not bad." Lu Yuan took the potion and drank it down. The claw marks on his body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. "It's just that these monsters are too weak. They're not enough to fight."

Upon hearing this, Yan Ji's lips twitched involuntarily.

Twenty-odd level 5 Shadow Wolves, which others would consider a nightmare enough to wipe out a rookie squad, were described by him as "not enough to fight"?

What kind of monster is this guy?

"Don't rush." ​​Yan Ji looked at Lu Yuan's face, which was flushed with excitement, and thought to herself: This time, Elder Su has probably really struck gold. This kid named Lu Yuan not only has heaven-defying talent, but his combat talent and learning ability are also terrifyingly powerful. Given time, he will definitely become a force to be reckoned with in the entire Star Sea World.

"There are plenty of monsters ahead." Yan Ji pointed to the depths of the forest. "The outer perimeter of this forest has been mostly cleared. Next, we'll head to the middle area. The monsters there are between level 15 and 30."

She paused, then added, "By the way, let me show you what a real 'broken star beast' looks like."

After saying that, she turned and walked into the depths of the forest.

Lu Yuan immediately got up and followed, glancing at his character panel.

[Level: 3]

[Mental Strength: 18/18]

Physical fitness: C-

In just one battle, his strength underwent a qualitative leap.

He gripped the "Wind and Thunder Guide" tightly, feeling the faint vibrations emanating from the sword that resonated with his own will, and his heart was filled with unprecedented anticipation.

Mid-level area? Level 30 monsters?

Come on, let me see how much experience you can bring me!