Black-furred wolves rampaged across the field. They showed no mercy to their prey, and at any convenient moment, they were ready to attack and then gleefully feast on the meat.
Naturally, no one would judge them — it was their instinct, allowing them to survive in the merciless wilderness, where for any scrap of flesh one could be torn into countless pieces.
That's exactly what Lin believed. He knew that in this world, only the strongest could survive, and those without power would merely become the next victims — mere stepping stones for the strong. So, like the wolves, he had no intention of showing mercy to anyone and would kill those who stood in his way if necessary.
With such resolve and beliefs, he had managed to survive on the streets for six years. If he were just another crybaby, he probably wouldn't be standing here now.
"This is just another situation that will decide whether I die today or not. No matter the outcome, I'll give it my all," he thought with a cold gaze, then looked around.
Roughly a dozen meters from him were black wolves with red eyes. They had completely surrounded the area he was in, leaving him no thought of escape. But there was no need for that — Lin already understood that no matter what plans he came up with, he'd still end up in the wolves' claws. So, he had only one choice left:
Kill!
He had to kill all the wolves present here — only then would he have a chance to leave this place safely.
"Well? Come at me one by one!" Lin shouted to try and provoke them.
From his observations, as terrifying as the wolves were, they were quite timid, suggesting they would first send a few weaker wolves from their pack. Then, once they gauged the strength of their enemy, they'd attack in groups!
That was Lin's opportunity. Though fighting the whole group would be hard later, in the beginning, he could at least understand how these wolves fought their enemies. With that information, he could act.
As Lin's voice echoed across the field, countless wolves growled at him, eager to tear him apart, but made no move. They waited, letting their weakest member test Lin in action before attacking themselves.
At that moment, a black wolf stepped out from the crowd. It was quite skinny, its ribs clearly visible. Its fur was dirty and unkempt, its mouth full of rotting teeth that looked dreadful. Judging by its appearance, it was at the lowest rank in the pack.
Lin noticed the wolf, and a status screen appeared before his eyes:
[Distorted Creature: Night Wolves.]
[Rank: Beast.]
[Abilities: (None).]
[Description: Night Wolves are an integral part of this world's flora and fauna. They hunt in packs from ten to a hundred. Their distinctive features are pitch-black fur and bright red eyes, like twin rubies.]
After reviewing the wolf's stats, Lin sighed — there was no serious information to be gained.
"Stat-wise — they're empty shells. But that's actually good. They have no skills to rely on — only their claws and teeth. But I should be able to handle those, especially with my skill." Lin glanced at his ability and smiled.
The black wolf ran swiftly toward Lin and came within five meters of him. Lin smiled and activated the skill: "Slow Motion Perception."
For the wolf, nothing changed — the surroundings remained as natural as ever. But for Lin, everything within five meters slowed drastically. The air moved sluggishly, making it harder to breathe. The grass seemed frozen, barely shifting. And the black wolf, ready to devour Lin, with its jaws wide open, slowed to a crawl in mid-air.
Only Lin moved naturally in that zone, as if time hadn't slowed at all. He looked at the wolf's wide-open mouth and chuckled slightly.
"Ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha!" Lin's face flushed with excitement — a rare sight, as he seldom showed emotion. But this time, he couldn't help but laugh like a madman.
"This Title's power is divine! With it, I can finally get my long-awaited revenge and avenge my parents!" Lin's main goal in life was to take revenge for his parents. The Matrix family, responsible for it all, had to pay for their crimes!
Lin exhaled heavily and returned to his cold, expressionless face. He looked at the wolf frozen mid-attack.
He snorted and channeled all his strength into his right fist. With a swift motion of his body and arms, he ducked and struck the wolf's jaw with his right fist. His movements were natural, like he had practiced them for years.
Boom!
In the slowed zone, the wolf's head only slightly tilted back.
Lin wasn't planning to stop there. He used all the martial arts knowledge he had on the wolf.
His movements were so fast they created gusts of wind. Suddenly, the wolf's left eye flew out of its socket, but Lin paid no attention to that — he kept attacking with fists and kicks until the skill's effect ended.
When the slow zone dissipated, Lin felt immense fatigue and a wave of forgetfulness. He looked around, trying to remember where he was.
Meanwhile, the wolf, which had been choosing which part of Lin to eat first, suddenly flew back several meters, its flesh and bones completely shattered — no hope of survival remained.
"Whine!" The wolf whimpered loudly, calling for help from its packmates. But they only watched Lin in astonishment.
This human needed less than a second to destroy one of their own! He was dangerous!
"Growl!" Countless wolves began growling at Lin, thirsting to tear him to shreds.
"Animals," Lin snorted, realizing that true hell was about to begin — and he was going to be the lead actor.
"Even though the skill I received is excellent, its use leaves me with intense fatigue and forgetfulness — due to my Price." Lin checked his Price and current condition. Immediately, a blue window appeared before his eyes:
[Price: Forgetfulness (Price of Mind).]
[Status:
— Physical health: 93%
— Mental health: 96%
— Distortion: 35%]
After reviewing it, Lin sighed:
"The Price for using the skill in the form of Forgetfulness is really brutal. And Distortion… I've heard that those Awakened who reached one hundred percent would turn into Distorted Creatures, losing their consciousness and humanity."
"And from just one use of the skill, I've already raised it by 34%… So clearly, I must avoid using it again anytime soon, or the risk of Distortion will be too high."
While Lin stood there thinking about this, dozens of wolves ran out from the crowd and charged at him. Their eyes were full of bloodlust and the desire to tear every piece of the human apart!
Lin looked directly at them and smirked.
"My luck really is the worst…"