"Holy crap... Xiang, Brother Xiang... what the hell is that thing..." stammered a bespectacled lackey with a bowl haircut.
"You bookworm, never heard of a Jackalman?" another thug hissed under his breath.
Still, seeing a real Jackalman triggered primal fear in every boy.
The Jackalman spotted them and turned, lumbering closer.
Its foot-long maw split open, revealing jagged fangs. A guttural, wolfish growl mixed with human speech: "Human adventurers? Pathetically weak. And not a single piece of decent gear."
It advanced, utterly dismissive. "But since you might grow stronger someday... better erase you now."
Humans and Jackalmen shared an instinctive, blood-deep hatred. No provocation needed—only the urge to kill.
"Uh, boss... what’s that monster saying?"
"Brother Xiang, you—you can handle it, right? A Jackalman..."
The lackeys wore newbie-village gear. Crude weapons trembled in their hands; zero combat skills, zero experience.
Jiang Xiang’s face flushed crimson. He couldn’t gauge the monster’s strength, but its threat crawled under his skin.
He yanked a double-headed axe from his back. "I’m an Awakened! Screw it! Big deal if you’re huge—DIE!"
Jiang Xiang channeled his nascent Spirit Energy. Raw power surged through him, thickening his muscles, flushing his skin red. Steam rose from his body as he charged, axe raised high.
He swung hard at the Jackalman’s chest—just as its curved blade slashed down.
*Clang!* Sparks flew through the trees. Pain exploded in Jiang Xiang’s arms; his axe flew wide. He staggered back, nearly collapsing.
Muscles tore across his broad shoulders.
Jiang Xiang had brawled before, played ball—he knew strength when he felt it. This monster crushed him. Like a high school player tackling LeBron James.
Jackalmen weren’t pure brutes. It outmuscled him *and* outmaneuvered him.
"Hmph. Such weaklings dare wander here?" The Jackalman grinned darkly. "Spark Level One trash?"
*Whoosh!* The curved blade sliced toward Jiang Xiang—fast, vicious.
"Yikes!" Jiang Xiang barely crossed his axe in defense.
*Clang!* The impact slammed the hulking youth flat on his back.
"Holy shit!" The lackeys froze in horror.
Survival instinct kicked in. Jiang Xiang wildly swung his axe, forcing the Jackalman back. He rolled away just as the blade bit empty air. A boot then slammed into his ribs, launching him backward. Only his Awakened barbarian toughness saved his organs from shattering.
*Spark Level Three.* The power gap was abyssal.
Jiang Xiang scrambled up, dirt-streaked, and bolted toward his crew. "ATTACK! ALL OF YOU! STOP THAT THING!" he roared hoarsely.
"A-attack..." The lackeys’ weapons shook like leaves.
"Attack my ass! RUN!"
They fled faster than they’d ever moved, ditching weapons mid-stride. For the first time, they truly understood *routed like defeated soldiers*.
Only Zhang Da stood cool, one hand in his pocket, the other spinning his dagger with practiced ease. "Now’s the time..."
He hurled the dagger—sudden, sharp.
It bounced off the Jackalman’s shoulder, not even piercing its hide.
Zhang Da’s eyes bulged. "What the fu—RUN!"
They crashed through the forest, the Jackalman in pursuit. It was faster, should’ve caught them—but after a while, it slowed. Then stopped. Gave up.
Ahead, Jiang Xiang’s crew still sprinted blindly, unaware.
...
Morning sun pierced the giant trees, dappling the ground in violet shadows.
Lin Luo led two girls through the woods, listening to strange birdsong, breathing in the scent of wild plants.
Heat thickened the air. Sweat beaded on Han Lianfei’s swan-like neck, trickling down the deep valley between her breasts—a trace of girl’s fragrance blooming in the warmth.
They climbed a slope. Lin Luo glanced back. Beneath her wide hat’s shadow, Han Lianfei’s pale expanse looked even more breathtaking from this angle. Her hat blocked her view; she didn’t know where his gaze lingered.
Lin Luo paused, thoughtful.
Han Lianfei looked up, brushing sweat from her brow. "What’s wrong, Xiao Lin?"
*Don’t shorten my name like that—it sounds girly!*
But Lin Luo wasn’t thinking about cleavage. He studied Han Lianfei, remembering last night. Unlike You Xun, she wasn’t fiercely independent. She lacked You Xun’s sharp intuition, her sense of fate’s calling.
This other world glittered with beauty—but hid lethal dangers. He couldn’t guard them every second. It was time to guide this alluring mage. Give her the strength to survive.
