Chapter 2: The Desert Wolf

It had been three days since joining Makas's Spirit Eagle Trading Caravan, and Mels and his five companions had spent these three days stuck in a bumpy carriage, inching their way south with the caravan. Over the past three days, the caravan's pace was absolutely grueling for Mels and the others. A distance they could have covered in half a day now seemed endless, and they had no idea when they would finally reach Feijinando.

Fortunately, a letter delivered by an eagle from Xiu Lante stated that the black-clad attackers who had assaulted Feijinando had vanished without a trace after fleeing the royal capital. He was currently using Relks's entire intelligence network to search for them and hoped Mels and the others wouldn't do anything reckless before his arrival. Given this situation, Mels was no longer in a hurry to reach Feijinando and instead began trying to adapt to life in the caravan.

Life in the caravan wasn't as exciting as Mels and the others had initially imagined. About three hundred caravan staff members rode in over sixty cargo-laden wagons, slowly advancing, while around a hundred armed mercenaries on horseback provided escort.

Every day before sunset, the caravan would find a suitable spot to camp, arranging the wagons in a circle to form a "wagon fort." Once inside, everyone would carry out their respective tasks! Makas explained that this method used the wagon fort to defend against wild beast attacks and also prevented sudden assaults from bandit groups!

However, Mels believed this approach was essentially meaningless. If the bandits had just a few mages, they could instantly destroy this so-called wagon fort!

Although Mels's thinking was correct, how many bandit organizations on the continent could recruit powerful mages, and how many were as formidable as the Blue Whirlwind? This was probably something he hadn't considered!

Although Makas had provided Mels and the others with the most comfortable and spacious carriage in the caravan, for youths like Mels experiencing caravan travel for the first time, this journey was extremely brutal.

For three days, their only feeling was that their spines were about to be shattered by the carriage's jolting. Along the way, there was no chance to enjoy the scenery; even meals were rushed affairs. Their only daily pleasure was getting a good night's sleep after dark; they dared not hope for anything more.

Since entering a small desert area between the Commercial Cities Alliance and the Chaotic Country yesterday, the hardships of travel had intensified. However, this was unavoidable, and Mels and the others could only endure silently.

"Boss, look at the scenery outside the window—'how beautiful it is'!" Just past noon, Sol pulled open the carriage curtain and suddenly said.

"Scenery? What scenery?" Mels and the others were already bored to the point of moldering. Hearing about scenery, the five of them immediately scrambled to the window, peering outside. However, when their eyes met the outside world, their initial excitement vanished, replaced by even greater disappointment!

"You brat, what are you talking about? There's no scenery at all!" Mels punched Sol on the shoulder, angrily saying.

"What do you mean? Can't you see it? Look, the sand grains in the distance, one after another, seem to stretch on forever without end. Isn't that the most beautiful scenery?" Sol said to Mels and the others with a straight face.

After hearing Sol's words, Mels and the other five exchanged glances. Suddenly, Rek and Mels pounced on Sol, pinning him down, followed by Akafir shouting, "Someone, help! Sol's gone crazy!"

"B-Boss, l-let... let me go! I... can't... breathe..." Sol struggled with his hands and feet, pinned down on the carriage floor. However, how could a mage's strength compare to Rek and Mels's? Just as he was about to suffocate, Bagina noticed something was wrong and hurriedly told Mels and Rek to stop, allowing Sol to be spared.

"Cough, cough... Boss, what are you doing? I was just trying to find joy in hardship. Why did you think I was crazy?" After barely regaining his breath, Sol looked up at Mels and said. Seeing Mels and Rek barely suppressing their laughter, Sol realized they had deliberately bullied him!

"Alright, you got me, daring to gang up on me. I'll get my revenge!" After understanding everything, Sol suddenly began weaving a spell with his hands and began chanting, "Break the bonds of morality, summon the dark lightning, in the name of the Hell Demon King Alubis..." Mels and Rek wouldn't let Sol finish the incantation. They pounced on him simultaneously, and the three youths began roughhousing like children. Fortunately, the carriage was spacious enough, or they might have torn it apart!

Just as the three were playing wildly, and the bored Bagina and others watched the spectacle, the jolting carriage suddenly came to an abrupt stop, nearly causing everyone to collide. Mels and the others managed to steady themselves, but Sol couldn't control his momentum. A moment later, with a pained cry, a large bump instantly appeared on Sol's head!

"Ouch! Which idiot did that? How are you driving this carriage?" Sol shouted angrily. However, a burst of noisy commotion from outside the carriage completely drowned out his curses!

"Something seems to have happened outside. Let's go check it out." Mels, already bored out of his mind, immediately leaped out of the carriage. The others, not wanting to be left behind, rushed out at top speed!

Poor Sol, having just suffered a blow to the head, now had several footprints on his face. In the end, he could only step down from the carriage with a foul expression, swaying unsteadily!

By the time Sol stepped down, Mels had already grabbed a caravan member and was loudly asking, "Hey, what's going on?"

"S-Sand... Desert Wolves!" The panicked caravan member gasped, his voice trembling as he spoke.

"Wolves? What's so scary about a few wolves?" Akafir, having grown up in the mountains, considered attacks by wolves, tigers, and leopards commonplace, so he immediately spoke up mockingly.

"Ah, what do you know!" Seeing Akafir's dismissive attitude, the man anxiously said, "The Desert Wolves are currently the most vicious bandit organization. They'll rob anything they see, and there has never been a survivor from a caravan they've attacked!

Legend says they only attack caravans at night. Who would have thought we'd encounter these devils in broad daylight! Captain Makas has already ordered the mercenary troops to engage. You should flee with us now, or else..." The man couldn't finish his sentence.

The reason was that after hearing his words, Mels and the others showed no fear. Instead, their eyes gleamed with excitement. Seeing such a reaction, how could the man continue?

"Great, boss! Finally, something to do!" Akafir cheered loudly, rushing up to Mels.

"Yeah, yeah, we need to hurry. If the mercenaries wipe out those bandits, we'll miss all the fun!" Bagina also spoke to the group with great excitement.

However, among the youths, there were differing opinions. Sol approached Mels and cautiously said, "Boss, this has nothing to do with us. And those bandits seem really fierce. Maybe we should run with them?"

"Get lost! Run if you want! We've been bored for so long; we might as well go check out the situation first!" After saying this to Sol, Mels turned to the group. "Whoever wants to see the excitement, come with me. Those who don't, run with them! How about that? I'm being very democratic this time!" As soon as Mels finished speaking, everyone except Sol stood by his side. It seemed the long journey had indeed become unbearable for them!

"Sol, what's your decision?" Mels smiled at Sol.

"Since the boss is heading into danger, then as the boss's most loyal, bravest, and most capable subordinate, of course I'll share life and death with the boss, charge forward courageously, go through fire and water together, and..."

Before Sol could finish, Rek interrupted with a loud laugh, "Alright, enough about 'going through fire and water.' You're just thinking, 'If you all die, leaving me alone with those guys would be even more dangerous!' That's all!"

"Oh, shut up! You talk too much!" Sol shouted angrily. The exchange between Rek and Sol immediately drew laughter from everyone.

Seeing the laughter and banter subside, Mels said loudly, "Great! Since everyone agrees, let's act quickly! Rek, Akafir, you two go prepare six fast horses! Bagina, Emma, you go get some water! Sol, you go find out where the Desert Wolves appeared. We're setting off now!"

With the six of them dividing the tasks, they soon set off on the road toward the battle zone. Since the engagement site between the mercenaries and the Desert Wolves wasn't far, after crossing a small sand dune, the six saw the dust-filled, fierce battlefield.

The Desert Wolves were a vicious bandit organization living in the desert, accustomed to robbing passing merchants! Their numbers weren't large, around a thousand, but their behavior was exceptionally stealthy, coming and going without a trace in the desert. Moreover, they never left survivors after a robbery, so merchants traveling this route kept a respectful distance from them!

This time, if someone among the soldiers hired by Makas hadn't accidentally spotted the Desert Wolves approaching from afar, the Spirit Eagle Trading Caravan might have suffered heavy casualties under their sudden attack!

To protect his caravan, even knowing his strength was insufficient, Makas's fiery temperament wouldn't allow him to flee alone. After discussing with the mercenary captain, Makas led two hundred martial-arts-capable subordinates from the caravan, supported by over a hundred mercenaries, embarking on a path of no return to confront the thousand bandits!

When Mels and the others arrived near the battlefield, the two sides were confronting each other on a relatively flat sand dune, while countless bandits were rushing to the battle zone, preparing to completely surround Makas's forces!

"Audacious bandits! We are the Spirit Eagle, an official merchant caravan of the Commercial Cities Alliance. Do you know that attacking a national official merchant caravan is a capital crime!" Makas stood on his horse, holding a large blade, shouting angrily at the hundreds of bandits.

However, his words not only failed to intimidate the bandits but instead provoked a burst of roaring laughter!

Moments later, a man in his thirties, wearing yellowish-brown leather armor, with a scar on his left cheek and an extremely fierce appearance, stepped out from among the bandits. Raising his curved blade, he mimicked Makas's tone and said, "Audacious caravan! We are the sacred Desert Wolves of the Chaotic Country! You old fool, do you know that disobeying our control is a dead end!" As soon as the bandit spoke, Makas's face turned ashen, while the bandits erupted in another burst of wild laughter!

"Brothers, quiet down! I haven't finished!" The bandit shouted at his men behind him, then turned back to face Makas and continued, "Old fool, be sensible and hand over all the goods. Then dig yourselves a big enough hole. This lord will reluctantly make an exception and let you bury yourselves here! Otherwise, once this lord's blade is drawn, I'm afraid you won't even have a place to be buried!"

"Wow, boss, that guy has quite the nerve! Seeing how many they are, maybe we should run!" To avoid attracting Makas's attention, Mels and the others stood at the very back of the formation. Seeing the bandits' ferocity, Sol once again thought of retreating.

"Go on, go on. They're just a rabble. The truly formidable ones haven't even shown themselves. Akafir, Rek, from your perspective, how many seem difficult to deal with?" Mels calmed Sol while asking Rek and the others. "If our judgment is correct, there should be four! Two behind that man, and two others further away!" Rek answered.

"Hmm, I feel the same. But their strength isn't on the same level as ours. It seems this time, without Brother Mels needing to take action, we can easily handle it!" Akafir added.

"My feeling is the same as yours, but everyone should still be cautious. I'm worried there might be other experts mixed in!" For some reason, Mels had an ominous premonition in his heart. Although he couldn't clearly explain it, that feeling lingered, making him somewhat uneasy!

While Mels and the others were talking, Makas at the front could no longer contain his anger! The bandits' words were not only venomous but also deeply mocking, as if Makas and his men were inferior to three-year-old children in their eyes.

Makas spurred his horse forward, shouting at the bandits, "Enough talk! If you have the skill, fight me one-on-one!"

"Fine! If you can defeat my subordinate, I'll consider letting you live!" The bandit was also straightforward. With a casual wave behind him, a tall, thin man with pale, lifeless eyes, dressed similarly, stepped into the arena from among the bandits!

"Bad! Makas is no match for that guy! Let's move closer. Akafir, if the situation looks bad, rescue Makas!" Seeing the fierce battle about to erupt, Mels immediately ordered his companions.

Following Mels's instructions, the youths began slowly approaching the front lines. Meanwhile, Makas, in his rage, had already brandished his long blade and charged toward the bandits!

The long blade Makas wielded appeared light but was actually extremely heavy! The blade technique he used was the widely circulated "Thunder Blade" on the continent. Although its power wasn't great, it was quite practical. Moreover, Makas had studied this technique for years; horizontal sweeps, vertical chops, diagonal slashes, straight thrusts—every move was executed with great proficiency, so he initially gained the upper hand.

Amidst cheers from the caravan members, Makas seemed to gain confidence, redoubling his efforts to defeat the enemy quickly.

However, Makas having the upper hand was only the view of ordinary people. To Mels and the others, it felt different! Although Makas's opponent kept dodging, not even countering once, Mels knew the man was merely playing a cat-and-mouse game. Once the time was right, he would likely strike and finish off Makas immediately!

"Akafir, go support Makas. I'm afraid if we delay any longer, it might be too late!" Mels quietly said to Akafir.

In fact, Makas had also realized something was wrong by now. Although he wasn't a martial arts expert, he knew that an enemy who could dodge effortlessly after such a long fight must be far stronger than him! Just as he was struggling to cope and starting to think of retreating, the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed!

The zombie-like man suddenly stopped dodging. Extending his left hand, with bare-handed blade-catching skill, he easily caught Makas's blade mid-swing. He gloomily said to Makas, "You've played long enough; you must be tired. Now, I'll let you rest well... rest forever!"

Just as the unmoving iron sword in his hand was lightly raised and about to pierce Makas's chest and abdomen, Akafir burst from the crowd at lightning speed, charging straight toward the man! However, because he had started too late and the distance was nearly a hundred meters, even at Akafir's incredible speed, it was difficult for him to save Makas from the bandit's grasp!

Just as everyone thought Makas would be killed on the spot, a flash of light streaked through the air, heading straight for the bandit's head! This not only shocked everyone present but also startled the bandit himself! With no other choice, he could only swing his iron sword to block the "hidden weapon" flying toward him at high speed, to avoid being injured!

It was this brief delay that allowed Akafir to close the distance in a flash, driving a powerful punch aimed directly at the bandit's chest! Akafir's strike was in a different league from Makas's, and the bandit knew full well he couldn't afford to be hit by Akafir! Thus, after deflecting the hidden weapon from the air, he had no choice but to let go of Makas and leap back, missing the perfect opportunity to kill him!

If the enemy had known that Akafir, despite his extraordinary speed, lacked the support of Qi energy, he'd have been ashamed of his own cowardice!

Meanwhile, Akafir, after rescuing Makas from the bandit's grasp, immediately leaped into the air and caught the hidden weapon. It turned out that the so-called hidden weapon was nothing but his trusty iron sword. In the heat of the moment, he'd had no choice but to throw it!

"Captain Makas, fall back! Since their leader refuses to come out and fight, there's no need for you to deal with these underlings. Leave them to us!" Mels called out loudly, seeing Makas was unharmed.

Upon hearing Mels's words, Makas understood that Mels was giving him an out. Earlier, he had agreed to let Mels and his companions join the caravan because Mels had shown him the emblem of the Dragon Knights Regiment of the Relkes Empire!

On the continent of Kashu, everyone held those with exceptional martial skills in high esteem, and as members of the continent's most powerful Dragon Knights Regiment, they commanded even greater respect! Thus, seeing Mels and his companions arrive, Makas couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude!

Since knights rarely revealed their identities or participated in unofficial fights, Makas hadn't thought to seek Mels's help when attacked by the bandits. But now, witnessing Mels not only extending a helping hand when he was on the verge of defeat and death but also preserving his dignity, words couldn't describe what he felt. Makas turned to Mels and said, "Since the young master has intervened, I'll say no more! I leave it in your hands!" Ever since Mels joined the caravan, Makas had addressed him as "young master." Although Mels objected, Makas insisted, and Mels eventually let him have his way.

"You bastard, you sneaky rat! Are you bringing in others to gang up on us?" Seeing Akafir ruin his plans, the bandit who had first exchanged insults with Makas immediately shouted.

"Pfft! It's always been one-on-one. If you have the guts, come try this young master's sword!" After his years out in the world, Akafir no longer stumbled over his words, and he had no trouble responding to the bandit.

"What these young masters say is what I say! If you can defeat them, not only will you get the goods, but the lives of everyone here are yours for the taking!" Makas turned and roared at the bandits.

"Good! You said it yourself! If you back out again, I'll see to it that none of you get away!" After saying this, the bandit immediately shot a glance at the one who had fought earlier. The zombie-like man slowly nodded and once again faced off against Akafir! However, this time, he no longer underestimated his opponent and instead assumed a strange stance.

"Skeleton Sword!" Upon seeing the opponent's stance, Bagina suddenly exclaimed, then shouted to Akafir, "Wild monkey, be careful! That zombie's sword technique is poisonous!"

"Skeleton Sword? What kind of martial art is that?" Mels and the others, lacking Bagina's extensive knowledge, didn't understand what she meant and could only ask in a low voice.

"You're so clueless! And you call yourself a disciple of the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes? It's a joke!" Bagina first mocked Mels, then explained, "In the continent's Top Hundred Rankings, there's a Netherworld Swordsman ranked eighteenth. Although his ranking isn't high, everyone says his strength is definitely not inferior to the top ten! It's said that the sword technique he uses is the Skeleton Sword!

Those who practice this sword technique must live in graveyards, absorbing corpse energy and harnessing the death power of the Netherworld King to infuse magic into their swords. When the Skeleton Sword is unleashed, not only can the corpse energy on the sword poison the enemy, but it can also emit several strange sounds to disrupt the opponent's mind! Look, do you see the small holes in his sword? I think that's where the sounds come from!"

"That's so eerie? Will Akafir be able to handle it?" Sol, after hearing Bagina's explanation, immediately expressed concern.

"That shouldn't be a problem. I think that zombie's martial skills are at most stolen teachings and can't compare to the masters in the Top Hundred Rankings! The wild monkey just needs to be careful not to get injured, and he should be fine!" Bagina said softly.

"Bagina, I want to ask you, since the Skeleton Sword requires absorbing the Netherworld King's power, is it similar to a Magic Knight like you?" Mels pondered for a moment before suddenly asking.

"No, it's different. He's closer to a warrior, unlike me, who can use martial arts while simultaneously attacking with magic. To be honest, if the opponent isn't poisoned by the corpse energy or is strong enough to resist the illusory sounds, he won't be able to use any other offensive or supportive magic. So, at most, he's just a magic weapon warrior!" Bagina explained carefully.

"That's good. I was just thinking that if the opponent could use magic, Akafir would really be in trouble!" Mels said.

Indeed, the situation on the battlefield unfolded just as Mels had estimated. Akafir had already gained the upper hand in the fight with his incredible speed and attacking style! The zombie-like man, though still maintaining his combat ability, was completely suppressed by Akafir's speed and unable to launch any meaningful counterattacks!

Akafir's swordsmanship relied purely on speed. Within his attack range, no matter how the enemy adapted, they couldn't fully keep up with his speed. Even Mels couldn't achieve this, let alone the zombie-like man.

Perhaps after hearing Bagina's warning, Akafir changed his initial aggressive tactics. He now circled around the enemy at high speed, seemingly waiting to attack once he discovered the opponent's weakness.

The bandit was no weakling either. Realizing he couldn't match Akafir's speed, he adopted a strategy of remaining unchanged to counter all changes, stabilizing his stance and maintaining a complete defensive posture, allowing Akafir to move freely!

Watching their dynamic and static confrontation, Mels knew the battle could end in an instant. Although the opponent was no pushover, judging by his aura and the depth of his Qi energy, Mels remained confident in Akafir!

After a period of stalemate, perhaps unable to endure the tactic of circling and defending without attacking, Akafir finally launched his assault! His figure flashed, moving at a speed difficult for ordinary eyes to follow, swiftly attacking the enemy from behind! The iron sword in his hand was like a venomous snake gleaming with cold light, tracing a silver line through the air as it accurately and rapidly stabbed toward the enemy's back!

In that split second, the zombie-like man should have fallen under Akafir's sword, but the situation took everyone by surprise! Akafir's iron sword did pierce the man's back, but it only tore through his clothes!

The sharp iron sword, capable of cutting through metal and stone, met a body harder than either. A metallic clang echoed, and the bandit fighting Akafir not only remained unharmed but instead raised his iron sword and thrust back!

Fortunately, Akafir reacted swiftly, retreating completely before his body could be struck, or the consequences would have been dire! However, this turn of events left Mels and the others greatly surprised. Even Bagina couldn't understand why a bandit practicing the Skeleton Sword would possess an invulnerable body! At first, Mels thought the bandit might be wearing some kind of protective armor, but when the bandit continued fighting Akafir, the exposed flesh-colored skin on his back proved Mels's guess completely wrong!

While the spectators couldn't comprehend it, Akafir, in the midst of the fight, was even more confused, unsure of what was happening! However, he had no time to think, forced to continuously rely on his speed to evade the enemy's pursuit!

Yet, ever since his failed strike forced him to retreat, the bandit had abandoned his defensive tactics and instead took the initiative, relentlessly pursuing Akafir! Although Akafir's speed prevented the enemy from finding a true attack angle, losing the momentum of his offense made it difficult for him to break free from the opponent's assault!

Observing the battle, Mels noticed that Akafir only targeted the enemy's body without attempting to inflict fatal wounds. He suddenly realized that the Silly Boy must have been holding back because Mels hadn't given the order to kill!

Understanding the reason, Mels immediately shouted, "Akafir, don't hold back! Kill if you must!"

"Boss, you should have said so earlier!" Akafir responded mid-fight.

It seemed Akafir had indeed been holding back, not using his full strength! However, from that moment on, the bandit's misfortune began. Akafir no longer used guerrilla tactics to find non-lethal spots but instead unleashed the sword techniques of the Cloud-reaching Sword God, renowned throughout the world, launching a massive counterattack with speed, power, accuracy, and relentless assault!

What had once appeared as a series of exchanges in everyone's eyes now transformed after Mels's command. Akafir's body seemed to vanish, leaving only a whirlwind of sword light! A cyclone formed around the ghostly youth, completely enveloping the enemy!

Realizing Akafir's true strength, the bandit knew he stood no chance of winning! Yet, he was now in a predicament, unable to even escape the whirlwind of sword light! All he could do was defend, defend desperately! Relying on his strange physique to withstand Akafir's attacks, the bandit never imagined his efforts would last only three minutes before completely collapsing!

A scream echoed as the bandit, unable to unleash the essence of the Skeleton Sword, cried out like a slaughtered pig, clutching his eyes, dropping his iron sword, and collapsing in agony!

Akafir showed no mercy. The enemy's defeat was his victory. Since Mels had given the order to kill, he would leave no chance for the enemy to catch their breath or launch a final counterattack! Although the enemy had lost his combat ability, Akafir thrust his sword once more, accurately piercing through the bandit's mouth and out the back of his head, killing him on the spot!