Chapter 23: The Beginning of Activation

Black Knight Fad, this fallen one who had just secured a place in the camp of the high-ranking demon Thore, having tasted the sweetness of power, was eager to elevate his status through achievements and gain more power. After taking on the task of hunting Nio, Fad immediately sent a 20-man vanguard to reinforce the searchers. After all, when Nio’s trail was first discovered, no extra effort was put into tracking him; only a regular group of War Cultists was sent, and it was this vanguard that arrived amidst the fierce battle. Seeing the bravery of the werewolves and hearing the sound of the West Wind Horn, the vanguard members weren’t fools either—they fought back while signaling with magic flutes.

At that moment, Fad was leading his troops in the Black Iron Square at the center of Solis City, waiting for further updates. To be safe, he had also dispatched two additional groups of War Cultists for search efforts and ordered Emmaire, the Darkblood woman, to continue tracking using her own methods. With multiple approaches underway, he frowned upon receiving news of a fierce battle from the vanguard rather than confirmation of the target’s location. By now, the Devil Army and the West Wind Army were in full combat, and Fad, aiming to ensure the absolute effectiveness of his own forces, chose not to intervene in this battle.

Even so, the vanguard’s involvement quickly put the West Wind Warriors in peril.

“Kelanov, you fat, stupid gray dog! Turns out you’re a damned traitor. We were even worried about you!” Yuri spat out blood, dodging a flying spear and blocking a slash from a werewolf with gray-black fur, roaring in fury.

The West Wind Warriors were mainly composed of werewolves from two races: Vidennis and Frost. The leader of Fad’s vanguard was none other than the Frost werewolf, whom Yuri called a fat, stupid gray dog.

Kelanov was surrounded by misty darkness, so much so that not only him but even the snowflakes around him appeared gray-black, like industrial pollution. “Hehehe…” A cruel laugh echoed as this muscular werewolf, half a head taller than Yuri, flashed his red-glowing single eye and said hoarsely, “Little Yuri, werewolves originated from darkness. If there’s betrayal, it was our ancestors who betrayed darkness first. What I’m doing now can be called returning to our roots!”

As he spoke, Kelanov swung his sword—a thick, long blade heavier than ordinary human two-handed swords, producing a shrill screeching sound as it moved. *Thud!* Sparks flew everywhere. Facing Kelanov’s attack, Yuri had no chance to dodge; he could only parry out of instinct. Crossing his axes, Yuri barely managed to withstand Kelanov’s strike. With a sneer, Kelanov used his free hand to push harder…

“Ah…” Yuri screamed, resisting with all his might, but he was gradually forced to crouch, the bricks and stones beneath his feet cracking under his weight.

“An intoxicating power, isn’t it?” Kelanov raised his other blade high, speaking with a hint of mockery, “Killing you now is like killing a puppy. Weakling, die!”

*Boom!* The sound of magic firearms wasn’t very noticeable amidst the chaos.

For Kainano, ordinary firearms were nothing to fear, but this shot hit him under the armpit—causing pain and itching, sensations that drove Kainano mad. Yuri took the opportunity to roll aside, escaping the reach of Kainano’s long sword.
Aaaah…
“You sneaky bitch!” Kainano roared, charging toward the source of the shot like a ferocious bull in heat. Along the way, he not only knocked over a Videnis but also sent a Frostman flying. With a single swing, he shattered the door panel of the dungeon; the entire panel, along with the surrounding bricks and stones, collapsed as if blown apart by dwarf iron bombs. The immense force rushed into the dungeon, forcing the three men led by Gorton to retreat under the pressure of the wooden planks.
Cough!
Amidst the swirling dust, a fierce sword flash shot out from the dungeon like lightning.
Nameless and in the form of a brutal thrust, it was a soul-killer technique. Though still unfinished, it required the sacrifice of life force. For an ordinary person, even if they poured in all their life energy, it might not be very powerful. Weaklings, even their souls, were cheap. But Nio was different.
Nio’s body hid a great secret. More precisely, within his pineal gland, there was a substance even smaller than mung beans. Over time and through diligent cultivation, the seal surrounding this substance had loosened, and several life-or-death experiences had shown signs of activating it.
It was this source that made Nio’s life energy far purer than that of ordinary people, endowing his thrust with a terrifying power even he himself didn’t fully understand.
In Kainano’s mind, Nio’s strike was like a flash of lightning in the dust. Before he could react, he felt a sharp pain in his left chest, followed by a tearing agony spreading like a tide.
“Ahh!” Kainano screamed as Nio’s sword pierced deep into his heart—at least 50 centimeters in. Theoretically, it should have pierced his heart entirely. Yet Kainano had succumbed to darkness because the demons offered him an irresistible benefit: immortality through corruption!
Kainano had already mastered the ability to become corrupted, and the core of his heart in his right chest had begun to form. Once complete, he would abandon his previous form and become an immortal demon wolf. A damaged heart was indeed a fatal wound for Kainano, but he could save himself. The dark evil energy surged from his core toward his heart, allowing his organs to temporarily reach what could be described as a “stone-hearted” state. Moreover, the power of darkness had the terrifying ability to corrode and melt any foreign substance, even high-quality metals like black iron swords.
Hitting the target with a deep thrust into its heart—honestly, Nio himself was surprised. He knew well how terrifying the reflexes and defenses of a warrior above level 6 could be, let alone a werewolf. But now was clearly not the time to think about non-combat matters. Nio tried to twist and pull out the black iron sword to inflict even more fatal damage.
Twist! Nothing happened!
Nio was shocked. The opponent’s muscle and tendon defenses were terrifying—capable of locking down the invading weapon like steel clamps.

Draw the sword! Massive blood loss is crucial—otherwise, a fierce fighter like Kellano could still survive for another dozen to dozens of seconds, enough time for him to become a terrifying destroyer and unleash his final fury. At that exact moment, the power of darkness flowed into Neo through the black iron sword. It was like a mosquito sucking blood: Neo’s life energy acted as the mosquito’s diluting toxin, while the influx of dark energy was the return of blood. “Ah…” An unimaginable pain made Neo scream in agony. The aftereffects of the dark energy corroded both of his armors, leaving them covered in rust and emitting smoke. Neo tried to let go, but it was as if an electromagnetic force was at work; he felt his hands as if burned to death on the sword hilt. A terrifying force rushed into his body and converged toward his head. Boom! Neo’s last thought was: It’s over—my head’s about to explode! Perhaps due to the dust or because everything happened so fast, to those in the dungeon, what seemed to happen in that lightning-fast moment was: Neo fired a shot to save Yuri from danger, then deliberately built up his strength. The foolish giant Kellano, who had already sided with the devil, fell for it and rushed forward to destroy the entrance with a slash. The prepared trio of Gortons blocked Kellano’s attacks. Neo thrust his sword with all his might—although it hit its target, he was sent flying several meters away by Kellano’s immense power and collapsed unconscious. In this brief clash, the truly pitiful one was Kellano. Not only was he successfully pierced in the heart by a level 3 kid, but he also encountered an even more bizarre accident while trying to treat himself—his energy leaked out wildly, leaving him so exhausted as if he had spent the entire day and night with a giantess. Kellano collapsed backward, giving an opportunity to a nearby Videnis, who leaped up and swung an axe straight at Kellano’s neck. With such terrifying force, the axe didn’t even completely sever Kellano’s head, but it cut through his trachea and arteries. Kellano died in agony, leaving Yuri, who arrived a moment later, staring in shock for a long time. To the Videnis’s delight, the second wave of troops attacking the devil army’s flank heard the horn sounds and, thinking the flank attack had failed and that they were now surrounded by the devil army, rushed over all at once, putting the dark forces in a desperate situation. Surrounded and facing certain death, they still confirmed that the target was here. Frost, the leader of the vanguard, managed to send a signal: “Target confirmed! Requesting reinforcements!” At the same time, Gorton had already begun to retreat under the cover of several West Wind Warriors who had been hit. Phaed and Fad in Black Iron Square saw the signal and immediately led their men in an assault in that direction. Seeing hundreds of West Wind Warriors from afar, they misunderstood immediately. “Great! So it’s that wolfman—your West Wind lackeys—with so many reinforcements!”

The wolves of the West Wind Berserkers on the opposite side also misunderstood. “Those demon dogs are quite fierce; they’ve set up many ambushes. If it weren’t for Yuri’s unit arriving in time, breaking through the flanks might have led to being encircled…”
Fad, the Black Knight, commanded a force of demonized undead, while the Videnis wolves of the West Wind Berserkers were renowned for their bravery and fearlessness. It was truly a clash of titans.
“Damn you! Cutting off people’s means of livelihood is like killing their parents!” Upon arriving at the scene and learning that the target had already fled with the civilians, Fad’s eyes turned red, and he led his men in a desperate charge to clear a path through the chaos.
“Fuck you! No one dare to fight as recklessly as our Videnis wolves yet!” The berserkers of the West Wind Berserkers roared like they’d taken stimulants, using brutal tactics that would harm both sides equally.
For a time, the battle was fierce, with blood flowing like rivers. Even the Eastern Camp Eagle Knights who arrived later thought this was the second main battlefield…
Nio woke up again, feeling as if he’d had a hangover all night—severe headaches, dizziness, nausea, weakness, and an empty stomach. It was truly miserable. He immediately checked himself, changed his clothes, and saw that his pack was also open…