That speed... Lan Ye thought, her heart racing. I couldn't even react. If he truly had any ill intent, we would have been dead before we even noticed him.

  "Wait, where did he go?" Na Lan Qinqi stared blankly at the empty space in front of her. Only a small ceramic bottle remained on the grass.

  "Sister Ye! There’s someone in front of us! What do we do?" Lan Zi'er, braced behind her tower shield, suddenly cried out.

  The others snapped their heads toward the battlefield. To their horror, Kael had already materialized directly in front of the Flame Demon Wolf.

  "Omni-Sphere: Sky-Piercer Halberd Mode."

  With a casual flick of his wrist, the silver sphere reshaped itself into a magnificent halberd. Kael gave it a practice swing, the blade cutting through the air with a predatory whistle.

  ROAR—!

  The Flame Demon Wolf was already reaching its breaking point from the Lan Ye Squad’s constant harassment. To have a human suddenly stand so boldly in its path was an insult it could not tolerate. In a burst of motion, the wolf transformed into a streak of crimson lightning, lunging at Kael with a speed far greater than anything it had shown before.

  "Is this... its true power?" Fei Xue’s eyes widened in shock. If the wolf had moved this fast during their skirmish, she would never have been able to provide flanking support.

  "He’s in trouble!" Lan Qing'er, perched high in the trees, had the clearest view. In her eyes, the wolf had become a blur of lethal intent. Kael, however, just stood there, looking for all the world like he had been paralyzed by fear.

  "I told him! I told him not to go and die! Why didn't he listen?!" Na Lan Qinqi stomped her foot in frustration.

  Lan Qing'er didn't waste time talking; she drew her bow to full tension, desperately trying to find an opening to disrupt the wolf’s charge. Na Lan Qinqi raised her staff, her mana swirling. "Frost—"

  But before they could act, Kael moved. Just as the wolf’s fangs reached for his throat, his body pivoted with surgical precision. The halberd carved a beautiful, arcing trajectory through the air.

  WHACK!

  The wolf’s massive frame sailed past Kael's side, its momentum completely misdirected. At the same time, the heavy shaft of the halberd slammed directly into the wolf’s midsection—its "tofu waist."

  A sickening thud echoed through the clearing. On Kael’s wrist, an intricate, glowing mark flared briefly before vanishing.

  Brave-rank Skill: Weapon Mastery (Passive Trigger).

  Shatter!

  BOOM!

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  The Flame Demon Wolf was swatted aside like a common stray. It hurtled through the air, snapping several ancient trees like toothpicks before crashing violently into the dirt. Lan Qing'er, with her superior vision, could clearly see the bloody, mangled wound opened across the beast's flank.

  The girls were speechless, a tidal wave of shock crashing over their minds. Who is this guy? How can he be this strong?

  They had been active in Cloud Mist City for a long time, but they had never heard of a powerhouse who could solo a Flame Demon Wolf with such effortless grace.

  "The medicine... Xiao Ya, can you check the pill he left? Is it poisoned?" Lan Ye suddenly remembered the ceramic bottle.

  "I'll try." Xiao Ya hurriedly poured the Healing Pill into her palm. She cast a minor detection spell, then shook her head. "I can't detect any toxins. Besides... if he wanted to harm us, he wouldn't need to go through all this trouble. He could just wait for the wolf to kill us."

  "Sister Ye, let me try it."

  "You Jiu! You’re awake! How do you feel?" Lan Ye asked, rushing to her side.

  "I feel terrible," You Jiu forced a weak smile, gasping for air. "But that man... when he was near me earlier, I could sense it. There was no malice in him."

  "You want to take it? Are you sure?" Lan Ye asked solemnly. Their bond wasn't just professional; they were sisters. She couldn't bear to see You Jiu suffer more.

  You Jiu nodded firmly. Xiao Ya didn't hesitate any longer and placed the pill in her mouth.

  "Please let it work," Lan Ye whispered, her gaze fixed on Kael’s back. "If anything happens to her, I don't care how strong you are—I’ll make you pay."

  "Achoo! Ugh, a sudden chill... is someone talking behind my back?" Kael, currently walking toward the downed wolf, rubbed his nose and muttered to himself.

  The moment the Healing Pill entered You Jiu’s system, it dissolved into a warm, revitalizing current. The girls watched in absolute awe as the horrific, charred burn scars on her skin began to fade and heal at a visible rate. In less time than it takes to brew a cup of tea, her wounds had vanished completely. If not for the dried blood on her clothes, no one would have believed she had been on the verge of permanent disfigurement just moments ago.

  "Sister Ye... I think I'm completely healed," You Jiu said, opening her eyes and feeling her smooth skin.

  "Completely? Are you certain?" Lan Ye found it hard to believe—not because she didn't want it to be true, but because the efficacy was simply impossible.

  "Yes. I’m certain."

  "Heavens... a pill like this... it’s a miracle," Na Lan Qinqi whispered, picking up the empty bottle with sparkling eyes.

  "This isn't just medicine," Xiao Ya added, stunned. "This is a literal miracle." As someone who studied healing magic, she knew that restoration was infinitely more complex than destruction. This tiny pill had just overturned everything she knew about medicine.

  "He said he was a shopkeeper," Fei Xue suddenly recalled. "Does that mean... he actually sells these in a shop?"

  "Impossible! That's insane!" Xiao Ya shook her head vigorously. "A treasure like this... how could it just be sold over a counter?"

  "But remember what he said?" Fei Xue reminded them calmly. "The price is ten Spirit Crystals."

  Ten Spirit Crystals! For a divine pill that was effectively a second life! Did he have no idea of its true value? To mercenaries who lived on the edge of a blade, this was the most precious thing in the world.

  "Wow, Sister Ye, that guy is so cool!" Lan Zi'er’s voice rang out again.

  "Is she talking about... him?" You Jiu looked toward the battle. She had been semi-conscious after the wolf’s blast, aware of the pill but unaware that Kael had gone to fight the beast.

  "If there isn't a second mysterious stranger in this forest, then yes," Lan Ye nodded.

  "No way..." You Jiu scrambled to her feet.

  In front of Lan Zi'er’s shield, Kael had already sent the Flame Demon Wolf flying again. He was calmly pursuing it, his halberd trailing behind him with a terrifying, oppressive aura.

  ROAR—!

  The wolf scrambled to its feet, blood dripping from its waist. Suddenly, a violent explosion of fire erupted from its body, forming a suit of Flame Armor that encased its entire form.

  The human who dared to wound it was coming—and the wolf was ready to burn everything to ash.