"You dare meet me head-on? Die, boy!"

  Lie Pa let out a massive bestial roar, his speed increasing by another thirty percent.

  "Heh." Kael didn't get angry; he simply chuckled lightly.

  "Sweep a Thousand Armies!"

  The spear shot out like a dragon, cold as a star.

  Under the moonlight, the sharp tip traced a cold, crescent arc. It was the simplest of moves, yet it completely sealed off both the attack paths and retreat routes of the two oncoming wolves.

  In battle, flashy moves are meaningless. Every move made must have a purpose.

  Though Lie Pa's claws were inches from Kael's eyes, they could go no further. He was smashed away by the sheer force of Kael’s swing.

  Lie Wa followed close behind. Using the momentum from swatting Lie Pa away, Kael kicked Lie Wa squarely in the stomach while spinning the spear in his hands.

  "Dragon Rush!"

  The spear thrust forward. A single point of cold light, dazzling like a star in the night sky.

  Terror filled Lie Wa’s beastly eyes.

  Kael’s kick to his stomach hadn't been to create distance; it was to pin him in place, ensuring Lie Wa couldn't dodge the follow-up attack.

  Pfft!

  The sharp tip pierced Lie Wa's chest. Scalding blood sprayed out, falling like rain, yet not a single drop touched Kael’s clothes.

  Qin Ming, still hovering in mid-air, was utterly shocked.

  One move to repel, one move to kill.

  Is this Manager Kael's true strength?

  What about the two Wolf Hunters who were frozen outside his shop last time? Was Manager Kael a Dual Cultivator of both Magic and Martial Arts?

  What shocked Qin Ming most was that Kael dispatched them so casually while they were in their fully beastified forms.

  What terrifying power.

  Qin Ming prided himself on being, if not the strongest in Cloud Mist City, then certainly in the top three. But compared to Kael, he felt like he had been left in the dust.

  Lie Pa, having been smashed away, hit the ground hard. The next thing he saw was Lie Wa’s life ending at the tip of Kael’s spear.

  Terrified, Lie Pa rolled and fled immediately.

  Who cared about the mission now?

  Although the Wolf Hunter Elder had told Lie Pa that the primary goal was reconnaissance, not assassination, Lie Pa had nodded in agreement while secretly despising these humans. He believed the remnants of the Moon Spirit Cat clan had to be exterminated.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  But that split-second of contempt had cost them their lives.

  Qin Ming watched, dumbfounded. Is this the same arrogant Wolf Hunter from a moment ago? He looks like a kicked dog fleeing in pain.

  "Running? Since you're already here, you might as well stay."

  Kael narrowed his eyes and reached out with his left hand.

  "Ice Shackles!"

  Instant Cast!

  A ring of ice crystals instantly appeared beneath Lie Pa's feet, biting into his legs.

  Maybe Kael's luck was too good, or maybe Lie Pa's luck was just that bad. The moment the Ice Shackles appeared, they triggered the skill's low-probability debuff: Deep Freeze!

  Lie Pa looked down in horror at the crystals. Before he could even attempt to dodge, he was encased in solid ice.

  "Uh... why did he freeze?"

  Kael had only intended to use the shackles to hinder Lie Pa's movement so he could catch up. He didn't expect to trigger the freeze effect directly.

  "Oh well. At least it saves me some energy."

  "Manager, are you okay?" Shier ran over as Kael stowed away the Thousand-Mechanism Sphere.

  "I'm fine. By the way, are you full?" Kael waved his hand dismissively and went straight back to his previous priority.

  "Mmh," Shier nodded.

  "Manager Kael, you truly hide your light under a bushel. With strength like this, you are undoubtedly the strongest in Cloud Mist City. If we hadn't been lucky enough to run into you tonight, I fear disaster would have struck," Qin Ming said, walking over to express his gratitude.

  "You joke, City Lord Qin," Kael replied politely.

  He glanced at Shier, then said to Qin Ming, "If there's nothing else, we'll head back to the shop."

  "Please, go ahead," Qin Ming said respectfully.

  Given the current situation in Cloud Mist City, he wouldn't dare demand anything from such a high-level combatant. He just regretted wasting two of his precious pills earlier.

  Kael nodded and led Shier away, slowly disappearing down the street.

  Qin Ming watched their retreating figures, sighing with emotion.

  That is a true powerhouse. Even in the face of a Beast Tide, he showed no panic. His strength was immense, his backing mysterious, yet he possessed none of the arrogance typical of experts. He was incredibly approachable.

  "To have such an expert living in seclusion here... it is truly Cloud Mist City's great fortune."

  Outside the city walls, even without Qin Ming on the front lines, the well-trained and well-equipped City Guard easily repelled the first wave of magical beasts.

  Behind the beast horde, a report was delivered to the orc commanders.

  Naga sat in his command tent, listening to the update.

  "It seems the current Lord of Cloud Mist City has some skill, training his guards to this level," Naga muttered thoughtfully. "But it doesn't matter. They don't know what awaits them inside the Cloud Mist Forest."

  "I truly look forward to seeing the expression of despair that emerges from hope. It will be exquisite."

  The subordinate beastman bowed his head respectfully. "Commander Naga, how should we proceed?"

  "Stick to the plan. But this time, drive two waves of beasts at them simultaneously," Naga ordered.

  "Yes, sir."

  Outside the walls, the City Guard set up camp and lit bonfires to prevent another night raid.

  Although the Illumination Spell was a low-tier spell, maintaining it continuously consumed a massive amount of mana—especially for a spell large enough to light up the battlefield.

  Fortunately, the Mana Recovery Pills from Kael’s shop could be taken while casting and took effect immediately. This was an advantage that traditional alchemy potions could never match.

  Qin Ming felt relieved. Without these weapons and pills, the casualties from tonight alone would have been catastrophic.

  The night passed, and the situation outside Cloud Mist City seemed to quiet down.

  The Next Day.

  As usual, Kael emerged from the Combat Strength Training Room and opened the shop doors. Shier followed him out from the inner room.

  With the Beast Tide looming, the citizens were living in fear. Kael had to run through several streets just to find a breakfast stall that hadn't closed down.

  "This won't do. This is seriously affecting my quality of life," Kael muttered in frustration, carrying a bag of steamed buns.

  The shop was too small. After the warehouse took up space, there was no kitchen left. There was only a simple washroom by the back door, retained after the System's renovation.

  As a result, Kael solved all three of his daily meals by eating out.

  But now, because of the Beast Tide, even getting breakfast was becoming a problem.