Chapter 45: The Clumsy Werewolf

“A werewolf?” At the moment the man transformed, Ou Xiaolu also caught sight of his opponent. With such a massive figure, even from a distance of one or two kilometers, his silhouette was easily visible. Ou Xiaolu’s vision, enhanced by Booth’s support, was exceedingly sharp. Though he couldn't make out the man's features yet, the werewolf certainly could.

Knowing the nature of his adversary, Ou Xiaolu immediately recalled that young man who had the frame of a werewolf but none of its strength. He drew the long sword from his back and spoke softly, “Come, let me see what sort of creature this patriarch is—are you a true werewolf, or just a husky?”

As Ou Xiaolu spoke, the werewolf had already traversed over a thousand meters. Given the beast’s size and speed, that distance was equivalent to about three hundred meters for a human, and the werewolf could cover it in less than half a minute.

Ou Xiaolu was unimpressed by this pace. Though the werewolf appeared wild and looked like a creature that built muscle but ignored brains, he was cautious at heart, not exerting his full strength.

This realization made Ou Xiaolu frown. He murmured, “Can the roadside ghost lure him to run a lap around the lake?”

Zhong Kui appeared behind Ou Xiaolu. “That werewolf isn’t mindless. His instincts are stronger than most. He’ll likely notice halfway through.”

“So what? On the other side of the lake, could he leap across and attack me?” Ou Xiaolu glanced at the water as he spoke.

Zhong Kui’s face sagged a bit. He tugged at his skin and disappeared as mysteriously as he had appeared behind Ou Xiaolu.

Soon after, the werewolf—now only five hundred meters from Ou Xiaolu—suddenly veered left. He ran about five hundred meters, bracing for an attack, only to realize something was amiss; instead of reaching Ou Xiaolu, he was still five hundred meters away.

Now the werewolf sensed something was off. He didn’t turn to look around but charged onward, convinced that with his speed, any spatial barriers or defenses would be easily shattered.

But after running another two or three kilometers, the werewolf felt increasingly uneasy. Besides his keen eyesight, his nose was highly sensitive; he could smell Ou Xiaolu’s scent fading, indicating he was getting farther away.

Feeling the strangeness, the werewolf stopped for the first time. He closed his eyes, sniffed the air around him, and then retraced his steps.

At last, the werewolf found himself once again within five hundred meters of Ou Xiaolu—the spot where he’d initially lost his way. Ou Xiaolu could clearly see all the werewolf's scars and adornments.

The creature finally opened his eyes, fixing his gaze on Ou Xiaolu, uncertain if he was real or a trick.

“Young man, it seems there's a reason my son died at your hands. But daring to attack a member of the Brest family means your head is destined to hang on our family’s tree of skulls, serving as a candleholder.”

Ou Xiaolu had waited long enough for the werewolf’s charge. He propped his sword against the ground and said, “You’re looking the wrong way. I’m on your left.”

The werewolf actually glanced left, but instantly realized the trick and turned to lock eyes with Ou Xiaolu.

Watching him, Ou Xiaolu remarked, “I finally understand why your son was so foolish. Clearly, the whole family comes from the same stock.”

Roaring, the werewolf ignored Ou Xiaolu’s taunts and leapt forward.

In a flash, he surged a hundred meters—his speed far surpassing any sprinter alive. In the blink of an eye, he was upon Ou Xiaolu.

His dagger-length claws were about to sink into Ou Xiaolu.

At that precise moment, everything stopped. Ou Xiaolu entered a state of time suspension, analyzing the werewolf’s movements, studying the muscle shifts to gauge the force of the strike, and estimating his strength.

After all, this was the werewolf’s first direct attack—a blow that would use at least eighty percent of his power.

Ou Xiaolu calculated the momentum of the leap; at most, the werewolf could carry himself another ten meters forward.

That was enough for Ou Xiaolu, himself a master of light-footed movement.

As soon as he released the time suspension, Ou Xiaolu followed his new plan. With a tap of his toes, he retreated backward over ten meters.

This was the first time Ou Xiaolu faced an enemy without activating the “Role: Novice Ninja” and using his substitution skill. It was clear from this that through repeated battles, Ou Xiaolu had grown.

The werewolf, seeing Ou Xiaolu retreat, lunged forward without hesitation. He was convinced Ou Xiaolu was within reach; if he could grasp Ou Xiaolu’s head, he could tear it from his neck.

But as he leapt forward, he felt a chill beneath his belly as something bit upward along his abdomen.

The werewolf’s instincts finally came into play. Twisting his body midair, he avoided both Ou Xiaolu’s attack and the strike to his underside.

He managed to glance back at his attacker—a palm-sized phantom shark that vanished into the air.

This was the result of Ou Xiaolu’s recent combat experience. The skill “Frenzied Shark Bite” generated sharks sized according to the amount of internal energy or magic he infused. If Ou Xiaolu unleashed his full power, the shark could swallow half the werewolf’s body in one bite.

But such a large shark was slow and easily dodged. Instead, a small, palm-sized shark, powered by just a touch of internal energy, was swift and subtle, perfect for interrupting enemy attacks.

After identifying the attack, the werewolf’s eyes turned blood red, feeling provoked. He quickened his pace, eager to catch Ou Xiaolu.

Yet as he charged forward, he suddenly noticed something was wrong with the ground. Ou Xiaolu’s retreat had taken him onto the lake’s surface. Ou Xiaolu, skilled in light-footed movement, could traverse water without concern, but the werewolf could not; underwater, he was nearly powerless.

Just as the werewolf tried to retreat to the shore, a tentacle shot up from beneath the water and wrapped tightly around his waist.