Chapter 12: Injured

Run? There was no way Grayson would let them escape. In his eyes, these people were traitors, and he immediately issued the order to attack.

From the darkness, his wolf companion leaped into action. Blood sprayed as screams echoed, one figure after another falling lifelessly to the ground.

A Level 1 wolf and a Level 0 wolf were worlds apart in strength. With a speed of 12 points, it rivaled martial experts in the Inner Essence Realm's early stage. Against ordinary people, it was effortless.

"You're too ruthless! No mercy at all!" cursed one of the attackers, his accent betraying his origins. Although he looked down on his underlings, who were locals, they were useful tools for his work in this land. Directly exposing himself would have been inconvenient.

Grayson smirked coldly. "Ruthless? Against traitors, there's no such thing as too ruthless. Worry about yourself instead, little ghost from the Severing Clan—Triple Wave Slash!"

Both of them tried to provoke the other with words, but at their level, it was nearly impossible to break each other's focus during a fight.

With the other fighters out of the picture, their battle became even more intense. Each clash of their strength and speed sent shockwaves of bloody energy through the air, colliding and bursting into crimson mist.

The villa bore the brunt of the fight, riddled with damage and on the verge of collapse.

Suddenly, the wolf, having dispatched all its previous targets, launched an attack from an unexpected angle, aiming for Matsonos's legs.

Its intelligence of 3 points wasn't for nothing—it knew a fatal blow against this blade-wielding foe wasn't possible. Instead, it opted to disrupt him.

Grayson's eyes gleamed. With a swift sidestep and a turn, his movements unleashed two beams of red light, cutting off Matsonos's escape routes.

In mere moments, a three-pronged assault converged. Yet Matsonos, an expert at the early Inner Essence Realm, twisted his body unnaturally, almost snake-like, dodging the attacks before thrusting his blade at Grayson at blinding speed.

Boom!

Another direct clash forced both fighters apart. Grayson staggered back several steps, while Matsonos's sword hand trembled slightly, his pain concealed.

Grayson felt a surge of blood rising in his chest. If not for his cultivation technique, Breaker of Armies, which fortified his blood energy, he might have vomited blood and sustained internal injuries.

Regaining his composure, he frowned. The effects of Breaker of Armies were wearing off. If he couldn't end this quickly, his life might be at risk. It was time to go all in.

Grayson relaxed his body, channeling all his strength. A faint stream of energy began forming around him, circling like a dragon.

The wolf seemed to sense his resolve. It crouched into an attack stance, its teeth bared, snarling menacingly at Matsonos.

At the same moment Grayson made his move, the wolf immediately sprang from the other side. This time, its attack wasn't about distraction—it was a desperate, all-out assault.

A streak of red and a flash of blue collided with Matsonos in an instant.

Whine... screech...

The wolf was knocked back and hit the ground, seemingly injured. Grayson quickly assessed that the attack hadn't been fatal—the wolf's exceptional attributes had saved its life.

The two main combatants, however, were pushing themselves to their limits.

Grayson's arms bulged with veins, blood splattering intermittently as they bore a pressure far beyond their limits.

Matsonos wasn't faring much better. Blood surged uncontrollably within him, trickling from his ears, nostrils, and even the corners of his eyes.

The fight had devolved into a contest of raw strength and resilience. The slightest lapse would mean death.

Finally, Matsonos faltered, coughing up blood. Realizing he was losing, he braced himself for a blow to his chest and retreated swiftly.

Grayson watched in frustration as Matsonos vanished from sight.

To be honest, Grayson had never been particularly diligent in mastering Breaker of Armies. But now, he deeply regretted his neglect. If he had trained harder or mastered its secret techniques, he might have ended the fight decisively.

But this world offered no second chances.

Cough, cough.

Grayson coughed up clotted blood and staggered over to his wolf. "Little one, how bad is it?"

The wolf lifted its head slightly, baring its teeth in a weak but defiant growl before letting out a soft howl.

The sound was faint, but Grayson could tell that while its internal organs were injured, it wasn't in mortal danger. If not for its extraordinary traits, it wouldn't have survived Matsonos's earlier strike.

After storing the wolf back in his creature inventory, Grayson clutched his chest and slowly exited the villa. As the sun climbed higher, he found a secluded spot and called Ouyang Shanshan.

Shanshan, just out of bed and clad in a sheer nightgown, was admiring herself in the mirror when her phone buzzed.

Seeing it was Grayson, she answered with a teasing tone. "Oh, Grayson, already missing your big sister so soon?"

Grayson coughed weakly. "Miss Ouyang, you should drive to Eastern Gardens on the outskirts as soon as possible."

"Eastern Gardens? That's where Eastern Yu Lang lives! What were you doing there?" Shanshan was shocked. The Eastern and Wendol1 families were bitter enemies. Was Grayson colluding with the enemy?

Her suspicion wasn't unwarranted—she barely knew Grayson and hadn't had time to fully trust him.

Grayson dismissed her concerns. "I don't know who Eastern Yu Lang is. Everyone here except Matsonos is dead."

"What?" Shanshan nearly dropped her phone. She didn't know Matsonos, but if Grayson said everyone was dead, it meant Yu Lang was among them. That troublemaker from the Eastern family had been killed?

Suppressing her shock, she asked carefully, "Grayson... those people, they weren't... your doing, were they?"

Grayson didn't hide anything. He explained how he had tracked people from the Emperor Gardens to this location, overheard their conversation, and discovered Matsonos's identity.