The Enchanted Wolf King

 The attributes of the gray wolves were remarkably formidable. In comparison to the Bison King, although their vitality was slightly inferior, their offensive and defensive capabilities surpassed it in every respect.

However, Jiang Han, hailed as "invincible" by the entire server due to achieving the first kill, was no ordinary player. Armed with the Buffalo Sword, he approached the gray wolves with unparalleled confidence.

Upon his approach, a powerful aura emanated, immediately capturing the attention of all the gray wolves.

"..."

Under the malicious gaze of numerous sharp eyes, Jiang Han's heart tightened. "The monsters in the novice village not only dwell in groups but also initiate attacks voluntarily?"

"Howl!"

As expected, the less one desired something to happen, the more likely it became. Approximately a dozen gray wolves stood up from their rest, emitting low growls as they slowly approached Jiang Han, attempting to surround him.

"I..."

Without uttering another word, Jiang Han turned and fled.

While he could contend with three or four at the same time, facing over a dozen wolves simultaneously would be akin to cursing the King of Hell in the dead of night.

Shaking off most of the pursuing wolves, Jiang Han noticed two persistent ones behind him. He picked up a stone from the ground, hurled it at one, causing it to stop its charge and veer to the side.

"Hiss!"

Seizing this opportunity, he focused on another wolf. As it lunged at him, he gracefully performed a sliding tackle...

-79!

The gray wolf narrowly missed biting Jiang Han's neck. Fortunately, he reacted swiftly, lifting his left wrist guard directly into the sharp-toothed mouth.

In an instant, Jiang Han's health dropped to nearly one-tenth.

Seizing the opportunity, he rolled over, pinning the wolf beneath him and delivering two swift strikes to its belly with his iron sword.

Basic Combo!

-110!

-116!

Equipped with the Buffalo Sword, Jiang Han boasted a high attack power, capable of breaking through the gray wolves' defenses significantly.

"Howl!"

At this moment, the second wolf approached from behind. Jiang Han quickly rolled over again, bent his knee, and delivered a powerful kick to the wolf's belly, sending it flying. He then swiftly rolled away to evade.

Standing up, Jiang Han initiated another attack, engaging in a fierce battle with the two gray wolves. Leveraging his superior attack, he forcefully slew both of them.

"Ding!~"

System prompt: Congratulations on killing a [Gray Wolf], gaining 80 experience points!

The experience provided by the gray wolves was much higher than that of the buffaloes. Jiang Han roughly estimated that he needed about twenty-five gray wolves to level up. Additionally, each wolf dropped two copper coins.

"Two coins..."

Picking up a total of four copper coins, Jiang Han realized that by hunting fifty million gray wolves, he could acquire ten thousand gold coins, nearly bringing tears of gratitude to his eyes.

Repaying the debt was essentially out of the question, and slaying a demon god was nothing but a dream.

Calculating it this way, he would inevitably owe thirty thousand gold coins, a hundred thousand reputation points, and reach level fifty...

Jiang Han shook his head, unfazed. "The punishment is too trivial to be worth mentioning."

In his view, this was the result of the indigenous people harboring hostility toward adventurers. He didn't think his actions were wrong, and from a different perspective, he considered it a significant profit.

Firstly, the covenant he made with the novice village soldier, Kairo, stipulated that if he violated it, the entire village would pursue him. This meant his punishment was pursuit, not a mandatory deduction of ten thousand gold coins from his inventory.

Secondly, although the old man's punishment seemed intimidating, the curse scroll he received was handed over to him "unconditionally" and "willingly" by the old man. It was a generous "gift" given after the quest conditions were set. There was no clause in the quest punishment requiring the "return of the curse scroll."

Trading fifty levels and a hundred thousand reputation for a curse scroll, was he at a loss?

"Even if my level becomes negative, I can easily achieve the first kill on a golden-level or even dark-gold-level boss with the curse scroll. Let's see who's at a loss..." Jiang Han had his own plans.

However, the old man would undoubtedly demand it back. His top priority was figuring out a way to keep the curse scroll.

There was still plenty of time; no need to rush.

Discarding distracting thoughts, he continued his leveling journey.

With the experience gained from dealing with gray wolves, Jiang Han started roaming outside the valley, patiently seeking out solitary wolves and leading them to areas without other wolves.

Time passed slowly.

"Howl!"

The mournful howls of gray wolves echoed intermittently outside the valley.

Unfortunately, in Jiang Han's presence, the option to lure the wolves softly was not entertained. With a sly smile, he taunted, "Howl all you want. Even if you scream your lungs out, no wolves will come to save you."

It's crucial to note that he didn't usually behave this way.

"Swish!"

Two hours later, having killed over twenty gray wolves, golden light descended. Jiang Han reached level 9, needing just one more level to exit the novice village.

Unfortunately, due to the contractual restriction, he was essentially unable to leave the novice village for the next five days.

Wait passively?

That wasn't Jiang Han's style.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Jiang Han's eyes brightened. In the distance, amidst the group of wolves, he spotted a colossal wolf shrouded in eerie mist, entirely black. As it surveyed its surroundings, the other wolves lowered their heads. In terms of size, it even reached Jiang Han's chest, a truly daunting sight.

Undoubtedly, it was the BOSS among the gray wolves!

Aggro first!

Jiang Han remained calm. Even if he had thoughts about the BOSS, he wouldn't recklessly engage. At least, the wolves nearby needed to be eliminated one by one to ensure absolute safety.

Picking up a few stones, Jiang Han slowly approached, attracting the attention of some wolves, skillfully leading away a portion, and then dealing with them.

After several rounds of this, he had almost eradicated all the minor mobs around the BOSS, leaving only one that was too close to be drawn away.

"Almost done!"

Jiang Han took a deep breath, adjusted his posture, and quietly approached. He used a detection skill on the BOSS...

[Enchanted Wolf King] (Bronze-level BOSS)

Level: 12

Health: 25,000

Attack: 35-40

Defense: 25

Skills: [Bloodthirst][Wolf King's Deterrence][Tear of the Claw]

Introduction: Originally an ordinary gray wolf, it recently encountered an undead mage who, unfortunately, had fled to this location after being injured. The mage utilized forbidden spells to transform it into the formidable and ferocious Enchanted Wolf King. It ultimately became the watchdog for the undead mage, defending against intruders.

...

Jiang Han felt a bit tricky. "This one has thick blood; it might take a long time to wear it down!"

After all, it was a BOSS, so unexpected challenges were expected. After a

 brief comparison, he picked up a stone and threw it at the Enchanted Wolf King... and the nearby gray wolf.

Not dealing with all the small mobs could be extremely troublesome in crucial moments, a lesson learned from playing numerous games.

-103!

Taking damage, the hatred of the gray wolf and the Enchanted Wolf King instantly focused on Jiang Han. With a fierce and murderous charge, they pounced on him.

"Swoosh..."

Staring intently at the movements of the Enchanted Wolf King, Jiang Han evaded just as it approached, but unexpectedly, in mid-air, the attack direction suddenly changed. The jet-black claws descended.

"!!"

Jiang Han's expression changed slightly. Unable to dodge in time, the claws swept across his chest, causing a searing pain.

-219!

Damage popped up, and his health dropped by about a quarter.

Utilizing the short duration of being attacked, Jiang Han thrust his Buffalo Sword into the wolf's belly that followed closely, immediately executing a basic combo, causing the wolf to retreat with howls of pain.

+50!

+50!

...

Promptly consuming a healing potion, Jiang Han's health visibly recovered.

Indeed, a concentrated pill!

"Howl!"

The Enchanted Wolf King roared, chasing him relentlessly, attacking Jiang Han once again.

Watching the menacing approach of the Enchanted Wolf King and remembering the gray wolf behind, Jiang Han frowned. Suddenly, he realized something and turned to look at the gray wolf, having an epiphany, "I misunderstood!"