Chapter 137: The Wolf Slaughters (Part II)

Unlike Garei, Pas was truly intelligent and cunning. In battle, he skillfully leveraged his strength and the experience gained from years of brutal combat to maximize his unique advantages. Simultaneously, he adeptly concealed or avoided his weaknesses, ensuring he never fell into a disadvantageous position. Although his strength was far superior to Peipero’s, he did not lower his guard against her for a moment. Before every exchange, Pas would calculate Peipero’s attack trajectory, then use overwhelming force to crush her approach, disrupting or even breaking the rhythm she excelled at.

After two consecutive attacks, Peipero was repelled by Pas. Given her usual temperament, she would have been on the verge of a berserker rage by now, but strangely, there was no sign of anger on her face. Her large eyes remained locked onto Pas, not shifting even a fraction. Despite being forced back twice by his powerful offensives, not a single hint of anxiety or impatience stirred in her heart. On the contrary, Peipero felt an uncharacteristically profound sense of calm. Even she herself found it hard to believe; she, who would normally ignite like a raging, uncontrollable fire the moment a fight began, had achieved such a state of composure.

She observed every move Pas made with a cool head, calculated her remaining soul power, rationed the little energy she had left, and thought clearly about how to defeat this formidable enemy.

Peipero silenced the chaotic thoughts in her mind. She launched her most ferocious attacks at Pas again and again. Though she was driven back each time, with every effort, the distance between Pas and the trap behind him grew shorter.

Thirty steps!
Twenty-five steps!
Twenty steps!
Ten steps!

Pas’s whip-like tail stinger lashed out continuously. No matter from which direction Peipero attacked, he remained fearless, even appearing to have energy to spare. Yet, despite this, doubt began to creep into his mind.

Within the Slaughter Moon, only two people were truly famous. One was, naturally, the leader of the Slaughter Moon Mercenary Group, whose strength was rumored to have reached the sixth-tier Great Soul Master level. With such power, had he been willing to expand the group’s ranks, the Slaughter Moon could have easily attained the status of an A-rank mercenary group. Of course, the idiot had never done so; otherwise, the Rotten Wolves would not have found it so easy to push the Slaughter Moon into such a desperate predicament. The second person was undoubtedly the girl, Peipero. Though she was a total beauty, no one in the Mercenary City dared to call her a mere vase. At only nineteen, she had already reached the second-tier of the Great Soul Master level—a rare talent indeed. A beautiful Great Soul Master was enough to draw many eyes, but what was even more noteworthy was her personality: bold, fiery, and decisive, never calculating the gains or losses of her actions. While this was impressive, it also suggested she rarely considered the finer details. Yet, the woman he faced now was not the fierce, reckless leopardess described in rumors. Her attacks were precise, calculated, and balanced. She was giving her all, yet she hadn’t reached the point of a desperate, life-or-death struggle. The more they fought, the more suspicious Pas became, sensing that Peipero had already laid a trap and was waiting for him to fall into it.

One had to remember, this girl had already dealt with Garei! Garei might have been a fool, but at the time, he had driven the Slaughter Moon to the brink of extinction. Even if Peipero and Garei were both second-tier Great Soul Masters, it should have been incredibly difficult for her to defeat him. Yet, what was the result? Peipero had won. She had killed her peer while in a completely disadvantageous situation!

Could the rumors be wrong? Or was Peipero intentionally feigning weakness to hide her true strength and play a trump card at the critical moment?

Pas’s thoughts grew increasingly tangled. Suddenly, Peipero’s body flickered. A brilliant, piercing light erupted in her eyes, and she couldn't help but cry out, "Now!"

"Oh no!"

Hearing her shout, Pas’s heart constricted to the limit. He jerked his arm back, intending to use the long tail stinger as a shield. But at that exact moment, Peipero twisted her body and charged at him again. Peipero excelled in speed; in an instant, she transformed into a streak of crimson light, clinging to Pas like glue, refusing to give him any chance to pull back or defend.

At this moment, Vile began his move. His duty was simple: to fulfill the fundamental role of a mage in battle—long-range offense and close-range support.

In mage combat, because each mage possessed different elemental affinities, roles were usually categorized. Some focused solely on long-range attacks, while others specialized in close-range support to maximize efficiency. However, because Vile commanded seven elemental magics and possessed extraordinary control, he had taken on both roles himself.

*Whoosh!*

Without any warning, a raging fire ignited out of thin air above their heads. The crimson flames seemed as if they would burn the very sky to ash. Pas looked at the eerie blaze above him, his face filled with shock and confusion. Could Peipero’s power create such an exaggerated fire? And it was "floating" in mid-air!

Pas was stunned for a mere second by the sudden inferno. In that brief window, Peipero reached his left side. Within the crimson fire, a sharp, excessive shadow was vaguely visible.

It was a blade of aura formed from Peipero’s soul power.

The blade, forged of aura, was as scorching as fire and as sharp as steel. The ten-inch blade pressed silently toward Pas’s chest. By the time he reacted, it was already half an inch from his heart!

Though Pas had been prepared for Peipero’s uncanny speed, he couldn't help but feel shocked—even terrified—at this moment. Especially when he felt the searing pain spreading from his chest, Pas realized he had been wounded!

Defense was clearly impossible in this situation. Instinctively, Pas threw himself backward. But to his surprise, Peipero didn't let him off so easily. Two soft, silk-like fire-red tails emerged from her legs and tapped the ground. With a crisp *crack*, the ground shattered, and Peipero used the recoil to surge forward even faster than before. She flickered through the air, bringing the sharp, scorching blade toward his heart once more.

In that instant, Pas finally realized why Peipero was so dangerous and understood why Garei had died at her hands. This woman’s speed was simply too fast to defend against! If she were given even the slightest opening, he would certainly die!

*I must finish her off! Her strength is inferior to mine. If I can land one lethal blow, all of this will end!*

Pas thought to himself. With the experience of the previous exchange, he was much more composed. Although Peipero was fast, he was no slouch either! He retracted his tail stinger by two-thirds in an instant and, instead of retreating, charged straight at her.

His goal was not to outpace her or beat her in a raw collision, but to rely on his ace: poison! Like Garei’s venomous spider, Pas’s soul beast possessed a highly dangerous, lethal toxin. Even a minor scratch would decide the outcome!

Pas knew that Peipero was well aware his poison was even more potent than Garei’s. That was why he dared to gamble. He was betting that at the very last second, Peipero would flinch and dodge, and in that split second, he would land a hit—it didn't need to be a vital spot, just a single scratch...

As he thought this, Pas’s face twisted into a hideous expression. He bared his teeth in a wild, rasping laugh that sounded like a discordant duck. He didn't care; his eyes turned bloodshot, filled with a dense web of red veins. He couldn't help but lick his lips in excitement—he was eager to see the miserable look on Peipero’s face before she died!

*That feeling... it's just so damn enjoyable!*

Pas was oblivious to his own grotesque expression. He was lost in fantasies of dismembering Peipero, a process he found utterly intoxicating.

But just as he imagined the carnage, he was stunned to see that Peipero showed no intention of retreating. As the crimson blade drew closer, Pas was so excited he nearly shrieked!

*Why isn't she dodging!? Doesn't she know my stinger is poisonous!? Or is she planning to drag me down with her!?*

His mind spiraled. He was stronger than her, he held the advantage, yet he was the first to feel panic!

"How can it end like this!?"

Pas’s eyes were blood-red, looking as if they might drip blood. A sinister grin appeared on his face, and at the final moment, he extended his retracted stinger by another third!

With this, Peipero would be the first to be struck!

Pas took a deep breath, unable to suppress his urge to scream. He was a bloodthirsty pervert, and his twisted psyche was on the verge of exploding.

But at that exact moment, a water-blue light flashed. When Pas looked over, he saw his strike blocked by a crystal-clear ice shield!

*Clang!*

The ice shield wasn't particularly strong; Pas could have shattered it easily. But that tiny, extraneous movement made him a split-second slower than Peipero. In other words, Peipero would strike him first!

"How can this be!?"

Horror filled Pas’s eyes. His mental defenses crumbled. He stumbled backward, but as he did, the fire above his head exploded, turning into a dense rain of fire that pelted his body!

"Agh!"

The fire rained down, turning Pas into a human torch in an instant. The searing pain brought forth a series of shrill, agonizing screams. Though the fire was dense, Peipero charged through it without a single drop touching her! Seeing this, she leaped forward, her blade slashing down toward Pas. He let out a feral roar, pouring his soul power out recklessly. A violent burst of energy erupted outward. In a split second, the stinger in Pas’s hand expanded threefold, just barely blocking Peipero’s attack. However, the strike didn't hit a vital point; instead, it pierced his forearm, punching a hole straight through it!

"Agh—!"

Another scream, but this one was laced with despair and fury. Peipero’s aura blade was three inches wide; having been impaled by such a weapon, his arm was surely ruined!

"Peipero! You bitch!"

Pas lost all reason. His right arm was destroyed, leaving him only his left. His body was still covered in scorching flames, but he no longer cared. He roared like a maddened beast, reached out with his left hand to grab Peipero’s arm, and lunged forward, his bloodied mouth wide open, aiming to tear out her throat. But Peipero wouldn't let him succeed. She swung her blade, severing Pas’s entire right arm. Ignoring the fountain of blood, she kicked off the ground with the two fire-red tails wrapped around her legs, landing a heavy blow on Pas’s abdomen. She then bent her waist like a bow and kicked him away!

*Thud!*

Pas slammed into the ground like a boulder, several ribs clearly broken. But he didn't care; he only wanted to torture Peipero to death! He was in a state of delirium, his mind filled with nothing but the pleasure of slaughter.

Pas rolled to his feet, his bloodshot eyes locked onto Peipero with madness and greed. Peipero looked back at him, her eyes filled with a flicker of pity.

Because the spot where Pas was standing happened to be another trap...

"Peipero, I’m going to kill you..."

Pas roared, a dark green stinger emerging from his left arm. He crouched, clearly preparing to charge. But in that instant, his vision blurred. The world around him shifted so rapidly he couldn't react. It felt like an eternity, yet only a heartbeat passed. When everything settled, a young man was standing right before him.

Pas’s pupils constricted. The youth was Vile, who had been hiding behind Peipero earlier! He held a long scythe, and his posture made it clear he was about to strike!

Pas laughed. Perhaps to Vile, the speed of raising his staff to strike was fast, but to a second-tier Great Soul Master like Pas, it was far too slow!

The dark green stinger lashed out, slamming into the staff without warning.

*Clang!*

Vile spat out a mouthful of blood, and the webbing of his hand, gripping the staff, split open.

"Does it hurt? Haha! But you know, I didn't even use my full strength? Imagine if I had—your bones would have shattered. That sensation..."

"I don't intend to find out. Besides, this is the end for you!"

Vile cut him off. His staff suddenly emitted a silver glow. The beautiful, crescent-shaped blade, which had been pressing against Pas’s stinger, suddenly passed through it as if it were air. Pas’s pupils shrank to pinpricks, his face a mask of disbelief. Before he could react, a jade-green light flashed, and Pas’s head was cleanly severed!

Blood sprayed forth, quickly staining the ground red. Vile looked coldly at Pas’s wide-eyed, severed head and said calmly, "Your greatest mistake in this life was underestimating a mage. And for that mistake, you will pay with your life."