Tang Wen forced himself not to think about the Silver Wolf, but it was no damn use.
It was like telling a perv: Don't think about women!
The moment they heard that, their minds would subconsciously conjure up images of women.
It was practically unavoidable.
After a dozen minutes, Tang Wen found a coping mechanism. Every time he thought of the terrifying Silver Wolf, he would also imagine a steel cage keeping it penned in.
The Silver Wolf could only fly into an impotent rage, unable to break out even if it bashed its head bloody.
INHALE..., EXHALE...
He closed his eyes, barely managing to quiet his mind, just as he was about to enter a state of Meditation.
Suddenly, a wave of anxiety washed over him.
Huh?
'Why do I keep feeling a chill run down my back?'
'Is this my intuition warning me?'
Tang Wen couldn't help but sigh. In his Posture Stance, his perception of his surroundings was even more acute.
He could faintly sense the ferocious beast locked up downstairs. Of course his mind would be on high alert!
'I'm screwed!'
'This is a vicious cycle.'
"Can't quiet your mind during your Posture Stance?"
A voice rang out. Startled, Tang Wen looked up to see three Guards at the door. He had no idea when they'd arrived, but they were sizing him up with great interest.
'What?'
His pupils contracted. 'I didn't hear a single footstep?'
'These three are definitely not ordinary Guards.'
'Yeah, that makes sense,' he thought. 'An ordinary Guard like Li Daniu has less combat power than me! Why would someone like that be assigned to guard the Silver Wolf?'
When he didn't answer, the leading Guard paid it no mind. "The unknown is what's most terrifying. You're constantly on edge, always bracing for the Silver Wolf's roar. How can you possibly quiet your mind to practice your Pile Skill? Unless..."
Tang Wen paused, then quickly asked, "Sir, unless what?"
"Unless you face the Silver Wolf directly!"
"Huh?"
"Besides using breathing and internal focus to achieve Meditation in your Posture Stance, there's another way. You don't know it?"
Tang Wen's face was a mask of confusion.
The leader of the Guards laughed. "The Contemplation Method! You observe the Silver Wolf, sketch its form and posture in your mind, and use that to resist its pressure."
"Visualization... sketching... resisting," Tang Wen muttered to himself.
Seeing Tang Wen lost in thought, the man smiled. The three Guards then turned and left, returning to their post below the main gate.
"Boss Zhao, you think that kid has potential?"
The Guard leader, Boss Zhao, looked up at the overcast sky. "We all have families to think about. While we're alive, we can hold the line. But what's more important is educating the camp's next generation."
The other two nodded in silence. They understood the principle: the camp couldn't afford to have a single generation without masters. If that connection broke, the camp itself would be lost.
Everyone in the camp, and even those outside it, would die. Or worse, suffer a fate worse than death.
"I'll bet a round of drinks on it. You guys think that kid will dare to go down?"
The other two's spirits lifted.
"I think he'll dare."
"Then I'll bet he won't."
Back in the room, Tang Wen stood before the deep, dark opening, hesitating on whether to go down.
"AWOOO!" the Silver Wolf roared.
His knees buckled, and he almost tumbled headfirst into the hole.
'Damn it! This beast is so fucking sneaky!'
'I have to go down! The worst that can happen is I piss myself, and I'll just have to wash my own pants! Besides, I spent ten whole Copper Coins. There's no way I'm leaving without seeing it!'
With that thought, he gripped his long saber, braced himself against the wall, and started down, one step at a time.
One step, two... fifteen. He reached a landing, turned, and continued down, counting all the way to forty-five.
He was at the bottom. The staircase was much deeper than he'd imagined.
Kerosene lamps burned along the walls of the underground chamber.
Tang Wen stood at the corner, his fingers digging into the wall as he cautiously peeked around it.
"AWOOO!"
THUD!
He didn't even have time to curse before he collapsed onto his butt, his head spinning. He felt as dizzy as someone with acrophobia getting off a roller coaster.
After a few deep breaths, he pushed himself up against the wall. The solid stone bricks gave him a small sense of security.
'Hearing the Silver Wolf's roar up close is even more terrifying.'
'And I'm supposed to stand in front of it, observe it carefully, and then practice my Pile Skill?'
'Whatever. I won't overthink it. I'll set a small goal: first, I'll just take one look. Yep, just one quick look.'
He squatted down, one hand on the floor and the other on the wall, and slowly poked his head around the corner.
His posture was sleazy as hell, like some delinquent peeping on the girl next door.
Tang Wen couldn't care less. If it weren't so inconvenient to see from a sitting position, he would have just stayed on the floor.
The moment he stuck his head out, he locked eyes with a pair of emerald orbs the size of headlights, glinting with pure savagery, cruelty, and vicious tyranny.
SWOOSH.
Tang Wen yanked his head back.
"AWOOO~"
The Silver Wolf's long howl carried an irresistible Penetration Power. Tang Wen's face went white, his heart hammering like a war drum.
Once the Silver Wolf fell silent, Tang Wen frantically gave himself a pep talk. 'I'll have to face this thing sooner or later, unless I want to hide in the camp and take up Farming for the rest of my life! No, even that's not safe. These damn Silver Wolves show up every single year.'
'I got a look just now, and it's no big deal. It's way less scary than Zhenzi, The Grudge, or Silent Hill!'
'It's not like it can just float out of its cage, right?'
'I'll take another look.'
SWISH. SWOOSH.
In the blink of an eye, Tang Wen peeked his head out again, glanced at the Silver Wolf, and slickly ducked back.
"AWOOO~ AWOOO~"
Sensing that the weak two-legged creature was provoking it, the Silver Wolf became enraged!
Its roars came one after another.
Waves of dizziness washed over Tang Wen, and his heart pounded wildly, as if he were doing some kind of intense, high-speed workout!
'This is intense!'
'How can I be squatting on the ground but feel like I'm bungee jumping from a skyscraper?'
'If I could get this Silver Wolf back to Earth and sell tickets, I'd make a killing!'
'Of course, regular people couldn't get too close. No entry for heart patients, the elderly, or children.'
'Hmm, I could sell tickets in tiers based on distance. First-class, second-class, third-class seats... different prices for different levels of thrill.'
With this line of thought, Tang Wen's fear subsided, replaced by a flicker of excitement. It was as if he'd already become the Silver Wolf's owner and made his fortune.
He poked his head out again to look at the Silver Wolf. One second, two seconds... he didn't pull back.
'What a beautiful big guy!'
Aside from a patch of snow-white fur on its chest, the Silver Wolf's coat was entirely silver.
The bloodstains on its body, far from diminishing its appearance, added a touch of ferocious beauty.
HISS!
The Silver Wolf bared its fangs.
Tang Wen watched and thought, 'Hmm, I could offer a photo-op package. Get your picture taken with the Silver Wolf, up close... through the bars of the cage, of course.'
'Right, and a feeding experience. Can't forget a feeding experience.'
'The meat can only be bought from me—no outside food allowed. One pound of meat should go for at least 100 bucks, right?'
'Don't complain about the price. No haggling.'
After this chaotic train of thought, Tang Wen slowly stood up.
He could now more or less withstand the Silver Wolf's roars. 'This is my ticket to riches. It's a little fierce, sure, but it's a moneymaker! Who's afraid of their own cash cow?'
'Are fishermen afraid of the waves?'
'Are shepherds afraid of the smell of their flock?'
Tang Wen took a step, rounded the corner, and appeared in front of the Silver Wolf.
The Silver Wolf shot to its feet, an overwhelming sense of pressure crashing down on him!
'Bad idea!'
This wolf was taller than a damn moose, and its body stretched several meters long.
Standing before it, Tang Wen felt like a three-year-old in front of a lion.
'I'm supposed to use Visualization on *that* and resist it?'
'Impossible. I can't even breathe steadily in its presence.'
'Well... maybe I'll perform a set of the Eight Vajra Techniques first?'
'This underground space is empty anyway. No one will see me.'
No sooner thought than done. Tang Wen took his stance. "AWOOO!" The great wolf roared.
His body swayed, and he had to brace himself with an arm to keep from falling.
"Heh heh, big guy, stop shouting! You can't scare me!"
After all, with Attributes twice that of an ordinary person, Tang Wen's mind was tougher than he expected.
A trace of confusion appeared in the Silver Wolf's cruel, green eyes.
This two-legged creature... it hadn't soiled itself?
But its aura didn't seem strong at all.
Preparatory Form.
First Technique: Thrusting Both Hands to the Crown.
"AWOOO!"
Tang Wen's body swayed and his head swam, but the well-honed movements continued, driven by muscle memory. He didn't break form.
He made it through the set of Eight Vajra Techniques, albeit haltingly.
The Attribute Panel flickered rapidly:
[Eight Vajra Techniques, Master (2961→2979/3000)]
'18 experience points?!'
"Haha," Tang Wen laughed out loud.
BANG!
"AWOOO~"
The Silver Wolf slammed against the cage, letting out an enraged howl.
Caught off guard, Tang Wen was knocked to the ground again. Humiliated and furious, he yelled, "Fuck! You little punk, that was a sneak attack! You've got no real skill..."