Chapter Ten: The Crimson Flame Beast Tide

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Bang!

A stone flew out, but Chen Qi heard no sound of it landing.

Howls echoed from afar.

Chen Qi's senses sharpened; he gripped his blade and dashed forward—violence was always the most effective outlet. Soon, he spotted a beast resembling a dog, yet its body was covered in red fur, with sharp fangs and claws, growling menacingly at him.

Chen Qi glanced at the sensing jade at his waist, which emitted a faint yellow glow. He let out a roar in response to the beast.

Without hesitation, Chen Qi swung his blade at the creature.

The beast dodged nimbly and bolted away.

Chen Qi gave chase, wielding his blade, and for safety's sake, cast a scouting skill toward the fleeing beast.

Information swiftly appeared before his eyes:

Name: Crimson Flame Beast
Health: 100%
Mana: 40
Strength: 9
Agility: 11
Constitution: 9
Intelligence: 4
Charisma: 5
Note: This creature is gregarious! Alone, it is timid and fearful; in packs, it is fierce and fearless!

Skill 1: Rend (Active, lv.2) — The Crimson Flame Beast bites the enemy, dealing 1.2 times its Agility as damage, and inflicting 15–30 bleeding damage over the next minute. (Consumes 10 mana)

Skill 2: Pack Instinct (Passive, lv.1) — When the number exceeds 5, Agility +2; when over 15, Agility +1, Strength +2; when over 50, neural response +60%. (Effects stack; large numbers grant cumulative bonuses)

Skill 3: Sprint (Active, lv.1) — Movement speed increases by 40% for 30 seconds; first attack during this time deals additional damage equal to Agility ×1.5. (Consumes 20 mana)

...

Pack Instinct!

Chen Qi’s pupils contracted sharply. He poured all his strength into the chase—his experience with the Boar King had taught him never to let a beast escape!

Relying on his superior Agility and the special effect of the Survivor’s Boots, Chen Qi quickly caught up to the Crimson Flame Beast. He slashed fiercely at its flank.

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The beast twisted desperately, and Chen Qi’s blade landed on its tail, carving a deep wound.

A pained howl erupted as the Crimson Flame Beast activated its Sprint skill—not to attack, but to flee for its life.

Chen Qi held nothing back. Seeing the beast’s speed match his own, he triggered the Blood Surge from his necklace.

His organs thudded from overexertion; a surge of blood energy burst from his body, crashing into the panicked Crimson Flame Beast.

The beast lost its balance mid-run and was flung aside.

Chen Qi immediately closed in, hacking violently at its body.

The Crimson Flame Beast let out a prolonged, anguished cry, then fell silent.

[You have slain a Crimson Flame Beast]

Chen Qi picked up the white treasure chest dropped by the corpse, ready to harvest materials, but suddenly heard a chorus of howls and the thunder of running from afar.

He abandoned the corpse and bolted down the mountain.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed several columns of red light in the distance—Crimson Flame Beasts activating their charge skills.

The cacophony of beastly cries grew louder, chilling Chen Qi to his core. He pushed himself faster.

A majestic howl sounded behind him, and he sensed a flash of red light from the pursuing beasts—their speed now surpassed his own.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Chen Qi didn’t stop but used the item Proof of Comrades.

A special forces soldier, rifle in hand, was summoned at his side. Chen Qi gave a brief command to hold the enemy, then continued his desperate flight without looking back.

The sound of wind rushing past as he ran at full speed made him anxious—he had no idea how long the soldier could hold out.

Gunfire and grenade explosions rang out behind him.

Moments later, an enormous blast and the roar of flames reached his ears.

The soldier must have detonated all his explosives.

Chen Qi thought grimly, squeezing every last ounce of strength from his cells to escape.

Suddenly, a terrified Crimson-Striped Wild Boar appeared ahead, fleeing blindly and crashing into Chen Qi.

Damn it!

Chen Qi had to roll aside to avoid the collision. The high-speed tumble left several wounds on his body.

His pace faltered, but he tried to accelerate again.

Glancing back, he saw some Crimson Flame Beasts break off to attack the wild boar, but the majority still pursued him.

Even worse, the lead Crimson Flame Beast was noticeably larger than the others, wrapped in a bloody aura and exuding a savage presence.

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They clearly had no intention of letting Chen Qi, the human drenched in their kin’s blood, escape.

With speed outpacing the others, the leader was already upon him.

Out of options, and with Blood Surge still on cooldown, Chen Qi braced himself to face the enemy.

Clang! Clang!

Two swift strikes from Chen Qi forced the leader back, but he felt no triumph—for now, he was surrounded by a pack.

He had no time to react. Chen Qi sensed three gusts of wind coming from directly ahead, rear right, and left.

He leapt, stepping onto the head of the Crimson Flame Beast in front of him, turned, and slashed leftward.

Blade collided with claw; Chen Qi’s left fist met another beast’s charge.

Surviving the initial assault left him no room for pride. No sooner had he landed than three more Crimson Flame Beasts rushed him.

Chen Qi shouted, charging with his blade at one beast, shaking off another, but a third raked his back with its claws.

The beast he had stomped also regrouped, and four Crimson Flame Beasts formed a tight encirclement.

He looked around—nearly thirty beasts surrounded him, with more howls echoing in the distance.

Chen Qi knew he couldn’t stay put, or he’d be torn apart.

He swallowed his last Cloud Mushroom Powder and unleashed the Blood Surge from his necklace at the advancing beasts.

The surge of blood energy pushed the four beasts back slightly, and Chen Qi darted down the slope to escape.

The leader had been waiting for this moment—the first to react, it lunged to intercept him.

Furious, Chen Qi didn’t dodge; he faced the leader head-on, swinging his blade as he ran.

His left forearm was slashed several times as he fended off the leader, who now tried to bite him.

It was the Rend skill.

Chen Qi still didn’t dodge, letting the leader clamp down on his left shoulder, while his right hand brought his blood-stained blade down on the beast’s belly.

Now, with a large Crimson Flame Beast hanging from his wounded shoulder, Chen Qi kept running, terrified of being surrounded again.

The leader finally yelped in pain and broke away, tearing a chunk of flesh from Chen Qi as it fled.

Chen Qi pressed his injured shoulder with his left hand, struggling to stop the bleeding, while his right hand forced back the fastest pursuer.

He glanced at his health—46%, and still suffering from bleeding.

The situation had become dire!