A cloaked figure stood a kilometer away, observing the scene before them. With a shake of the head, they let out a sigh.

  Had Hilda been in peak condition, and her weapon intact, she would have been able to handle the Slaughter Wolf Demon.

  But now, she couldn’t.

  For the moment, he still wouldn’t intervene. Instead, he waited for the Slaughter Wolf Demon to attack Hilda, hoping to awaken the protective power within her.

  The only issue was that such an approach might damage her mental state—after all, she wasn’t aware of the power lying dormant within her.

  Yet, it was better than letting her perish.

  He raised a hand, and a book appeared within his grasp. A golden brush hovered beside it, ready to record Hilda’s training process and her various shortcomings of the day.

  However, his brow suddenly arched. He stowed away the book and pen, a glint of amusement flickering in his eyes.

  ...

  The transformed Slaughter Wolf Demon once again bared its fangs in a menacing grin, and Hilda could feel its murderous intent.

  Her hand trembled slightly.

  Not just from the shock of her sword striking bone, but from fear.

  Fear… was she actually afraid?

  It was an awful feeling. She forced herself to calm down, gripping the remaining third of her broken sword.

  Her objective had changed.

  No longer was it about slaying the Wolf Demon before her—it was about survival.

  This alone was a testament to her excellence. Even under such dire circumstances, she could swiftly adjust her mindset.

  Yet some things couldn’t be overcome by mere mental adjustment—like the monstrous being standing before her.

  A low growl rumbled through the air as the Wolf Demon lowered onto all fours, its muscles tensing in preparation for a strike.

  Hilda, too, tensed her body, poised to evade at the crucial moment and escape.

  She locked her gaze on the Wolf Demon’s every move, straining her focus. Then, in an instant, the beast vanished.

  A split second later, a grotesque, nightmarish maw loomed right before her, its jaws agape.

  At that moment, all her mental preparations shattered.

  Never had she imagined the Wolf Demon’s second form would grant it such incredible speed, far beyond her ability to react. Her mind went completely blank.

  Her body moved on pure instinct, honed from years of training, shifting sideways to minimize damage. But even so, she knew her left arm would be lost to the beast’s bite.

  That was the hand she held her sword with…

  At the last possible moment, a massive warhammer hurtled through the air and struck the Slaughter Wolf Demon with pinpoint accuracy.

  A thunderous impact resounded as the Wolf Demon was sent flying, smashing through boulders and trees along its path.

  The warhammer, spinning through the air, landed heavily near Hilda, shaking the very ground upon impact.

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  At the same time, a towering figure strode out of the forest, a wild grin stretched across his face.

  “Picking on a little girl? How about you play with me instead?”

  A hundred meters away, the Wolf Demon staggered to its feet in front of a toppled tree. That hammer strike had only dislocated its jaw.

  With a snap, it realigned its jaw, its eyes brimming with savage fury as it locked onto the massive man who had attacked it.

  Caius walked past Hilda without so much as a glance, moving forward until he reached his warhammer. He lifted it effortlessly with one hand, slinging it over his shoulder before beckoning at the Wolf Demon with a taunting gesture.

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk~”

  Provoked by Caius, the Slaughter Wolf Demon let out a furious roar before transforming into a streak of blood-red light, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

  Hilda, still recovering from her shock, barely managed to call out, “Be careful—”

  Before she could finish, Caius had already swung his hammer, smashing it directly into the Wolf Demon’s face, sending it flying once more.

  Hilda’s eyes widened in disbelief.

  She knew firsthand the sheer power of the Wolf Demon.

  She had never dared to take its charge head-on.

  Yet this towering man before her seemed even stronger than the Wolf Demon.

  However, the Slaughter Wolf Demon’s second form didn’t just boost its strength and speed—it also greatly enhanced its physicality and regenerative abilities. Before long, another furious howl echoed through the forest.

  This time, the Wolf Demon abandoned its leaping attacks.

  Jumping into the air meant giving Caius an opening.

  So now, it charged forward on foot, its meter-long blood-red claws slicing through the air like five gleaming scythes aimed directly at Caius’s face.

  But Caius did not retreat. Instead, he stepped forward, swinging his warhammer into the claws in a violent collision that sent sparks flying.

  A familiar scene unfolded.

  Caius remained in place, wielding his warhammer in direct confrontation with the Wolf Demon. Only now, he was even stronger, and the Wolf Demon had grown even larger.

  The force of their battle shook the earth, sending tremors through the ground. Even a small cat perched on a tree branch had to grip tightly to avoid falling.

  A sharp tearing sound rang out—Caius’s chest now bore a deep gash.

  Yet his face showed no pain. Instead, his grin only widened.

  A blood mist rose from his wound—poison from the Wolf Demon’s claws. However, in mere seconds, the poison dissipated, his bleeding stopped, and the wound began to scab over rapidly.

  Such regeneration…

  Hilda watched in growing astonishment.

  Blood Poison—a deadly toxin present in most Bloody Creatures. Even the smallest wound inflicted with it would continue to bleed endlessly, often leading to death through blood loss.

  But Caius, with his immense vitality, had simply overpowered the toxin, stopping the bleeding and accelerating his recovery.

  No wonder he dared to fight the Wolf Demon head-on.

  When he had ascended to the Gold rank, he had unlocked part of his Giant Inheritance, revealing his formidable regenerative abilities. Moreover, as his vital energy surged in battle, his healing factor only grew stronger.

  In other words—he could afford to trade blows.

  The Wolf Demon hesitated upon witnessing Caius’s unnatural recovery, slowing its attack for just a moment.

  That moment was all Caius needed.

  In his past life, he lacked such superhuman physicality and strength. His survival had depended solely on his weapons and the combat techniques forged in life-or-death battles.

  Thirty years in the wastelands had honed his melee combat skills to perfection.

  A fleeting opening—but Caius seized it instantly.

  His bulging muscles propelled his arm forward, slipping past the Wolf Demon’s defenses. Like a steel trap, his fingers clamped around its throat.

  His back muscles coiled like springs, his waist twisting with power.

  With one arm, Caius hoisted the Wolf Demon up and slammed it into the ground with devastating force.

  The earth trembled.

  But his grip remained firm.

  A manic grin stretched across his bloodstained face, his battle-scarred body making him look even more terrifying than the Wolf Demon itself.

  With a powerful swing, he hurled the beast through the air, sending it crashing into a tree.

  Before it could rise, Caius was already there, driving a knee into its chest like a cannon shot.

  The tree exploded into splinters. The Wolf Demon was flung back once more, but Caius relentlessly pursued, the two juggernauts rampaging through the forest, shattering trees with every collision.

  A hammer blow. A fist strike. The Wolf Demon was sent reeling, only to be yanked back by the wrist.

  Another knee. A brutal elbow. The Wolf Demon slammed into the ground.

  A low kick crushed its ribs, sending it skidding across the forest floor.

  Caius leaped high, warhammer descending like divine judgment.

  The seamless, merciless combo left the Wolf Demon no room to breathe.

  His hammer was an extension of himself. His entire body was a weapon.

  Even a single finger could deliver lethal force.

  Then—

  A sickening crunch.

  Skull shattered.

  Standing tall, drenched in blood, Caius grinned—a predator’s grin, white teeth gleaming amidst the crimson.

  To Hilda, it was the smile of a true warrior.

  The battle was over.

  The Slaughter Wolf Demon was dead.