“What a beautiful moon,” Lin Long whispered under his breath as his right hand reached for the silver crescent adorning the dark, night sky. The breathtaking view of the moon, and the stars that seemed to surround it in worship fascinated him.

For years, the darkness of the night, the moon in the sky, and the stars circling it were his only companions; he loved them! He wished to reach them… to touch them. But alas! he was too weak to achieve his dream. [Note: Stars don’t circle the moon. Just using it figuratively.]

Still, he never once thought of giving up on that dream. He knew time would never stay the same, and his turn would come. He might be weak now, but one day, he would stand at the very summit of the Heavens. What was once his would again return to him…

Suddenly, a faint — almost inaudible — sound of footsteps brought Lin Long out of his daze. His body tensed up, and he immediately looked down to see if an enemy was trying to sneak up on him.

Looking from behind the leaves and thick branches he used for camouflage, Lin Long saw a thin, shadowy figure carefully sneak past the tall tree he was sitting on.

As he looked around carefully, Lin Long saw a dark wolf in the distance that seemed to be chasing the shadowy figure. At the same time as he was looking down at the scene, the shadowy figure leaped forward and went behind a nearby tree that was caved in.

The wolf used its strong sense of smell to find clues about its prey, but something seemed to be preventing it from finding the shadowy figure. Since it couldn’t find its target, the wolf started to sniff around randomly.

Lin Long could clearly see the 5 meters long and 3 meters tall wolf. The wolf’s crimson red eyes seemed to contain a peculiar light that blinked every now and then, while its sharp fangs dug into the ground it walked upon.

‘A Dark Wolf-Lord,’ a name immediately came to Lin Long’s mind as he saw the wolf’s appearance and actions. The Dark Wolf-Lord was a Tier 7 Beast in the “Ancient Forest”, and it always hunted by itself, completely different from other wolf-type beasts that hunted in packs.

It wasn’t a very strong beast, when put in front of Lin Long, that was. But to the shadowy figure hiding nearby, it was a life-threatening calamity. Lin Long wondered just how that person even managed to escape a Dark Wolf-Lord’s pursuit.

With how the shadow tried to prevent itself from panting, he could tell that the person wasn’t that strong. He estimated that the moment the Dark Wolf-Lord got hold of that person, that person would be dead meat.

A Dark Wolf-Lord loved to tear and eat its prey alive; it was an eccentric beast. And according to what Lin Long had heard, the Dark Wolf-Lord were actually spawns of Demons, and had a certain level of intelligence that no other Tier 7 Beast of the Ancient Forest could match.

Saying the Dark Wolf-Lord were the smartest Tier 7 Beasts wouldn’t be wrong, and one could even say they could rival a Tier 5 Beast in intelligence when fully grown.

Looking at the enthusiastic Wolf-Lord carefully search for its prey without making a single sound, and then looking at the shadowy figure that would clearly be found in not too long, Lin Long wondered whether to stay on his spot, or help.

After all, the moment the Wolf-Lord found that person, their fate would be pretty messed up. This disgusting beast would definitely not just let that person die a painless death. What’s more, if that shadow turned out to be a woman, which Lin Long guessed was the case, then…

Just imagining the fate a woman would go through at the mercy of a Wolf-Lord sent a shiver down Lin Long’s back. Truly, the Dark Wolf-Lords were the spawns of Demons. Their disgusting actions proved it all!

Finally, Lin Long came to the decision that he should lend a helping hand. After all, it was as the ancients said, “Do good, and good will follow you!”

He was a good person at heart, once who would never abandon someone in need. The feelings of helplessness and solitude were something he knew well. If he could save someone, and he could do it easily, then there was no reason not to do it.

Remembering the wise words of the ancients, Lin Long decided to act at once. But right before he could move forward and kill the Wolf-Lord, Lin Long felt a small movement near his chest. He immediately remembered that his fluff-ball, little LinLin, was cuddled up near his chest.

The little ball of fur ate too much and then fell asleep at once. But before she went to sleep, she made sure to climb inside Lin Long’s clothes. As Lin Long looked down, he saw the head of the little fluff-ball pop out from under his chin as she stared at the Wolf-Lord moving around below.

Seeing the pitch-black beast in the distance, little LinLin started to release faint squeals as it moved around excitedly. It was apparent that this gluttonous thing that already ate meat thrice its weight wanted the Wolf-Lord for its next meal.

The Wolf-Lord no longer appeared as useless as it did just a few moments ago. With how much meat it had, he could easily feed this little thing for a few weeks. Lowering his chin, Lin Long rubbed the small head of little LinLin, so as to calm her down.

With the decision made, and preparations… well, there was nothing to prepare. Lin Long raised his right hand, and a small blade appeared between his thumb and index finger. Tightly holding onto the blade, Lin Long took aim, and threw it with a little force.

In the very next moment, the Wolf-Lord twitched and froze on its spot. Its pupils constricted for a moment, and then they slowly dilated. At the same time, its body started to lose strength, and it fell to its right side.

Something strange took place in front of Lin Long’s eyes at that time; even though the Wolf-Lord’s body was falling to its right, its head didn’t go along with it. Instead, it slowly slid off its neck and fell to the ground.

The place where the Wolf-Lord’s head was decapitated from appeared to be as flat as a mirror, and an almost invisible layer of ice covered it, prevent blood from gushing out. The Dark Wolf-Lord, a mighty and smart Tier 7 Beast, died without even knowing or understanding what transpired with it.

Seeing that the Wolf-Lord was taken care of, Lin Long turned his head towards the place where the shadowy figure hid. Immediately, his eyes met a pair of dark-blue eyes that seemed to pull at his soul.

Just one look sent Lin Long into a momentarily daze, but he immediately shook his head and cleared his mind. He now understood how that person escaped from that Dark Wolf-Lord.