Chapter 292 Forced in Battle

Chapter 292 Forced in Battle

The cornered shadow duplicate barely dodged a bite from the Frost Giant Wolf but was soon pinned down by its faster body and had its head crushed underfoot.

wondered

(Should I feel fortunate that I could survive being stepped on once...)

* Tyler's current life energy: 3012.

The shadow duplicate's attributes, except for magic power, were identical to Tyler's.

Although the difference in equipment had some impact, it was not significant for Tyler, who had almost given up on defense.

By observing the changes in the shadow duplicate's values, Tyler knew he was no match for the Frost Giant Wolf. However, this was not a significant issue, as he had always faced opponents who could kill him instantly.

The real problem now was that the wolf had used its skills to seal the entire cavern space. Tyler was unsure if using "Azure Blue Blaze Steed" three or five times in a row could melt the ice blockade.

But he was certain that if this attempt failed, he would quickly be killed by the Frost Giant Wolf after consuming a large amount of magic power.

(Is it time for a do-or-die battle?)

The Frost Giant Wolf, Zane, was roaring triumphantly towards Tyler, seemingly unconcerned about him breaking through the solid ice to enter the treasure vault.

Moreover, the way it looked at Tyler was filled with contempt, like a cat looking at a mouse.

In the past, Tyler had no qualms about his "weak" status, but now, he was no longer completely helpless.

━━━━━━━━━

Tyler

Shadow Assassin- Lv50

Skills: 2/2 (Non-combat occupation skills: 2/2)

Life Energy: 3012/3100

Endurance: 2121/2439

Magic Energy: 5420/7690

━━━━━━━━━

━━━━━━━━━

Frost Giant Wolf - Zane, Male, 129 years old

Frost Giant Wolf - Lv140

Skills: 4/4

Life Energy: 12118/12118

Endurance: 7021/7021

Magic Energy: 5685/5685

━━━━━━━━━

At least in terms of total magic power, Tyler was gradually gaining confidence.

.

Unfazed by the prospect of battle, Tyler, protected by the Heart of Fearlessness, knew no fear. However, he was not reckless; he had prepared a strategy for the inevitable confrontation with the Frost Giant Wolf long before setting his plan in motion.

In Tyler's view, his victory hinged on a single" factor".

If he could achieve this one thing, victory would be more than a mere fantasy. If not, he had a contingency plan to abandon the treasure vault and flee.

"In the presence of the esteemed Zane, I? express my sincere desire to avoid any antagonistic stance towards you. Instead, I come forth with a proposition that entails a mutually beneficial trade. I implore you to specify your terms, with the sole condition being that they grant me access to the treasure vault," he said in the language of the evilkind.

Seizing the opportunity before the Frost Giant Wolf attacked, Tyler feigned composure and attempted to communicate with the ancient creature, whose wisdom he presumed to be extensive and profound.

Upon hearing Tyler's words, the Frost Giant Wolf hesitated, its expression one of bewilderment. n--0VεlbIn

However, this fleeting hesitation swiftly dissipated, giving way to the reawakening of its inherently murderous intentions.

"Hmph, cunning human, I do not know how you learned the language of the evilkind, but I can tell you this—no matter what you say, what you do, your fate is sealed upon entering here!"

The Frost Giant Wolf allowed no room for negotiation and immediately launched its attack!

Seeing the wolf's accelerating pace, Tyler knew his Deceiver skill activation had failed, and he readied himself for battle.

Facing a swift adversary, he decisively placed his Shadow Sword Dragon Steed and arrows on the ground, then began to maneuver laterally.

He intended to ascertain whether "that one thing" was achievable while he was still in good condition.

.

The strength of the shadow duplicates summoned by the Shadow Behind ability was directly proportional to Tyler's state when using the skill.

This meant that the better Tyler's condition, the stronger the shadow duplicates, especially in terms of endurance, which would play an important role.

Evading the Frost Giant Wolf's first lunge with the help of his divine eye's warning, Tyler immediately threw a smoke bomb at his feet, creating a dense cloud of smoke that enveloped the area.

He seized this opportunity to stealthily maneuver into the enemy's blind spot, his agile movements concealed within the thick haze.

The Frost Giant Wolf, taken aback by Tyler's unexpected tactic, had anticipated a lethal strike but found itself deceived by the swirling smoke. Confused and disoriented, the wolf's attack missed its mark entirely.

However, within the chaos, a glint of silver emerged from the opaque mist —— a knife hurtling towards the wolf's shoulder. Though the blade failed to pierce the thick fur, it served as a distraction.

As if on cue, a sudden burst of blue flame erupted from the depths of the smoke, momentarily illuminating the area behind the bewildered wolf. In a desperate attempt to evade the fiery onslaught, the wolf swiftly twisted its body, but not without consequence. Its hind leg bore the scorching marks of the flames, and a? slash marred its side, inflicting a wound.

Although the slash was shallow, the Frost Giant Wolf was enraged—it had been wounded by this seemingly weak human!

In its fury, the wolf executed a whirlwind-like sweep, using its size advantage to forcibly strike the human nearby without even seeing its target. The blow sent the human flying!

—(Go die! You human! You're iting off more than you can chew!)

The Frost Giant Wolf felt a momentary satisfaction, knowing that the strike would be fatal for the cunning, weak, pathetic? human.

However, this satisfaction was short-lived, as the wolf soon realized that the figure it had sent flying was not the human youth but a bizarre, pitch-black shadow.

—(W-What the hell...!)

Confused, the Frost Giant Wolf had no time to understand what had happened before it felt an odd sensation on its back, as if someone had stepped on it.

Immediately, a sharp, unidentified object pierced its right eye, causing it to writhe in pain and roll on the ground!