The mont Lin realized that Mun was dead, he started to shiver uncontrollably.
His injuries from the earlier confrontation with Feng—being smashed into the nearby river—were already taking their toll.
Blood seeped from the corners of his mouth as his mind raced, teetering on the edge of panic.
Without a mont's hesitation, Lin turned and ran.
His legs moved on instinct, his heart pounding with desperation.
If he could just hold out long enough, if he could survive for a little while, reinforcents from the village would arrive.
Perhaps even their captain, Yuta, would co.
He clung to that faint hope, knowing it was his only chance.
Feng, who stood over Mun's lifeless body, quickly realized what Lin was planning.
He forced himself into motion, but every step was agony.
Blood seeped from his back, the wounds on his chest reopened, and his shoulders ached from the earlier battle with the Ironclaw Black Bear.
Each injury caused him significant pain, but he couldn't stop now.
"Damn it, I was too careless," Feng muttered through clenched teeth.
His hesitation before killing Mun had cost him precious ti.
Though it was only his second ti taking a life, he had faltered, leading to him montarily staying his hand.
That mont of weakness had allowed Mun to fire the Flare Crystal, alerting the village.
If not for that, Feng could've escaped the Blackwood Forest before nightfall.
"I can't let him get away," Feng thought, his eyes narrowing with cold determination.
"If I don't stop him now, this whole situation will spiral out of control."
Ignoring the screaming pain in his body, Feng forced himself to chase after Lin.
His steps were unsteady at first, but he pushed through the pain, he knew what would happen if he let Lin escape.
Ahead, Lin ran as fast as his battered body would allow, his fear fueling his movents.
"You bastard!" he scread over his shoulder.
"What kind of devil spawn did we raise in the village?! You killed Ren, Jun, and now Mun!
When Elder Zhou finds out, you're dead! If you let go, maybe the elder will give you a painless death.
Maybe he'll even spare you if you agree to work for the tribe!"
Feng remained silent, his eyes shining with a gray light.
His thoughts were icy and thodical: "I made a mistake once. It won't happen again."
Lin's terror grew as he realized Feng was determined to kill him without rcy.
Without hesitation, he activated his Heaven's Pact.
A spectral black rope shot out, coiling around a nearby tree branch and pulling him forward like a grappling hook.
He swung through the dense forest, putting more distance between himself and Feng.
"Hmph! You idiot," Lin muttered under his breath, confidence returning to his voice.
"My Black Rope is perfect for escaping.
There's no way soone at my level can catch up to in ti."
But Feng wasn't about to give up.
As he sprinted, his mind raced for a solution. Then, a cold, monotonous voice echoed in his head:
[The system has stored a significant amount of spiritual energy from the previous kill. Would the host like to absorb the gathered energy?]
Feng's eyes widened. He had almost forgotten about the system amidst the chaos.
"Absorb it!" he ordered imdiately.
[Understood.]
A rush of spiritual energy surged through Feng's body, reigniting his depleted reserves.
Though his injuries still throbbed painfully, the infusion of energy gave him a much-needed boost.
"The system doesn't heal ," Feng noted to himself. "I'll need proper healing dicine for that.
But at least I've got the energy to keep going."
The renewed vitality allowed him to close the gap between himself and Lin.
But Lin was still moving quickly, his Heaven's Pact keeping him out of reach.
Feng gritted his teeth, frustration building.
"I need to stop him now, or reinforcents will arrive."
Reaching into his bag of holding, Feng retrieved the spiritual core he had taken from the Ironclaw Black Bear
A thought crossed his mind.
"System, what happens if I force spiritual energy into this core?"
[It is not possible for the host to directly infuse spiritual energy into the core unless they possess the abilities of a Spirit Blacksmith.]
Feng groaned in frustration. "So it's useless?"
[Incorrect. The system can forcibly infuse spiritual energy into the core, causing an explosive reaction.]
Feng's eyes lit up. "Wait, does that make a Spirit Blacksmith?"
[Negative. The system's capabilities are distinct from the host's innate abilities.]
"Fine, whatever. Just do it!"
[Understood. Initiating forced spiritual energy infusion.]
The spiritual core in Feng's hand began to glow, its surface heating up rapidly as cracks ford along its edges.
The energy inside pulsed wildly, on the verge of detonation.
Without a second thought, Feng hurled the core with all his strength in Lin's direction.
The core sailed through the air, landing just ahead of Lin.
For a brief mont, Lin stared at the glowing object in confusion.
Then, with a deafening roar, the core exploded.
"BOOM!"
The explosion rocked the forest, sending shockwaves through the air.
Trees splintered, dirt and debris rained down, and the ground shook violently.
Lin scread as the force of the blast hurled him into a tree.
His Heaven's Pact unraveled, leaving him vulnerable.
Feng didn't waste a mont.
He charged forward, his injuries screaming in protest, but his gaze was filled with murderous intentions.
Lin lay on the ground, coughing and disoriented, his face pale with fear.
"You... you're insane!" Lin stamred, his voice trembling.
"Do you even realize what you're doing? The entire village will co for you!"
Feng lood over Lin, his expression cold and unyielding.
"Then I'll deal with them too," he said, his voice low and steady.
Lin's body trembled as he tried to crawl away, desperation fueling his movents.
"Feng! Don't you rember? We grew up in the sa place! I may not have treated you well, but we're still from the sa village!" he scread, his voice cracking with terror.
Feng hesitated for the briefest mont, a flicker of doubt flashing in his eyes.
But the mories ca rushing back—humiliation after humiliation.
Being called a Broken Soul, the beatings from his so-called senior brothers and sisters, their scorn as they mocked him for failing to form a Heaven's Pact.
His hesitation hardened into cold fury.
"No," he muttered under his breath. His eyes glead with icy resolve.
Feng moved swiftly, the Blackwood Alpha Wolf letting out a bone-chilling howl as it lunged.
Lin didn't even have ti to scream before his head was reduced to a pulp.
His lifeless body collapsed, blood pooling beneath him.
Feng stood there, chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.
Blood dripped from his wounds, soaking the dirt below.
For a mont, the forest was eerily silent, the air heavy with the aftermath of violence.
But the silence shattered. Voices and hurried footsteps echoed in the distance. Reinforcents were coming.
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