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"Hiss—"
Paimon gasped sharply at the sight of the Wolf Bandits, patting her chest rapidly in shock.
She turned to Zhongli with wide eyes. "Zhongli, are these... werewolves?"
"No. These are Wolf Bandits—mere beasts."
Zhongli's gaze remained fixed on the creatures as he spoke.
Before arriving at the village, he had already sensed their presence lurking nearby.
Currently, their numbers were few, and their strength was negligible—the strongest among them barely equivalent to a human Great Soul Master.
But for this village, even such weak Wolf Bandits were nothing short of a catastrophe.
His visit hadn't been motivated by hunger—after all, Zhongli could go decades without food or water if needed.
He had initially planned to eliminate these beasts outright, but after some thought, he decided to wait.
If things spiraled beyond control, he would intervene...
"So that's why you left him a Geo Vision."
"You wanted Wang Chen to—"
"Wait, no. You wanted the villagers themselves to handle this?"
For some reason, this approach felt familiar to Paimon—though she couldn't quite place why.
"Correct."
"However, the greater reason was the kindness of that elderly man and the boy."
Zhongli nodded, offering no denial.
"But... what if Little Wang Chen fails?"
"He won't."
"Eh?"
"Wait and see."
"Ugh! You infuriating riddle-spouter!"
Paimon nearly exploded with frustration. Zhongli was perfect in every way—except for his maddening habit of speaking in half-truths, leaving others to piece things together!
Did she look like some genius who could read between the lines?!
...Wait.
Hold on. Something felt off about that thought.
Zhongli glanced sideways at Paimon, whose anger had dissipated in under seven seconds, and couldn't help but twitch his eye.
Paimon truly was a creature who held no grudges—the polar opposite of that grudge-keeping knight who documented every slight in a tiny notebook.
"ROAR!"
"Damn Wolf Bandits—you think you're the only ones who can roar?!"
Wang Chen bellowed, his body swelling as his messy hair stood on end like spikes.
This was his martial soul—Boar.
Not just any boar, but a feral, wild boar!
Lacking innate soul power and proper nutrition, his beast-type martial soul had never granted him matching strength.
But now, infused with elemental energy—and fueled by rage and terror—his martial soul experienced a second awakening.
Never underestimate a wild boar. Had Wang Chen possessed even a trace of innate soul power or decent nourishment, his frail appearance would've been unthinkable.
After all, there was a saying:
"First the boar, then the bear, third the tiger."
The "boar" referred to none other than the wild boar—a creature that, once enraged, became an unstoppable force of nature, charging forward with reckless abandon.
"GROWL—"
A bestial snarl tore from Wang Chen's throat as his pupils shifted from black to crimson, resembling a demon's gaze.
Amber light erupted beneath his feet as Geo energy encased his body, forming a suit of stone-like armor.
Though it appeared thick and heavy, it did not hinder his movements.
"Armor... protection. A fitting manifestation of his wish."
The elemental skill and burst of this otherworldly Geo Vision were influenced by Zhongli but not dictated by him.
They took shape based on the wishes of the wielder.
Wang Chen's deepest desire had been to protect—his grandfather, his village. Thus, his elemental skill naturally took the form of armor.
Beyond these, the user could develop other abilities—but that required talent...
Now fully armored, Wang Chen charged at the Wolf Bandits with a frenzy that outmatched even the beasts' savagery.
Wolf Bandits: "???"
Excuse us, but—what the hell?!
"Sigh... Little Wang Chen looks utterly deranged."
"He's lost in his rage—a consequence of his youth."
"I can only hope he learns to wield this power wisely. Otherwise..."
Zhongli murmured, leaving the thought unfinished.
Paimon might seem airheaded, but she wasn't entirely clueless. She understood the unspoken implication:
Zhongli had granted Wang Chen power to chase his dreams—but if he strayed from his ideals, that power could just as easily be taken away.
In the blink of an eye, Wang Chen collided with the Wolf Bandits.
Their claws slashed at him with vicious intent—yet only managed to slow him momentarily.
Sparks flew as razor-sharp talons scraped against stone armor, blunting the claws while leaving mere white scratches on the Geo-constructed plates.
Lost in his frenzy, Wang Chen cared for nothing but annihilating these beasts—or being annihilated by them.
Mid-charge, he grabbed one Wolf Bandit's arm and slammed into it with full force.
"CRUNCH."
The sound of shattering bone echoed—clearly not Wang Chen's.
"ROAR!"
The wounded beast howled in agony, its remaining claw lashing out wildly.
"WAR STOMP!"
At the center of the encirclement, Wang Chen slammed his foot down, unleashing a tidal wave of Geo energy!
"BOOM—"
"BOOM—"
"BOOM—"
Three successive spikes of stone erupted from the ground like swords, impaling the Wolf Bandits in a gruesome display...
"Wait, why does this Elemental Burst look so familiar?"
Paimon scratched her head, baffled.
Hadn't she seen something like this before?
If only his elemental skill had been a meteorite instead of armor...
"It's over."
Though Wang Chen's first battle had been brutally primal, his timing in unleashing his abilities had been flawless.
A few fledgling Wolf Bandits stood no chance.
Once the battle ended, Wang Chen stood frozen, his eyes clouded with confusion.
Slowly, clarity returned—along with disbelief as he surveyed the carnage.
Had he truly done all this?
He stared at his hands, then at the lifeless beasts.
"Young Wang Chen, I hope you wield this power wisely—never forgetting your original intent."
"Should you ever abandon kindness for malice... I will personally end you."
Zhongli's voice echoed in his mind, startling him.
Wang Chen hadn't realized—Zhongli had been watching him the entire time!
"Lord Zhongli..."
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 70 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 40 power stones I will publish the next chapter.