In the dense forest of the canyon.
A group of Jackal-Wolf People were slitting the necks of several captured antelopes, letting the sticky liquid splatter onto the altar.
As they moved, the originally dim ground gradually lit up with scarlet patterns.
The blood seeped into the granite stone ground, like a large mouth greedily sucking up nutrients.
All the Jackal-Wolf People present were bathed in this ominous crimson light, their faces showing a human-like expression of "enjoyment," their eyes blurred, as if consuming a great tonic, or falling into some kind of euphoric trance.
While the Jackal-Wolf People were immersed in "enjoyment," snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
At first, none of them took notice of this unusual snow.
Occasionally, a few Jackal-Wolf People would raise their heads briefly, but soon they would look away.
Until the snowstorm gradually intensified.
A layer of snow covered their muscular bodies, the piercing cold in the snow melding into their fiery bodies through their skin, causing wave after wave of stinging pain, making the Jackal-Wolf People scream in agony.
"Enemy!"
"Watch the snow!"
Amidst the cries, the terrified Jackal-Wolf People swiftly scattered from the open space.
They tried to take shelter under the trees to reduce the damage caused by the wind, rain, and snow.
But...
The temperature dropped faster than they expected.
The blue astral wind in the air, mixed with rain as sharp as knives, swept through their lair recklessly.
No corner could escape the magical damage brought by this bitter cold.
"Run! Get out!"
Among the Jackal-Wolf People, wise ones quickly realized that staying on this rapidly cooling land would soon lead to some of their kin being frozen to death.
Even if they survived, their bodily functions would decline rapidly, eventually being wiped out by the unknown enemy.
They couldn’t stay here any longer!
"Awoooo!!!"
The largest Jackal-Wolf People howled toward the sky.
After the roar, their muscles, as hard as stone, quickly expanded, blood flowing rapidly under the skin, entering an abnormal "engorged" state.
A faint red aura and hot steam flowed out from the pores all over their bodies.
Their beastly eyes gradually turned completely scarlet.
"Bang!"
They smashed a frozen-hard bush with a single palm.
Under the lead of these abnormal Jackal-Wolf People, the shivering tribe quickly broke through the forest.
As for the core area, those few who were frozen stiff, turned purple and unable to move, could only be abandoned, as no one was willing to help them.
In the sky.
Gauss looked toward the forest from a distance.
Through the commotion coming from the forest, he could precisely grasp the direction from which the Jackal-Wolf People were emerging.
And there, Albena and others had already set up an ambush in advance.
Just as he was about to turn around.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a streak of scarlet rising up.
...
"Awoooo!!"
A Jackal-Wolf Person, covered in red mist, sprinted on all fours.
Just as it emerged from the cold’s range, a massive axe, long awaiting nearby, descended from the sky.
"Thud!!!"
The Jackal-Wolf Person, just steady on its feet, failed to dodge.
The terrifying giant axe gleamed with a blinding silver edge, as if any object blocking its path would be split in two.
And indeed, it proved to be the case.
The moment the axe blade touched its body, it unleashed terrifying power.
"Crack!"
Almost instantly, the Jackal-Wolf Person’s skull shattered.
Even though the scarlet aura on its surface provided some protective ability, it couldn’t withstand the overwhelming force like Mount Tai.
The crimson dissipated.
The giant axe drove straight in, from the skull, through the brain, neck, finally embedding deep into the Jackal-Wolf Person’s robust chest cavity.
"Sizzle!"
The high-speed friction even caused the contact point between the axe and flesh to emit smoke.
Albena withdrew her giant axe.
She kicked the Jackal-Wolf Person’s body aside.
This Jackal-Wolf Person was clearly dead beyond saving.
Due to the sudden situation, more Jackal-Wolf People kept emerging.
"Moonlight!"
A strip of frosty white light fell from above, illuminating a serene, cold spot on the ground.
This moonlight appearing in the daytime seemed harmless, but the Jackal-Wolf People bathing in it howled in agony.
The moonlight on their frostbitten skin intensified their pain.
Two spots of shadow appeared unconsciously beneath the feet of the frightened Jackal-Wolf People.
"Slash!"
The black humanoid shadow began to dance.
It unleashed black Shadow Ground Spikes, cutting off the retreat of ordinary Jackal-Wolf People trying to return to the forest, impaling them from below, pinning them to the ground.
Serdur and the clay creatures guarded other directions, preventing the Jackal-Wolf People from escaping.
"Leave those big ones to me!"
Albena’s voice resounded across the battlefield, as she blasted forth like a cannonball.
Ordinary Jackal-Wolf People, in front of her, were like little children, posing no threat.
She roared, the sound causing the Jackal-Wolf People before her to instinctively shrink their necks in fear.
Soon, the dry ground turned a dark red amid the slaughter.
"Where did Gauss go?"
"Even if he encountered the enemy, why hasn’t there been a single sound from there?"
Aaliyah and others, engaged in fierce battle with the Jackal-Wolf People, couldn’t help but feel doubts.
Even though the frontline battle, led by Albena and Ying, both level 6 Professionals, showed no signs of faltering despite being outnumbered, this was clearly different from the initial plan.