The Elite Wind Wolf and a Budding Trust

Chapter Twelve

While fighting monsters, Ye Jue did not forget to instruct Lin Shenyue. “As a Priest, it’s not enough to simply prevent someone from dying,” he explained. “You need to meticulously calculate cooldowns and use the most appropriate skill at the most opportune moment.

“For now, we only have one healing spell, so let’s focus on that. You need to cast the healing spell the instant I take damage. This way, you won’t waste its effect, and it will enter cooldown sooner, allowing for quicker reuse.”

Lin Shenyue listened, a hint of helplessness in her voice. “But my reaction speed is quite slow,” she admitted.

Ye Jue frowned slightly. Though this game didn’t demand high hand speed, it placed considerable emphasis on reaction time. He continued to fight, pondering his words. “Then you must anticipate,” he suggested. “Predict the incoming attacks in advance, and pre-cast your healing spell the moment the attack lands.”

Lin Shenyue knitted her delicate brows. After a period of contemplation, she declared with determination, “I’ll try.”

For the next half hour, Lin Shenyue practiced diligently. She finally managed to cast timely heals by anticipating the Wind Wolves’ movements. During this time, they both advanced to Level 4, and collected two decent Iron-grade pieces of equipment, along with several common items:

Wind Wolf Chestplate (Iron-grade, Plate Armor): Level Requirement: 4. Physical Defense +3, Magic Defense +3, Speed -1.

Wind Wolf Boots (Iron-grade, Leather Armor): Level Requirement: 4. Physical Defense +1, Speed +3.

Wind Wolf Longsword (Common, Main Hand Weapon): Level Requirement: 4. Physical Attack +5-6.

Wind Wolf Longbow (Common, Main Hand Weapon): Level Requirement: 4. Physical Attack +5-6.

Wind Wolf Necklace (Common, Accessory): Level Requirement: 4. Magic Attack +2-3, Magic Defense +1.

Wind Wolf Leather Armor (Common, Leather Armor): Level Requirement: 4. Physical Defense +2.

Ye Jue handed the necklace to Lin Shenyue. “Only the necklace is suitable for you,” he said. “We’ll wait for more drops for your other equipment.”

Lin Shenyue nodded, putting on the necklace. “Should we go for the Level 5 quest now?” she asked.

Ye Jue affirmed. “That Level 5 quest is a prelude to the Level 5 dungeon, ‘Dark Cavern.’ If we’re the first to complete the quest and unlock the dungeon, we’ll receive a reputation reward. It might not seem useful now, but reputation becomes incredibly important later on.”

Just as they were preparing to leave, a different kind of Wind Wolf suddenly spawned.

[Frenzied Wind Wolf (Elite): Level 4. Health 500/500, Physical Attack 45-50. (An elite among Wind Wolves, possessing extremely high attack and speed.)]

Lin Shenyue inquired, “It’s an elite monster. Should we fight it?”

Ye Jue pondered for a moment. He currently had 170 health and 12 physical defense. He believed that with careful play, he could endure the 15-second healing cooldown. He nodded. “First, restore your mana. That last fight consumed two of your magic potions, and we didn’t buy any spares before coming out. Also, elite monsters tend to have a random skill, which could pose a significant threat.”

Lin Shenyue nodded, activating Meditation to recover her mana. [Meditation: Usable out of combat, doubles your mana recovery rate.]

After a full five minutes, Lin Shenyue’s mana was finally replenished. Catching Ye Jue’s gaze, she nodded. “I’m ready.”

Ye Jue took a deep breath, his expression grave. “Get ready, I’m pulling the monster.” With that, he swung his sword at the elite Wind Wolf’s head, dealing “-23” damage and instantly drawing its aggro.

The Wind Wolf roared, lunging a claw directly at Ye Jue. He quickly blocked with his sword. “-31.” “+29.” The instant he took damage, Lin Shenyue’s heal landed perfectly. She had relied on her one-second pre-cast to maximize the skill’s usage.

Ye Jue steadied himself. During the five-second duration of the heal, he could attack confidently. Apart from necessary blocks, he focused all his energy on offense, successfully dealing 100 damage to the elite Wind Wolf within those five seconds.

The Wind Wolf let out a howl, its massive jaws clamping down on Ye Jue.

[You have been hit by the Frenzied Wind Wolf (Elite)’s skill, “Bite,” taking 50 damage. You have been inflicted with a torn wound, applying a special effect: Bleeding. Lose 5 health per second for 5 seconds.]

Seeing the notification through the party system, Lin Shenyue’s face changed. This attack, combined with the bleed, would deplete nearly half of Ye Jue’s health. During the next 15-second skill cooldown, she was powerless, leaving Ye Jue to rely solely on his own skill to survive.

Yet, Ye Jue’s face showed little alarm, only a slight furrow of his brow. He glanced at Lin Shenyue behind him, and seeing her worried expression, he ultimately decided to reveal a little more of his capabilities.

Ye Jue stared at the Wind Wolf before him, his focus slowly sharpening. The instant the wolf attacked, he executed a swift sidestep, circling behind it. A large “MISS” appeared above his head, and he simultaneously dealt “-22” damage to the wolf.

Lin Shenyue watched, stunned, as Ye Jue single-handedly fought the elite Wind Wolf. Each time the wolf was about to pounce, he would execute a subtle sidestep, twisting behind it and causing its attack to miss. Such precise movements were terrifying to behold.

Wind Wolves were incredibly fast monsters, especially in the early game. Despite their formidable speed, Ye Jue meticulously anticipated each attack trajectory. He could precisely dodge the wolf’s attacks the moment they landed, leaving no wasted space. He not only evaded with perfect timing but also counterattacked the instant the wolf overshot its mark. This was a level of skill that few could ever achieve.

Ye Jue was once again struck by the elite Wind Wolf’s Bite attack. His health instantly plummeted to 47 points and continued to drop. He still didn’t consume his health potion, opting instead to continue dodging and counterattacking.

Five seconds later, Ye Jue’s health had fallen to 27 points. However, during this time, he hadn’t been hit by the Wind Wolf once, and he had reduced its health to 120 points. “Bite” was the wolf’s only skill, and it was incredibly fast, making it difficult to dodge, even for Ye Jue in his current state.

Lin Shenyue understood that the Wind Wolf activated its skill every 100 health points it lost. If Ye Jue attacked again, the wolf’s health would drop below 100. However, Ye Jue did not hesitate; he continued his assault. She realized this was a testament to his trust in her—he believed she could cast her now-refreshed healing spell the instant his attack landed. Only then would he survive.

Lin Shenyue pressed her lips together, her eyes fixed on the healing spell’s cooldown. The moment it was ready, she unleashed it.

“+29.” “-50.” “-5.” In an instant, Ye Jue’s health dipped to 2 points. But this also meant he had successfully endured three of the Wind Wolf’s skill activations. Though he was still bleeding, the healing spell allowed him to recover to 98 health within five seconds.

Stripped of its skills, the Wind Wolf finally succumbed to Ye Jue’s superb technique. With one last attack, it let out a mournful cry and collapsed to the ground.

Lin Shenyue observed Ye Jue’s pale face, realizing that his recent maneuvers must have exacted a heavy toll on his energy. She approached him, speaking softly. “Do you regret it?”

Ye Jue closed his eyes, appearing to be both resting and contemplating. Finally, he spoke slowly. “Can I trust you?”

Lin Shenyue picked up the three pieces of equipment and dozens of copper coins dropped by the Wind Wolf, a faint smile gracing her lips. “What do you think?” Though she didn’t fully grasp why she could trust Ye Jue, she felt an absolute certainty that he would never harm her.

Ye Jue opened his eyes, looking directly at Lin Shenyue. In her previous life, Lin Shenyue had been a shut-in, rarely subjected to such direct gazes, and she felt a touch of awkwardness. Ye Jue eventually smiled. “I trust you.” He then added in a deep voice, “What I just used was a PK technique called ‘Follow.’ As the name suggests, this technique utilizes micro-movements to keep you constantly behind your enemy. Of course, when attacking the Wind Wolf, its pounce caused it to rush forward, preventing me from staying directly behind it, especially since its speed far exceeded mine. This technique demands extremely high reaction speed, particularly against faster opponents, requiring constant mental focus and placing a great strain on one’s resolve.”

Lin Shenyue looked at Ye Jue’s smile. While he wasn’t remarkably handsome, merely possessing a refined appearance, his smile conveyed a sense of warmth and purity. Lin Shenyue’s expression flickered for a moment before she finally smiled faintly. “Let’s add each other as friends,” she suggested.

Ye Jue paused, slightly surprised. He understood this was Lin Shenyue’s initial decision to follow him, and while not a full commitment, it was undoubtedly a good start. Ye Jue gazed at the smiling girl before him, her exquisite features momentarily captivating him.

Noticing Ye Jue’s obvious daze, Lin Shenyue’s smile receded. While she accepted him, it was merely as a regular friend. After all, she was still a shut-in at heart. Although she had deliberately ignored her gender, she was, ultimately, a girl—and a beautiful one at that.

Ye Jue, seeing Lin Shenyue’s cool expression, offered an awkward smile and sent her a friend request. After Lin Shenyue accepted, she tossed all the equipment to Ye Jue. “You distribute it,” she said.

Ye Jue sighed, watching Lin Shenyue casually relinquish the task, and began examining the equipment’s attributes.