"Luo Feng, this is your first fight; don't take it lightly. The wild instincts of these monsters are far sharper than those bred in the military zones," Chen Gu warned solemnly. Luo Feng smiled, sensing Chen-ge's concern. Among the Fire Hammer Squad now, those closest to him were undoubtedly Chen Gu and Zhang Ke, who lived in the same Mingyue Community.
As for the Captain, Gao Feng, and the Wei brothers... After all, they were strangers before. For a newcomer like him to gain the acceptance of Gao Feng and the other two wouldn't be easy.
"Go for it, Luo Feng. Your current speed and neural reaction time have just hit the passing threshold for a 'High-Level Warrior' physical standard. Your strength is also nearing that level. Dealing with this single-horned wild boar shouldn't be a problem," Tie Qiang Zhang Ke also spoke up, offering rare encouragement.
The other three—Captain Gao Feng and the Wei brothers—all watched Luo Feng.
"Hiss!"
Luo Feng drew the Blood Shadow Battle Blade, holding his shield in his left hand and the blade in his right. He smiled faintly. "Captain, Chen-ge, watch me bring back the horn of this single-horned wild boar." As he spoke, Luo Feng rapidly approached the creature ahead.
They watched as Luo Feng moved forward.
"Captain, having Luo Feng face a single-horned wild boar nearing F-rank for his first battle—isn't that asking a bit too much?" Chen Gu couldn't help but interject. "While it's true the Fire Hammer Squad needs to test and verify Luo Feng, it should be done step by step. It would be better to start with a G-rank monster first."
"Right, we shouldn't rush things," Zhang Ke added.
"The Captain's arrangement is fine," Wei Tie, the elder of the Wei brothers, said in a deep voice. "Luo Feng's physical quality is not at all inferior to that monster. Although the difficulty is high, if he suffers a bit, he should still win."
"This is his first time entering the wilderness," Zhang Ke said with slight dissatisfaction.
"So what if it's his first time? I don't want him to become a burden to us. Otherwise, how dare we hunt powerful Warlord-level monsters while bringing a novice along?" Wei Qing, standing beside him, also frowned.
At this moment— Among the five veteran members of the Fire Hammer Squad, Chen Gu and Zhang Ke clearly showed favoritism toward Luo Feng, while the Wei brothers regarded him with suspicion.
"Stop arguing," Gao Feng spoke up.
Chen Gu and the other three quieted down.
"Watch first. We'll discuss after Luo Feng's fight with the single-horned wild boar," Gao Feng said expressionlessly.
※※
Luo Feng darted like a nimble leopard, quickly slipping behind a sedan overturned on the highway, his gaze fixed on the single-horned wild boar not far ahead. The beast's fur was entirely black, resembling iron spikes, and its single deep-gray horn looked like a sharp dagger!
Under the slanting rays of the evening sun, that dagger-like horn reflected a chilling glint.
If the Iron-Haired Wild Boar they encountered during the martial artist practical assessment felt like a rampaging heavy-duty Humvee—brutish and fierce—then this single-horned wild boar gave off a feeling of agility and sheer ferocity combined!
"This is my first battle; I must make it a good one."
"I could join the Fire Hammer Squad partly due to Manager Zhuge’s request, but more importantly, thanks to the help from Chen-ge and Zhang-ge." Luo Feng understood clearly that it was difficult for a novice to join an elite Warlord-level squad. Captain Gao Feng and the Wei brothers clearly held reservations about him; he had to prove himself through combat!
Luo Feng stared intently at the single-horned wild boar, which was searching for prey.
The three levels—H, G, and F—correspond respectively to Low-Level Beast Soldier, Mid-Level Beast Soldier, and High-Level Beast Soldier. Clearly, the single-horned wild boar before him possessed strength close to F-rank.
"Hoo~~ hoo~~"
The single-horned wild boar let out roars, its pupils flashing with killing intent as it scanned its surroundings.
"It spotted me." Luo Feng’s heartbeat quickened, yet he felt a surge of excitement.
"Boom~~" The single-horned wild boar suddenly charged, transforming into a high-speed tank, heading directly for the 'dilapidated sedan' Luo Feng was using for cover. Luo Feng, like a nimble monkey, swiftly dodged aside. With a deafening crash, the sedan was flung away, tumbling several times on the highway. Its body, weathered by decades of sun and rain, directly fractured, and its wheels rolled off, skittering across the asphalt for a while before finally coming to rest.
The instant he dodged, Luo Feng charged toward the single-horned wild boar.
"Beast, die!" Luo Feng roared low.
His entire body moved like a bolt of lightning, shooting toward the boar. The Blood Shadow Battle Blade in his hand instantly sliced through the air with a cold gleam, aimed directly at the boar's neck. The single-horned wild boar, which had just sent the sedan flying, seemed unable to turn its body in time. But just as Luo Feng closed in—
Whoosh!
A black shadow swung toward Luo Feng’s head.
"So fast." Luo Feng was startled, putting sudden force into his feet, barely twisting his body to evade the shadow. This shadow was the boar's tail, which whipped like an iron flail!
Thwack! Thwack!
Immediately after the tail lash, the single-horned wild boar’s agility skyrocketed. It suddenly lunged at Luo Feng. Its thick iron hoofs and the sharp dagger-like horn thrust toward him.
"Damn, this single-horned wild boar is too fast." Luo Feng immediately retreated a step, shoving his shield forward.
"Bang!"
The shield collided violently with the boar's hoof. At the moment of impact, Luo Feng used the rebound force to execute a swift, low dive backward, rolling on the ground to absorb the shock. The boar pursued relentlessly, charging forward. Luo Feng rolled up, stepped onto the body of a derelict truck, and with another sidestep, he was safely behind the truck.
The truck’s obstruction prevented the boar’s rapid charge from taking effect.
...
Watching this scene from afar, the five members of the Fire Hammer Squad nodded slightly.
"Captain, Luo Feng's reaction time is quite good, isn't it?" Chen Gu said with a smile.
Captain Gao Feng smiled and nodded. "It is indeed good. I thought he might struggle facing this single-horned wild boar for the first time! I didn't expect his immediate reaction to be so sharp, and his fundamentals are excellent. Using the shield to deflect the force was also very skillful; his movements flowed seamlessly. Luo Feng managed to avoid injury during this wave of the boar's assault. Hmm!"
The Wei brothers, whose faces had remained cold, saw their icy expressions soften slightly.
"Wei Tie, Wei Qing, Luo Feng is quite capable, isn't he?" Zhang Ke also smiled.
"The fight isn't over yet; we can't say for sure," Wei Tie stated coldly.
The five members of the Fire Hammer Squad continued to watch the battle between Luo Feng and the single-horned wild boar.
...
Luo Feng's spirit was intensely focused, and he was inwardly shocked: "This single-horned wild boar is treacherous. It deliberately showed weakness at first, then suddenly attacked with its tail, followed instantly by strikes from its hooves and dagger-horn. Coupled with the final frenzied charge... this sequence of moves was overwhelming. Fortunately, I've been practicing the Nine Layers Thunder Blade these past few days, which has refined my control over my body's power even more!"
If not for practicing the Nine Layers Thunder Blade for the past month, Luo Feng might have needed to use his mental energy to assist in avoiding injury during the boar's relentless offensive.
"Hoo~~" The single-horned wild boar roared. It was not foolish enough to crash into the large truck again; instead, it leaped over it and swiftly charged toward Luo Feng.
"Beast, this time, you are finished!"
Luo Feng suddenly kicked a nearby discarded tire. The tire shot out as if propelled by a catapult, rapidly impacting the single-horned wild boar. The boar didn't slow down at all; it merely lowered its head slightly. Its horn, incredibly sharp, sliced the tire nearly in half, and the ruined rubber fell away.
The moment he kicked the tire, Luo Feng surged toward the boar.
"Hoo~~" As the boar cleaved through the tire, it immediately turned its head, thrusting its sharp horn tip at Luo Feng.
"Die!"
At this instant, Luo Feng's body rotated with a flexibility akin to a butterfly, exquisitely evading the piercing horn. As he spun, the Blood Shadow Battle Blade in his hand utilized the rotational momentum to strike instantly! The blade's light accelerated rapidly along an arc!
Slice!
As fast as lightning, this spinning strike landed precisely on the single-horned wild boar's neck. Splat, Luo Feng clearly felt the hardness of the boar's coarse hair and the toughness of its hide. It lived up to its reputation—hide impervious to ordinary bullets.
Bright red blood seeped out. Luo Feng’s blade had only managed to penetrate about five centimeters into the boar’s neck before it stopped moving.
"Roar~~" The single-horned wild boar shrieked madly and violently slammed into Luo Feng.
The heavily wounded single-horned wild boar became even more ferocious!
...
"What!"
"What agile footwork!"
Shock surfaced on the faces of the Wei brothers.
"He actually managed to dodge the wild boar's horn thrust so subtly!" Wei Tie, the elder brother, exclaimed in amazement. "Incredible. And he dared to spin right in front of the boar's weapon—was he not afraid the horn would pierce his body? That was too precise. Was it pure luck, or genuine skill?"
That seemingly simple spin revealed Luo Feng’s astonishing footwork.
"Good."
"Splendid!" Chen Gu and Zhang Ke couldn't help but cheer.
"This kid has real strength," Gao Feng stated with a faint smile. "To attempt such a move under that level of danger and succeed—his movement skills are definitely extraordinary! His timing is precise, too. However... the most difficult thing about monsters is their tenacious vitality. Killing this single-horned wild boar won't be easy."
The five members of the Fire Hammer Squad, including the Wei brothers, showed the slightest hint of a smile.
The five continued to watch the battle unfolding in the distance between the now crazed single-horned wild boar and Luo Feng! ※