Boom!

At that exact moment, the Second-tier Wind Wolf, sprinting at full speed, suddenly stepped into nothingness. Before it could react, the ground vanished beneath its paws, and it plunged headfirst into a deep pit several meters below, crashing into a tangled mess of limbs and dust.

It was no accident, it was a meticulously concealed trap, one that Wei Yun had prepared in advance.

Although the Wind Wolf possessed the strength to escape in mere seconds, Wei Yun knew that even the briefest delay could turn the tide of battle.

"Cave Mole, Quicksand Hell! Mira, charge in!"

The instant the Wind Wolf hit the bottom, Mira skidded to a stop, pivoting on the spot without hesitation.

At the same time, the Cave Mole leapt from Wei Yun’s shoulder to the ground, its four tiny limbs glowing bright yellow as it channeled earth-element energy.

The earth trembled.

The soil beneath the Wind Wolf began shifting rapidly, solid ground transforming into a churning pit of sinking sand.

The Wind Wolf snarled defiantly, refusing to surrender. The moment it landed, its razor-sharp claws extended, hooking into the pit’s edge as it lunged upward in an attempt to leap free.

Boom!

Before it could fully escape, Mira crashed into it with a powerful shoulder tackle, sending the beast tumbling back down into the pit.

It tried to rise, but its paws sank deeper into the shifting ground, leaving it stranded, unable to find any solid footing to push off from.

"Now, Slyvia, Sleep Powder!"

Wei Yun wasted no time.

Golden dust shimmered in the air as Slyvia flapped her tiny wings, releasing a thick cloud of sleep-inducing spores.

This time, there was no escape.

Unlike before, where the Wind Wolf had room to evade, it was now trapped. The glittering haze drifted down, seeping into its nose and mouth before it could even think to resist.

For a brief second, its movements grew sluggish. Its muscles twitched, its vision blurred, and its breath came slower, its body betraying its will to fight.

Had it been given a command, it might have held its breath. But left to its instincts, it had already inhaled too much.

Sleep washed over it like an unstoppable tide.

"It’s over. Mira, Crushing Claw! Cave Mole, Earth Shockwave!"

With the Wind Wolf helpless, Wei Yun moved in for the kill.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Mira reacted first.

With a powerful leap, she lunged toward the trapped beast like a tiger pouncing on prey.

Mid-air, her right paw gleamed with white light, Crushing Claw fully charged as she brought it down toward the Wind Wolf’s skull.

A direct hit would mean instant death.

But the Wind Wolf wasn’t ready to die. Sensing its impending doom, the beast acted on pure survival instinct, biting down on its own tongue.

The sharp pain jolted it back to awareness.

Still half-trapped in the quicksand, it couldn’t dodge, but it could counterattack.

With a last-ditch effort, the Wind Wolf threw its head upward, jaws wide open, its sharp fangs aiming straight for Mira’s waist.

Boom! Crack!

The impact was brutal.

Mira’s claw slammed into the Wind Wolf’s skull just as the Wind Wolf’s fangs tore into her side.

A deep, muffled impact echoed through the pit. The Wind Wolf collapsed, its skull fractured, nearly shattered.

Mira, meanwhile, let out a piercing cry as blood gushed from a deep wound in her waist, staining the quicksand a deep crimson.

Both combatants had suffered grievous injuries.

And then—

Boom!

The Cave Mole unleashed its Earth Shockwave, sending a devastating surge of earth-element energy ripping through the pit.

Awooo—!

The Wind Wolf let out a final, strangled howl, before its voice was abruptly cut off.

The energy struck like a collapsing mountain, engulfing the beast in a violent tremor.

As the dust settled, the Second-tier Wind Wolf lay motionless.

Its lifeless eyes remained fixed on Mira, filled with unwillingness, before its head slumped to the side, completely still.

Far away, hundreds of meters beyond the battlefield—

Lin Zheng’s body jerked violently.

A powerful backlash exploded in his mind as his spiritual link with the Wind Wolf was severed.

A sharp pain lanced through his consciousness. He staggered, groaning in agony as he clutched his chest.

"Impossible!"

A bitter taste filled his mouth as he coughed up blood.

Through the severed link, he had seen its final moments, the beast’s dying perspective.

A contracted beast’s last sight before death was always transmitted directly to its master, forming a wide, frozen snapshot of its surroundings.

And in that moment, Lin Zheng saw it all.

His Wind Wolf was dead.

Mira, gravely wounded.

Wei Yun, standing victorious alongside the Cave Mole and the Nature Sprite he had wanted so badly.

Lin Zheng’s rage burned hotter than ever. Losing a Second-tier Wind Wolf was an immense loss. As a second-tier Beastmaster, he could only contract five beasts and his Titanfang Bear and the Wind Wolf had been his two strongest companions.

"At least it wasn’t my life-bonded beast," Lin Zheng muttered darkly, wiping the blood from his lips.

Had it been his life companion, his spirit would have suffered permanent damage, perhaps even leaving him comatose or a cripple.

But that didn’t mean he could let this go.

No.

This debt had to be repaid.

"I’ll make him pay for this."

His eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

Despite his fury, his mind remained sharp.

Mira was critically injured. Even with the Nature Sprite’s healing abilities, she wouldn’t recover instantly.

Which meant, her speed was compromised. Even if she could still carry Wei Yun, she wouldn’t be able to outrun the Titanfang Bear.

This was his best chance to catch them before they escaped.

Lin Zheng clenched his teeth and barked a command.

"Titanfang Bear, after them!"

The massive beast roared, surging forward at full speed.

Within a minute, Lin Zheng arrived at the battlefield.

He stood at the edge of the pit, fists clenched, staring at the lifeless corpse of his once-proud Wind Wolf.

His expression darkened. His fury boiled.

Then—

A sudden rustling in the nearby undergrowth.

Lin Zheng’s sharp gaze snapped toward the noise.

There—

Through the dense foliage, he caught sight of Wei Yun, eyes wide with panic, clutching the Cave Mole as he fled deeper into the forest.

Lin Zheng’s lips curled into a cold, predatory smile.

"Run all you like," he muttered under his breath. "It won’t save you."

With a single, sharp command, he and his Titanfang Bear surged forward, continuing their pursuit.