C12 Wild Dog Pack

At the manor's entrance that evening, only a handful of people were present, none of whom took notice of the two peculiar individuals.

"This place is actually pretty nice. Heh, let's find somewhere to stay for the night, and tomorrow we can scout for some potential targets. After all, the boss hasn't given us any assignments yet," the laid-back man murmured to himself. The other man didn't argue this time, seemingly accustomed to such activities.

The night slipped away silently, and by early morning, Matthew and the man of silence had made their way to a hilltop not far from the manor.

Kreev had mentioned that the Wild Dog Pack roamed the forests and plains on the other side of the mountain. "There's nothing here," Matthew and the man of silence eventually exclaimed after a long search.

"Listen, there's a noise." The man of silence halted abruptly, straining his ears and looking toward a figure sprinting in their direction across the barren landscape to the left.

The figure was short but stocky, running at a speed that belied his build. Upon closer inspection, they realized he was accompanied by another player, Liu Bei.

He was being pursued by a cloud of dust, as if an entire army was on his tail. "It's the Wild Dog Pack!" the man of silence exclaimed unusually loudly, "Holy crap, there's so many!" Matthew gasped in alarm.

The dust concealed a Wild Dog Pack numbering at least a hundred. Was this task even doable? "Run!" Matthew noticed the player was heading straight for them, clearly intending to divert the pack's attention toward them. Without a second thought, Matthew made a break for it!

As expected, after Matthew and his companion had sprinted a few dozen meters, the player had reached the main road and was frantically chasing after them.

The player was chasing Matthew and the man of silence, with the Wild Dog Pack hot on his heels. The distances between them were rapidly closing on the expansive plain.

"Damn it, we can't keep this up!" In a moment of urgency, Matthew let out an expletive. Suddenly, the man of silence dashed ahead, spun around gracefully, and once again, the bow appeared in his hands.

"What are you going to do? There are too many..." Matthew started, but then he realized what was about to happen.

"Whoosh!"

A shimmering blue light zipped past, narrowly missing Matthew as it sped towards another player.

Landry spotted a tall, lean man who had abruptly halted ahead of him, drawing a bow and arrow. A sense of foreboding washed over Landry—he recognized the bow's worth.

Initially, he wasn't concerned, assuming the man was gearing up to take on the Wild Dog Pack. That was until he caught a glimpse of icy malice in the man's eyes.

Instinctively, Landry dodged the arrow's path, but before he could step away, a blue hue began to flood his vision.

He barely caught a glimpse of the arrow before an intense chill enveloped him, a sensation he hadn't encountered in ages.

Relying on his combat instincts, he rolled to the right!

Then he saw the arrow had skewered three wild dogs, their bodies encased in an icy blue-white.

A shiver of fear ran through Landry.

The true target wasn't the Wild Dog Pack behind him—it was him!

Witnessing the formidable power of the man's arrow, Landry wiped the sweat from his brow. Glancing back, he noticed the Wild Dog Pack had closed in even more. Muttering a curse, he looked up to see the man readying his bow once more.

His heart felt like it was about to stop. Desperate, he yelled, "Stop! Stop! Don't shoot!"

The man of silence didn't lower his bow. Though killing players in the Mysterious Realm would earn one a red name, he gestured towards Landry's rear. Realizing action was necessary or the man of silence wouldn't spare him, Landry summoned seven Heroes, determined to delay the Wild Dog Pack.

Meanwhile, Matthew spotted a mill ahead. Alerting the man of silence, he dashed towards it.

Matthew burst into the mill first, propping the wooden door open just a crack. The man of silence was right behind him, quickly barricading the door. As Matthew was about to sigh in relief, there came a knock—it was Landry. After a moment's hesitation, Matthew cracked the door open slightly. Landry squeezed through, gasping for air. The Wild Dog Pack had caught up. The lead dog slammed against the door with such force that its skull cracked upon impact, yet the momentum didn't falter. Matthew's hands shook as the once-sealed door now revealed a gap of about 20 centimeters.

The second wild dog had already charged toward Matthew, fiercely thrusting its head through the gap in the wooden door. As it lunged forward, Matthew pushed against the door, trapping the dog's head in the narrow opening!

Like a wolf driven mad at the sight of blood, the wild dog didn't back down despite its head being clamped. It continued to snarl and push against the door, even as more than a dozen of its pack followed suit. Landry, gripping a green broadsword, brought it down hard on the dog's head.

The blade's impact caused blood to splatter in all directions. Matthew felt a warm sensation splash across his face, and the resistance against the door lessened significantly. With a sharp snap, the wooden door shut tight. He quickly took the door bolt from the man of silence and secured it, as a series of thuds resounded from the other side.

Clearly, numerous wild dogs were slamming against the wooden barrier, causing the towering door to quiver slightly.

Exhausted from their frantic escape, the group collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. The howls of the Wild Dog Pack echoed outside, accompanied by the persistent scratching sounds against the door. But with the sturdy door in place, there was no longer any fear of the dogs breaking through. Instead, the tension shifted inside the room, where glances were exchanged and expressions turned peculiar.

Matthew stepped back as the man of silence rose to his feet, wary. Their eyes met, and Landry brandished his green broadsword with a menacing glare. The blade shimmered with a green luminescence, its gaze fixed on both the man of silence and Matthew.

The man of silence didn't reach for his bow and arrow, knowing they would be useless in such close quarters. Instead, he grabbed a nearby stool, ready to summon his hero, even though the hero's aid was limited for the players. They continued to stare each other down, the air thick with tension.

As the noise from the wild dogs outside dwindled to near silence, Matthew cracked a smile and said, "Alright, there's no need for this."

He was acutely aware that in the confined space, his adversary's large blade held a significant advantage, and he could not afford to engage.

Landry's blue eyes shifted, taking in the scene. He had previously witnessed the man beside him in action and was well aware of the deadly force of his bow and arrow. Despite his advantageous position at a distance, he was outnumbered—facing two adversaries. A direct confrontation would likely result in mutual harm. With only six hours remaining to complete his main mission and his exact location within the Mysterious Realm still unclear, engaging in a battle now would clearly be unwise.