Sky-cracking Rider

"A Third Rank Pure Light Sparrow? How is that possible?"

Charles Grayson and the female scientific expedition team members gasped in unison.

If it weren't for snagging a great "fleece" from an oblivious little dragon from the Sky Dragon City's investigative mission, Chen Fei would never have been able to afford Little Bird's advancement in rank, even if it killed him.

"Kill it, kill that Shadow Wolf!"

Someone from the scientific expedition team screamed with a sorrowful shout, clearly having suffered at the hands of the Magical Beast over the past few days.

Just that they didn't know the rank of the Shadow Wolf. If it was a High-Rank Magical Beast, Chen Fei would only have to call for reinforcements, and close the door to let the Big Cat in.

The female scientific expedition team member screamed furiously, "We must kill that Magical Beast, otherwise it's impossible for us to leave safely."

(→¬→)

What happened to the Madonna?

"Mr. Chen, can you help us take care of that Shadow Wolf? Just like you just did!"

Remembering the Shadow Wolf that had suddenly appeared among the team just now, Charles Grayson couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

They were so close to suffering new casualties.

Fortunately, the young man who came to the rescue brought a Pure Light Sparrow that could see through the Shadow Wolf's ability to hide.

"I thought you were averse to killing wolves?"

Chen Fei looked at the two with a face that doubted whether he had mistaken them for others just now. How come the moment the topic of the Magical Beast Shadow Wolf came up, these two seemed to be baying for blood, as if willing to exterminate it down to the ninth generation?

"This is different! The Asian Gray Wolf is native to our Blue Star and is an important member of stabilizing the ecosystem. We can't just interfere carelessly. Once we break the normal food chain, the consequences could be disastrous. On the other hand, Magical Beasts are invasive species. If not controlled, they could easily destabilize the fragile ecological balance."

Once the topic turned to professional issues, Charles Grayson, the leader of the scientific expedition team, started to give Chen Fei a long lecture on the spot.

Birds of a feather flock together; the short and stocky female team member listened to her leader's explanation and nodded in agreement.

"What about Xiao Jiu? It's also a Magical Beast! Do you want to get rid of it too?"

Chen Fei finally understood their stance: what is not of our kind must be a heretic, kill!

In some ways, the scientific expedition team's double standard Madonna stance and the Blue Star United Defense Committee were almost consistent: monitor native species, exterminate foreign species, and maintain the natural ecological balance.

"Uh!"

Charles Grayson and the female team member exchanged glances with each other.

Following the usual practice of protecting the Blue Star environment, as an alien species, the Pure Light Sparrow should have been humanely eradicated.

But this Pure Light Sparrow had an owner. Find exclusive stories on empire

Charles Grayson said, "Magical Beasts under human surveillance are not included in this rule; your Pure Light Sparrow has been registered."

He looked at Little Bird's claw, unable to distinguish which one was the leg ring with tracking functionality.

The laser-engraved code on the leg ring was the Magical Beast's Social Welfare Number, meaning it had legal residency on Blue Star, enjoyed normal social welfare benefits as well as the related rights and obligations.

If Chen Fei were to manage this registration, it would be a very troublesome matter, but for Hanna Gagel, it was nothing at all.

"Jiu!"

Little Bird cooed menacingly at Charles Grayson.

"What if it can be tamed?"

Chen Fei looked around at the pack of wolves, still unable to find the Magical Beast Wolf King's figure.

"I suggest you better not do that. Wild Magical Beasts, especially those without intelligence, are extremely dangerous even to approach, just like what just happened. It's possible someone could have died right then and there," said Charles Grayson as he recalled the harrowing brush with death.

Wild Magical Beasts were inherently untamable. To think of domesticating them into pets was ludicrous. A Shadow Wolf was not like a Pure Light Sparrow; if it turned on you, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"Emmmm..."

Chen Fei fell into deep thought; he had to weigh the pros and cons.

As a commoner, unlike those bigwigs and sons of powerful families who never lacked resources and could afford to ignore Magical Beasts they encountered now and then, even a minor, inconsequential Magical Beast like a Pure Light Sparrow would be treasured by Chen Fei.

In these wild mountains, upon discovering a Shadow Wolf, he began to entertain some ideas. To kill it outright would be too much of a pity. How to maximize its use was what truly merited contemplation.

"We're almost out of Beast Repellent!"

Someone cried out in alarm, interrupting Chen Fei's train of thought.

Fear began to spread through the scientific expedition team. The reason they had been able to hold out until now, surrounded by wolves, had a lot to do with the specialized Beast Repellent and the special frequency sound wave emitter.

As long as the wolves resisted the bad smell and noise, the team was temporarily safe.

Charles Grayson urged anxiously, "Mr. Chen, kill the Shadow Wolf, and maybe you can immediately solve the wolf pack's issue. Please take action now!"

Without the Wolf King, the pack would suffer a significant blow. The effect this would have far exceeded slaughtering the pack, and for many reasons, he hoped that Chen Fei would take action quickly.

"I have my plans, and the life or death of the Shadow Wolf is for me to decide. As for those gray wolves, you'd better prepare yourselves as well."

Chen Fei's decision was unquestionable.

He could understand how naively ridiculous the scientific expedition team's double standard Madonna was, but he couldn't agree with their impractical ideals.

I was already struggling to survive; how could I have the energy to worry about a flood?

"Xiao Jiu, use 'Light Burst Flash' to find that Shadow Wolf."

Chen Fei tossed Little Bird into the air.

Xiao Jiu took advantage of the momentum to soar, "Jiu!~"

Like a miniature sun, it burst forth with a dazzling white light that made all other colors in heaven and earth fade away.

The pack of wolves let out a frightened, mournful howl. The Human Order Second Rank Light-based Spell "Light Burst Flash" was effective against humans and just as effective against the wolf pack, particularly against the Shadow Wolf's "nightwalk" Skill.

One "Light Burst Flash" after another was cast, and the Shadow Wolf could no longer hide. It quickly became visible in the midst of the wolf pack.

Once exposed, the Shadow Wolf could no longer hide among the shadows of the wolf pack. Every time it tried to do so, the "Light Burst Flash" would come crashing down, rendering its Dark Element Innate Magic ineffective.

The Shadow Wolf, revealed amid the Asian Gray Wolves, stood out as conspicuously as a crane among chickens.

"Little Black Dog, I'm coming for you!"

Chen Fei charged into the pack, once again becoming a target for the savage gray wolves.

However, these desperate, ferocious wolves could not stop him from approaching the Shadow Wolf, the Wolf King.

"Awoooo!~~~~"

The howl of the Shadow Wolf was like a cry from the distant horizon, its location seemingly fluctuating and indeterminate.

Ordinarily, it would have retreated into the shadows of the nearby gray wolves, making it impossible to pinpoint its hiding spot. But now, the "Light Burst Flash" that was periodically thrown down gave it nowhere to follow form.

The Shadow Wolf growled lowly, no longer fleeing, and started to accelerate to meet Chen Fei, who was storming through, knocking gray wolves away like a locomotive.

"Oh no, no, no, no, don't!"

Charles Grayson, the lead of the scientific expedition team, shook his head as he watched this unfold.

The wolves that had been resolutely following one another were now tumbling through the air; casualties were inevitable.

This was definitely not what he wanted.

With a grating sound like the ripping of silk, man and wolf passed by each other.

Chen Fei turned around to look at the shoulder section of his "Flying Dragon" Tactical Armor. The physical armor layer, which could withstand shots from light firearms, had been effortlessly marked with nearly a ten centimeter-long claw scratch.

However, the scratch quickly faded and became shallow before the naked eye, as the memory properties of the armor material began to self-repair.

Compared to the three Single Soldier Tactical Armors used in land combat, the data-centric "Flying Dragon" Tactical Armor wasn't known for its defense, but it wasn't as fragile as paper, either. Since it didn't hit any vital parts, the defensive magic array was not triggered.

Chen Fei swung his hand, and a High-Grade Steel Crowbar appeared in his grasp.

Today, he was determined to beat this Shadow Wolf into submission.

"Come at me again!"

Before Chen Fei finished speaking, the Shadow Wolf initiated an attack, its sharp claws and teeth lunging straight for his throat.

Clang, rip, the crowbar couldn't withstand the massive impact and bent into the shape of a seven.

The Shadow Wolf, accompanied by a series of mournful cries, was flung out diagonally, knocking over a dozen or so gray wolves, which instantly wailed in distress. Several of them with broken bones and tendons slumped to the ground like mud, unable to rise again.

Chen Fei looked at the bent High-Grade Steel Crowbar. It hadn't even pierced the skin of the Shadow Wolf. The Rank of this Magical Beast was probably not low, perhaps even higher than Xiao Jiu's.

The back of the "Flying Dragon" Tactical Armor was severely clawed, and this time it finally triggered the Defensive Magic Array, but it maintained for less than a tenth of a second before it overloaded and collapsed.

Chen Fei took off his Tactical Helmet and casually tossed it aside, returning the Shadow Wolf's fierce gaze without flinching.

"Whoever dares to run is a little dog!"

"Awoooo!"

The Shadow Wolf growled, and the surrounding gray wolves dispersed, clearing a large open space.

The members of the scientific expedition team watched this scene from afar with collective amazement and uncertainty; the movement of the wolf pack was unusual.

"This, this is..."

The stocky female member of the scientific expedition team's eyes widened with realization, but she dared not confirm it.

"Fighting for the throne!"

Charles Grayson's eyeballs nearly popped out of his head.

A wolf pack's hunt would never unfold as a one-on-one duel. Only during the struggle for a new Wolf King would there be such collective and assertive spectating.

The wolf pack was more like an army, recognizing only the one with the strongest fists as the king, regardless of whether the king was actually a wolf.

"Awoooo!~~~~"

The Shadow Wolf burst out with a long howl, turning into a shadow of death and once again pouncing at Chen Fei.

Unaware of the implications, Chen Fei had tossed aside his helmet.

"Personal Armor Basic Body Level 1|Light Armor Mode" activate!

The next second, a frenzy of metallic geometries surged from the neck area, undergoing a variety of complex changes—splitting, combining—and ultimately constructing a full set of "Light Armor (fully Heavy Armor)" that covered him from head to toe.

-