The B-grade corrupted beast, slowly succumbing to death upon the desolate plains, caught the attention of several demon wolves. They circled the ailing lizard warily, sniffing and prowling, drawn not so much by the blood streaming from its wounds—which to these hungry predators might have been a delicacy—but far more by the allure of the B-grade magic crystal embedded within its body.
After lingering for some time, one wolf abruptly turned and sprinted with fierce urgency toward Black Whale City.
After two hours of relentless pursuit, the wolf crossed into the city's defensive perimeter. Standing atop a massive boulder, it howled into the night, its mournful cry echoing toward Black Whale. Within the city, a solitary wolf's howl answered in kind.
This response came from the throat of the wolf king, Bai Bai, who lay in the courtyard. Though he lived alongside humans, Bai Bai remained a demon wolf, his veins coursing with the royal blood of his kind. Hearing the call, Bai Bai instantly roused, leapt from the courtyard, and bounded to the defensive wall—then leapt down without hesitation.
Fortuitously, Alice was deep in slumber and would not have permitted Bai Bai to venture out alone at night otherwise.
Minutes later, Bai Bai reunited with the returning wolf messenger. The two wolves darted swiftly across the wasteland, Bai Bai's larger form running alongside the envoy as they exchanged urgent howls.
When Bai Bai arrived beside the grievously wounded B-grade lizard, the beast could barely lift its head. Bai Bai recognized this colossal creature—it had been the focus of the entire legion's anxiety just hours before, as Xiao Feng and Kerry had fought desperately to bring it down.
Regally, Bai Bai regarded the beast and issued several proud howls.
The lizard met Bai Bai's gaze with fierce, murderous intent, but now it could only muster such hatred as a feeble act of defiance. Had it not been so grievously injured, Bai Bai and his pack would have been incinerated by a single fireball from the beast.
Seeing the fury in the lizard's eyes, Bai Bai's own anger flared. He struck the creature's massive head with a powerful paw.
With a resonant thud, the lizard's head slammed against the ground, emitting a pained cry. Bai Bai followed with another ferocious swipe.
Though far smaller in stature than the beast, Bai Bai's strength was immense. After several blows, the lizard staggered, dazed.
Bending low, Bai Bai sank his teeth into the lizard's neck. The scaled armor there was relatively soft; with a savage tug, Bai Bai tore away a chunk of hide.
The demon wolf pack, emboldened by their king's attack, surged forward. They descended upon the mortally wounded beast, ripping and tearing in a frenzy. The plains resounded with the cacophony of wolf howls and snarls.
Bai Bai took a step back as the pack swarmed, focusing his gaze on the lizard's abdomen. Several bloodied wounds, blasted open by Kerry's magic cannon, marked its midsection. Bai Bai lunged and bit fiercely, attempting to tear through the tougher hide there.
Though the hide was far more resilient than that on the neck, Bai Bai's relentless biting carved a short, ragged tear. Thanks to the prior damage inflicted by Kerry's cannon, the wounds merged under Bai Bai's efforts, creating an opening large enough for his body to probe inside.
At that moment, the pack fell silent. The lizard drew its last breath and succumbed utterly.
Bai Bai plunged halfway inside the corpse, clawing fiercely. From deep within the cavernous wound, he extracted a dull brown magic crystal, faintly shimmering.
The entire pack's eyes were drawn irresistibly to this prize, but Bai Bai paid them no heed. His upper body was drenched in the lizard's blood. Hesitating briefly, he growled softly, then opened his jaws wide and swallowed the crystal whole.
Moments later, Bai Bai's body trembled violently. A faint brown glow pulsed within his abdomen. Bowing his head and closing his eyes, he appeared to endure excruciating pain.
The torment was evidently caused by the overwhelming energy contained within the brown B-grade magic crystal. The absorption inflicted immense agony upon Bai Bai.
After enduring the pain for several minutes, Bai Bai straightened and raised his head. The aura radiating from him stunned every demon wolf present. Bai Bai had fully assimilated the crystal's power, elevating himself to the rank of a B-grade beast.
Perhaps the first B-grade demon wolf ever to attain such a status, Bai Bai's form swelled considerably. Thick, flowing mane began to sprout along his neck, bestowing upon him a regal majesty.
Having completed this transformation, Bai Bai issued several triumphant howls to the pack before retreating. Now a B-grade beast himself, Bai Bai's pace across the plains outstripped any terrestrial vehicle—save for the rare supercar.
What had taken him two hours to traverse before, Bai Bai now covered in but one hour.
At dawn the next day, a black off-road vehicle screeched to a halt beside the fallen B-grade lizard. Black Dragon dismounted and, beholding the pitiful sight of the creature, furiously kicked the tire several times.
The lizard's body was riddled with countless wounds, but most grievously, a gaping wound tore open its abdomen, and the wolf pack had devoured nearly every biteable morsel—even the viscera Black Dragon prized most was completely stripped bare.
Cursing once more, Black Dragon spat venomous words: "Damn you, Xiao Feng. I swear we shall be sworn enemies until the end." Rage consumed him utterly.