Chapter Twenty-Six: Familiar Schemes, Familiar Traps

Lin Lei dispatched the “Level Three” mutant wolf with a single shot, but that bullet stirred up a hornet’s nest. Four other Level Two mutant wolves, previously holding back from the fight, now charged straight toward him.

“Damn it, something feels off!” Instead of savoring the thrill of slaying a Level Three wolf, Lin Lei sensed a strange anomaly in this ambush.

There was no time to ponder, though. As the wolves sprinted forward, he kept firing. Mutant beasts differed from zombies: once threatened by bullets, they pivoted and zigzagged, dodging with remarkable agility. No matter how skilled a marksman Lin Lei was, hitting the eyes of a high-speed mutant wolf became nearly impossible.

An entire magazine emptied; one wolf dead, another wounded, two still unscathed and now less than fifty meters away. “Speed’s nothing—let’s see you fly!” Lin Lei scoffed, activating flight mode and ascending to thirty meters. Without absolute strength, Lin Lei would never risk close combat with mutant wolves.

Hovering in the air, he swapped his magazine and finished off the injured wolf in a burst, then turned to methodically deal with the remaining two.

Air force versus ground troops—especially ones without anti-air defenses—Lin Lei was already invincible.

Sensing defeat, one Level Two mutant wolf howled and fled. The wolves battling Yang Xueli halted their assault at the sound and scattered.

“Damn! These mutant beasts are more troublesome than zombies—they’ll retreat when outmatched!” Lin Lei’s understanding of mutant beasts shifted yet again.

Despite their efforts to intercept, a few mutant wolves still managed to escape.

The battle ended, and before tallying the spoils, Lin Lei asked Yang Xueli, “What do you make of the fight just now?”

“The wolves are intelligent. At first, they recklessly surrounded me, and I seized the opportunity to swiftly kill about ten. But they quickly shifted tactics, encircling me and harassing to wear down my stamina. Their final retreat was decisive—if not for your aerial support, at least a third would have gotten away,” Yang Xueli summarized.

High defense, speed, formidable combat prowess, keen at weighing risks and rewards, and able to withdraw when defeat looms.

Yang Xueli’s crushing victory over the wolves was only because she held twin advantages in rank and weaponry.

“Fortunately, you struck first and dropped that Level Three mutant wolf. Otherwise, we would’ve been in real trouble,” Yang Xueli admitted, unable to hide her relief.

Had she faced the Level Three wolf head-on, she would have had only one chance to strike—an uncertain outcome.

Such a creature, if it attacked the settlement, would require double the number of evolved humans compared to the wolf pack, with heavy sacrifices, for a chance at victory.

“Maybe... I was mistaken earlier. That wasn’t a Level Three mutant beast, but a Level One,” Lin Lei confessed sheepishly.

Initially, he truly believed the mutant wolf with snow-white fur was a Level Three.

But after the battle, he found no entry for a Level Three wolf in his supply storage.

“Then why was it so different, and even had four loyal Level Two mutant wolves under its command?” Yang Xueli wondered.

“Who knows? Definitely not the wolf king. Maybe it’s the king’s son,” Lin Lei guessed.

It couldn’t be crowned wolf king just for its looks—the wolf king should be the strongest in the pack.

“You might be right—it could be the king’s offspring,” Yang Xueli agreed, then suddenly realized, “This is bad! We killed the wolf king’s son and let its lieutenants escape. The wolf king will surely seek revenge. We should relocate immediately!”

“What’s there to fear? I’m hoping it comes—let the whole pack show up, saves us the trouble of hunting them down!” Lin Lei replied nonchalantly.

He had worried at first, but just now, Yang Chunxi had sent him a generous gift: another ninety-five contribution points credited, totaling four hundred sixty-seven.

With funds in hand, he could indulge in some shopping.

Now, it all depended on how many wolves remained.

With that thought, Lin Lei focused and entered the system space.

“System, are you still open for business?”

“What would you like to exchange, Host?” The system responded, suddenly deferential at the prospect of a transaction.

“Tell me, how many mutant wolves are there in Wild Wolf Ridge, and what are they worth in contribution points?” Lin Lei inquired.

“This information is valuable—ten contribution points to access,” the system demanded.

“That’s too steep. Just tell me how many wolves remain and what they’re worth. And for free. In return, I’ll spend at least fifty contribution points on supplies this time. If you refuse, I’ll just leave—no purchases,” Lin Lei threatened.

“The remaining mutant wolves are worth about one hundred fifty contribution points. Please honor your agreement, Host,” the system replied, briskly providing the information.

“Damn! That’s all?” Lin Lei realized he’d gotten a poor bargain.

One hundred fifty points, all traded for Level One mutant wolves without crystal cores (at 0.03 points each), would amount to only five thousand wolves.

If exchanged for Level Two mutant wolves with a fifty percent crystal core drop rate, it’d be just over two hundred thirty wolves...

“No need to calculate further—the entire pack is under four hundred, and you’ve already killed over sixty. Hurry and redeem your supplies!” Knowing Lin Lei was calculating, the system offered the numbers outright.

He’d lost out on this deal. Had he paid the ten-point information fee, facing three hundred odd mutant wolves, he could’ve spent just a dozen more points to upgrade Yang Xueli’s gear and crushed them completely.

Now, for a free bit of information, he’d spent fifty points, with only one hundred fifty points in return.

“Fine, even the smallest morsel counts as meat! Get me a female version of the Lone Wanderer exoskeleton armor—no infrared radar, no flight module, just an energy booster,” Lin Lei ordered.

Every saving helps. A low-spec exoskeleton armor with an energy booster and a laser broadsword would boost Yang Xueli’s combat power immensely. After all, Lin Lei, an ordinary man, could nearly match a Level Three evolutionist with this gear.

“Thirteen points deducted. Supplies being exchanged... Exchange complete. Host, you must spend thirty-seven more points,” the system prompted.

“Four high-energy crystals (five points each), four nuclear energy cores (three points each), and the remaining five points... exchange them all for loose ammunition, no magazines, just bulk rounds,” Lin Lei said.

Having learned from previous setbacks, he was finally practicing thrift.

These were consumables, perfect for supply stockpiles—a small victory. This time, neither Lin Lei nor the system came out ahead.