The Glorious Transcendent-Chapter 61: Face of Death: Struggle with the Wolf (1/2)

A strange, heavy chill descended upon his head, like a veil of frost gliding over his hair and slowly creeping down to his neck—cold breaths whispering an ambiguous threat behind him.

His eyes widened in a jolt of shock as an inner alarm blared deep within his consciousness, warning of an imminent danger—one he wouldn’t survive if he hesitated for even a second.

He gripped his axe with all the strength he could muster, veins bulging along his forearm and muscles hardening, then spun around in a lightning-quick motion.

What he saw took him by surprise.

"How did it get here?"

There, just a single step away, stood a creature straight out of a nightmare. Its presence was like a living horror—and the worst part was that Kogan had exposed his back to it completely, without armor or protection.

Eyes as cold as winter frost bored into his own, two icy orbs devoid of the slightest mercy, glowing with a pure, murderous intent.

Beneath that gaze, long fangs gleamed—pure white, yet far from ordinary. They were carved like surgical tools, crafted with demonic precision to slice through flesh and shatter bone without hesitation.

A massive wolf, its skin a blend of black and ashen gray, towered over with a terrifying frame nearly one meter and ninety centimeters tall. Only a single step separated it from Kogan—a step that could snuff out his life and leave his body a shredded corpse.

In the span of a heartbeat, without the need for thought, Kogan’s body reacted instinctively to the deadly threat that had crept up behind him. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

He moved with lightning speed—an almost primal reflex in the face of death—and swung his left arm with sudden force, aiming a direct blow at the wolf’s head, right between its eyes.

But his opponent wasn’t an ordinary beast—it was more like a killing machine born to hunt.

The wolf moved with a swiftness that defied its size, lunging forward with terrifying speed and sinking its fangs into his wrist before the strike could land.

"Argh!"

A cry tore from Kogan’s lips, but he quickly clenched his teeth, trying to suppress the pain that exploded from his wrist, where those razor-sharp fangs had pierced skin, flesh, and sunk all the way to the bone.

In the same moment, Kogan’s right hand shot upward, lifting his second axe and swinging it toward the wolf’s head that was latched onto his wrist.

But the wolf, as if anticipating it, twisted its muscular body in a single, violent motion—an explosive movement that hurled Kogan out of the battlefield.

His body slammed into the ground with a heavy thud, rolling several times before finally coming to a stop, far from the chaotic skirmish the rest of the squad was caught in. The wolf, however, remained where it stood—its eyes locked onto him, watching his every move... as if the hunt wasn’t over yet.

Kogan gathered his breath, then rose to his feet, facing the wolf head-on.

In the pitch-black darkness ahead, two icy eyes stared him down.

"I didn’t sense it... probably because the chaos up front scattered my focus."

Gripping both axes tightly, Kogan braced himself for another round. At least this time, the enemy was in front of him.

But this wolf... it wasn’t like the others the team had been fighting.

It was larger. Faster. And the most terrifying part—it was impossible to sense!

Just moments ago, Kogan had estimated he could take on ten of those wolves without worry. But now—

"I can barely handle this one... it’s different from the rest," Kogan analyzed the situation, his gaze dropping to his wrist, where blood was seeping through the black cloth.

It felt strangely cold.

And at that very moment, another wave of cold air brushed against the top of his head...

"Oh!" Kogan gasped, jerking his head to the right—and before he could move the rest of his body, two rows of razor-sharp fangs sank into him.

If not for his last-second reflex, his head would’ve been severed.

But even so, the situation was still dire—no, it had just gotten worse.

A second wolf, just as massive as the first, had sunk its fangs into Kogan’s chest, back, and shoulder.

It was latched onto him with terrifying force.

His left lung had been torn open, and his heart was on the verge of being crushed.

Before he could even process or react to the surprise attack from behind, the first wolf lunged at him again—its jaws wide open, ready to tear the helpless Kogan in two.

"Hmph."

Kogan drew in a breath as heavy as dragging a mountain, then reached his right hand behind him. A bright white light burst across his palm, and in the next instant, he hurled the axe with everything he had toward the incoming wolf.

SWOOSH!

The axe spun through the air at high speed, drilling straight into the wolf’s skull, dropping it dead on the spot.

The wolf had tried to dodge the axe—but the distance was too short, and there wasn’t enough time.

"I need to hurry."

One threat was gone. One remained.

The upper fangs of the beast were just about to meet its lower jaw—and when they did, it would mean certain death.

If not for his enhanced strength, surviving with Rank One alone would’ve been impossible.

Kogan reached with his right hand, trying to grab the axe still clutched in his left.

But his left hand was unusable—it was trapped between the jaws of the savage wolf.

As if sensing his intent, the beast began to thrash him violently, twisting like a crocodile rolling its prey in a death spin.

The wolf’s body was as massive as a bull’s, and its strength rivaled that of a warhorse.

Kogan, caught between its jaws, was like a helpless, fragile rabbit.

"Agh..."

Blood filled Kogan’s mouth. His nose became a red fountain.

His vision began to blur. His breaths slowed.

The torn right lung made breathing nearly impossible, and the crushing pressure from the wolf’s jaws overwhelmed his heart. With blood loss continuing, oxygen no longer reached his brain.

"Not... much... time left."

With that thought, he attempted one final move—a move that would determine his fate.

He had to transfer the axe from his useless left hand to his free, functional right.

Gripping the handle with the tips of his fingers, he gave it a flick—tossing it high into the air.

The axe spun upward, rising to its peak before beginning its descent.

Kogan clenched his teeth, enduring the searing pain of the wolf’s bite, gambling everything on where the axe would fall.

Time stretched into eternity—like the very fabric of reality had frozen in a single, tension-packed moment. Sweat slid down his brow, drop by drop.

His dark pupils, shimmering with a faint yellow glint, locked onto the falling axe.

He extended his right hand, ready to seize his final trump card.

But at the last moment... something completely unexpected happened...