I'm not a goblin Frankenstein's monster.

[Serial Number: 013 - Coyote]

Appearance: Grayish-brown mottled fur, slender build, often dirty and smelly. Often bears traces of jackal domestication (collar, scars).

Personality: Bullies the weak and fears the strong; greedy and gluttonous. When in a group, their courage is abnormally high, and they unconditionally obey the gnolls.

Danger level: Low threat when single; medium threat when in a group (3-6 individuals) tend to ambush from below; overall threat increases significantly when appearing in conjunction with gnolls.

Common locations: Closely following gnoll tribes, active around their camps, the outskirts of forests, and near abandoned roads.

Recorder's notes:

"The coyotes in the wilderness are a living alarm that the jackals are nearby. Their feigned retreat is often a way to lure you into an ambush."

Remember, seeing a coyote in the wild means a gnoll is likely in your line of sight.

The air seemed to freeze, with only the low growls rumbling in the hyena's throat and the rustling of leaves.

Gus tilted his head slightly, glancing at Xia Lin and the others out of the corner of his eye, and said succinctly, "I'll hold them off. You find an opportunity to rush through with the carriage."

Xia Lin nodded vigorously; this was the only feasible solution at the moment.

Although the few people present could restrain and kill the hyenas, they had to protect the caravan members and wagons.

Once these beasts, skilled in swarm attacks, break through the formation, it will be a massacre.

Moreover, there are creatures in the darkness even more dangerous than hyenas.

However, at this tense and suffocating moment, those eerie green eyes retreated without warning, like a tide, and quickly disappeared into the deep darkness.

The menacing aura of a wild beast quickly dissipated.

For some unknown reason, the other party actually abandoned the hunt for the caravan.

A sense of bewilderment, a feeling of surviving a disaster, enveloped everyone. Before they could even catch their breath, someone noticed something was wrong.

"Something terrible has happened!"

A terrified voice rang out from beside the wagon loaded with goods; it was the helper responsible for looking after the two boys.

"That boy named Enzo...! He's gone!"

Only then did everyone realize that the boy named Enzo had quietly disappeared from the group.

Recalling the monsters' eerie retreat earlier, the answer emerged in everyone's mind.

That child single-handedly lured away the jackals and the wolf pack!

The young coachman who had previously suggested abandoning the boy was now blushing, bowing his head in shame, and clutching the reins tightly.

Team leader Kejin took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, and walked up to Gus and Xia Lin, his voice hoarse: "...Now, what do we do? Should we...go back to find that child?"

Although the disaster was caused by these two teenagers, Enzo's almost self-sacrificing courage struck a chord with everyone's conscience like a heavy hammer.

A few minutes later, the group reached a decision.

Guss turned back to find Enzo, while Charlin and the other two escorted the caravan on its way.

The edge of the forest was not far ahead. It would be much safer once they reached the open area. He would find the boy and then go to meet up with the caravan.

The black-clad swordsman raised his greatsword, his figure silently disappearing into the darkness from which he had come.

The convoy set off again, the atmosphere even more somber than before. Everyone gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes constantly scanning the seemingly endless, dark trees on either side.

The convoy had only been traveling for half an hour when Woody, perched on Xia Lin's shoulder, suddenly tensed up and his voice shrieked, "Behind us! Something's following us, and it's moving very fast!"

Xia Lin's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately shouted to Kaijin ahead, "Speed ​​up! There's something behind us!"

Whatever follows behind is a threat to everyone.

Before he could finish speaking, the sound of bushes being violently torn apart came from behind.

Several large, muscular hyenas with hungry green eyes leaped onto the road. They ran on all fours at an astonishing speed, rapidly closing the distance to the carriage.

"Attack from inside the vehicle! Don't let them get close!" Xia Lin roared, and with a backhand slash, he cleaved half the head off a coyote that pounced on him, hot, pungent blood splattering onto the vehicle's wheels.

Eileen chanted urgently, and three missiles shimmering with arcane light burst from her fingertips, accurately striking the chest and abdomen of another hyena, blasting it away and sending it tumbling to its death with a mournful howl.

Jimmy gritted his teeth and, seizing the opportunity, plunged his spear deep into the neck of a hyena that was trying to bite the horse's leg.

However, the hyenas had the advantage in both numbers and speed.

They deftly dodged the pitchforks and machetes swung from the cart, leaped up suddenly, hooked their claws onto the edge of the cart, and bit at the panicked crowd with their gaping maws.

Screams rang out as the two men were dragged off the carriage and instantly pounced on by several hyenas, followed by the sounds of tearing and bones breaking.

Xia Lin pulled out the flaming glue from his bag and threw it with all his might.

Flames erupted among the wolves, igniting their fur, and two hyenas turned into rolling fireballs, emitting mournful howls.

But the few sticky glues were quickly used up, and the remaining hyenas continued to chase relentlessly, about to catch up with the carriage again.

"We'll be worn down if this continues!" Xia Lin shouted to Kai Jin.

"They're going too fast in the woods! I'll stop them! Don't stop, keep going! Eileen, Jimmy, protect the car!"

"Xia Lin, be careful!" Eileen warned.

Xia Lin nodded.

Kakin tossed him a loaded crossbow: "Here! Don't fight head-on, just hold them off! These beasts can't outrun a crossbow bolt!"

Xia Lin took the crossbow, seized the opportunity, and leaped off the speeding carriage, rolling on the ground to dissipate the force.

He knelt on one knee, quickly raised his crossbow, and aimed—whoosh!

A short crossbow bolt was released, and it shot down the nearest hyena that was trying to chase the carriage.

The carriage, kicking up dust and carrying the remaining few hyenas, sped past and headed towards the forest exit.

Xia Lin discarded the light crossbow, slowly straightened his body, and held his longsword horizontally in front of him.

The four hyenas abandoned their moving target, their eerie green eyes all locking onto him, their lone prey.

They spread out and surrounded him in the middle of the road.

A low, chilling gurgling sound rolled in his throat, and saliva dripped continuously from the corners of his grinning mouth.

A "feast" is about to begin, and it's anyone's guess who will become the pitiful prey...

Clang——

The sharp sound of metal rubbing together broke the stalemate.

Xia Lin made the first move!

The ground beneath his feet exploded, and his figure shot out like an arrow, suddenly heading towards the most restless coyote to his left, which was constantly pawing at the ground.

The beast reacted extremely quickly, opening its mouth to bite, but Xia Lin twisted his body and changed direction midway, his longsword flashing a cold light as he used the momentum of the charge!

"Pfft—Splash!"

The blade sank deep into the coyote's soft belly, all the way to the guard.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he pulled to the side, and with a teeth-grinding tearing sound, scalding intestines, ruptured organs, and thick, fresh blood gushed out like a burst dam...

The hyena let out a short, mournful howl and collapsed, as if its bones had been removed.