Chapter 545 The Ritual Descends and the Wolf Cub

In modern society, a "class" simply referred to a specific social occupation, such as a doctor, driver, or worker.

But on the Aifala Continent, a land brimming with supernatural power, the word "class" held an entirely different definition.

From ancient times to the present, countless renowned scholars had deeply researched the origins and definition of a "class."

Among them were figures who had walked extremely far down their professional paths—beings hailed as Transcendent or even Legendary.

Their conclusions might have been expressed differently, but the essence was always the same.

A "class" was the stable structure formed when the soul and body synchronized with a specific archetype.

It was the product of a living creature's interaction with the laws of nature and substances closer to the world's origin, gradually blending together over time.

It sounded somewhat abstract. In truth, aside from a few knowledge-seekers interested in such things, the vast majority of adventurers simply viewed a "class" as a preset template with relatively clear abilities and a defined growth path.

Broad categories like [Warrior], [Ranger], and [Rogue] served as the macroscopic framework for these class templates.

They then filled that framework with [combat techniques], [Feats], and their own personal combat styles and habits.

Ultimately forming a "class" entirely their own.

In a way, just as no two snowflakes were identical, everyone had different physical conditions, cognitive levels, and backgrounds. Even if two people mastered the exact same combat techniques and Feats within the exact same class, those subtle differences would still lead to distinct variations in actual combat performance.

Once their Class Level surpassed Level 10, Class Holders gradually clarified their chosen paths and expectations for future development. As a culmination of their past accumulation and an affirmation of the road ahead, those Advanced Classes bearing the "Transcendent" title became the inevitable next step for adventurers looking to advance.

If [Master Duelist] was the safest, most grounded, and solid baseline choice for "Algae Scale" Dodd on his professional path—based on everything he had experienced, learned, and mastered over the years—then [Scale Shifter] was the ultimate manifestation of his ambition.

Whether human, dragonborn, or the seemingly ascetic Elves hidden deep in the forests with their endless lifespans, as long as they were intelligent beings, they could not escape the fires of desire in their hearts.

Since he had the ability and the conditions, why shouldn't he make his path to the Transcendent Tier smoother and broader?

Dodd had thought it through very clearly.

In the past, limited by his background, he could only grow savagely amid waves and blood. He never considered growth potential or compatibility; everything was aimed at increasing his strength as quickly as possible.

Now, having finally established a firm foothold in the Southern Archipelagos, built his own faction, and accumulated massive wealth he never would have dared to imagine before, things were different.

As he stood on the threshold of the Transcendent Tier, he naturally had to change his mindset and consider his future growth limits.

And [Scale Shifter] was the choice he made after synthesizing his potential, his combat technique system, and even his bloodline and race. Without a doubt, although both it and [Master Duelist] were Transcendent Advanced Classes, the so-called quality tier of [Scale Shifter] was visibly higher.

Unlike [Master Duelist], which deeply enhanced combat techniques and weapon mastery, [Scale Shifter] leaned more toward strengthening the Class Holder's physical origin.

This was partially reflected by one of the core requirements to take up the [Scale Shifter] class: the creature must possess scales on its body.

Seeking the primal, awakening wild instincts.

It meant excavating the magnificent power hidden deep within the bloodline by billions of years of evolution, transforming it into an ability one could command.

In the Epic myths of their own race, dragonborn believed they were the origin of all races in this world, including "Dragons" and "Humans"—the "Beginning of All Things."

Perhaps this was biased compared to the historical facts known by other races, but "Algae Scale" Dodd, who possessed a thin bloodline, had always proudly identified as a dragonborn and gloried in the noble origins of the blood flowing in his veins.

If he could successfully become a [Scale Shifter], combining his past accumulation with his dragonborn racial identity, he firmly believed that even among Transcendent Class Holders of the same level, he would undoubtedly stand in the absolute first tier of actual combat strength.

And right now, the dazzling beam of light shooting into the sky before him, the massive curtain of light shrouding the entire island—this was the advancement ritual he had specifically prepared in order to become a [Scale Shifter].

It was also one of the prerequisites for becoming a [Scale Shifter]:

—To achieve victory in a large-scale competitive event themed around wildness and the primal.

Truth be told, this condition was actually quite vague. If one wanted to exploit loopholes, there were other ways to go about it.

But "Algae Scale" Dodd knew clearly that, especially for such loosely defined and vaguely described advancement conditions, the degree of completion would drastically affect the power boost gained after taking the class.

To put it plainly, completing the ritual by stripping off all weapons and armor to survive alone on a deserted island full of wild beasts, versus competing and emerging victorious on an island packed with a massive number of veteran adventurers like right now—the quantity and quality of the accompanying combat techniques and Feats gained after advancing to the Transcendent Tier would be worlds apart.

Dodd had prepared for years for this advancement ritual. The money and energy he had expended were immeasurable.

In the beginning, it was merely an illusory idea with no real way to ground it in reality. The critical turning point came when he unexpectedly obtained the Metallic Silver Ring from Lyle Morton and discovered its bizarre, special effects, allowing him to gradually unfold his plan.

Up until now, everything had been fully prepared.

After countless preparations, his Transcendent advancement ritual had finally begun.

"Buzz—"

It was the hum of high-frequency energy vibrating.

"Algae Scale" Dodd had similarly lost control of his body, slowly floating into the air while wrapped in a luminescent blue light.

But compared to the other panicked and confused adventurers, as the one holding the ritual, he knew the cause of all this and the developments to follow. His heart was exceptionally calm.

He used the massive amount of Deep-Sea Resonance Stones traded through his cooperation with the fishmen recently to provide the baseline energy required to unfold the ritual, utilizing the one hundred specially processed resonance stones hidden across Stodd Island as core nodes.

Even though the vast majority of them had not yet been found by anyone, it was enough to use this resonance connection to drag the one hundred most powerful adventurers on the entire island into the Ritual Secret Realm.

Harboring daydreams of the Transcendent Tier, his heart grew increasingly euphoric over the final step he was about to take.

Just like the one hundred adventurers currently enveloped in blue light and floating in midair alongside him, "Algae Scale" Dodd felt his spirit gradually sink, his consciousness drawn by the Deep-Sea Resonance Stones into the Secret Realm constructed by the ritual.

A winter bed was like some kind of prison, confining the human body and spirit.

Unless one possessed tremendous determination and astonishing willpower, it was nearly impossible to break free.

At this moment, Xia Nan was in exactly this state.

His eyes were tightly shut, his consciousness hazy.

He could feel a slight, chilly breeze leaking in from some inexplicable place above, yet he was content with the furry warmth right beside him.

He greedily clung to the obscurity of his slumber and the indescribable sense of safety coming from his surroundings.

Subconsciously, he rubbed his head against the warm, fluffy spot in front of him and curled up his four limbs, as if trying to shrink his entire body into a ball.

Wait?

Four? Limbs?

His consciousness, gradually awakening from the haze, made him realize something was bizarrely wrong.

He instinctively pulled his spirit and consciousness out of that dream-like daze.

Fighting against the intense drowsiness of someone just waking up, he struggled to open his eyes.

What met his sight was a massive fleshy body draped in thick brown fur. Faintly, he could glimpse a towering rock and dirt ceiling above it, and a wide tunnel further back where a faint glimmer of light seeped in from the outside world.

'Where am I—'

He wondered instinctively, assessing his surroundings.

His increasingly clear mind allowed him to recover a bit of his ability to think.

In the next second, the memories from right before he passed out swallowed his attention like a tidal wave.

"Lunar Tide Banquet," "beams of light shooting into the sky," "shrouding light curtain," "frozen space," "floating in midair"—

Xia Nan blanked for a moment.

Without time to think further, driven by muscle memory, he reached backward, attempting to draw his sword and enter a combat state.

His mind drove his body.

Yet the right hand he pictured—clad in an armor set and wearing two Silver Rings—did not appear.

Instead, what replaced it was a fuzzy little paw with soft paw pads.

"Huh!?"

Xia Nan was astonished and subconsciously voiced his shock.

But what reached his ears was an inexplicably tender, soft whimper.

Before he could even react, as if awakened by the noise he made, the mountain of furry flesh lying quietly in front of him shuddered violently. Accompanied by powerful, distinct breathing, at the far end of that rolling mountain of meat, a ferocious wolf head—far more massive than any land creature Xia Nan had ever seen—slowly lifted in the darkness.

Those terrifying wolf eyes, reflecting a gloomy light beneath the shroud of shadows, looked like two massive lamps, instantly putting Xia Nan on high alert.

His still-groggy consciousness made him follow the instincts of this young, tiny body. He scrambled to his feet, muscles taut, and instinctively bared his teeth with a low growl of warning.

As if confused by his behavior, the massive wolf head—huge as the sun or moon in the sky—shook its head.

Then, under Xia Nan's defiant gaze, it opened its blood-red maw lined with razor-sharp teeth and slowly leaned in—

"Slurp."

A long, wet tongue licked Xia Nan from his head, down his arched spine, all the way to the tip of his tail.

This obviously should have been an extremely disgusting and difficult-to-adapt-to experience.

But for some reason, Xia Nan's current body felt no repulsion whatsoever. On the contrary, he found the dampness inexplicably comfortable and enjoyable.

Just as he was mulling this over, the gaping maw gradually closed.

With a grip that was slightly forceful yet somehow painless, it clamped down on the back of Xia Nan's neck.

His four limbs left the ground.

His body was hoisted into midair.

At the same time, his body drooped naturally due to gravity.

And because of this, Xia Nan caught sight of his own equally furry belly, four tiny paws dangling downward, and a fluffy tail dragging at the very bottom like an ink brush.

His mind reeled!

The adult wolf—which was absolutely gigantic compared to Xia Nan's currently miniature size—clearly hadn't noticed the little Wolf Cub in its mouth going completely rigid for a second, merely taking it as the discomfort of being picked up. It slowly shifted its limbs, crawling low as it left the cave where it nursed its young.

The glaring sunlight pouring down from above made Xia Nan, who had just left the dimly lit burrow, squint his eyes involuntarily.

Then, he saw the dense shrubs around him that looked like towering jungle trees, and further away—enough to make someone with megalophobia faint on the spot—a forest and a canopy dome formed by massive timber as gargantuan as the World Tree.

The pinching sensation on the back of his neck suddenly loosened, and Xia Nan's miniature body landed lightly on the ground like a ball of yarn.

Behind him was the giant wolf, keeping a vigilant posture, ears pricked as it sat on its haunches and surveyed the surroundings;

In front of him were several fuzzy round balls stumbling and rolling toward him, trying to play and wrestle.

The crisp air from outside the cave flooded his nose with every breath, and a cool forest breeze brushed past. This suddenly bright world chased away the last traces of fogginess in Xia Nan's mind.

At this point, combined with what he had encountered earlier on Stodd Island, how could he possibly not guess what had just happened to him?

Xia Nan subconsciously turned his body, lifting his head with some difficulty to look at the hill-sized wild wolf in front of him.

As if sensing that this cub was different from the rest, the wolf lowered its head and looked back at Xia Nan.

Just as he had expected, what was reflected in those massive, crystal-clear wolf eyes was not the young, black-haired, black-eyed adventurer with sharp features and twin swords on his back that Xia Nan was so familiar with.

Instead, it was a miniature silhouette resembling a furball, possessing the chubby roundness typical of a newborn infant.

Its dark brown fur was slightly messy from the adult wolf's licking earlier, yet still fluffy and dense. Four underdeveloped, stubby little legs struggled somewhat to prop up on the ground, looking like four small wooden corks.

Its head took up almost a third of its miniature body, exuding the clumsy, naive cuteness unique to a cub. A pair of ears couldn't fully stand up yet, resting bluntly against the sides of its head with their edges curling inward. The shiny, wet black nose resembled a small button, twitching involuntarily with each breath.

Only those grayish-blue wolf eyes—which should have been ignorant and dazed like the other cubs currently playing nearby—now displayed a spark of wisdom that no wild beast possessed.

'Deep-Sea Resonance Stones—"Algae Scale" Dodd—'

'So, this is a ritual?'

Xia Nan pondered deeply.

A second later, he was tackled to the ground by a tumbling Wolf Cub.