Chapter 1010 - 1008 The Mutated Wolf VS The Mutated Porcupine

At first glance, it looked as though the wolf was simply hurling wind blades wildly, cutting down trees in every direction as collateral damage. But the more she watched, the more deliberate its actions seemed. Each arc of wind sliced through clusters of trees that obstructed its path, gradually clearing the surrounding area.

It wasn’t random destruction.

It was creating space.

With every fallen tree, the battlefield widened, giving the wolf more room to maneuver at high speed. The dense forest that once restricted its agility was slowly being turned into an open field where it could fully exploit its greatest advantage, speed and mobility.

In contrast, the mutated porcupine resembled a moving fortress. Its body was heavily armored and nearly immovable, its defense terrifyingly solid, but that same weight also made it sluggish. It barely repositioned itself, relying instead on rotating its massive body and locking onto the wolf’s movements.

Then it would unleash volleys of quills like arrows, precise and relentless.

The wolf, on the other hand, weaved through the expanding open space it had carved for itself, dodging and counterattacking with calculated efficiency. What seemed like reckless attacks were, in reality, tactical adjustments to the terrain, shaping the battlefield to suit its own strengths while limiting the porcupine’s ability to corner it.

"Why is it knocking down the trees instead of using them as cover?" Kisha murmured under her breath, eyes fixed on the battlefield. "If it hid within the forest and launched surprise attacks, its strikes would have a much higher chance of landing. Fast, yes... but not exactly clever."

Yet even as she said that, she quickly understood the reasoning behind the mutated black wolf’s behavior.

On the surface, using the dense forest as concealment for ambushes would seem like the smarter tactic. With its speed, it could easily weave through the trees, strike unexpectedly, and retreat before the porcupine could properly retaliate.

But that logic only applied if the wolf could perfectly control its own velocity.

And that was the problem.

The wolf’s speed had already reached a level where its movements were closer to bursts of wind than normal sprinting. In such a state, dense trees were no longer an advantage; they were hazards. A single miscalculation, a delayed turn, or a split-second loss of control could send its massive body crashing straight into a tree trunk at full speed.

At that velocity, even a hardened mutated animal would suffer serious injury from the impact.

Instead of becoming a hiding ground, the forest could easily turn into a cage of obstacles.

Worse, any moment of hesitation caused by maneuvering around trees would create an opening. The mutated porcupine, which relied on precision and area attacks, only needed a brief pause to lock onto its target. One well-timed volley of those steel-like quills aimed at a vital point, the eyes, throat, or joints, could be fatal.

For a creature whose combat style was heavily centered on agility and mobility, being forced to slow down or navigate tight terrain was a direct disadvantage.

Unlike the porcupine, whose metal-like body granted it overwhelming defense, the wolf did not possess the same durability. Its strengths lay in speed, evasion, and pressure through movement. A single mistake, a single collision, or even a brief loss of momentum could immediately shift the balance of the fight, and in a battle between high-level mutated animals, one misstep was more than enough to cost it its life.

"Hmm... but it’s not bad either. It’s not completely stupid," Kisha murmured thoughtfully, rubbing her chin as her sharp gaze remained fixed on the distant clash. "Both mutated animals have their own strengths and weaknesses. Choosing which one to pair with whom will be crucial once I bring them back..."

Her voice was low, almost like she was thinking out loud.

Ethan, who still couldn’t see the battle clearly from that distance, caught fragments of her murmurs and finally pieced together a rough idea of what was happening far ahead. In a way, Kisha’s quiet analysis had unintentionally turned into a live commentary of the fight for him.

Still, one part of her words made him pause.

"Partner with...? Bring them over...?"

A thought suddenly surfaced in his mind, and his expression stiffened slightly.

Was she... planning to capture those mutated animals as she said?

The idea alone made his brows knit together. Judging from the sheer scale of the commotion, the crashing trees, the violent shockwaves, and the continuous roars echoing through the forest, it was obvious that neither of those creatures was ordinary.

Both were extremely powerful, likely leaders or apex figures among mutated animals in this area. That alone made them far more dangerous than the average mutated animals.

Trying to subdue even one of them would already be risky.

Trying to deal with both?

That was bordering on reckless.

Yet Ethan didn’t voice his concerns. He knew Kisha well enough to understand that once she set her mind on something, she rarely acted without calculation. Even so, he couldn’t completely suppress the unease rising in his chest.

In the end, he simply pressed his lips into a thin line and remained silent.

His eyes stayed alert, his body tense yet steady as he continued to keep watch over the surroundings. If she truly intended to make a move later, then the least he could do was stay vigilant and be ready to assist her the moment she acted, rather than interrupt her train of thought.

Kisha remained perfectly still on the branch, patiently observing the battle without the slightest intention of interfering too early. She would only make her move once both mutated animals were sufficiently drained. Charging in prematurely would only make her the common target of their ferocious attacks, and that was the last thing she wanted.

So she waited.

And as the fight dragged on, the changes became more apparent.

The mutated black wolf was no longer as explosive as before. Its movements, while still fast, had slowed by a noticeable margin, roughly twenty percent compared to its earlier peak speed. Its dashes were slightly less sharp, and the afterimages it left behind were beginning to fade more quickly.

But the mutated porcupine wasn’t faring any better.

It had already unleashed multiple volleys of quills in rapid succession, and each barrage came at a high cost. Its quills did not regenerate endlessly for free. Every time it forcefully regrew and launched them, it consumed a significant amount of spiritual energy.

Unlike normal porcupines, whose quills regrow gradually like hair over weeks, this mutated animal was burning through its reserves just to sustain its offense in real time.

It had no luxury to wait for natural regrowth.

If it stopped firing, even briefly, it would become a stationary target, either a heavily armored sitting duck or, at best, a defensive fortress forced to rely solely on its metal-like hide. And against a speed-focused predator like the mutated wolf, that passivity would be extremely dangerous. The wolf could simply circle, pressure, and eventually find an opening once the porcupine’s offense dwindled.

From Kisha’s perspective, the battle was gradually turning into a war of attrition.

One leaned toward agility and mobility.

The other leaned toward defense and sustained pressure.

And if things continued as they were, the outcome would likely be brutal, one victor and one corpse.

But that was precisely the outcome Kisha did not want.

Both mutated animals had already proven their value through this display of strength, and in her eyes, they were far too useful to let one of them die here. If properly paired with the right people, their disadvantages could be mitigated almost perfectly.

The wind-attributed black wolf, with its speed and maneuverability, would be an excellent match for Sparrow, whose tactical awareness could complement its hit-and-run style. Meanwhile, the metal-attributed porcupine, with its fortress-like defense and ranged quill attacks, would suit Vulture far better, balancing his combat approach and reinforcing his survivability.

With the right partners, their weaknesses could be compensated for, and their strengths could be pushed even further.

Rather than letting them fight to mutual exhaustion and death, Kisha was already envisioning how to elevate them into far more formidable assets under her command.

With that thought settled, Kisha subtly shifted her stance on the branch, her body tensing ever so slightly as she prepared to jump in at any moment. A faint spark of excitement flickered in her eyes as she watched the two animals gradually wear each other down.

After all, the value of these two mutated animals in her plans was immense.

If the mutated black wolf were successfully tamed and assigned to Sparrow, his scouting capabilities would increase exponentially. Both of them were wind-attributed, which meant their compatibility would be exceptionally high.

The wolf’s speed, paired with Sparrow’s stealth and agility, would create a near-perfect reconnaissance unit. With its dark fur blending into the night and Sparrow already equipped with concealment gear suited for low-light environments, the two together would become ideal scouts and spies, capable of moving swiftly, silently, and over long distances without being easily detected.