"Perception is one of the most vital qualities in combat."
"Do you truly grasp your perception?" Gold's voice seemed to come from above, but in the next instant, it was right behind Adam.
Before Adam could react, his body was sent flying, twisting mid-air as he crashed into the ground, tumbling until he slammed against a tree. The scent of blood filled the air, heightening Adam's primal instincts, making him even more agitated.
Three deep claw marks appeared on his back, blood trickling down his white fur. The wound pulsed and writhed before quickly sealing, and based on Adam's experience, it would likely scab over by the next morning.
However, this was not the moment to dwell on such thoughts. His perception had been fully expanded earlier, yet he had only sensed Gold when the latter was already near. By then, it was far too late to avoid the attack.
"You need to learn to make choices..." Gold's voice echoed as he reappeared behind Adam, his claws gleaming once again.
This time, Adam reacted first. He spun around, his sharp, elongated nails extending, aiming to tear his opponent apart.
Gold bent low, his body coiling like a bow, narrowly avoiding Adam's claws as they skimmed past his belt.
In the next instant, Gold launched himself forward like a cannonball, landing a vicious uppercut to Adam's abdomen, his claws sinking into the flesh without hesitation.
With a single hand, Gold locked Adam's body in place, tossing him like a ragdoll. Adam crashed into a tree not far off, before Gold's voice followed: "Your hip twist was far too obvious."
"And I've told you repeatedly—you're putting too much force into it."
Gold leaned forward, watching Adam lying motionless. "I see potential in you, but if you disappoint me, I will kill you."
"From here on, I won't hold back," he added, brushing his claws and flicking off Adam's blood, then started walking toward him.
In that moment, Adam rose to his feet, his hands clasped in a fighting stance. He twisted his body, using one palm to push the other, his elbow striking the tree trunk behind him.
The tree, already partially fractured, cracked and fell with a thunderous sound, its branches sprawling out, even enveloping Gold who had been moving closer.
Adam rolled away, his white fur now stained with blood, dirt, and leaves. His usual need for cleanliness was overridden by the urgency of the situation.
Gold stepped out from beneath the tree canopy, his wolf ears twitching as he tilted his head.
Unbeknownst to Gold, Adam had already stepped onto a high branch. His hands still clasped in front of him, he tilted his body, elbows aimed at Gold as he launched himself toward him.
The bark of the tree splintered beneath Adam's feet. Seeing the oncoming attack, Gold crouched low, his body agile as a gazelle, and he leaped forward, twisting midair to avoid Adam's elbow. As he brushed past Adam's body, the two were nearly inches apart.
With one fluid motion, Gold raised both hands high, his body shifting its weight as he stepped forward. His left leg swept beneath Adam, his powerful muscles flexing, brown fur rippling as his strength became visible.
A skilled artist witnessing this moment might be struck by the raw beauty of the human form, caught in its elegant display of power.
Gold's hands fell with a fierce force, crashing into Adam's back.
Adam's abdomen collided with Gold's left thigh, his back taking the full brunt of Gold's double-fisted strike.
The force of the impact made Adam's mouth open wide as blood sprayed from his lips, his eyes widening in shock. His body crumpled, sliding down from Gold's knee, collapsing to the ground.
Yet, Gold did not follow his original plan of stepping on Adam. Instead, he paused, his gaze falling upon a tree branch embedded in his stomach.
Standing tall, Gold bared his teeth and yanked the branch free, tossing it aside as blood splattered. The wound swiftly healed as new flesh began to grow, sealing the injury.
"Using the sound of the falling tree to break a branch and hide it in your hand, then using the elbow strike as a cover—good tactic," Gold mused, "but your strength is lacking."
Adam groggily stood up, barely able to find his balance. For a moment, he thought his spine might have been broken.
But werewolves were tougher than he had imagined. When he saw Gold move again, Adam reacted, his earlier disorientation fading as he rose to his feet.
The pain was nothing now; the fight was far from over.
It seemed that the wounds sustained in battle had dulled the impact of his bloodline's restlessness, and with it, visions surged into his mind.
He saw numerous images of werewolf battles. Instinctively, he ducked to the side, hearing the whistle of something cutting through the air.
A stone, the size of an egg, struck the tree behind him, leaving a gaping hole.
Gold's foot pressed against the ground, and one toe lifted slightly as he grinned at Adam, his wolfish smile cruel. As he passed behind a tree, Gold disappeared from view.
Adam looked up, scanning the space between the trees. A shadow flickered, and then vanished entirely. Gold had once again eluded his senses.
Standing still, Adam raised his body slightly, his posture relaxed but ready to unleash violent force at any moment.
In his mind, the images of battle continued unabated. If Adam had been learning from a teacher, it would have taken him a long time to analyze the moves, the power behind them, and the combat intentions of the werewolf ancestors.
But now, Adam simply absorbed the images instinctively, allowing them to flow through him as his body moved.
He sprang backward, his fur rippling, the ground beneath where he had stood forming a small crater. At its center, a shattered pinecone lay.
With a powerful leap, Adam extended his claws, sinking them into the tree trunk behind him. He clung to it before launching himself into the air, his body spinning effortlessly, and landed swiftly on the tree's highest branches.
Suddenly, he dropped, catching the branch just in time to avoid another pinecone shot at him. Using the downward curve of the branch to propel himself, Adam shot forward, following the trajectory of the pinecone.
With his speed increasing, Adam's eyes narrowed. He swung his claws.
Crack!
His finger bones snapped, but the pinecone shattered in his claws, narrowly missing his fur as it flew past, severing several strands of white hair.
Ignoring the pain in his fingers, Adam lashed out with his other arm, just as he closed in on Gold.
Through the ribs, under the ribs, strike the heart! A vision of his bloodline's power surged through him, and Adam executed the move instinctively.
The two werewolves collided in midair, crashing down from the tree. They rolled on the ground, bodies tangled, and through the gaps between them, Adam's hand was thrust beneath Gold's ribs.
But Gold twisted his body, trapping Adam's hand, and then used his other arms to clamp down on Adam's head. His fingers aimed mercilessly at Adam's temples, targeting his eyes.
In that instant, Adam curled his leg and kicked Gold in the stomach, sending him flying away.
Gold's claws raked across Adam's face, leaving deep gashes, and he tumbled away, regaining his footing.
Without missing a beat, Gold reached into the wound on his stomach, pulling out a piece of stone. He tossed it up and down in his hand, a sardonic smile on his face.
"Quite the tricks you've got," Gold said, his wound already healing at an astonishing rate. Meanwhile, Adam's own injuries from earlier—five deep gouges—had only just begun to stop bleeding.
Their regenerative abilities were clearly on different levels.
Crouching, Adam's claws dug into the earth, his red, beastly eyes locked on Gold.
Gold grabbed the stone and hurled it at Adam, who vanished from sight, dodging the stone with such speed it seemed as though he had teleported. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Gold, his momentum carrying him as he aimed a punch straight for his heart.
Gold remained motionless, not retreating an inch. Just as Adam's fist was about to land, Gold caught it with ease. His other hand swung upward, a deadly blade aimed at Adam's throat.
Adam tried to block, but the blade crashed into his jaw with a sickening snap.
Staggering back, Adam grimaced, but Gold's right arm suddenly went numb. Looking down at his hand, he saw a poisonous thorn lodged in his palm.
The paralysis was brief. After removing the thorn, Gold's hand regained its function, and he smiled darkly.
"Ha... finally something interesting!" Gold's black smoke surged behind him as he charged forward, colliding once again with Adam.