11: Chapter 11 Betrayal Under the Blood Moon

After a period of intense and suppressed debate, the potential for massive gains eventually outweighed the fear. Everyone agreed that after a short rest, they would head to the location where Zhang Hao speculated a second [conversion card] might exist—the isolated building located in the northeast corner of the town. Iron Fist's wounds were given emergency treatment by the Manager's sprite, which seemed to possess basic disinfection and bandaging assistance functions.

The group left the relatively safe stone house and stepped back into the mist, which was now so thick it felt inseparable. Visibility was less than twenty meters; every swaying shadow and every unidentified sound from the distance kept their nerves stretched to the limit. Zhang Hao had Silver Star increase scanning sensitivity to the maximum while keeping his [Logical Connection] Talent fully active, constantly analyzing the sounds, smells, and air currents of the surroundings in an attempt to predict danger in advance.

Old Gun and Iron Fist led the way, with the Manager and Bing Li in the middle providing support. Zhang Hao and the Scholar were responsible for the flanks, while Rabbit and Shadow brought up the rear. The team moved silently through the deathly still streets, with only the sound of footsteps and suppressed breathing echoing around them.

As they drew closer to the target building, its blurry silhouette began to emerge through the fog—it was a structure with a low perimeter wall, resembling an abandoned church or manor.

Just as everyone's spirits relaxed slightly, thinking they were about to reach a safe point, a sudden change occurred!

"Left side! Approaching at high speed!" Silver Star's alarm and Zhang Hao's Roar rang out almost simultaneously!

But this time, the attack came faster and more cunningly!

It wasn't just one, but two Native Werewolves! They seemed to have been lying in ambush in the ruins by the roadside. One roared and lunged from the front at Iron Fist and Old Gun, drawing most of the firepower. Meanwhile, the other emerged from the thick fog on the flank like a ghost, silent and lightning-fast, targeting the middle of the group—specifically the "Scholar" who was responsible for flank security!

"Save me!!" the Scholar let out a piercing scream. His Ancient Book Sprite erupted with a powerful golden light, instantly deploying a thick wall of light.

However, this flanking werewolf seemed even more agile. Its claws were wrapped in an ominous black Qi, and it actually tore through the light wall by brute force! Seeing that the Scholar was about to be disemboweled—

Thud!

A dull sound of impact rang out.

The one who fell, however, was not the Scholar.

It was "Iron Fist"!

At the critical moment, Iron Fist, who had been in the front resisting the other werewolf, somehow seemed to be tripped by something or perhaps accidentally bumped by a companion? His body stumbled, and he happened to fall right into the attack path of the flanking werewolf!

The werewolf's claws pierced through Iron Fist's back without any resistance! He looked down in disbelief at the blood-stained claw tips protruding from his chest, his scarred face contorted in extreme agony.

"You...!" He jerked his head back, his gaze fixed intensely on the person standing behind and to his side... the "Manager"!

A perfectly timed flash of panic and bewilderment crossed the Manager's face: "I... I didn't mean to! I was just bumped!"

But Iron Fist could no longer say anything. Violent rage and the last of his life force burned in his eyes. Ignoring the wolf claws piercing his body, he let out an ear-splitting Roar. His muscles bulged to their limit as he used every last ounce of strength to grab the werewolf in front of him that was fighting Old Gun, his arms tightening like iron bands!

"Die for me!!!"

Crack! A tooth-aching sound of breaking bones rang out! That Native Werewolf actually had its spine snapped by his raw strength. It let out a mournful howl and slumped to the ground, clearly dead.

And Iron Fist, carrying endless fury and doubt, saw his eyes dim rapidly. His massive frame crashed to the ground, blood staining the cobblestone path beneath him.

In an instant, the team had lost one member!

The scene was deathly silent. Only the low growls of the other werewolf (the one that attacked the Scholar) and the Scholar's heavy, post-survival gasps remained.

Old Gun reacted extremely quickly. Seizing the moment while everyone was shocked by this sudden turn of events, his Lighter Sprite erupted with blazing flames, shooting toward the remaining werewolf like a bullet. Bing Li's cold Qi followed immediately, and the Manager's sonic interference rang out once more. Under the group's furious combined attack, this werewolf was also quickly killed.

The battle ended, but the atmosphere was more frozen than before.

Iron Fist was dead. He died without a clear explanation. That gaze full of anger and questioning he held before death was etched into everyone's minds. He had been looking at the Manager!

"Manager! What exactly happened just now?!" Bing Li's voice was cold enough to freeze the air, her Ice Crystal Snake pointed directly at the Manager.

The Manager's face was pale, but he maintained his composure: "I said, it was an accident! The situation was too chaotic then. I might have been pushed by someone, or I just lost my footing... Iron Fist died to save the Scholar..."

"To save the Scholar?" Old Gun's eyes were sharp as an eagle's as he interrupted the Manager. "His position at the time looked more like he was 'pushed' onto the werewolf's claws! And he looked at you at the very end!"

The gaze of suspicion focused once more, this time shifting from the Scholar to the Manager. Iron Fist's death was too suspicious, and the Manager's explanation seemed pale and weak in the face of Iron Fist's final look.

However, something even more shocking happened.

While everyone was in a standoff, the corpse of the Native Werewolf that Iron Fist had killed in his final struggle actually began to emit a faint light, then slowly dissipated like smoke. In the place where its body vanished, a [conversion card] identical to the one in Zhang Hao's hand lay quietly on the ground.

The second [conversion card]! It had actually appeared in this manner!

Everyone was stunned.

What did this mean? Do Native Werewolves drop [conversion cards] upon death? Does that mean if they kill all the Native Werewolves, they can obtain enough cards? Or do only specific werewolves drop them?

Chaotic thoughts swirled in everyone's minds.

The Manager's suspicion, Iron Fist's suspicious death, the unexpected appearance of the second conversion card... all the clues were intertwined like a tangled mess. Trust had completely collapsed, and everyone was speculating about those around them with the utmost malice.

Zhang Hao silently picked up the second conversion card. Feeling the faint fluctuations from the two cards in his palm, there was no joy in his heart, only heavy pressure and a chill. He looked at the mutually wary group, knowing the team now existed in name only.

The werewolves... there might be more than one. And their fangs were already stained with the blood of their companions. In this Mist Town shrouded by the blood moon, the game of survival had entered its most brutal stage.