Hunting Cometfang Star Beasts was going to be a challenging task. Not only were they fast and agile, to make matters worse they were social animals living in groups. It was rare to find a Cometfang Wolf wandering alone.
So he couldn't use the same tactics he used to kill the Minotaur—he needed something new.
However, no matter how much he thought, no tactic that could allow him to kill the monster without taking any risk came to mind.
After thinking for a moment, Lukas could only shake his head.
"I can't shy away from taking risks. Nothing in life is guaranteed. For a better future, taking a little bit of risk is nothing…"
With that thought in mind, the look in Lukas' eyes turned decisive.
With Traceless Steps erasing his presence, he moved through the vast green plains cautiously, using the trees as cover.
From time to time he would encounter packs of Cometfang Wolves, healthy and full of energy.
Cometfang Wolves looked no different from ordinary wolves he was familiar with, except they were bigger and more dangerous. From time to time, sparks of electricity would cover their dark grey fur—this was their Meteor Momentum working in the background.
However, even after finding his target, Lukas didn't attack. He observed with a serious look in his eyes. Even if he used the Fusion of Life and Death skill, he only had 30 seconds of combat time.
Thirty seconds were too little to deal with a wolf pack. Lukas' eyes flashed, weighing his options. And even if he somehow succeeded, what then? After the battle he would be completely exhausted—any monster or Awakener could easily finish him off.
Although he was willing to take risks, not this much.
There was a fine line between taking risks and courting death.
Time continued to pass. Like a seasoned hunter, he waited for the perfect prey.
The Star Dimension was a hostile place—not only to the Awakeners coming from outside the domain but to native creatures as well.
Few Star Monsters could avoid conflict. Lukas was looking for an injured Cometfang Wolf, or a wolf exhausted from battle.
Time continued to pass. Before he could realize it, it was already evening; at any moment the sun would give way to the moon.
"This is bad. I can't spend the night here…"
Lukas muttered while looking toward the sky, where a few constantly patrolling stars twinkled brightly.
Spending the night in the plains was a terrible idea—there were few places to hide.
Suddenly he had the urge to attack the next Cometfang Wolf he saw.
Lukas took a deep breath to calm his thoughts.
There is no need to get impatient. There are at least a few hours before complete darkness. I will continue searching for half an hour. If in this half hour I still don't find the perfect prey, I will just attack the next best target.
With that, he started moving once again. While drifting from one corner of the plains, all while remaining alert, suddenly a thought occurred to him: he needed to find a suitable perception skill as well. I can't always be wasting time looking around for prey.
If he had a suitable information‑gathering skill, finding the perfect prey might not be that hard.
While he was searching, time continued to pass. With each passing moment, the sun continued to head downwards.
Half an hour passed and no results.
Lukas' face was dark as charcoal. He couldn't stop himself from cursing. "Damn it. It seems I have used all my luck."
Now there was no other option but to fight.
With that thought in mind, Lukas retraced his steps back to the place where he saw a small pack of Cometfang Wolves—only consisting of three members.
The three Cometfang Wolves were covered in blood, chewing on the flesh of a Star Boar, a Rare‑grade Star Monster, existing only to be eaten by other creatures.
Lukas noticed this and his face lit up.
From the looks of it, it was clear the pack had been fighting and hunting and was bound to be slightly exhausted.
Although Star Boar was not known for its firepower, in the end it was still a Rare‑grade creature. Taking it down, they were bound to consume quite a bit of Star Energy.
Before taking action, Lukas finalized the plan in his head. Cometfang Wolves were renowned for their fast speed. If he wanted to kill them, he would have to attack first—and attack fast. If he gave them time to react, it would be game over for him.
Lukas focused on pushing Traceless Steps to the limit, pumping more Star Energy than it normally consumed. His entire figure seemed to merge with the green plains. If some low‑level Awakener was standing just next to him, even then they would find it difficult to notice Lukas' presence.
Without wasting any more time, he dashed toward the pack. There were only thirty seconds left—he needed to finish the battle in ten.
While running, Lukas' eyes flashed with coldness. Raising his hand, he roared in his heart:
Come out, Tommy…!
The three Cometwolves who were quietly enjoying their meal suddenly stood alert, looking toward the sky. The space stirred and Astral Bone Vanguard emerged, glowing runes materializing in mid‑air, descending toward the wolf pack at fast speed.
Before Tommy could land on the ground, Lukas was already below him, chanting something under his breath:
Fusion of Life and Death!
Kach! Tommy's figure crumbled, his bones flying toward Lukas to attach to his figure in the form of an exoskeleton. Tommy's thick rib cage wrapped around Lukas' chest tightly, its skull turning into a mask protecting his face. In just a blink of an eye, Lukas' entire figure was covered in the thick reinforced bones of Astral Bone Vanguard, pulsing with warm and enduring starlight.
Howl! Cometfang Wolf finally noticed the danger and let out a howl toward the sky, their bloodsoaked fangs flaring outwards.
Sharp and Menacing