Rain faced off against the alpha wolf standing before him.
Grrrr.
…The Aura emanating from it was far from ordinary.
It reminded me of the ogre I once saw in the Colosseum.
At the very least, this creature was advanced level—perhaps even beyond that.
“Phew…”
The fact that it had unified a pack of wolves was already alarming.
And now, I’d encountered another strong enemy.
Gripping my sword tightly, I focused my aura into my eyes.
From the moment it first appeared, its speed had been overwhelming.
If not for my instincts, I might’ve been taken down by that initial ambush.
That’s why I prepared to use Track and glared at the creature.
However…
It didn’t charge at me, merely holding its ground.
Puzzled by its behavior, I scrutinized it more closely and noticed the white fur on its abdomen stained red.
…Is it injured?
That makes it slightly easier to handle.
Even so, it’s a much stronger monster than I anticipated. I kept my guard up and circulated my Aura.
And so, the tense standoff between me and the alpha wolf dragged on, a situation balanced on the knife’s edge.
Suddenly—
The wolf, in an oddly human-like gesture, raised a finger and pointed at me.
Then it happened.
“Grrrraah!! Haaaark!!”
The werewolves surrounding me lunged at once.
…Trying to wear me down, are they?
This creature is smarter than I thought.
Slash!
I cut down the head of the nearest werewolf as it charged, all the while keeping a sharp eye on the alpha wolf’s movements.
It’s a quick one. I have to avoid getting caught off guard.
Still…
Slash! Thud!
Kiieeng!
Even as I continued to take down its underlings, the alpha wolf remained motionless, just observing.
Hmm… Is it still just watching me?
Maybe its injury is worse than it looks.
If that’s the case…
I played along with the werewolves a bit longer, concentrating my Aura.
If it won’t come to me, I’ll go to it.
I just filled my sword with Aura.
‘Rush.’
Boom!
With a quick swing, I sent a shockwave that momentarily halted the charging werewolves in their tracks.
Taking advantage of the pause—
Swoosh.
I sheathed my blade as a feint, focusing all my Aura to its peak in that brief window of time.
When I reopened my eyes, the world seemed to slow down—the movements of the werewolves charging at me, the alpha wolf standing alone and watching me—it all came into sharp clarity.
And then—
Ssss!
A faint red trail appeared in the space between the alpha wolf and me.
In an instant, I drew my blade from its sheath, and my body shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
Even while using Track, I could feel the landscape around me blurring as I closed the distance.
I watched as the alpha wolf, in its bipedal form, prepared to swing its massive arms in defense.
But…
Unfortunately for it, this wasn’t an ordinary Fleet.
Slaaash!
My blade grazed the wolf, and blood sprayed into the air.
…That was too shallow.
Just as I aimed for its neck, it twisted its body in a last-second, instinctive dodge.
It couldn’t have reacted to my speed—it must’ve been some primal, animalistic reflex.
Grrrrr…!
But before I could dwell on that thought, an enraged howl erupted behind me.
Bang!!!
I spun around to block the incoming attack.
“Huff…!”
Its massive claws came crashing down, forcing me to raise my sword in defense.
Now that I could see it up close, the alpha wolf seemed even larger—
Wasn’t it nearly twice my size?
With a creature like that pressing down on me, it felt as though I was being crushed beneath a collapsing building.
And to make matters worse…
Grrrrr.
At first, I thought it might be Aura, but it was something even more primal.
One thing was clear—it was a power of a similar kind, which explained why I was being overpowered even while using Aura.
“Ugh…”
Gritting my teeth, I pushed against the creature’s massive claws, but it wasn’t easy.
As I racked my brain for a way to escape its crushing weight—
Whoosh.
The wolf raised its other paw and swung it toward my exposed side.
A bipedal creature—it could use both its forelegs like arms!
Bam!
I quickly fortified my side with Aura, but the impact was immense. I felt the blow resonate through my ribs.
“Gah!”
The next thing I knew, my body was airborne. My vision spun as I tumbled down the mountainside.
Tumble, tumble, tumble—
I rolled down the hillside several times until—
Thunk!
I slammed into a tree.
“Ugh!”
Cough! Hack!
The internal damage was severe.
If not for the enchanted buff coat I’d received, my side might’ve been torn open completely.
What kind of monster is this?
Hell, I’d rather face two ogres than deal with this thing.
Grrraaah!!
My entire body ached from the impact, and blood continued to rise in my throat.
Still, I forced my head toward the wolf to see its next move.
It was already charging at me, murderous intent in its eyes.
As it closed the distance—
Whoosh!
I flung a handful of dirt I’d grabbed earlier straight into its face.
Grrraaah!!
Unfazed, it whipped its head aside and opened its massive jaws.
That mouth… it could swallow my head whole.
I tensed my legs and lunged forward.
Focusing as much Aura as I could into my legs, I struck—
Crack!
My knee slammed into its jaw.
Grahhkk!
Even a beast like this couldn’t completely shrug off the force of an Aura-user’s attack. The impact rocked its head, and the wolf paused for a moment.
Taking advantage, I quickly searched for my sword.
The weapon I’d dropped during the earlier tumble—there! In the corner.
I won’t stand a chance without it. No way I can pierce this thing’s thick hide barehanded.
I bolted toward the sword, even as the earlier hit left me staggering slightly.
Gritting my teeth, I dove and grabbed it.
Just then—
Zap!
A sense of danger prickled across my body. Acting on instinct, I rolled to the side.
Boom!
The wolf’s claws slammed into the ground where I had been moments before.
…Look at the size of those claws.
They could rip me to shreds in one strike.
The proof was in my coat, now torn and hanging in tatters from the earlier blow.
How long have I had this thing? And it’s already falling apart.
It was supposed to be expensive. Can it even be repaired?
Well…
Whoosh—Crash!
I need to survive first, repairs can wait.
Still, one piece of good news.
Drip, Drip.
Blood was dripping heavily from the wolf’s earlier wound.
I know how that feels.
This beast doesn’t seem to care about its body, either.
Feeling a strange sense of kinship, I sprang to my feet.
Gathering Aura, I felt that I was ready to use Fleet again.
As its massive paw swung toward me—
Whoosh!
I activated Fleet, my body vanishing, leaving behind an afterimage.
Standing behind the wolf as it crushed my illusion, I raised my sword and poured all my weight and Aura into the thrust.
Shunk!
The blade narrowly missed its heart, embedding itself just beside it.
Did it twist its body at the last moment?
Its massive size made it impossible to completely avoid the strike, but if it were closer to my size, it might have dodged entirely.
…Now that I think about it.
It even reacted to Fleet, my trump card executed with the Track technique. This thing has an uncanny awareness, just like the constant alarms blaring in my own senses.
Boom!
Having already used Fleet, I couldn’t dodge. The wolf’s hind leg struck me, sending me flying.
Fortunately, the blade lodged in its body must have weakened its force, as the impact wasn’t as severe as before.
Tumble, Tumble.
I rolled across the ground but managed to regain my stance after a few rolls.
However—
Huff… Huff…
The wolf hadn’t moved from its position. It sat there, panting heavily as if drained.
Well, the sword had gone in pretty deep.
Given the weight behind it, the damage must’ve been significant.
And considering its already severe wounds, this last attack may have been the decisive blow.
So, is it time to finish this?
The mission called for capturing it, but how am I supposed to capture something like that?
One wrong move and I’d end up dead instead.
It’s not even my mission to begin with.
The mercenaries should be fine with a failed mission over a fatality.
Resolving to end it cleanly, I approached with Aura gathering in my blade.
But then—
Thud!
The wolf pushed off the ground and stood up with a powerful leap.
It still has fight left?
Damn it. If I could just pull out the sword stuck in its back, this would be over.
Fleet was still on cooldown, but I could probably create an opening with Rush.
Tense, prepared for any tricks it might have, I cautiously advanced.
Tack! Tack!
Suddenly, the wolf turned and bolted toward the forest.
“You filthy bastard!”
I shouted in disbelief and immediately gave chase.
Losing my prey was bad enough, but the sword! That sword! Losing it would be a disaster!
But despite its injuries, the wolf dashed into the forest with terrifying speed, disappearing into the darkness.
“Hah… Seriously?”
This is driving me crazy.
I took a moment to scan my surroundings.
The werewolves didn’t dare approach me, too frightened to make a move.
From the sounds coming from the mercenaries’ direction, it seemed they were close to securing their victory.
If that’s the case…
I should pursue it before the night gets any darker.
Hah.
Do I really have to do this again?
Clutching my aching side, I started following the direction the alpha wolf had fled.
It was out of sight now, but with a sword stuck in its back, it had fled in a panic.
Of course…
Rustle.
The ground was littered with bloodstains and heavy, uneven paw prints.
The creature’s massive size meant its tracks were unmistakably clear, even for someone without much skill in tracking.
Not that it mattered; even if the signs were fainter, I could’ve followed them without an issue.
Earlier, I left it to the mercenaries to handle so I could see their skills, but tracking? That had been my specialty in my past life.
Anyway…
I quickly began following the trail of blood and prints.
Cutting through the underbrush, scaling rocky hills, and steadily ascending the mountain, I noticed the trail becoming heavier with blood as I went.
The end was near.
With this amount of bleeding, it was likely the wolf would collapse soon.
The sheer volume of blood loss bordered on excessive, nearly fatal.
And so, I kept tracking it, pushing forward even as the dimming light made the trail harder to follow.
Until—
Rustle.
I finally spotted something: a cave illuminated faintly by the moonlight.
It was a large cave, and…
“Hmm.”
The stench of blood was overwhelming.
It wasn’t just from the wolf’s trail but from the heaps of monster corpses scattered around the entrance.
Why are there so many bodies piled up here?
Even intermediate monsters, as well as advanced ones, were scattered among the corpses. It seemed the wolf had dragged in prey from both mid-level and high-altitude areas indiscriminately.
Wait, could it be…
The blood trail continued into the cave, but before heading inside, I examined the bodies around the entrance.
On the cave’s side wall, where the larger corpses were piled, I noticed a gray-skinned monster lying there.
“Found it.”
It was my first time seeing one in person, but it matched the descriptions I’d heard perfectly.
The size rivaled the alpha wolf, its cracked skin resembling jagged rock patterns.
Its thick limbs ended in broad hands and feet.
And protruding from its tightly closed mouth were massive molars.
What luck.
I climbed onto the troll’s body and yanked out two of its teeth.
Judging by how fresh the body looked, these should still be in good condition.
I slipped them into my pouch and turned toward the cave.
The moonlight barely penetrated the cave’s entrance, leaving the interior pitch black.
Wary of a potential ambush, I activated Track to survey the surroundings.
The technique pierced through the darkness, revealing a surprisingly clean cave interior.
Blood continued to drip along the ground, forming a path deeper inside.
This thing is holding out longer than I expected.
Step, Step.
Cautiously, I made my way further into the cave, every nerve on edge, prepared for an ambush at any moment.
But—
“What the…”
All that tension was for nothing.
At the far end of the cave, in a large hollow, the alpha wolf lay curled up, completely motionless.
…Is it dead?
Approaching it carefully, I checked its condition.
It wasn’t breathing.
Looks like it wanted to die in its den.
Schlick.
I pulled the sword from its back.
This damn thing caused me so much trouble.
If not for the blade, I wouldn’t have bothered chasing it this far.
Still, I had to admit—it was a formidable opponent.
Just as I was about to turn away, still using Track, I noticed something faintly moving in the alpha wolf’s chest.
What’s that?
Something’s there?
I moved closer and brushed aside the blood-soaked fur.
Then…
Wheez… Wheeze…
Nestled in the cooling body of the alpha wolf was a small, white-furred pup, its eyes barely open.
“What the hell.”
I shouldn’t have looked.
