"Now!"
The moment Klein gave the command, two figures shot forward from both sides like sharp blades, reflecting the dim light of the night.
Dale roared, channeling all his strength into his arms. His colossal greatsword sliced through the air, crashing down with the force of a sledgehammer.
The strike, powerful enough to shatter a boulder, was aimed straight at the giant wolf's back.
A deep gash tore through the creature's thick fur and hardened hide, the impact so immense that it threw the beast off balance.
Staggering, the monster leaped backward with all the strength it had left.
In its dazed state, it momentarily lost its focus on its prey.
At that exact moment, Issin dashed in from the opposite direction, his movements swift as lightning.
His sharp blade carved a perfect arc through the air, targeting the beast's hind leg.
A precise strike there would cripple its speed, creating an opportunity to turn the tide of battle!
Slash!
The sword whistled as it cut through the wind.
But!
That initial reaction... was merely a feint.
It wasn't actually stunned by Dale's attack.
By the time Issin realized this, he was already within reach.
The monster reacted with unnatural speed.
The Giant Elite Dire Wolf twisted its body in a flawless motion, its thick fur rippling like a dark storm beneath the moonlight.
It dodged the strike by mere inches... as if it had predicted it!
In a split second, the beast swerved past Issin unexpectedly.
And lunged straight for Dale like a bloody tempest.
Dale's eyes widened just before...
Whoosh!
A massive claw slashed downward, sharp as brutal blades!
"GRRAAAAH!!!"
Boom!!
Its enormous body spun with lethal agility, its tail whipping out like a coiled serpent.
The sheer force sent Issin flying before he could react. At the same time, Dale's shoulder was carved open by those razor-sharp claws.
The impact was so powerful that both Dale and Issin were hurled into the air like puppets with their strings cut.
Their bodies crashed onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Khugh… damn it…" Dale gritted his teeth, his mind spinning as he tried to push himself up. But his sword-wielding arm was completely numb, almost devoid of feeling.
Issin pressed his hands against the dirt, his face pale. His eyes darted toward his HP bar.
Less than a third left!
His heartbeat thundered in his chest, cold sweat running down his spine.
"Everyone! Fall back now!!" Klein shouted, his voice urgent, laced with panic.
But before anyone could even react.
BOOM!
The Giant Elite Dire Wolf lunged forward like a lightning bolt!
Ren's eyes widened. His entire body froze as the massive beast closed in at terrifying speed.
His instincts screamed at him to move, but his legs had turned to jelly under the sheer force of the attack.
His vision blurred and shrank into darkness.
It felt as if he was staring into a raging inferno, those crimson eyes piercing through the night.
No time to dodge!
The beast's tail smashed into Ren.
THWACK!!
His body was flung into the air before slamming hard into the ground.
Even with the sturdy Boar Hide Armor protecting him, pain exploded across his chest, as if his ribs had been crushed.
His lungs seized up, breath hitching from the sheer impact.
His vision flickered red. Again and again, like a flashing alarm.
His HP plummeted to a critical level!
"Ren!!"
Klein's scream rang out like a crack of thunder.
Without hesitation, he dashed forward, sword swinging to intercept the monster's next strike.
Clang!!
The sheer force of the blow sent Klein skidding backward, his boots carving two deep grooves into the dirt.
"Damn it, it's too strong!" Dynamm shouted, staggering as he struggled to support Dale and Issin.
They couldn't win!
If they stayed any longer, they would all die here!
"Ryoutarou, retreat now!" Dynamm yelled.
Klein clenched his jaw, his gaze flickering between Ren and the others.
There was no other choice!
They couldn't fight this monster... not a second longer.
"RUN!!"
The entire group turned and bolted toward the Starting Town, pouring every last ounce of strength into their retreat!
Panting breaths and frantic footsteps filled the air.
But the Giant Elite Dire Wolf refused to let them go.
"GRRAOOOOO!!!"
It roared, its crimson eyes blazing like the fires of hell.
Its taut muscles coiled as it launched itself off the ground, chasing after them like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.
Ren, still dazed, staggered to his feet with Dale's support. His gaze flicked backward.
The monster was closing in!
Too fast!
The sheer force of its movement tore through the air, sending gusts of wind crashing against Ren's trembling frame.
If not for Dale's firm grip keeping him steady, his slender form would have crumpled onto the ground.
"We're not gonna make it…!" Dale gasped, sweat beading on his forehead as the beast loomed closer.
The town was only a few hundred meters away…
But could they reach it in time?!
—
Labored breathing and pounding footsteps filled the night.
The massive shadow behind them drew ever closer.
Every step of the Giant Elite Dire Wolf sent tremors through the ground, its razor-sharp claws tearing through dirt and rock, leaving deep gashes as if carving its name into the path of the hunt.
Each step forward felt heavier, an invisible weight pressing down on both body and mind.
Ren could feel every muscle fiber in his body screaming.
His chest burned, his legs felt weak. But he couldn't stop… even slowing down for a second meant death.
"Damn it… it's still chasing us!" Dale gritted his teeth, his breath ragged.
For the first time, Ren saw Dale struggling to breathe while facing something like this.
His heart clenched.
'If it wasn't because of me…' But there was no time to dwell on that.
Klein glanced over his shoulder, and his heart sank as he realized the distance between them and the beast was shrinking.
One more leap, and it would catch the slowest runner!
His eyes flashed with determination.
He couldn't let that happen.
"Keep running!" Klein shouted, then, without warning, he turned around to face the nightmare charging at them.
"Ryoutarou?! What the hell are you doing?!" Dynamm was the first to react, spinning around to grab Klein's arm, but he was too late.
Dynamm instinctively wanted to chase after him, but then he remembered, he was still supporting Issin, who was nearly paralyzed after taking a brutal hit from the wolf's tail.
"Hah?!" Ren gasped and turned back, but it was too late… Klein had already raised his sword.
His fingers tightened around the hilt, pouring every ounce of strength he had left into a fierce swing.
"Sword Skill: Vertical Arc!!"
A streak of blue light slashed through the darkness as his blade came down.
BOOM!!
A glowing green arc carved through the air in a V-shape, Klein's body nearly vanishing from the sheer speed of his attack.
His sword clashed directly against the massive claws of the Giant Elite Dire Wolf.
A burst of sparks erupted upon impact, sending shockwaves that cracked the ground beneath them. The force was so strong that Klein's arm went numb, his legs buckling.
The strike wasn't enough to deal fatal damage, but....
One second.
That was all he needed.
"GO!!" Klein roared, his eyes blazing as he saw the others still hesitating.
Ren clenched his jaw, a whirlwind of emotions crashing through him.
But then, he gritted his teeth and turned away.
He couldn't stop. If he did, they would all die.
But Klein…
"GRRAAAHHH!!!"
A furious roar ripped through the night.
The blood-red eyes of the Giant Elite Dire Wolf burned with rage as it glared at the one who dared to stand in its way.
It was no longer chasing the group.
Its focus was locked solely on Klein.
The beast's massive claws swung up like the scythe of death.
Klein gritted his teeth, raising his sword to block.
SWISH!
A streak of light sliced through the air, cutting through the darkness.
THUNK!!
A sharp arrow buried itself deep into the beast's side, making it snarl in pain.
"Stand down! This is the town's boundary!"
A commanding voice rang out.
Klein's eyes widened as he turned to see a line of town guards standing ready, weapons drawn.
Their captain lowered his bow, his sharp gaze locked onto the monster.
BOOM!
A barrage of glowing arrows shot through the air, embedding themselves into the Giant Elite Dire Wolf's body.
They didn't deal massive damage, but the magical light radiating from them made the beast howl in frustration, its movements faltering as if held back by an unseen force.
Its red eyes flashed with fury, but it couldn't take another step forward.
It stood there, growling, its gaze sweeping over the escaping group as if engraving their images into its memory.
Then, after a moment of hesitation, it turned and vanished into the darkness.
The group gasped for breath, their bodies drained of all strength.
Dynamm and Issin collapsed onto the cold, safe ground of the town's protection.
Dale finally let go of Ren's arm, knowing what the boy had to do.
Ren stumbled forward, his legs barely holding him up.
"Klein!" He rushed over, catching him before he could fall, his heart still pounding in his chest.
Klein let out a shaky laugh, his entire body stiff from the impact. "Damn… that was close."
"Are you insane?! Why did you turn back?!" Ren snapped, his voice laced with both anger and fear.
Klein chuckled weakly, exhaling. "We were all exhausted. If it caught up… at least I could buy time."
Ren clenched his jaw. A crushing sense of helplessness wrapped around him. If the guards hadn't arrived in time, Klein would have.
His fists tightened, his nails digging into his palms.
Beside them, the guard captain stepped forward, surveying the group before giving a nod.
"You're lucky," he said. "If you were any later, even we wouldn't have been able to save you."
Ren didn't answer.
His eyes stayed fixed on the darkness where the beast had disappeared.
He knew… it was still out there.
And next time, if they crossed paths again…
They had to be stronger.