Dire Wolf Lv2.
Dire Wolf Lv3.
Dire Wolf Lv3.
Dire Wolf Lv2.
…..
More and more Dire Wolves emerged. The darkness swallowed the forest, leaving only pairs of cold, piercing eyes glowing like embers in the black night.
At first, only one lurked at the edge of their vision. Then two. Then three.
Before long, their figures filled the gaps between the trees, weaving through the shadows like silent phantoms, yet casting an oppressive, suffocating weight upon the air.
The soldiers held their formation, their ranks as firm as a moving fortress.
Steel gleamed from the tips of spears and the edges of swords, reflecting the faint light of the crystals.
No one spoke, only the sound of heavy, tension-laced breathing filled the space between them.
Ren gripped the hilt of his sword, his heart pounding against his ribs. It felt as if an invisible noose was tightening around his mind.
"Commander..." His voice wavered slightly, but he forced himself to remain steady. "Can the Alpha summon the entire pack?"
The commander didn't turn his head, but Ren could feel the tension in the man's low, heavy reply.
"If it's strong enough… and has led the pack for long… then not just summon. It can command."
A chill ran down Ren's spine.
A monster that wasn't just overwhelmingly strong, but one that could lead an entire pack like a true warlord?
If that was the case, then this wasn't a mere hunt anymore.
They weren't just facing an Alpha… but an entire army of predators in the night.
Ren swallowed dryly, his fingers unconsciously tightening around his sword.
Images of his first encounter with that beast flashed through his mind, those wild eyes, the gleaming fangs, and the deathly pounce that had nearly torn him apart in an instant.
A few Dire Wolves ambushing him had already been enough to push him to the brink.
What about an entire pack?
There was no time to ponder the answer.
Low, guttural growls began to echo from the depths of the forest.
No longer mere shadows lurking in the dark… they were advancing.
Ren swallowed hard, his eyes straining to catch the movements among the trees.
In the blink of an eye, the first Dire Wolves lunged from the darkness, their four limbs pounding against the earth with terrifying speed.
"Positions!"
The commander's voice rang out like a thunderclap, snapping the entire unit into battle stance.
Spears braced forward. Blades gleamed under the crystal's glow.
The sound of pounding paws grew louder. At first, just a few… then dozens.
They were surrounded.
Ren stood shoulder to shoulder with his comrades, cold sweat trickling down his back. The wolves didn't attack immediately. They circled, growling, waiting for the perfect moment.
Unlike normal Dire Wolves, larger, faster figures loomed within the pack...Elite Dire Wolves.
Their fur was thicker, their eyes sharper, their movements like specters gliding through the night.
But what truly made Ren's breath hitch, was the creature standing behind them all.
A colossal wolf.
Nearly twice the size of the Elite Dire Wolves, its muscles rippled beneath thick, dark gray fur.
Fangs jutted past its maw, drool dripping from their jagged tips.
Its eyes gleamed with intelligence… not just a predator, but a ruler.
And above its head...three health bars.
Giant Elite Dire Wolf.
Lv 7.
Ren's body tensed. This was the same beast that had hunted him and Klein's group the night before.
And now, it had brought its entire pack to encircle the soldiers struggling to hold their ground.
The air was thick with the scent of beasts.
Low growls mixed with the rustling of leaves as the wolves tightened their encirclement.
No longer distant shadows between the trees… they had drawn so close that Ren could see the wild gleam in their eyes, the jagged fangs glinting under the flickering crystal light.
Giant Elite Dire Wolf.
The massive wolf loomed over its pack, regal in the darkness.
Its powerful legs dug into the earth, claws scraping lightly over the damp forest floor, as if savoring the moment before it tore into its prey.
Its eyes… deep, ruthless, filled with disdain as they swept over the soldiers struggling to stand their ground.
There was no urgency in its stance.
It was toying with them.
Ren felt his entire body coil with tension. He could hear the sharp breaths of the soldiers beside him.
They had faced many monsters before, but this...an organized, strategic hunting pack, led by a cunning Alpha was an entirely different battlefield.
A howl pierced the night.
Long. Echoing.
A signal.
In an instant, the pack roared as one and charged.
"HOLD THE LINE! DO NOT LET THEM BREAK OUR FORMATION!"
The commander's voice thundered through the chaos as claws ripped against the ground.
Spears braced. Blades flashed as swords were drawn.
The wolves came like a gray tidal wave, their speed blinding, their forms leaving only afterimages in the dark.
SHUNK!
A Dire Wolf was impaled by a spear, howling in agony before collapsing.
But before the soldier could pull his weapon free, two more leapt at him from the sides—only to be intercepted by his comrades.
A sword flashed.
One clean stroke.
A Dire Wolf's head tumbled, severed in a single cut.
Pixelated blood splattered into the air.
Painful cries tore through the night.
Ren had no time to think.
An Elite Dire Wolf lunged at him.
Taller, faster, and stronger than ordinary Dire Wolves. Its thick fur shimmered faintly under the scattered light.
It shot forward like an arrow, claws raised, aiming straight for his throat.
Ren let out a quiet sigh, gripping his sword tightly.
Just as the wolf was mid-air, Ren twisted his body slightly, slipping past the swift pounce.
The tip of his blade flashed, driving deep into the wolf's left flank, knocking it off balance and sending it crashing to the ground.
But a single strike wasn't enough to finish off a monster with higher levels and HP than a regular Dire Wolf.
The wolf let out a piercing howl, but instead of retreating, it became even more ferocious.
Before Ren could react, a chilling gust brushed past him.
From the side, another Elite Dire Wolf lunged!
He swiftly yanked his sword free from the fallen wolf's flank, rolling away just in time to dodge.
"AARGH!"
A scream tore through the night.
Several soldiers failed to react in time to the gray wave surging from the darkness.
In mere moments, the wolves had broken through the defensive line. Their bites, once ineffective against armor, now left deep dents, and blood had begun to spill.
The scent of iron filled the air.
And the pack went wild.
But they weren't just wild beasts acting on blind instinct. They weren't attacking at random, they were hunting.
With strategy, with coordination. One wolf baited, another struck from the side. One pounced head-on, forcing the enemy back, straight into the fangs of another waiting behind.
All of it unfolded beneath the cold, watchful eyes of the Giant Elite Dire Wolf.
It stood there. Not charging in. No need to make a move.
It knew… the right moment had yet to come.
But…
A slight disruption wasn't enough to break the soldiers' formation.
"Close ranks! Spears and shields!"
A sharp voice cut through the battlefield, cold as steel.
The commander raised his sword high and brought it down, cleaving through an Elite Dire Wolf's body. A burst of crimson pixels scattered like fireworks in the dark.
The soldiers reacted instantly.
They pressed together, steel shields locking into an unbreakable wall, leaving only narrow gaps for thrusting spears or slicing swords.
Before long, an impenetrable defense had formed.
The Elite Dire Wolves hesitated for a moment.
They sensed the shift... the defense had solidified, leaving no openings to exploit.
But that didn't make them retreat.
The Giant Elite Dire Wolf still stood in the distance, its cold gaze glinting in the night. It didn't roar out orders. It didn't need to.
An Elite Dire Wolf let out a low growl, then leaped.
But it didn't crash into the shield wall like the others before it... Instead, it soared past, heading straight for the rear guards.
Immediately, another followed suit.
"They're targeting the backline!"
A soldier shouted, but it was too late. Shields couldn't protect from above.
A shield nearly got knocked aside. But at that moment, a silver flash sliced through the air.
Ren intercepted the sudden aerial attack with a single strike. Without pausing, he spun and delivered a vertical slash, cutting from the beast's snarling maw all the way down to its hind legs.
[You have defeated Elite Dire Wolf.]
The soldiers tightened their formation, but the enemies weren't fools.
The wolves adapted, with one group pressing the frontlines, throwing the defense into disarray, while others flanked and struck from blind spots.
Ren fought alongside the commander and the town guards.
[You have defeated Dire Wolf.]
[You have defeated Dire Wolf.]
[You have defeated...]
Amidst the chaos of the battlefield, the commander realized, this place was not in their favor.
The Elite Dire Wolves launched ambush after ambush, emerging from the dense underbrush.
The darkness, combined with their silent movements… This was their domain.
"We need to fall back to open ground. Keep the formation and move toward the rock basin," the commander's authoritative voice echoed.
The soldiers obeyed without hesitation. They moved in disciplined silence under their leader's orders.
But… on the other side of the battlefield…
The Giant Elite Dire Wolf still had not moved.
It was waiting.
It knew...this defense would not last forever.