The group halted in the middle of the forest, their breaths still ragged after the intense battle.
Dry leaves crunched beneath their feet as each of them moved, checking wounds or adjusting their grip on their weapons.
Ren planted his sword into the ground, shoulders rising and falling with each breath.
His gaze flickered across the interface notifications, some extra experience, a bit of money.
"Well done." The commander spoke in a low voice, stabbing his sword into the ground before him. Around him, the soldiers nodded to each other, a few even offering relieved smiles upon realizing they had survived the battle.
Ren sat down on a rock, gripping his sword tightly as he listened to the quiet sighs of relief from the soldiers beside him. One of them chuckled softly.
"Well, that was easier than I expected."
Another soldier grumbled, rubbing a shoulder covered in scratches. "Easy? I almost got swatted across the forest back there."
Ren didn't join in the conversation, but the corner of his lips curled up just slightly.
The tension began to fade. But just as quiet laughter echoed through the night, a cold wind swept through the forest…
"It's too soon to let your guard down... Our target is the Alpha. We need to take it down as soon as possible." The commander sheathed his sword, scanning the soldiers.
No one spoke.
One Giant Elite Dire Wolf had already pushed them to their limits—what kind of nightmare would the Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf bring?
Then, the forest became unnervingly silent.
The commander furrowed his brows, fingers tightening around his sword hilt as his sharp gaze swept through the trees ahead.
The soldiers around him sensed the shift as well, the previous sense of relief suffocated in an instant.
Ren felt his heart pound as a cold shiver ran down his spine.
A creeping sense of unease pulsed in sync with his heartbeat...
Something was still here.
And it was far more dangerous than what they had just fought.
"The Alpha?" Ren asked the commander.
But the man only shook his head, glancing around warily.
At that moment… hurried footsteps shattered the stillness of the night.
The rapid pounding of boots against the forest floor sent adrenaline surging through Ren's veins.
He sprang to his feet, fingers clenching around his sword hilt.
Around him, the soldiers reacted instinctively, raising their shields and weapons, tense like a drawn bowstring about to snap.
Then, a voice, familiar to the commander and his men but unknown to Ren, rang out from the darkness:
"It's our own! Hold your attack!"
A shadow burst from the trees, flickering under the weak, unsteady light, casting distorted shapes across dented armor and a sweat-covered face.
It was a scout.
The man panted heavily, bending over with hands on his knees.
"Urgent report!"
The commander stepped forward immediately, eyes sharp.
"Speak."
The scout swallowed dryly, trying to steady his breath before forcing out the words:
"The Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf... it just appeared... outside the town..."
The air froze.
Ren felt a chill run down his spine. Around him, the soldiers stiffened, some gripping their weapons instinctively.
"Outside the town?" The commander's voice dipped into a dangerous tone.
The scout nodded, still catching his breath. "Yes... It's no longer in the Rocky Hollow where it was this morning. It has left... and it's heading straight for the town... leading an entire pack of wolves."
Ren frowned.
This… wasn't normal monster behavior.
If the Alpha was truly moving toward the town, it wasn't just hunting on instinct.
It had a target.
And that target... was humans.
"Damn it… So those wolves blocking our way were just a trap…" the commander growled.
"Move! We're returning to the town immediately!" His voice was an order that could not be refused.
The soldiers sprang into action.
Some quickly checked their weapons, while others tightened their grips on their shields, their breaths still uneven from the previous battle.
But no one hesitated for long. They all understood, every second wasted could mean the difference between life and death.
Ren was no exception. He adjusted his sword, eyes fixed on the darkened path ahead.
There was no time to think. No time to wonder why the monsters were acting with such organization.
All that mattered now was reaching the town in time.
The players in the Starting Town… not all of them were ready to fight.
More and more had begun to pick up weapons and level up… and with enough determination and belief, they might be able to stand against the beast.
But… who would have to die first?
How many lives would vanish into nothingness?
Ren didn't even know if monsters could attack players in a safe zone.
He had never seen a monster step into one before.
The boars in the surrounding fields always avoided the safe areas, as if something repelled them.
Or… as if something forbade them from entering.
Inside the safe zones, players couldn't lose HP from attacking each other, but pain could still be felt…
But… what if that rule only applied to players?
If so, then this could be a Fortress Defense Raid, where monsters would be able to attack players, even inside the safe zone.
The chaotic thoughts tangled in Ren's mind.
…merging with the howling wind rushing through the trees.
Ren gritted his teeth. He couldn't be sure of anything.
But if this time was different… if the Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf could truly attack inside the safe zone…
…then this was no longer just a monster hunt.
This was a fight for survival.
His instincts screamed at him to run faster, but no matter how hard he pushed, his legs felt weighed down by something heavier than exhaustion.
Questions with no answers whirled through his mind, but Ren forced himself to push them aside.
The only thing that mattered now.
Was getting there in time.
The soldiers running beside him remained silent. No one had the breath to talk or joke like they had during their earlier rest.
A heavy tension hung over the group, like an invisible rope tightening around their throats.
The sound of hurried footsteps merged with the howling wind cutting through the treetops. They surged forward like a gust of wind tearing through the night.
The moon hung high in the sky, casting its pale glow over the figures rushing toward their next battlefield.
Their pace was much faster than before. This time, no one held back, they ran with everything they had.
They ran as if the night itself was chasing them, as if every passing second was pushing them closer to the edge of an impending nightmare.
Footsteps pounded against the uneven ground, echoing through the desolate forest. The clinking of armor, the sharp gasps of breath, the wind whistling through the leaves, all blended into an unrelenting, tense symphony.
Ren felt his muscles growing tighter with each movement, but he couldn't stop. He couldn't slow down.
Questions swirled in his mind like a raging storm:
Would they make it in time?
Could the town hold out?
How many people were there? How many would die if they failed to stop the Alpha?
He shook his head violently, forcing the weight of those thoughts away.
The commander ran ahead, silent but unwavering. His steps were steady, strong.
Ren could sense the determination in his every movement, a soldier well-accustomed to battle, to facing danger head-on.
The soldiers behind them didn't slow down either.
They had no idea what awaited them at their destination, yet they pushed forward at full speed, as if their very lives depended on it.
They looked anxious, uneasy… Perhaps they were worried for their loved ones.
Do they truly feel fear? Ren wondered, glancing at one of the soldiers.
Was he really afraid, or was he just pre-programmed data?
Ren had no answer.
But if the monster reached the town, it would slaughter everything in its path. Ren had seen the bloodthirst reflected in those six glowing red eyes.
And after an NPC dies… do they respawn?
Life.
Ren blinked. A thought struck him.
Did they truly have life?
The people running beside him, the soldiers ready to raise their swords and fight to the bitter end...were they just… lines of code programmed to act this way?
But when Ren looked at them, the determined eyes, the sweat rolling down their faces, the labored breathing, he wasn't so sure anymore.
Could a mere script tremble in fear?
Could a piece of data fight even when knowing death was certain?
Or were they, just like him… simply trying to survive?
He had no answer. But there was one thing he did know.
If the Alpha reached the town, if it tore these people apart into scattered red pixels… then they would never come back.
A cold wind swept past him, slipping through the fabric of his clothes, through the cracks of his armor. The soft fur lining of his hood brushed against his face, as if offering comfort.
But it did nothing to calm the storm raging within him.
Ren clenched his teeth.
Faster.
He had to move faster as the soldiers began to overtake him.
He knew, they were at a higher level, had better stats, better equipment. But Ren refused to slow down.
He had to get there before it was too late.
In the distance, the town appeared, lights flickering against the dark horizon, like a small island adrift in an endless black sea.
But… could it withstand the storm that was coming?