Alpha roared, its thunderous cry shaking the entire space, rupturing the silent night.
But this time, within that reverberating sound, its fury was no longer just pure rage, it was laced with confusion, a clear loss of control.
Three of its eyes had been destroyed. Red pixel fragments continued to spill from its empty sockets, like shattered droplets of blood dissolving into the air.
It still had three eyes left... but at this rate, they would be erased one by one. And when there was nothing left to see, all it could do was wait for death.
Ren wouldn't allow that to happen slowly.
Right now.
This was the moment to end it.
He lunged forward, his feet slamming against the ground, using every ounce of force to propel himself faster. His figure sliced through the air like a blade, hurtling straight toward Alpha.
At the same time, from the opposite side, Asuna moved as well, the gleam of her rapier flashing coldly in the darkness.
Like the closing blades of a pair of scissors, they pressed in on their prey, forcing Alpha to divide its attention between two threats.
But before it could react…
Mito arrived first.
Her figure emerged from the side of the massive wolf, her eyes burning with determination. The colossal scythe in her hands arced upward from below, its sharp trajectory slashing into Alpha's front leg with immense force.
Crack!
A heavy sound echoed, not just the impact of steel against flesh, but the brittle snap of bone shattering under absolute strength.
Its remaining HP: 2 hp bar left.
Alpha howled in agony, its massive body trembling, stumbling backward. Its ruined front leg quivered, no longer able to support its own weight.
And that was exactly the opening Ren had been waiting for.
He pushed off the ground, launching himself like an arrow loosed from a bow.
His eyes saw only one thing, Alpha's throat.
The blade in his hands reflected the faint, pale light of the night, tracing a line of death through the air. Ren poured every ounce of strength into his next strike, his eyes locked onto his target.
Even in its daze, Alpha still tried to retaliate one last time. Its razor-sharp claws lashed out, desperate to tear apart anything within reach.
Too late.
Too late to fight back.
Ren gritted his teeth, every muscle in his body tightening as he threw his entire weight behind his sword.
And...
Slash!
The blade struck Alpha's throat.
Cut through.
Tore past its iron-like hide.
Sank deep into bone.
A surge of red pixels erupted violently, like shattered blood scattering in the air. The crimson glow from the fatal wound spread across the battlefield, saturating the tense atmosphere.
In that very moment.
A cold streak of light slashed through the field.
Asuna!
Her rapier thrust forward, precise as a drill, piercing through Alpha's steel-like fur!
Ren staggered back, pulling his sword free, just as the beast let out a guttural roar, its massive frame convulsing. Its claws scraped against the ground.
It wasn't dead yet!
It twisted its body, coiling like a snake. Its massive jaws snapped open, preparing to tear Asuna apart!
But...
A massive scythe crashed down.
A crimson arc of light slashed through the battlefield.
Mito struck hard, her scythe cleaving into Alpha's side, slicing through to the bone.
The beast's remaining HP: 1 hp bar left.
Alpha roared, a sound that ripped through the night, shaking the very air.
Its entire massive body convulsed violently, claws raking the ground in sheer desperation.
But they didn't give it a chance to escape… Three small figures surrounded the monstrous beast.
They moved swiftly, gracefully, like dancers weaving through a deadly performance.
Ren spun his sword, the silver steel flashing in the dark. A sharp, merciless slash swept across Alpha's leg, pushing it further off balance.
Immediately.
Asuna dashed in, her eyes gleaming with unwavering focus. The tip of her rapier drove into Alpha's exposed throat, tearing open the previous wound. A burst of deep red pixels sprayed outward, as real as blood.
The beast shuddered, howling one final time, but its roar was cut short when a scythe slashed across its side!
Mito gripped her weapon tight, every muscle flexing as she yanked the scythe in a deadly arc.
Shhk!!
A sickening tear echoed through the battlefield.
The blade sank deep into Alpha's ribs.
The entire massive body of the beast lurched, skidding across the fractured ground. One side of its torso was torn open, spilling red pixel fragments like dying embers in the wind.
And that was the decisive moment.
Ren clenched his jaw, his entire body wound like a bowstring drawn to its limit.
HE WOULDN'T LET THIS CHANCE SLIP!
Instantly, he tightened his grip on his sword, his feet slamming into the ground.
"STAP!"
A gust of wind exploded beneath him.
His body shot forward, accelerating like a lightning bolt through the night.
"HAAAH!!"
The blade descended with his full weight behind it!
Slash!!
A razor-sharp strike plunged into Alpha's weak point at the throat, cutting through layers of flesh and sinew, driving straight into the unyielding bone.
A violent explosion erupted.
Pixels burst apart, scattering like the blood of a real beast.
Alpha let out one last, earth-shaking roar.
But its voice faltered....its cry choked off in its throat.
Its massive body spasmed violently, its breaths turning ragged and erratic. The last of its remaining eyes dimmed, the wild light within them fading to nothing.
And then, like a collapsing mountain, Alpha fell. Its final HP bar shattered into translucent fragments.
Its thick, black fur began to disintegrate, breaking into thousands of glowing red pixels, each drifting away with the icy night wind.
For a brief moment, the space around it distorted, twisting unnaturally, before vanishing into nothingness.
The battle was over…
Ren stood amidst the scattered remains of the monster, his breath ragged, his chest rising and falling with the remnants of adrenaline.
Sweat trickled down his temple, mixing with the red pixel stains smeared across his face.
A soft breeze drifted past, carrying the cold of the night.
But this time…
There were no more roars.
Only the wind, and the pounding of a heart still burning with the fire of battle.
[Congratulations]
[You have defeated Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf.]
[ +1230 EXP]
[You have leveled up: Lv 6]
[+330 Cor]
[+3 Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf Hide]
[+1 Alpha Giant Elite Dire Wolf Fang]
[You have received… Broken Oath]
[You have received… Wolf Fang Pendant]
…
The battle was over.
Ren stood amidst the shattered remnants of the beast, his breath still uneven, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
Sweat trickled down his temple, mixing with the pixelated blood clinging to his skin.
A gentle breeze swept through, carrying the cold air of the night.
But this time...
There were no more roars.
Only the sound of the wind and the rapid heartbeat of someone whose battle fervor had yet to subside.
Ren tightened his grip on the sword hilt, looking down at his hand. The trembling hadn't completely faded. Not from fear. But from the aftershocks of battle, from the adrenaline still coursing through his veins.
A faint sound came from behind.
Ren turned around, just in time to see Asuna drop to one knee, using her sword for balance.
She was panting, sweat glistening on her forehead, but her eyes remained bright, showing no sign of exhaustion.
When she noticed Ren looking, she smiled, a weary but satisfied smile.
Mito stood not far away, gripping her scythe planted into the ground, her other hand clenched into a fist. She said nothing, simply staring at the pile of shattered pixels in front of her, as if struggling to believe the colossal monster had truly been defeated.
After a moment, she looked up, meeting Ren's gaze.
"…You're really strong," Mito murmured, her voice still tinged with disbelief.
Ren didn't know how to respond. He wasn't even sure if he was truly strong.
A whistle broke the silence.
Argo dropped down from a nearby tree branch, landing as lightly as a cat. She crossed her arms, eyeing Ren with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
"Gotta say, I'm impressed, kiddo," she remarked, lips curling into a mischievous grin. "What's it been? A day and a night? And you've already taken down a field boss."
Ren frowned. "Don't call me 'kiddo.'"
"But it suits you, doesn't it?" Argo chuckled, then shifted her gaze across the battlefield. "By the way… where'd the rest of the wolves go?"
Ren suddenly realized…
The pack that had attacked alongside the Alpha, the ones that lunged in at the very start… had vanished.
No, not vanished.
They were retreating.
Far in the distance, in the shadows between the trees, glowing golden eyes flickered. But they no longer held aggression, no longer gleamed with hostility. Only wariness. Fear.
One by one, those eyes disappeared, the wolves retreating deeper into the forest, until they were gone entirely.
The players still fighting them gradually realized what was happening, and they stopped, relief washing over them like a tide.
Asuna exhaled, adjusting her stance. "They only fight as long as the Alpha lives. Once it's dead, they won't throw their lives away for nothing."
Argo shrugged. "Smart move. If I were them, I'd run too."
No one spoke further.
Only silence remained, stretching across the battlefield, carried by the biting cold of the night.
Ren slowly loosened his grip on his sword. The blade was still stained with traces of shattered red pixels, but… it had fulfilled its purpose.
He had fought.
He had survived.
And he had won.
...
The frigid night wind swept through the clearing, carrying away the last fragments of red pixels from the Alpha's body, scattering them into the void. The battle was over.
Under the patchy moonlight, there were no more howls of the wolf pack.
No more claws tearing into the earth, no more furious footsteps pounding against the ground as if to devour everything in their path.
Only the sound of ragged breathing, the clinking of metal as weapons were lowered, and an eerie silence blanketing the battlefield.
Someone spoke. A hesitant, trembling voice breaking through the lingering scent of blood and death.
"…Did we… really win?"
And then.
The battlefield erupted.
Cheers burst forth like a crashing wave, rolling from the city gates and surging outward.
Guards collapsed to the ground, some laughing in sheer relief, others on the verge of tears, realizing they were still alive.
Some exchanged glances of disbelief, as if none of them could be sure this was reality and not just a dream.
The captain of the guards clutched his bow tightly.
His hands trembled, not from fear. But from the overwhelming weight in his chest.
He scanned his surroundings, at those who had braced themselves for death, at those who had fought relentlessly despite knowing their chances of survival were slim.
And yet… they were still standing.
Still alive.
And it was all thanks to them.
His gaze settled on Ren and his group, the ones who had made the impossible happen.
Ren still stood there, fingers wrapped around the hilt of his sword, the silver blade dripping with tiny red pixel shards that shimmered under the cold moonlight.
He didn't cheer. He didn't sigh in relief. He showed no signs of exhilaration from victory.
He simply stared at the spot where the Alpha had fallen, as if his mind was still trapped within the battle.
Asuna gasped for breath, her sweat-drenched hair clinging to her face, her eyes alight with a brilliance never seen before. Mito leaned on her scythe, trying to steady the tremors in her fingers.
And Argo, as always, just shrugged, flashing that unreadable smile. But this time, there was a hint of quiet relief in it.
The captain stepped forward.
His gaze was sharp, as if committing every detail of Ren's face to memory. When he finally spoke, his voice was rough, yet heavy with meaning.
"…No one expected us to survive this battle."
He looked at Ren for a long moment.
"You've changed, kid. Stronger. More decisive."
Then, he bowed his head.
"Thank you."
Silence hung over them.
Then, one by one, the guards behind him followed suit, bowing deeply.
Ren stiffened. He wasn't used to this.
He wasn't a hero.
He wasn't a savior.
He had simply fought to survive.
But even so…
As he felt their gazes upon him, as the weight of their gratitude filled the air, he could only grip his sword tighter in silence.
The night wind howled across the battlefield, carrying the scent of blood into nothingness.
The battle had ended.
But its echoes remained.
And then...
In the midst of the heavy, emotional silence, Ren tilted his head slightly, lowering his voice as if he didn't want anyone else to hear.
"…So… can I get a bonus reward?"
...
The captain, who had been on the verge of tears, deeply moved, froze as if doused in cold water.
"…What?"
He stared at Ren, utterly blank.
Ren, however, remained dead serious, his expression eerily grave, as if negotiating a matter of national strategy.
"I need money."
"You're still just a kid. What do you need that much money for?" The captain narrowed his eyes.
Ren replied without hesitation, his tone completely unwavering.
"…To buy a house."
"…What?"
"I'm in debt. Don't shortchange me."
...
Silence stretched between them.
The captain blinked, then let out a defeated chuckle, shaking his head.
Damn it.
Kids these days…
They really were thinking further ahead than the old folks ever did.