As the clash between the magical wolf and the girl grew fiercer, her breathing became labored. Once pristine and shimmering, her blue dress was now drenched in blood and sweat. Her body was riddled with wounds, but there wasn't even a hint of surrender in her eyes. She fought with every ounce of her strength—dodging attacks, striking back with precision.
"She's skilled," Jai Veer muttered from behind the trees. "Her speed, her precision… it's all there. But she's only at the 3-star Jagruti (Awakening) Stage, and that grade-1 wolf is easily a tough opponent for her. This fight's already tilted against her."
The girl dodged another savage swipe from the wolf. Her breath came in gasps, her limbs trembling. Her energy was almost completely depleted.
"If this keeps up… I'll die here," she thought, fear squeezing her chest like a vice. "But if I'm fated to die, then I'll die fighting, not in a cowardly manner."
Mustering every last drop of her magical energy, she infused it into her dagger. With a fierce cry, she hurled it straight at the wolf's head.
The dagger shot forward like lightning, slamming into the beast's magical barrier. Cracks spread across the shimmering shield. For a moment, it seemed as if the dagger might pierce through—but then, its energy gave out. The weapon fell to the ground, lifeless and ineffective.
The wolf growled, sensing her exhaustion.
It lunged at her with a deadly leap.
Her body froze. "So… this is how it ends?"
She shut her eyes tight. The beast was airborne—razor-sharp claws and fangs aimed right at her.
"SHING!"
In that instant, a sword sliced through the air, cleanly severing the beast's head. Its body hit the ground in two pieces—the head landing behind her, the torso collapsing at her feet.
Warm blood splattered across her face.
"What…!?" She gasped, instinctively touching her cheek.
Snapping her eyes open, she saw the fallen beast—and a gleaming sword embedded in the ground nearby.
"Who helped me!? Come out!" She shouted, her voice shaking but strong.
From behind the trees, a figure stepped forward—Jai Veer.
"Who are you?" she demanded sharply.
"Me? I was just passing by from here," Jai Veer replied, walking toward the sword. "I heard your voice and saw you struggling for time being, so I just helped you at the last."
"You saw me?" She scowled. "So you just stood there watching the whole time and helped only when there was a life-threatening situation?"
Jai Veer scratched his head, looking a bit sheepish. "You were holding your own so well… I didn't think you needed help. But when things looked bad, I stepped in."
She raised an eyebrow, still catching her breath. "Whatever. What are you doing in this forest, especially at night?"
"Actually, I got lost in this forest a few days ago ," he said honestly. "Since then, I've been stuck here… just surviving day by day."
She looked surprised. With a wave of her hand, she uses a gentle magical energy to remove the blood from her face and repair her torn clothing.
Jai Veer stepped towards her and asked, "What are you doing here in this forest this late?
"Oh! I'm here with my academy. Aaroha Academy," she said proudly. "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk… and got lost. That wolf picked up my trail before I could find my way back."
"Aaroha Academy?" Jai Veer blinked.
That wasn't just any name. It was the most prestigious academy in the entire Vrishabha Empire—and the second-best across the Aryavartha continent.
"You okay?" she asked, seeing his stunned face.
"Yeah… just surprised," he said. "To get into a place like that, you must come from a strong background, and you definitely do hard work to pass the entrance test, right?"
She smiled. "Yes, I work hard. But you—you don't look like you're from Aaroha. Which academy are you from?"
"None," Jai Veer said, shaking his head.
"What? You're not from any academy?" She was shocked—then burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Oh no… Don't tell me you've been stuck in here for days and didn't even know how to get out. I thought you got lost during any training session from the academy."
"Hey! What's so funny?" He snapped, annoyed.
Through her laughter, she wiped a tear from her eye. "It's just… this forest isn't even that big. If you walk during the day for just a couple of hours, you'd hit the outer edge."
Jai Veer flushed with embarrassment.
"Fine. Then you lead the way out in the morning," he muttered.
She nodded. "Sure, I'll guide you."
"Until then, you rest and regain your strength. I'll keep watching."
She smirked. "Yeah! Sure! Don't dare to go anywhere; you need to go out too, remember?"
Without another word, she sat cross-legged and began cultivating, drawing in Jiva Shakti (life force) to recover her wounds and lost strength. Jai Veer stood nearby, sword in hand, eyes scanning the darkness.
Three hours passed.
"Finally," she said, standing up. "I've recovered enough. Morning isn't far—once the sun rises, we'll move."
"Good," Jai Veer nodded.
She tilted her head and gave him a mischievous smile. "Oh wait—I never asked. What's your name?"
He blinked. "Jai Veer."
"Oooh… Should I call you Jai? Or Veer? Or Jai Veer?" she teased, nudging a pebble with her foot.
"Veer is fine," he replied coolly.
"Alright, Veer it is. And you can call me Anvi."
"Understood, Princess Anvi," he said with mock seriousness.
"Ha! You're right through," she grinned. "But just Anvi is fine."
Before they could say more, the nearby bushes began to rustle.
Grrrrrowl!
They turned sharply.
A massive wolf stepped out of the underbrush—twice the size of the earlier one. Its fur shimmered with magic, and its glowing eyes locked onto them with lethal intent.
A Grade-2 Magical Wolf.
Jai Veer's grip tightened around his sword. Even a peak 9-star Jagruti (Awakening) stage cultivator would hesitate before such a beast. He had only just reached the 8-star level after grueling days of combat and refining wolves's Jiva Shakti.
And Anvi?
She was still just at the 3-star Jagruti stage.
This battle would be tougher; there are very low chances to win against Grade-2 Magical Wolf.