Chapter 22: Either I'm a Hunter Tonight, or Prey
The largest among them, the leader, advanced with confident steps until it penetrated Aiden's perception range.
Aiden's eyes widened in shock:
"What is this thing doing here?!"
He jumped from his spot and quickly rushed to the roof.
He stood at the edge, intently observing the area he had sensed… the same feeling he knew before.
Before his eyes stretched a wide green area surrounded by withered, broken trees and fences. It was once a garden, but now it had lost all its sparkle and familiar comfort.
The giant wolf advanced with steady steps carrying its colossal weight.
Its eyes met Aiden's; just one look was enough to plant an indescribable feeling of threat within him.
The wolf kept staring at him arrogantly, as if seeing prey before it. And although Aiden was in a higher position, he felt as if he were the one standing beneath it.
"Damn… why now of all times?"
He cursed to himself while thinking about what he could do.
Questions crowded his mind, but he knew one thing: he was the reason this beast had come.
"He must have caught my scent when I spied on him…"
He cursed his luck again, then started thinking in confusion:
"Should I run away?
No… what about the others?
And why do I care about them anyway? I got fate points from them; they've become just a burden…
No… how can I abandon them when they've trusted me?
Does trust save lives?
Ah… damn it…"
He was completely confused. He was the only one capable of surviving, and the rest around him were just dead weight. Yet, his pride prevented him from leaving them, especially after they had completely surrendered themselves to him.
And while he was immersed in his internal conflict—
«Awoooooooo!»
The massive wolf howled with a thunderous sound. The place trembled from its intensity, and woke all the sleepers in the building with indescribable terror.
But the howl wasn't just for that purpose; it was also…
Awooooo!
Awooooo!
Awooooo!
...
Replies came from several directions surrounding the building. And bodies began moving quickly and penetrating his perception range, heading towards his location.
"Damn… of course he'd come with his companions."
He moved quickly and grabbed some kitchen utensils as primitive weapons: knives, spoons, forks...
The survivors who woke up from the sound saw him, so they gathered around him and showered him with questions:
"Sir, what's happening?"
"Why are you taking kitchen utensils?"
"What is that sound?"
"Sir, why do you look serious?"
"Sir…"
"Why…"
Aiden shouted with a voice that cut through the noise:
"Silence!"
Silence prevailed for a moment, but everyone's breaths were still coming in terrified gasps. The sound of the wolves outside was getting closer and closer; the heavy footsteps and the scraping of claws on the ground became clearer than ever before.
Aiden raised his head and looked at all their faces. He could see the fear in their eyes… utter helplessness. They didn't know what was approaching them, while he did.
He said in a cold but clear tone:
"All of you to the basement immediately… now! Close all windows and doors, and don't make a single sound until I return."
One of the men dared to ask him:
"And what about you, sir?"
Aiden answered without hesitation:
"That's a matter that doesn't concern you."
Some hesitated for a moment, but his tone carried something they weren't used to from him: the weight of command. They moved one after another, pulling the children with them, and closed everything that could be closed in the basement.
Only Aiden and the wind coming from the broken windows remained. He took a deep breath while opening his skills page in his mind. It flashed before his eyes:
[Strength – Level 3]
[Swift as Light – Level 4]
[Summon Skeleton – Level 2]
[Healing – Level 2]
[Rabbit Jump – Level 7]
[Thrust – Level 4]
He smiled a small smile, a mix of tension and determination.
He whispered to himself:
"Either I'm a hunter tonight… or prey."
He raised his hand, and the ground cracked as two skeletons emerged from it, their bony eyes glowing with a cold blue light.
Due to the skill level increasing, the number of skeletons he could summon had doubled, which made Aiden happier than anything.
"Stay in front of the door and tear apart anyone who enters."
Golden light crept from his fingers into his body to renew his energy, then he focused his senses outward.
The leader wolf was now in the middle of the courtyard, and a massive pack surrounded it from the side. The sounds of claws scraping on stones grew louder. Aiden felt a shiver run down his spine, but his heart suddenly became calm.
He jumped to the roof in one motion, benefiting from [Rabbit Jump], and settled there like a shadow in the wind. The rod he found inside the building had a group of knives tied to its end, making it resemble a spear in his hand. The skeletons below the entrance guarded the survivors, and in their hands were worn-out swords, but they were stronger than they looked.
Another roar tore through the silence. The leader wolf raised its head and saw Aiden on the roof. This time it wasn't the look of prey… it was the look of a rival.
Aiden presses on the spear with his right hand and prepares to activate his Speed and Strength skills at the right moment. The air around him became heavy; time slowed in his eyes.
He whispered:
"Come on… let's see who will stand firm tonight."
And with the first movement from the leader, the pack surged like a torrent towards the building, while the leader itself pounced with a tremendous leap directly towards the roof where Aiden stood…