Chaos erupted as hordes of wolves fought against groups of Hunters. With every cut and tear, blood spilled from their wounds and dyed the battlefield a crimson shade.
Wolf howls echoed across Mount Lorebale, sending shivers down the Hunters' spines. Their hands trembled as sweat soaked their clothes. One of them bit his lip and rushed ahead with a sword in hand, slicing through the incoming wolves. The nearby Hunters' eyes widened and their lips curved as they raised their weapons and slaughtered through the wolves.
Time seemed to have slowed down, and the endless deaths before became normal in their minds. Screams echoed when a wolf broke through their defence and pounced on a Hunter. The wolf tore the Hunter's torso, as blood gushed out and a strong scent of metal erupted. Several wolves lunged ahead, but two Hunters rushed forward and kicked them away, taking hold of the lost position.
Hours passed by, but at that moment, it almost felt like eternity. A never-ending cycle of death. A question suddenly rose in their minds: Why?
Why fight?
Why bother?
Why must I suffer?
However, they weren't given the luxury to ponder as the cold breeze blew by. Their minds froze, and so did the wolves. But at that moment, one Hunter, a man who had just lost his arm, screamed with rage.
He picked up his spear and lunged forward, as blood dripped down his eyes. He pierced through three wolves, and his gaze revealed his madness. He swung forward, slicing through wolf after wolf.
His scream seemed to have awakened the Hunters as their grips tightened. They ran forth and slaughtered the wolves, blood spraying and raining everywhere.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, the last wolf howled in anger as it was stabbed through the heart.
A couple of them plopped to the ground, taking in deep breaths to recover from exhaustion.
One of them sneered and commented, "This is ridiculous! These wolves aren't even the main threat, yet we're already this seriously injured. It's just better to die early."
After he spoke, the same question rang inside their minds again: Why?
Why fight?
Why bother?
Why must I suffer?
The man who spoke bit his lip, his gaze fierce and filled with unyieldingness. He stared ahead, as though he had no other options left.
A few Hunters shared the same sentiment, but they remained silent, choosing to ponder it by themselves.
One of them suddenly spoke, "Since we've conquered the left point, we should send people back to start progressing as planned."
The Hunters looked at each other quietly, and four stood up to volunteer. The rest didn't seem to mind as the four headed down.
…
In Daisal, Vanor sat with an annoyed expression, reading through the reports. His brows furrowed as he thought about them: It seems most of the reports are about wolves charging out to halt us from progressing. It's not impossible to help; it just needs more man-power but that requires allocation. Right now, that's not something good to deal with. A few also have reported some Wolf Lord sightings, but they're not reliable.
Soon enough, four Hunters stepped inside. Vanor glanced at them and listened to their report: "As of just now, the left point has been conquered. We're waiting for further orders."
Vanor waved his hand and spoke solemnly, "Go on and prepare the equipment."
The four nodded and headed out. A few minutes later, carts full of supplies were dragged out, and Vanor opened the window and spoke, "Call Reina."
One Hunter rushed towards Reina's living quarters, but when he came back a few minutes later, his face was a bit redder than before. Vanor didn't take it to heart and looked at Reina.
Reina's cold gaze swept through the crowd. She lifted her gaze to see Vanor looking out his window.
Vanor spoke plainly, "The current situation at hand is simple. The left point had been conquered, and supplies had just been taken to be brought there."
Reina withdrew her gaze and spoke, "I understand. I'll guard them on the way."
Vanor nodded and sat back down, continuing to sort through the reports as he sent out orders here and there.
Reina looked towards the four Hunters and followed them, making sure to be a few meters behind.
As they walked through Mount Lorebale, wolf howls echoed across at regular intervals as though it was a clock. Reina's gaze remained cold as she glanced into the distance and saw a pack of wolves rushing at them.
The wolves bled, and Reina lunged forward. She landed in front of a wolf who had just lunged as well. She ducked underneath, dodging it but also striking the wolf's neck, sending it flying.
The wolves near it howled and lunged at her. Her gaze remained cold as she jumped backwards, evading the attack and letting the wolves hit each other. One wolf sneaked behind her back and dashed forward. Reina snorted and jumped backwards, creating a curve across the air as she landed behind it. She raised her hand and struck downwards, making the wolf scream in pain as it lost its life.
Reina narrowed her eyes and followed the four Hunters. After a while, she thought to herself: Everything is going too smoothly…
Just as the thought crossed her mind, dozens of wolves started falling from the air as though it was raining wolves. Their jaws were wide open, as saliva dripped down like rain.
An ambush!
She clenched her fist and exhaled, composing herself as she scanned her surroundings.
"Protect the goods." She sent an order and took on a fighting stance. She stood straight, with her feet a meter apart, and with her hands raised at her sides.
She sneered in her heart, closing her eyes and concentrating on the slaughter. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, her gaze filled with hatred as she threw several punches into the air. Whenever she punched, a wolf was hit and would be sent flying, crashing into nearby wolves and breaking their trajectories.
Soon enough, the bloodied corpses of wolves started to surround her as she mercilessly attacked.
Although she had a fairly easy time, it wasn't quite the same for the other four Hunters. They bit their lips, holding their weapons as they sliced and kicked forward. Several wolves would perish, but a few would be able to pass through. It was often the case that Reina would have to punch a wolf back, causing it to crash onto the passing wolves and resolve the issue; however, they knew this was only a temporary solution.
Upon noticing two wolves ready to pass through, she snorted and lunged forward. She swiped with her hands as though they were sharp blades, and sliced through the wolves' backs. After which, she immediately twisted her body mid-air and kicked the nearby foes.
After landing, she returned to her stance and continued to launch a barrage of punches, fending off the incoming wolves.
After two hours, every wolf was slain; however, a strange sense of unease shrouded Reina's heart. She thought to herself: If the Wolf Lord could truly match Vanor in not only strength but intellect, we might actually be done for.
Just as she thought of this, a thunderous sound echoed across the mountain.
Howl!
Reina's pupils shrunk as she muttered in annoyance, "Son of a…"
She gritted her teeth and looked back, shouting, "On my orders–retreat!"
She bit her lip and jumped back, dragging the card backwards with full strength. The other four Hunters looked back and felt bitterness rise in their hearts. They sighed and followed her.
From the start, everything truly did feel as though they were going well until…
That darn howl! They cursed in their hearts.
Another tide of wolves rushed at them, but suddenly, their eyes became bloodshot, and their bodies bulged, turning red.
Berserk state!
It was actually willing to let go of so many wolves just to kill us! If I don't make it out of here alive, I swear that I'll slaughter until my last breath! Reina swore in her heart, halting her tracks as she jumped back and ordered.
"Run! I'll hold them off."
The four nodded and dragged the cart with them. Reina stared ahead, her gaze fierce as she saw the dozens of berserk wolves lunging at her.
Suddenly, the vague figure appeared in the distance and closed in. It was the Wolf Lord! It let out a howl, and although it had lost command of the berserk wolves, they still trembled.
Reina stared fiercely at the Wolf Lord, her breathing going ragged as she fell silent.
…
The day passed like that, and news of five scouting groups missing landed on Vanor's desk. Since Reina was also missing, she was counted as well.
Upon hearing the news, Vanor called for Schizel and Lady Silk. He walked out of his office and headed towards their meeting room.
When he stepped inside, he saw the same round wooden table as before and the chairs. He walked around and took his seat, waiting for the others. A few minutes later, Schizel and Lady Silk arrived separately and sat down.
Schizel plopped his head onto the table as Vanor spoke, "This is an urgent matter. We have to decide on our next course of action, otherwise…"
Schizel shifted his gaze with disinterest, raising his finger and pointing at Vanor. "This is on you. You are the acting leader, but you failed to recognize the Wolf Lord's tactics."
Vanor frowned, blue light flashing across his eyes as he countered, "That is true; I can't deny it. However, you are also part of this, and yet in our previous meeting, you…"
As Vanor's words lingered, Lady Silk stood up and slammed the table, causing Schizel to shoot her a glare. She spoke decisively, ignoring Schizel's glare. "Stop it! Are you two children?!"
Schizel withdrew his gaze, his gaze landing on the ground as he listened. Vanor lifted his gaze, a faint flicker appearing in his eyes momentarily.
"Although I wasn't a part of the whole planning process and I dare not place all my eggs in this basket, I still understand the severity of this loss. Without her, there are only the two of you, the 'powerhouses,' as some would call it. That's why cooperation is a must! Unless you want that mountain to be lost at the hands of those monsters?" Lady Silk continued, her gaze darting from Schizel to Vanor.
The room fell silent, and Lady Silk sat back down. Vanor and Schizel pondered over her words.
Since the birth of the Land, monsters have been born and are trapped inside their homeland until they die. Reasons for this remain uncertain, but there were few instances where monsters managed to break free. However, it was far too few and nearly impossible. This didn't cross their minds, but what did cross their mind was…
The situation at hand… The consequences of defeat would be the loss of Mount Lorebale. If we are defeated, the wolves would end up reigning over the mountain. Future hunts would become far more difficult and would require greater resources, but that also takes time. Vanor's thoughts moved quickly, his gaze shifting slightly.
Vanor glanced at Schizel and noticed him fully awake, and had his chin propped up.
He spoke groggily as though he had just woken up, "If we do establish a base in Mount Lorebale, it would just become a target."
Vanor nodded and replied calmly, "That's exactly the plan. It's a distraction for the Wolf Lord. And with that opportunity, a team would be sent out to battle the Wolf Lord. That should consist of you, me, and Reina if she were still here."
Vanor sighed and asked, "I remember sending a file about this to you; did you not receive it?"
Schizel darted his eyes around, his hands losing strength, as though he was ready to plop to the table. But when his gaze met Lady Silk's, he steadied himself.
"Since it's not trying anything, we should probably probe," Schizel muttered under his breath.
"You mean?" Lady Silk turned her head and waited for him.
Schizel almost rolled his eyes but managed to pull himself together as he replied, "We should fall back and observe what it plans to do."
Lady Silk shook her head and said, "If we do that, we're just giving them time to reproduce and heal."
Schizel countered, "But that's the perfect time to attack. That way, they would be vulnerable."
Vanor's eyes lit up, and he looked at Schizel, asking, "Are you suggesting we attack them during it?"
Schizel nodded solemnly.
Lady Silk fell silent and inquired, "How about Reinalyn?"
Vanor and Schizel looked at each other, and the latter spoke, "Since no sightings of her have been reported, it's best to assume that she has died."
Time passed, and the three continued to discuss the plan. After an unknown amount of time, they each left one by one.
…
Inside a cave on Mount Lorebale, there was a young lady covered in wounds. She bled profusely, coating her body in a thick layer of blood. She sat down, her back against the hard, cold wall, as he took in deep breaths, her eyes teary.
Reina.
Suddenly, she heard wolf howls, and she bit her lip and held her breath, concealing her presence. Once the wolves passed by, she let out a heavy sigh and clenched her fist.
The battlefield has long been dried by the thick scent of blood. Although wolves have their honed noses, it has become quite difficult to differentiate between human blood and wolf blood.
She gritted her teeth and tore a piece of fabric from her clothes and wrapped it around her wounds. After she tied it, she looked up and stared at the stalagmites as beads of water dripped down and landed on her cheeks.
"The Wolf Lord is far more dangerous than what I had initially thought of. Even though I barely managed to escape, it almost feels as though it allowed me to…" Reina pondered over her memories, a deep sense of bitterness rising from her heart.
Her clenched fist tightened as her knuckles turned white and the image of the Wolf Lord appeared in her mind.
Suddenly, she felt her exhaustion hit her like a tsunami. She felt a wave, weighing hundreds of pounds, wash over her. Her grip loosened, her eyes closing as she fell unconscious.
A few minutes later, an unknown figure peeks inside, its cyan eyes flickering with interest.