The wrench felt heavier with each step.
Ilwoo's palms were slick with sweat as he crept along the alley wall, the rough brick scraping against his shoulder.
His heart pounded in his chest as he inched closer.
The shadow wolf was only ten feet away now, its massive body hunched over something that reeked of blood.
Its slow, steady breaths formed faint clouds in the cold air.
"Breathe," he whispered to himself, the same mantra he'd used before difficult raid bosses.
"Control your breathing."
But this wasn't some game you could play casually. This was real. The stench was real. The death was Real.
There's no coming back after you die.
[SHADOW WOLF - LEVEL 1]
[HP: 80/80]
He clenched the wrench tightly in his hand. Even if he was confident he could kill one of those beasts, he had no idea how to fight several at once.
Five feet.
The creature's head was the size of a basketball, all teeth and glowing red eyes. Its jaw worked carefully, tearing at whatever it had caught.
The wet sounds made Ilwoo's stomach churn.
Three feet.
He could smell its breath like rotting meat mixed with sulfur. The wrench shook in his hands.
"You can do this," he mouthed silently.
"It's just a level 1. You've soloed raid bosses. You've..."
The wolf's ear twitched.
Time froze for a heartbeat. The creature's massive head began to turn, red eyes starting to focus on the human scent that had gotten too close.
Ilwoo dashed forward.
Two years of practice kicked in as he swung the wrench with everything he had. It smashed into the base of the wolf's skull with a wet crack, echoing off the alley walls.
[SHADOW WOLF DEFEATED!]
The creature crumpled on the spot, its body breaking into black mist that faded in seconds. A tiny pile of shimmering coins sat where it once stood.
"Holy shit."
Ilwoo stared at the dissipating smoke faded, but the pounding in his chest only got louder.
"It actually worked."
[EXP GAINED: 25]
[ITEMS ACQUIRED: SHADOW ESSENCE x3]
"Ilwoo!"
Sena's sharp whisper broke through his brief celebration.
"There's another one!"
The second shadow wolf had stopped its own feeding and was now staring directly at them, lips pulled back in a snarl that revealed teeth like obsidian daggers.
Its eyes flashed, locking onto the one who hurt its packmate.
[ENEMY ALERT STATUS: HOSTILE]
[WARNING: MULTIPLE ENEMIES DETECTED]
More red dots appeared on the edge of Ilwoo's vision—a mini-map he hadn't noticed before. Three more wolves were creeping in from different corners of the alley
"We're surrounded," he growled, drawing closer to Sena.
"What do you mean by surrounded?" She latched onto the wrench, like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.
"Four more wolves, coming from..."
He stopped, remembering she couldn't see the status window like he could.
"Trust me. We need to move. Now."
The nearest wolf let out a howl that sounded like metal being ripped apart.
Three more answered, their howls blending into a chorus that promised bloodshed and made the hair on Ilwoo's arms stand on end.
"The dumpster." He grabbed Sena's arm with urgency.
"We have to find higher ground."
They scrambled onto the large metal container just as the first wolf reached their previous position. It leaped, claws scraping against the metal sides, but couldn't get enough strength to climb up.
"Okay, things are going well so far."
Ilwoo looked around nervously.
The other three wolves came out of nearby alleys and were moving around the dumpster like hungry sharks.
"Any smart ideas?"
"You're the one who knows about video games!"
Sena tightened her hold on the wrench. "What would you do if this were a game?"
"In a game, I'd have a full team, good gear, and plenty of healing potions."
One of the wolves jumped again, its claws scratching deep marks into the metal.
"This feels more like a survival horror game."
"So, you mean there's no way for us to get out of this place?" She swallowed hard as one of the wolves snarled at her.
His eyes darted to find any way possible to safely get out the place.
'What the hell is the damn way to get out of this place?'
Then suddenly, he spotted a rusty ladder going up to a fire escape on the second floor. But it was on the other side of the alley, beyond the four wolves.
"There." Ilwoo pointed.
"If we can reach that ladder, we can get off street level."
"That's a lot of very angry wolves between here and there."
"Yeah, but they're level 1. Mob cannons, they hit hard but don't have much health." He lifted his wrench, thinking fast.
"I took down the first one with a single hit. If I can get my timing right..."
"Wait, you mean you'll handle four monsters by yourself if you time it right?"
"I'm not going alone." He looked at her seriously. "You said we're family. We stick together. That means you're my party member now."
Sena blinked. "You're what?"
"In games, you always fight in teams. Everyone has a job." The wolves below were getting more restless, their howls growing louder.
"I'm DPS—damage dealer. You're support."
"I don't know how to be support!"
"Just watch my back and don't die. That's all support has to do."
One of the wolves managed to get its front paws onto the dumpster's edge. Its claws screeched against the metal as it tried to haul itself up.
"We don't have much time!" Ilwoo jumped down to the other side, landing with a heavy thud but staying on his feet.
"Come on!"
Sena followed, landing more gracefully than her brother. They were immediately surrounded, the four shadow wolves forming a rough circle around them.
Red eyes glowed in the alley's dim light, and the air filled with low, rumbling growls.
"This is insane," Sena said under her breath, her fingers quivering.
"Yeah." Ilwoo grinned, and for a moment, he looked like his old self again.
"Isn't it great?"
Before Sena answered his question, the closest wolf lunged.
Ilwoo sidestepped and brought his wrench around in a perfect arc, catching the creature mid-leap. The impact sent it flying into the alley wall, where it exploded into dust.
[SHADOW WOLF DEFEATED!]
[EXP GAINED: 25]
"Two down!" he called out, already moving toward the next target.
But the remaining three had learned from their pack mates' deaths. Instead of attacking individually, they start to coordinate, two flanking from the sides while the third goes straight forward.
"Sena, left side!"
She swung her wrench at the flanking wolf, not doing much damage but disrupting its attack pattern enough for Ilwoo to finish his current target.
[SHADOW WOLF DEFEATED!]
"I actually hit it!" Sena sounded shocked by her own success.
"Don't celebrate yet!"
The remaining two wolves had backed off, reassessing their prey. Their eyes glowed brighter, and the shadows around them seemed to deepen.
"They're getting smarter."
[SHADOW WOLVES ENTERING PACK HUNT MODE]
"What happened?" Sena asked, noticing his expression.
"It means their attack will hit harder."
The two wolves were circling now, moving in perfect sync. "They won't mess up like before."
"So what do we do?"
Ilwoo looked at the fire escape ladder, still ten feet away. The wolves stood between them and safety, no longer rushing in for easy kills.
"We have to be patient." He adjusted his grip on the wrench and fell into a defensive stance.
"Remember what Mom used to say about dancing?"
"That it's all about reading your partner's Pattern?" Sena's voice was confused but focused.
"Same idea. These things move in a pattern now. We just have to spot it."
He studied the wolves, watching how they always stayed right across from each other as they circled.
"When I say run, go for the ladder. Don't turn around."
"What about you?"
"I'll be right behind you. Trust me."
The wolves paused in their circling, muscles coiling for a synchronized attack. Ilwoo counted the seconds.
"one, two, three..."
"Run!"
They ran for the ladder as both wolves leapt at them. Sena got there first, climbing the rusty steps as fast as she could.
Ilwoo was just three steps behind when sharp claws slashed across his back, ripping his shirt and slicing into his skin.
[HP: 73/100]
He spun and swung without aiming, barely hitting the wolf's snout by chance. It yelped and stepped back just long enough for him to grab the bottom rung of the ladder.
"Come on!" Sena called from the fire escape platform, reaching down to help him climb up.
The second wolf leapt up, its teeth snapping just inches from his feet as he pulled himself onto the platform.
Both wolves circled below, howling in frustration at their escaped prey.
[QUEST PROGRESS: 3/3 SHADOW WOLVES DEFEATED]
[TUTORIAL QUEST COMPLETE!]
[REWARDS: BASIC IRON SWORD, 50 EXP BONUS]
A plain sword appeared in Ilwoo's hand, feeling just right even though it was real. The metal was warm and balanced perfectly.
"Wait...a sword?"
Sena stared at the weapon, eyes widened with surprise, had appeared from nowhere in his hand.
"Where did that come from?"
"Quest reward." He tested the blade's edge, it's sharp enough to shave with.
"The system's way of saying 'congratulations, you survived the tutorial.'"
"Tutorial?" Sena glanced at the restless wolves. "You're saying it's going to get tougher?"
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL: 2]
"Yeah, it's going to get a lot tougher."
Ilwoo stared out at the city, flames flickering, and strange creatures slipping between the buildings.
"But you know what?"
"What?"
He smiled, blood still dripping down his back from an earlier injury, the sword shining in his hand.
"I think I'm going to be good at this."