*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
The man's feet resounded with a steady rhythm within the forest floor.
His figure weaved through the thick trees with ease as if he were used to the area he was in.
*AWOOOOOO! AWOOOOOO!*
Behind him, the sound of howlings echoed through the woods enough to make any victims pale at the sound.
"..."
The man's breathing was controlled and steady.
There are no signs of panic.
Not even any hint of fear.
Just silent, decisive actions as he navigated within the forest with a single location in mind.
A bunch of low branches swept toward his head.
He ducked under it without breaking his momentum.
There's a fallen oak log blocking his path.
*Wooop!*
He jumped over it without any effort.
*CRASH!*
Something big burst through behind him.
Then another one.
And another.
The howling was getting closer, more coordinated.
*SNARL! SNARL!*
There were seven distinct voices, all of them were working together with extreme coordination to hunt their prey.
The man reached a clearing and spun around in one fluid motion.
*Swiinnn…*
A familiar sword appeared in his hand, removed from the sheath.
The cold blade reflected the moonlight, as it gleaned sharply.
"Seven shadow wolves, huh… C-tier monsters with pack coordination that makes them scarier than most B-tier loners."
His voice was calm. He even chuckled at the situation as if there weren't any dangers at all.
"Time to see if all that hellish training paid off."
*HOWL!*
The 1st wolf burst through the treeline like a furry missile launched from hell.
*Slash!*
The man simply sidestepped and brought his sword up in a diagonal cut.
The cold blade caught the creature across its midsection.
With the blade so sharp, it easily bisected the wolf cleanly in two.
Deep red blood sprayed across the grass as both of its two parts hit the ground separately.
"One down, six to go."
A month ago, he could barely handle three shadow wolves before getting seriously injured.
These doggies' coordination and pack tactics would often be quite overwhelming.
Which often left him bloody and exhausted.
But now…
*HOWL! HOWL!*
The 2nd and 3rd wolves attacked with precise timing from both his left and right.
It's a classic pincer movement, but the man was ready for it.
He responded by jumping backward.
*Grab!*
He then grabbed a low-hanging branch, and swung himself up just as the two predators collided where he was standing.
*Thuunk!*
"Nice timing for a classic pincer movement… Too bad you guys forgot to look up."
He dropped down behind the stunned wolves and drove his sword through the spine of the left one.
*Slush!*
It's a sturdy form and perfect timing.
The basics of Valkyria Swordsmanship was drilled into his muscle memory through countless repetitions.
The right wolf spun around with claws extended like razor blades.
*Swipe!*
The man rolled to the side and brought his blade across in a horizontal arc.
*Slice–!*
The wolf was cut cleanly in half at the waist.
Its momentum carried both pieces in different directions.
"That's three down. Physics can really be useful in this situation, huh…"
The remaining four wolves circled him with wary movements.
These ones had learned from watching their pack mates get bisected in under just three minutes.
They kept their distance. Their yellow eyes were glowing in darkness as they searched for any sort of opening from the man's stance.
"Smart puppies. But not smart enough."
Due to their waryness, the man utilized this moment as an opportunity to create an opening to their side.
"Here, eat this!"
The man grabbed a bunch of dirt from the ground and threw it at the leader wolf's eyes.
*AWOOOO!!!!*
While it was blinded and snarling, he immediately closed the distance between them and delivered a precise thrust to its throat.
*Slush!*
*HOWL! HOWL! HOWL!*
The other three attacked in a raged coordinated pattern.
It's clear they were left agitated after seeing their pack leader die in the hands of this human.
The man used the dead wolf's body as a shield, then vaulted over it as the living ones crashed into their former pack mate.
*Slash! Slash!*
Two quick horizontal cuts turned three wolves into six pieces before they could recover their footing.
The last wolf, seeing its entire pack turned into wolf sashimis, immediately made a run for it.
"Oh no you don't."
The man picked up a fist-sized rock and hurled it.
*Bonk!*
Headshot!
The last wolf stumbled.
And using that as an opportunity…
*Stab!*
The man immediately approached the last wolf and effortlessly stabbed it at the neck, ending its life.
"And that's how you handle a pack of C-tier monsters without much effort."
Under the moonlight, the man's transformed body was clearly visible.
His once skinny frame was now gone.
After a month of brutal training, his body is now packed with lean muscles.
With broader shoulders, defined arms, and a core that actually looked functional, bro now looks a chad compared to his gooner looks before.
Now, his lean body wasn't "bodybuilder" massive but he definitely looked like someone who could handle himself in a real fight.
Which, considering he'd just solo'd a wolf pack without taking a single hit or any sweat, it seems pretty accurate.
That's right, it's him.
It's Nero Walker.
And he looked like a completely different person after just a month.
*Rustle… rustle…*
"Lord Nero, I see you've completed your task."
Aurelia emerged behind a cluster of trees.
There was blood spattered across her body, tainting the modern outfit she's currently wearing.
Instead of her usual divine armor, Aurelia is wearing a black tactical pants that hugged her curves perfectly.
Paired that with a dark gray combat shirt which emphasizes her athletic build, and a pair of knee-high combat boots that looked both practical and stylish…
It's a good match of clothing that looks a bit unusual at the same time fitting for someone who always wore her fantasy warrior armor.
"Yeah, I guess that went easier than I expected… I guess all that hardcore footwork practice finally paid off."
Nero shrugged at his divine partner.
"How about on your side?"
"The nest contained twelve shadow wolves and one alpha. All eliminated."
She said it like she was reporting the weather forecast.
"Twelve C-tier and a single B-tier… And here I was feeling proud about dealing with seven."
"Your accomplishment is significant, Lord Nero. A month ago, three shadow wolves would leave you injured and exhausted. Now you dispatch seven without sustaining any damage."
"Thanks for the ego boost, really appreciate it… By the way, why aren't you wearing your armor today?"
"After trying it under Yui's suggestion, I find these Earth garments more comfortable for extended use… The armor, while more defensive, can be a bit uncomfortable during long term use."
"I see… Where did you put the armor, though?"
"Observe."
Followed by those words, Aurelia's body glowed with a silver light.
*Whoosh…*
Like a certain magical girl that ends with "Moon", the light engulfed the angel's body.
When it finally faded, she stood in her full divine armor, complete with wings and an aura that screamed 'I could solo a whole army.'
"I can summon it at will. But this modern clothing allows for greater mobility and comfort of use when the armor is unnecessary."
"... That's the coolest shit I've ever seen. Can you do it in reverse?"
*Whoosh!*
There was another brief flash of silver light, and she was back in her stylish combat outfit.
"That's practical and stylish. You've got good taste for a divine warrior… It's also good since you're not attracting too much attention with your flashy armor anymore."
"Thank you. I believe that is a compliment."
"It is… Well, your deadpan expression makes everything funnier, though."
"I do not understand. I was not attempting humor."
"And that's exactly why it's hilarious."
"???"
Aurelia tilted her head.
… She looks like a confused puppy trying to listen to an alien speak their language.
"Lord Nero's sense of humor still remains a mystery to me."
"No worries. Mystery keeps relationships interesting."
"..."
Wait, did he just say relationships?
Was he trying to suggest something…?
"..."
Nero felt his face heat up a bit.
"..."
The same could be said to the angel.
Her cheeks gained a faint hint of red, though her expression remained stoic as ever.
"... We should return to camp. The others will be expecting our mission report."
"Right… Lead the way, oh mysterious angel of doom."
"I am not mysterious. My purpose is clearly defined."
"Sure it is."
'Love how she retorted about being mysterious but not becoming an angel of doom.'
Nero laughed internally.
***
The camp's main gate came into their view.
And just as the two were approaching the entrance, another group was arriving from the opposite direction.
A large man who looks like a fistfighter, a healer with her typical medkit, and a hoodied magic user.
Needless to say, it's Kaito, Yui, and Haru walking through the entrance, looking tired but victorious.
Behind them, there were two strangers who looked like they were survivors from the outside.
It's a middle-aged woman and a teenage boy who both looked like they just experienced hell.
"Yo, Nero! Aurelia!"
Kaito waved over them with his trademark grin.
"How'd the wolf hunt go?"
"Smoothly. Seven shadow wolves down, zero casualties on our side."
Nero gestured to Aurelia.
"This one took out twelve plus an alpha. Show off."
"Damn, dude… You're now actually looking ripped."
Haru gave Nero an appraising look that bordered on disbelief.
"A month of training with a divine drill sergeant will do that to you."
"He's not wrong. Mr. Nero looks completely different."
Yui smiled brightly.
"Like, actually intimidating now instead of... um..."
"Instead of looking like I'd lose a fight with a wet paper bag?"
"I-I wasn't going to say that!"
"But you were thinking about it."
"... M-Maybe a little."
"..."
Kaito laughed at Yui and Nero's exchange.
"Seriously though, whatever workout routine Aurelia's got you on, it's working. You actually look like you could be the protagonist of something now."
'Well… I was able to survive thanks to those broken vitality points.' Nero thought to himself.
The vitality stat boost had made his body recover faster, and it was unbelievably fast.
A single day's rest with a proper meal could recover his body immediately despite his whole body screaming in pain after the training.
By the time he wakes up in the next morning, it's like he never experienced hell or anything…
After doing that over the course of a few days, Aurelia would then add more weights and difficulty if she noticed how his body was slowly getting used to it.
It's a cycle of hellish repetition that earned him his lean body today.
"So who are your new friends?"
Nero, who shrugged at his training arc, then nodded toward the strangers.
"Rescue mission. Found them holed up in a convenience store about ten miles out."
Haru jerked his thumb toward the woman and boy.
"Maria and her son Danny. They've been surviving on stale chips and willpower for the past week."
"Their camp got overrun by a pack of dire wolves three days ago… and they were the only ones who made it out."
Yui added softly.
The middle-aged woman, Maria, stepped forward with tears in her eyes.
"Thank you all so much. If these three hadn't found us..."
"Don't mention it. We've all been there."
Nero gave her a reassuring smile.
"You're safe now. This place has good people and decent defenses."
"Speaking of defenses, did you guys see anything weird on your way back?"
Kaito asked with his expression growing serious.
"Weird how?"
"We spotted some kind of flying creatures circling about five miles north. It's too far to identify them, but they looked big."
"Probably just more refugees from the portal zones. Things have been getting stranger every day."
"I don't care if they're purple crocodiles with laser vision as long as they don't go here."
Haru shrugged.
"... You say that, but if those purple crocodiles with laser vision actually show up, I'm blaming you."
Nero was about to continue the conversation when a familiar voice interrupted.
"Mr. Nero! Ms. Aurelia!"
Vincent's right-hand man, Derek, jogged over to their group.
He actually looked even more nervous than usual.
… It's like he was about to deliver something urgent.
"Boss wants to see you two in his office. He says it's something urgent."
It is urgent, indeed.
"What do you mean urgent?"
"Something about a mission. High priority, immediate deployment…"
Derek wiped sweat from his forehead even with the cold temperature.
Nero briefly glanced at the stoic Aurelia.
Vincent had left them alone for the past month.
He was probably content letting them handle routine missions and contribute to the camp's defense.
But to be honest, this might be it.
''It' means that he would probably make the move now.'
It's a classic villain move.
'He must've prepared something.'
Nero's eyes narrowed, his Greater Instincts allowed him to think about it in greater detail.
"Did he say what kind of mission?"
"No details. The boss just said it was critical to camp security and needed your help with it… He would explain it in detail in his office."
Derek shifted nervously from foot to foot.
"... Alright, we'll head over now."
Nero sighed and turned to the others.
"You guys… get Maria and Danny settled in. We'll catch up later."
"Be careful, Mr. Nero. Ms. Aurelia."
Yui looked worried.
"If Vincent's calling for urgent missions, it might be dangerous."
"It's fine… Worst case scenario, we have the most overpowered bodyguard in the camp."
Nero glanced at Aurelia, who nodded once.
"I will ensure Lord Nero's safety."
"See? Nothing to worry about."
As they followed Derek toward the main building, Nero couldn't shake the feeling that their peaceful month of training and missions was about to come to an end.
Whatever Vincent wanted from them and whatever plans he's cooking, Nero would make sure it won't affect them.
'Let's see what this is all about.'
***
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