After wandering the Lumen Forest, I finally found them—Dire Wolves.
A screen popped up at my side, displaying the Monster Classification.
[!] Monster Classification [!]
[Monster: Dire Wolf]
[Rank: D-Class]
A large wolf with dark fur and piercing eyes. Known for its speed and ferocity in the wild. Hunts in packs and chases prey until it's caught.
Special Trait: [Pack Instinct] – Stronger when fighting with other wolves.
I crouched low in a thick bush, holding my breath so they wouldn't notice me. Their eyes glowed, and their sharp fangs jutted from their mouths.
My grip tightened around my spear. My palms were sweaty, but retreat wasn't an option.
"Inhale… Exhale… Malachi, you've played many online action games. You can do this," I told myself.
By the time I finished encouraging myself, my chest tightened. There were eight of them, prowling restlessly as if waiting for prey.
I took a deep breath and stepped out from the bush.
At once, their status appeared and shimmered above their heads.
‹ Dire Wolf ›
HP: 100/100
The pack froze. Eight pairs of glowing eyes locked onto me, and low growls rumbled from their throats.
I roared, charging forward with my spear raised.
The wolves reacted instantly. With furious snarls, they charged as one, paws pounding the ground and kicking up dirt and leaves as they rushed toward me.
The first Dire Wolf reached me. I thrust my spear forward—slash!—the tip pierced its side. A glowing red number flashed above it.
The wolf yelped and stumbled back, but it wasn't finished. Its health bar was only halfway down.
Before I could prepare for another strike, four wolves lunge at me, their fangs bared and claws sharp like blades.
I gritted my teeth and spun my spear in a wide circle, the steel whistling through the air. With a sharp slash to the right, I caught all four mid-leap.
[-50]
The wolves howled in pain as their bodies crashed to the ground. Their health bars glowed faintly, each now cut in half.
I stumbled back, panting hard. My arms shook as I tightened my hold on the spear. My damage was strong, but not enough to bring them down in one strike.
The four wolves pushed themselves up again, blood dripping from their wounds. Their growls deepened, their eyes burning brighter with rage. The rest of the pack closed in, their teeth bared.
Eight against one.
The other four wolves charged straight at me, their claws flashing as they tore across the ground.
I focused on the first one—the wolf I had slashed earlier. It was weaker, its movements sluggish. It lunged at me, I drove and thrust my spear upward. The blade sank deep into its chest.
[You have slain a Dire Wolf!]
Its body shattered into glowing light before vanishing completely.
The remaining three wolves did not hesitate. They lunged in at once, claws swiping for my body. I swung my spear sideways in a wide arc, the steel ringing as it clashed against their strikes.
One wolf leapt high into the air, aiming straight for me. I dropped low, sliding my knee against the ground. With a sharp thrust, my spear pierced through its stomach. A quick slash followed—and the wolf burst apart into light.
[You have slain a Dire Wolf!]
Six remained.
They prowled around me, their glowing eyes narrowing. Blood dripped from their wounds, staining the ground. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I tightened my grip on the spear.
I need a plan…
I flicked open my player status window in the corner of my vision.
"Damn… no skills yet," I muttered.
The wolves struck again. One lunged, claws extended. I sidestepped and delivered a powerful kick to its side.
[-5]
The number floated above its head, but it barely flinched. "Only five damage?!" I hissed.
Still, the kick toppled it over. I stabbed quickly before it could rise.
[You have slain a Dire Wolf!]
But before I could breathe, another slammed into me. My back hit the ground hard. The wolf snarled, pressing down on me, its jaws snapping inches from my face.
"Ahgghh!" I gritted my teeth, holding it back with the shaft of my spear braced against its chest.
Worse—their companions sank their fangs into my boots, tearing at my feet. Pain shot up my legs.
"This is why I'm Team Edward myself," I shouted.
With a surge of strength, I shoved the wolf off and swung my spear in a sharp slash.
[You have slain a Dire Wolf!]
I stabbed again at the one still gnawing near my legs.
[You have slain a Dire Wolf!]
Three left.
Two wolves crouched low, growling in unison. Then they leapt at the same time, their bodies soaring through the air.
I steadied my stance, lowered my spear, and gripped it tight.
"Come on, then!"
With all my strength, I thrust forward.
Thrust!
The spear pierced through both at once, their bodies exploding into glowing light.
[You have slain a Dire Wolf!]
[You have slain a Dire Wolf!]
Only one remained. Its eyes widened as it realized the battle was lost. With a sharp whimper, it turned and ran.
"Not so fast!" I roared.
I hurled my spear, the weapon spinning through the air before striking its back.
[You have slain a Dire Wolf!]
Silence fell over the forest.
I stood there, chest heaving, sweat dripping from my brow. My hands shook as I tightened my grip on the spear's handle.
I didn't know this game was supposed to feel this real. The sweat dripping down my face, the blood on my skin. The bite from earlier was so painful that I screamed, and the wounds it left behind are still aching. Every time I move, it feels like the sharp teeth of those Dire Wolves are still stuck in my flesh.
But even though I feel the pain, my HP bar didn't go down. Still, when the Dire Wolves attacked me earlier, their fangs really did cut into me, and my HP dropped quickly.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and checked my Player Status.
Malachi Paisley [Lvl. 8]
HP: 460 / 500
Mana: 500 / 500
EXP: 0 / 100
Seeing the numbers gave me a little comfort. At least I wasn't close to dying yet, but I had to be careful next time.
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
Lv. 1 → Lv. 8
"Oh, I leveled up! Maybe this time I'll finally get some skills!" I exclaimed, my eyes shining with excitement.
I paused for a moment, tapping my chin thoughtfully. "Wait… how did I reach Level 8 so quickly?" I wondered aloud, feeling a mix of confusion and thrill.
Then it hit me. "Oh! It must be because of that Special Quest I completed," I said to myself, remembering the challenge the game had given me. All that hard work had really paid off!
[!] SPECIAL QUEST COMPLETED [!]
» Slay 8 Dire Wolves prowling the area.
Progress: 8/8
My eyes stayed glued to the glowing system window floating in front of me, showing my level that had just gone up.
I clenched my fist tightly, and this time, I could actually feel a difference. My grip was stronger, and there was a strange energy flowing through my body.