Ruddy froze at Warrior's words and began to curse his luck and the gods... but that didn't do anything after all, the gods were already dead.
'A demon… huh... An awakened one at that… Why don't they just kill me instead?' Ruddy thought as this absurd trial turned more absurd.
Ruddy didn't know whether he should cry or laugh at his situation. He had accepted the trial to turn over his life of struggles, only to get a trial as absurd as this. How was he even supposed to survive an awakened demon? Even awakened humans—Hunters—had to think twice before even daring to go near an awakened demon.
Ruddy was about to lose all hope of surviving, but Warrior's next words brought him out of his despair.
"We would continue to move… that demon may not even come towards us." Warrior spoke as he looked at the masked figures.
The masked figures nodded at him and nudged Ruddy to start moving.
'He is right… There's no point thinking about things I can't handle.' Ruddy thought as he looked at the back of Warrior.
All of them started to move once again, their steps were quicker than before as the fear of the awakened demon kept them on their toes. They walked swiftly without wasting any time.
The forest rustled occasionally, but they only glanced at it before continuing their journey.
Soon, Ruddy heard the sound of flowing water.
'Huh? Is there a river ahead?' Ruddy thought as they moved forward, and soon his eyes fell on a small pool, where water flowed in through a small crack in a nearby hill.
Warrior stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at Ruddy as he took out his canteen from the leather pouch and spoke.
"Go fill this."
Ruddy looked at the canteen, then at the water flowing out from the crack, and nodded.
He took the canteen and stepped on the rocks that lay beside the crack and reached the crack. He placed the canteen's mouth under the crack and started to fill it with water. He turned back and saw the three of them moving inside the forest.
"Finally alone…" He mumbled as he took out a few blue coloured berries.
"I hope it is what I think it is." He said as he squeezed the juice of the berries inside the canteen and shook it.
"Hah… Now it all depends on whether I am right or not…" he whispered as he prayed to the dead gods.
On the other side, Warrior walked inside the forest, and the two masked figures followed behind him.
"Won't the beasts attack him?" The masked figure on the left questioned in a flat tone.
Warrior shook his head as he replied.
"No… I had applied the shadow ash on him and the uniform when we sat in the carriage."
The two masked figures nodded at his words. After all, no beast would dare to attack someone with the scent of divinity, even if they were a hexborn.
"Get ready." Warrior spook as he unsheathed his sword and took a stance.
The two masked figures followed him and took out their weapons; one had daggers, while the other had a mace.
The forest suddenly turned silent as if waiting for a show to begin. A few moments passed in silence until a low guttural sound was heard. Soon, the voice turned louder as many similar sounds filled the forest.
The bushes parted as wolves with crystal-like fur and malice-filled blue eyes came from them. A sticky red substance was dripping out of their maws as they looked at the trio with eyes of a predator.
The wolves started to surround the trio. The two masked figures looked at all of that with vigilance as they planned their next moves, and Warrior just looked at all of that without any change in his expression.
He lifted his gunto and rushed towards the strongest wolf, ready to sever it in a single slash. The wolf moved away from its place and looked at Warrior with vigilance. The other wolves followed and started to stare at him.
"Make sure none escapes," Warrior said as he moved once again. The two masked figures took the opportunity as the wolves were focused on Warrior and started to attack them.
Ruddy stood beside a tree with his beating heart clutched. He looked at the slaughter as Warrior moved through the encirclement of the wolves and attacked him with keen precision.
The masked figure with a mace hit a wolf square in its chest, sending it flying. However, the way he sent it was towards Ruddy.
Ruddy eyes widened as he looked at the injured wolf with a scared expression.
The wolf looked at him with fury as it tried to stand up. Ruddy's eyes soon fell on a rock nearby. He moved towards the rock and picked it up.
The wolf was still struggling to get up… blood was seeping out of its chest. Ruddy stepped towards the wolf with the rock in his hand and struck it on the head.
The wolf screamed, but instead of dying, it fought back. It jumped at Ruddy with all of its might and sank its teeth into his shoulder.
Ruddy screamed as the pain traveled from his shoulder throughout his body. He gritted his teeth and tightened the grip around the rock, and began to hit the wolf without stopping.
The wolf responded by sinking its teeth deeper into his shoulder. Ruddy screamed louder, his grip faltered as his vision began to blur.
'Is this how I am going to die?' Ruddy questioned as tears started to roll down his face.
Soon, he gritted his teeth to fight back the pain, and he once again tightened his grip on the rock and started to hit the wolf with much more intensity. His strikes began to work as the wolf's grip began to loosen, and soon it let go of his shoulder and started to whimper.
Ruddy took a few deep breaths and looked at the wolf with spite. He dragged his body and moved near the wolf.
"DIE DIE DIE, die you fucker!" Ruddy yelled as he began to strike it without any mercy.
The wolf's skull cracked open as blood rained out of it. The blood fell on Ruddy, who lay beside the dead wolf as he breathed heavily.
[You have slain a beast (Dormant), Crystalline wolf.]
He finally heard the gentle and pleasant voice of God's will and placed his hand on the wolf's body, and suddenly it started to tremble. The wolf's blood began to seep inside his palm as a grimace appeared on his face.
Ruddy's wounds started to heal, and fatigue began to lift. Ruddy looked at all of this with a raised eyebrow.
"Is this Blood Heal?" He questioned as he looked at the wolf's body, which had started to shrink.
"Heh… isn't this helpful…" Ruddy mumbled as he started to chuckle, but suddenly a sharp pain hit him. A pain that felt like a furious beast… like a wolf.
"What's happening now?!" He exclaimed as his vision turned darker.