His eyes widened, trying to see anything other than the sea of green surrounding him. But when his vision finally adjusted, what he saw made his blood run cold—a creature with sharp fangs lunging straight at him.
He ducked instinctively, screaming, as the beast's claws sliced the air above his head.
Without thinking, he spun on his heel and bolted. Grass crunched beneath his feet, breath ragged in his throat. Behind him, low growls and pounding footsteps shook the ground.
"I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Roland cried out, tears welling up as panic seized his chest.
But then—a flicker of realization.
Wait, hold on… I'm a mage. What the hell am I afraid of?
Skidding to a stop, he turned, thrust his left hand out, shaping his fingers like a gun.
"Die, you damned wolf."
A sharp spike of stone formed at his fingertip, mana buzzing faintly in the air. It launched forward with a sharp thwick, punching clean through the beast's skull. Blood splattered across the grass, the scent of iron filling his nose.
"That's disgusting… but not the worst thing I've seen."
Before he could catch his breath, another sound—heavier footsteps. He turned, eyes widening again. Another wolf emerged, fur dark gray, eyes blazing, fangs glistening. Taller. Broader. Two meters at least.
The first one was just a pup… and now the mother's pissed.
The wolf snarled, hackles raised. Then her aura hit.
Roland froze. The air thickened, pressing on his chest like stone. His lungs screamed for air, but the harder he tried to breathe, the less oxygen reached him. His limbs trembled under the sheer weight of her killing intent.
She didn't wait. With a vicious roar, the wolf lunged.
Perfect.
"I've been waiting for your reckless charge," Roland whispered, lips curling into a strained grin. He raised his finger, mana flaring. The spell was instant—training and mana roots working in perfect harmony.
A cone-shaped rock shot forward, whistling through the air toward her throat—
—but the wolf twisted aside, springing off invisible footholds.
It can JUMP on AIR?! Oh… it's a monster. Not just a wolf.
His chest burned; his vision wavered. That aura—it wasn't just pressure. It was bloodlust made real, gnawing at his very instincts. Fear dug into his spine, whispering submit, die, run.
HOW DO I FIGHT THIS? HOW DO I KILL IT?!
The beast darted left, then right, a blur of motion. In the blink of an eye, it was in front of him, claws raised.
Roland roared and swung his left arm. Stone-hardened flesh met claw. The impact cracked the air—her talons shattered like glass.
The wolf howled, pain cutting through her rage. The suffocating aura loosened, just enough for Roland to gasp.
"Huff… huff… you bitch," he growled, voice trembling but steady. "Your son attacked me first. His blood isn't on my hands alone."
He raised his head, eyes sharp, voice cold. "Now it's your turn to die."
Her mana flared again, tinged with fury—but Roland was ready.
Hardening my skin and throwing pebbles isn't all I can do.
He extended his left arm. "Come forth."
The ground rumbled. Stone twisted, forming a crude blade—thin, short, double-edged, but dull along its sides. Only the tip gleamed sharp enough to pierce.
"Pretty cool, right?" Roland said, brushing his fingers along the rough blade. "Not perfect… but sharp enough to murder you with."
The wolf flinched, instincts screaming. Fear flickered in her eyes—she turned, bolting into the trees.
"Oh no, you don't."
Roland gave chase, feet pounding, cloak fluttering. But her stride was longer, faster. Even injured, she leapt between roots and stones, soaring from trunk to trunk like a shadow.
He gritted his teeth, watching her slip further away.
"You're fast, huh? Fine. My turn."
He skidded to a halt, closed his eyes, crouched low. Mana surged from his core, legs glowing faint blue. The ground beneath him cracked.
He opened his eyes—azure light burning in his irises—and launched forward.
BOOM.
Trees blurred past as he rocketed forward, bouncing off trunks, air slicing his cheeks. Each leap carried him closer, closer—until he was within reach.
He thrust the blade.
The tip pierced clean through the back of the wolf's skull.
For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then the beast crumpled.
"I… I actually did it." Roland laughed weakly, chest heaving, adrenaline fading. "I killed the bastard."
He stumbled back, looking at his trembling hands, stained red. "Guess… this baptism's no joke."