In another world, where Yuki was completing missions to unlock the Kema Core—
Morning sunlight covered the small village peacefully. Villagers were busy with their daily work while children laughed and played in the open streets. Among them was Yuki, currently playing marbles with several kids.
Clack!
Yuki's marble struck the others perfectly.
"Yaaa!! This is my win!!" Yuki shouted excitedly.
The other children sighed in disappointment.
"Oh man…"
"Don't forget, we were the ones who taught you how to play."
"And now you're defeating us…"
Yuki crossed his arms proudly.
"Hahaha! I'm a pro!!"
The kids only stared at him with tired expressions.
"-_-"
But suddenly, Yuki noticed someone walking past nearby.
"Kanechi!"
Kanechi stopped and looked toward him. He was one of the two archers who had rescued Yuki from the giant snakes a few days ago.
Yuki quickly ran toward him.
"It's already been four days since I came to this village."
Kanechi nodded slightly.
"And strangely enough, not a single werewolf attacked during that time. But you said this village gets attacked constantly. So where are they?"
Kanechi's expression became serious.
"Yeah… now that you mention it, it is strange. Normally those wolves attack this village twice every day in small groups. But for four straight days, nothing happened."
His eyes narrowed.
"That's totally suspicious."
Meanwhile, Yuki thought silently:
Well, whatever… since coming to this world, I've only completed one task so far—finding the village.
And for four days, there hasn't been a single mission.
Yuki sighed internally.
At this rate, unlocking the Kema Core could take months… maybe even years.
Suddenly, Kanechi pointed toward the distance with a sharp expression.
"The werewolves live in those mountains. Since they're close, they can easily attack the village whenever they want. We should check what's happening there."
He paused slightly.
"I just hope it's not something serious."
Far away stood a massive mountain split down the center like a giant ravine. Just looking at it gave off an ominous feeling.
Yuki stared at the mountain quietly.
"So they're up there…"
"Yeah," Kanechi replied. "Let me gather some people first."
Yuki silently nodded.
After some time—
Around ten armed villagers hid behind a massive stone near the mountainside. Among them were Kanechi and Yuki.
Everyone remained tense while peeking ahead carefully.
In front of them—
Dozens of werewolves stood gathered together.
Most of them had silver-white fur, but one stood farther behind the others. It was much larger, with dark brown and black fur covering its massive body.
Kanechi lowered his voice.
"That big one… is their leader."
Yuki silently stared at it.
One of the villagers whispered nervously,
"So what do we do now, Kanechi? Looking at this… it feels like they're preparing for war."
Kanechi frowned while thinking.
No attacks for four days… and now this many gathered together?
Could they be planning to wipe out the entire village in one assault?
Then he spoke quietly to his companions.
"Maybe we can't defeat this many werewolves… but thanks to DIOIL, they can't smell us."
Yuki blinked.
So that's why they rubbed that weird oil all over my body…
Then he realized something.
I see… this oil hides human scent.
Well, that makes sense. A werewolf's nose should be far sharper than a normal wolf's. Probably five or even ten times stronger.
Another villager whispered anxiously,
"But what do we even do? If we leave now, it'll already be night before we return to the village. And if we fight now… we can't possibly defeat this many werewolves."
The sun was already beginning to descend toward evening.
Kanechi's face filled with tension.
But then—
Yuki suddenly spoke with confidence.
"I think we should rush them."
Everyone immediately looked at him in shock.
"What are you saying?!" Kanechi whispered harshly.
Yuki stayed calm.
"Yes. Think about it—what if they reach the village before us? Or what if they attack while we're on our way back?"
His eyes sharpened.
"So instead of waiting, we ambush them first."
The villagers remained silent as Yuki continued.
"A sudden attack will throw them into confusion. Their minds won't react properly for a few moments."
A confident grin appeared on his face.
"And during that time… we kill as many werewolves as possible."
Kanechi fell into deep thought.
But another villager suddenly asked,
"Do you even know how many werewolves are there?"
Yuki answered without hesitation.
"Yes. Around forty are visible right now."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"But if some are hiding… then who knows."
Kanechi inhaled deeply.
"Forty…"
Then slowly—
"I-I think we can do it."
"But Kanechi—!" one villager protested in shock.
Kanechi immediately interrupted him.
"Listen! They both have a point. What if the werewolves attack before we return?! Right now is our best chance!"
Silence spread among the group.
Then—
Yuki slowly began explaining his plan.