An intense pain surged through my head without any prior notice. I was jolted awake from my deep slumber. I don't remember when, but it seems I had fallen asleep in the guise of replenishing my stamina.
"Fuck! Not this again. It's twice now!"
I mumbled with frustration as I grabbed my head. The weird screeches ran amok in my head. It wasn't slightly pleasing but it was bearable.
"Thuuuuuud!!"
Following that, a loud crash resonated throughout the entire cave. The sound echoed from the cave's entrance. In the next moment, my body felt weak. It was strange… I had rested enough, so my body should have functioned well! But it was the opposite. My body grew heavier—it was hard to breathe. With great difficulty, I turned my head toward the cave's entrance. I was deep inside the cave, so it was hard to see, but after a few seconds, I witnessed an imposing figure drifting forward.
At first glance, it felt eerie even to my eyes. As it approached closer, a cold shiver ran down my spine. My pupils trembled as I gazed at it… it felt as if I was staring into the abyss itself.
It was a wolf—no, not an ordinary wolf, but one far larger and fiercer than any I had ever hunted. Its fur was pitch black, absorbing the faint moonlight that dared to enter the cave.
[The constellation of salvation suggest you to perform caution]
[The constellation of salvation Informs you of "FENRIR" The Embodiment of Chaos]
[The constellation of salvation warns you]
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[The constellation of salvation WARNS YOU!!]
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[The constellation of salvation WARNS YOU!!] ×99
My vision blurred. The friendly, glowing writings that had appeared time to time turned blood red,occupying my entire vision.
Fenrir... a name all too familiar. A name whispered in countless folklores, used to frighten children into obedience or lull them into uneasy sleep. I have heard many tales of him myself.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!"
A momentary distraction didn't improve my situation. Now Fenrir gazed at me. His gaze was fierce; it felt as if he were looking into my soul. His sheer presence threatened my very existence. I was paralyzed, unable to do anything as he sized me up. A cold shiver ran down my spine. Was I scared? Did I fear Fenrir? No!it wasn't like that. My expression, frozen, turned into an eerie smile I couldn't control. I felt thrilled; the sheer excitement rampaged through my small body. A sudden bliss of euphoria took hold of me.
Many thoughts ran amok; many scenarios played themselves out. But in every one I saw myself killed by his chaotic rage.
I know myself..the way I am right now! I wouldn't even be able to lift a foot if Fenrir deemed it necessary. Even so, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about how I might kill him.
"Should I jump and plunge my dagger into him?"
[The Constellation of Salvation WARNS YOU!!!]
[The Constellation of Salvation urges you to perform Patience.]
The sudden red visual snapped me back to reality. Fenrir pulled his gaze away and stepped forward, as if I had never been there at all. He didn't acknowledge my existence. Perhaps I was as insignificant as an ant to him. The thought only heightened my excitement.
"How strong must one be to insult another life form without even doing anything?"
My body relaxed, though weakness still lingered. The paralysis subsided, and when I tried to move my limbs, they obeyed. I followed Fenrir, keeping a fair distance. He ventured deeper inside, and I trailed behind. The cave was ordinary — empty, unremarkable. It didn't seem to hold any value, and it certainly couldn't be Fenrir's home. So why had he come here of all places? I couldn't tell.
After a while, in the deepest part of the cave, Fenrir halted. He sat down, and then, suddenly, the entire cave was swallowed in darkness. The faint glow from my stone vanished in an instant, devoured by chaotic shadow.
My vision was stolen. No! it's as if I never had any vision to begin with. I could finally feel what those born blind must experience. It was new to me... strange, yet oddly exciting.
Amidst the pitch-black void, a faint light began to shimmer where Fenrir sat. It was so small that the naked eye could barely perceive it. Then, slowly, the light grew stronger until it became visible, tangible. In the next instant, it burst outward, swallowing the darkness whole and replacing it with blinding white.
Everything turned white before my eyes, and the sudden brightness burned like hell, forcing them shut on their own.
I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. It was truly an unremarkable, ordinary cave—but something felt strange. Wasn't it night just a moment ago? So why did it feel like broad daylight? Questions swirled in my mind, but the answer lay with Fenrir.
His chaotic dominion had subsided, replaced by a majestic aura. It felt warm, soothing, and it seemed to wash away all my fatigue, replenishing my stamina and restoring the vigor I had lost earlier.
The scene reminded me of a book, a book named Myth of Legends. It portrayed Fenrir in a way that no other ancient lore or present-day folklore ever could.
"Born from chaos itself, a beast of the abyss, Fenrir. Wherever he treads, chaos follows. Darkness shrouds the very existence of the domain he walked by, yet all hope is not lost. Within those azure shadows, a faint light still flickers and hope trembles. And when that fragile hope dares to rise again, Fenrir himself unveils the darkness, revealing his true colors."
—Myth of Legends, page 911
Even that mysterious book could only portray Fenrir's title and a brief description. If I remember correctly, many other details were marked with "?????" But one thing caught my eye—something that made Myth of Legends unique like no other. At the very bottom of the page, an additional code was written:
[Essence drop 100%, Obtain "????", "?????" upon "?????" Fenrir].
All I could distinguish from that code were the words "Essence" and "Fenrir." Essence? What was that supposed to mean? Nothing came to mind.
I shook my head and looked back at Fenrir. He radiated a brilliant light, shining like a star against the night sky. It was difficult to make out his features through that dazzling glow, yet I could still perceive some of them. Fenrir had shrunk to the size of an ordinary wolf. His pitch-black hide had turned pure white, giving him a dignified, almost divine appearance.
But there was something that completely shattered my thoughts—Fenrir was injured. Parts of his body were missing, and the wounds looked fresh.
"What could have done that… to a monster...No!, to Chaos itself?"
My curiosity soared. Countless thoughts raced through my mind, yet none of them made any sense.
Fenrir stared at me briefly, then withdrew his gaze. He showed no anger or annoyance; he simply closed his eyes and did not acknowledge me. A satisfied smile tugged at my lips.
"How arrogant!"
This majestic wolf lay open before me—or so it seemed. Could I kill him in this weakened state? No. I wouldn't even scratch his fur, so why would he notice someone as weak as me? If I provoked him, he might kill me to be rid of me. But why would he bother with someone who couldn't even hurt him? Even if I knew his secrets, I still couldn't do anything.
My smile widened until it turned sinister. I felt strangely happy about the situation. I took out the two remaining low-grade potions and threw them at his wounds. The glass shattered and the liquid soaked his flesh, but nothing happened—only irritation. He looked at me with a faintly annoyed expression.
"You arrogant little fucker! Remember my name...it's Marfin… no..."
I stopped; the words felt weak.
"It's Marfin De Estes. The man who will make you feel what he felt today: excitement and humiliation!"
[The Constellation of Salvation smiles at you affectionately and is rooting for you.]