It turned out that Wulves were like gray wolves—but not quite. Their crimson fur, slick and reflective like wet barcloth, shimmered under the two moons’ light. The sheen made them seem strange, as if they had stepped out of some horror. Instead of rolling in the mud like ordinary wolves, they seemed to bathe in blood, the sickly metallic tang of it hanging heavy in the air.
Katherine’s sword glinted in the moonlight as she strapped on her shield, her eyes full of anticipation just as in her streams. With a fierce scream, “Come at ma!” she charged first into the darkness, her movements rushed. She still needs time to improve.
<table style="background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 75, 122, 0.93); margin: 10px auto; width: 90%; border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px; padding: 0">
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Type: 1-common | HP: 173/173</td>
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A sudden gust of wind hit me, carrying the sickening stench of blood. We’re not their first target tonight.
Not wanting to lag behind, I followed Katherine’s lead. Willing my shield to unfurl from the bracelet on my wrist, I gripped the handle of my whip. Around us, Wulves crept closer—three growling and baring their teeth in front, and at least two more circling from behind.
No time to hesitate. System cast Princess’ Grace!
I didn’t have time to draw the runes manually or kick myself for ignoring my inherent skill so far. I could have practiced while waiting in the guildhall. The system took control, and my hand moved gently, guided by the system. Six glowing runes formed in a perfect circle before me. Watching their precision left me shocked. First try? On my own? Yeah, right…
The Wulves weren’t polite enough to wait. With a chorus of snarls, they lunged at Katherine. She back-stepped nimbly—two swipes missed entirely, and her shield blocked the third with a deafening thud.
The runes finished forming just as the Wulves regrouped. Pouring my mana into the spell, I shouted, “Princess’ Grace!”
The circle of runes blazed blue, and the energy shot forward like a wave, enveloping the only ally I had: Katherine.
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Without hesitation I jumped down, my feet met with a muddy ground, burying into it a bit and right away dodged to the right when I felt a warm breath on the back of my neck. My maneuver sent the slippery mud flying all around me, and a wulf’s crimson fur brushed over my arm as he missed and crashed headfirst into the mud. Mud wulf!
My next step was obvious - I needed speed!
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[Agility increased by 50]</td>
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Amidst the chaos, the stench of sweat and blood mingled with the rank smell of fear—fear that didn’t belong to us, but to the stupid Wulves. My gaze darted through the fray as I searched urgently for Katherine, my heart hammering against my ribcage. Then, a sharp whimper sounded, and I locked onto the source.
There she was, a fierce amateur. Katherine stomped down hard on a fallen Wulf, her sword flashing in the moonlight as she roared with laughter. “Brin’ it on!” she taunted, her voice carrying over the snarls.
With a quick swing of my whip, the crack split the air, striking the Wulf between us. Its yelp sent it scrambling backward, clearing a path. Wasting no time, I sprint-stumbled forward. “Kit, hold them! Casting!” I yelled, each word coming in ragged gasps. Stupid stamina. The muddy ground squelched beneath my heels as I wobbled to her side, the heels digging into the soil.
The moment I felt Katherine’s back press firmly against mine, a wave of security flooded through me.
“Don’ worry. Got ‘em covered!” she shouted, her shield deflecting another blow with a metallic clang.
With my pulse pounding in my ears, I focused on the task at hand. No system shortcuts this time—I’d write the Ice Dance runes myself. My fingers traced the faint glow of mana into the shapes I needed, but the Wulves had no intention of giving me the time.
The first Wulf pounced, its claws sparking against my shield with a sharp buzz of magical energy. The impact vibrated through my arm, forcing me to grit my teeth as I held my ground. Before I could recover, a second Wulf lunged. Its growl echoed around me like a drunken song in the morning. In the dim light, its saliva glistened as it snapped its massive jaws inches from my face.
I saw it too late.
The beast’s paw tore through the left side of my robe, rending fabric and flesh alike. Pain erupted across my ribs as a bloody gash opened, hot and stinging.
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“Gah!” I hissed, stumbling back. The Wulf’s eyes twinkled with pride, its blood-soaked fur bristling as it prepared for another strike.
Behind me, Katherine roared, “Don’ touch ma Charlie!” Her words cut through the haze of pain, snapping me back into focus. Stupid reality limit. My hand tightened around the whip’s handle, and I took a steadying breath. The fight wasn’t over—not even close.
Despite the pain in my side and the chaos, as an experienced warrior, I focused on the runes, tracing each one with precision. Somehow, I completed the sequence on my first try.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“Ice Dance, bastards!” I shouted, pushing mana into the runes. A brilliant blue light burst forth, slicing through the darkness like a quadrupled whisky. The air chilled instantly, frost spreading outward in shimmering tendrils. The ground, the Wulves, even the nearby trees glistened under a layer of ice. Katherine, however, stood untouched in the frosty glow.
“Wau, Charlie!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine admiration. Her awe was short-lived as four of the Wulves shook off the frost and lunged at us, relentless in their attack.
“Kat, jump right!” I commanded, leaping to the left without waiting for a response.
Without hesitation, she darted to the right, her agility higher than mine, as she dodged the snapping jaws. “Attack! Two hours!” I yelled, steadying myself as my heels skidded in the frost-covered mud, steadying me. Footwear advantage now, bastards! My shield rose just in time as I braced for the next assault.
The swift movement had saved us from two of the Wulves, but the pack wasn’t giving up. They quickly regrouped, circling us.
Katherine was already in action, her sword flashing. A pitiful whimper followed by a sickening crunch of steel meeting flesh as one of the Wulves collapsed.
Their focus shifted to me.
Two Wulves charged from opposite sides, their claws tearing through the frost as they lunged.
I raised my shield just in time, slamming it into the one on my left with a reverberating clang. The force of the impact sent a jolt through my arm, and despite my pitiful strength, I held firm.
The second Wulf was faster, its bloodshot eyes locked onto me. Its jaws snapped inches from my face, but my whip was quicker. With a sharp crack, the tip lashed out, striking its head and coiling around its snout.
I yanked hard, jerking the beast’s head back, and with another precise snap, I slashed the whip across its eyes, scoring critical AP!
The Wulf howled in pain, thrashing wildly as blood streamed from its blinded eyes.
“Katherine!” I shouted, glancing at her briefly. She was already moving, her blade slicing through another Wulf with a lucky strike.
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[You lost 11 HP.]
[Critical hit! Armor pierced. Target lost 30HP (6x2 normal + 9x2 ICE damage)]</td>
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System, stop the damn notices! I can’t focus!
Even after my successful hit, the stupid wulf snapped at my shoulder, tearing into flesh and forcing blood to gush out.
Wincing from the pain, I instinctively jumped back—a mistake. Another wulf was waiting. It lunged forward, mud spraying everywhere as its jaws sank deep into my calf. I cried out, slashing at it with my whip. It wasn’t the best weapon for the situation, but it was all I had.
Enough playing around! “Kat, pull!” I shouted, not waiting for her response. I forced myself into a sprint, injured leg and all, retreating just enough to draw the wulves away. Their glowing red eyes locked onto me, their movements brimming with anticipation. They weren’t just hunting; they were separating me from my tank.
But my retreat wasn’t running away—it was strategy.
This wasn’t a random attack, not with how they coordinated. The only question was, who was their master? I scanned the field, even glancing toward the shadowy woodland to the south, but the darkness revealed nothing. If someone was out there, they were hidden too well.
“Basterds! I’m yar enemy!” Katherine yelled, her voice cutting through the night; she used warrior’s chant. It rang loud and clear, a skill I’d never bothered with—I rarely fought in groups.
Her sword flared with a silver glow, thin lines of light shooting outward like threads. They wrapped around the wulves, pulling them toward her as she brought her sword down in a powerful slash. The impact sent the wulves slamming into her shield and armor, making her stumble back a step, but she held firm.
Now’s my chance.
Faint runes glimmered in the air as I swung my staff. The countless hours spent perfecting Ice Dance and other hard runes paid off—this one was simple in comparison. “Group Healing!” I shouted, the magic flowing through me as the runes flared to life.
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After my gentle light restored our hit points almost to full, I scanned the area again, trying to think like an attacker. If it were me, where would I hide? The lack of cover left few options—the sparse trees to the south seemed the only logical place. It didn’t matter if I flushed them out; we needed to display strength before even considering a parley. “Focus at 10 o’clock—the one with the wounded eye,” I instructed.
Katherine’s grin turned wild, and she let out a roar, slashing her sword down with everything she had at the targeted wulf’s head. “Kit!” I shouted in panic. She’d forgotten to manage her pull! Three wulves lunged at her, claws tearing into her exposed sides, but she barely flinched, as if they were nothing more than pesky mosquitoes.
Damn girl! Instead of joining her reckless attack, I inscribed a quick rune of healing, raising her hit points again. It didn’t last long. The wulves continued their relentless assault, and I could have sworn their growls sounded almost like purrs of satisfaction as they shredded her armor.
“Katherine!” This time, I pleaded, my mana draining fast. I couldn’t keep healing her at this rate. “Wake up! Defend yourself!”
She ignored me completely, locked in her bloodthirsty rage. With one final, devastating swing, she crushed the wounded wulf. Its body collapsed to the ground in a pool of crimson—but then it vanished in a puff of pinkish smoke. Yeah, this wasn’t a natural wulf.
Finally, she raised her shield to block the other wulves’ attacks, turning to me with wide, apologetic eyes. “Sorry,” she muttered.
I bit back a frustrated sigh. Instead of wasting time scolding her, I swung my whip at the nearest wulf, tearing a chunk of flesh and fur from its back. Armor-piercing weapons are awesome.
The fight was desperate, but we held our ground, cutting down one wulf after another. Between the sharp crack of my whip and Katherine’s relentless swings, the stupid beasts met their end.
Time to end this.
When I realized we’d taken out about half of the wulves, I shouted into the darkness, “Hey, you there! Call off your wulves if you don’t want to lose them all! Get over here and tell us why we’re even fighting!”
Katherine’s mouth dropped open in surprise, her sword frozen mid-swing. That gave the wulves the perfect opening, but instead of attacking, they hesitated, their movements slowing. They snarled and snapped, their teeth bared, but their aggression seemed... uncertain.
“Very well, girls, let’s talk,” came a voice, calm and mocking, from the direction I’d guessed. One point for me, Charlie!
A woman emerged slowly from the shadows, stopping a good twenty feet away. The twin moons hung behind her, casting her in a silvery glow. Her hide armor gleamed, obscuring her face, though it didn’t matter—identification worked on her.
Her voice was cool, mixed with amusement. “Your employer is long gone, isn’t he?”
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<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">[Bandit Leader Lv.13]
Type: 3-rare | HP: 246/246</td>
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With her prompt, I turned back to the road, only to see that the man with the cart had vanished. Typical. Katherine, ever bold, stepped forward and declared, “Workin’? Nope! Only hitched ride to dung. Wouldn’t say no to slain’ ya tho!”
To emphasize her point, Katherine swung her sword with a flourish, sending the blood still clinging to it splattering across the Bandit Leader. The dark red droplets stained the woman’s hide armor—a Katherine’s reminder of what happened to her wulves.
As Katherine stepped aside, the leader''s pale face became fully visible in the moonlight. For a moment, the Bandit Leader just stared at her, surprise flickering in her eyes. Then she grinned, a vicious smile spreading across her face.
Lifting her staff with a sharp motion, she barked, “Same! Wulves, get ‘em!”