Johan continued his journey through the forest. Despite following the compass north indicated by his mini-map, he saw no sign of the Den of Wolves' establishment.
"It has to be around here somewhere... It seems the map only shows landmarks after I've been to them..." Johan mumbled, taking his anger out by kicking a nearby stump.
The impact reverberated through his leg, grounding him in the present, but then a notification flashed before him, drawing his attention as it materialized.
[System Notification]
[Critical Levels Detected!]
[Hydration: 9%]
[Attention, Lightbearer, hydration levels have fallen below critical thresholds. Replenish hydration by drinking water. Ignoring these warnings may jeopardize your ability to navigate this world effectively. Do so or risk facing penalties.]
"What the hell, Sanity? This shit is starting to get on my nerves," Johan cursed under his breath.
He hadn't realized how dehydrated he had become. Finding the tavern before nightfall was his top priority.
Without wasting another moment, Johan reached for the leather canteen dangling from his belt, fingers fumbling with the straps. He wasted no time unscrewing the cap and bringing the container to his lips.
Johan tilted his head back, gulping down the liquid inside. His thirst drove him to drink greedily. The cool water rushed over his parched throat, offering a momentary relief from the discomfort of dehydration.
"... I was so thirsty I didn't think. What if Fayina poisoned this..." Johan uttered as an evil vision of Fayina menacingly laughing appeared in his head.
"She wouldn't have... Would she?" Johan asked himself as he lowered the canteen.
A few stray droplets trickled down his chin, dampening the fabric of his shirt. Johan wiped his mouth with his hand, exhaling heavily. He sighed, but despite his suspicions, each gulp felt like a lifeline in a world that seemed determined to sap him dry.
He fastened the cap onto the canteen and returned it to his belt.
"I have to find the Den of Wolves... Maybe the high ground would help me get a better view of the area," he muttered, his eyes scanning through the forest trees until they settled on a small mountain looming before him.
From afar, it looked like a narrow trail wound up the rugged terrain, calling Johan to follow its path. Eager to finally stop wandering the forest, Johan set off, hoping each step would bring him closer to his destination.
As Johan ascended the narrow trail up the rugged mountain, the forest below unfolded like a magnificent painting—each detail smeared in vibrant hues of green and sunshine gold. The canopy of trees stretched as far as the eye could see, their lush leaves swaying gently in the breeze.
From his vantage point on the trail, Johan admired the breathtaking scenery of Eosdadalon. The forest seemed to go on endlessly, only interrupted by the occasional winding river or rocky outcrop.
"I really am in a fantasy world. I definitely can't get this view back home. Damn, Maya and Sarah would have loved this..."
He felt the weight of his situation lift for a moment as he absorbed the beauty of his surroundings.
After reaching the top of the mountain, Johan stood silently, the cool breeze tousling his hair. The forest sprawled out below the cliff like a lush green carpet. Johan's gaze drew to a dark, eerie cave behind him. A shiver ran down his spine, but he quickly dismissed it, focusing instead on scanning the area for signs of civilization.
He squinted against the sunlight, his eyes searching for anything that resembled a building or tavern. In the distance, a thin trail of smoke curled into the sky, catching Johan's attention. He followed its path until he saw a small wooden structure below the trees.
"That must be it... The Den of Wolves," Johan stated, but as he turned to head down the mountain, a strange sensation washed over him.
It was as if someone—or something—was watching him, lurking in the shadows. His heart quickened, and he couldn't shake the feeling of being stalked.
Sweat trickled down his back, and his instincts screamed at him to be alert. He glanced over his shoulder, but there was nothing there—just the silent, foreboding mouth of the cave, its darkness swallowing the sunlight.
With a deep breath, Johan pushed aside his nervousness and began heading toward the path back down the mountain. Suddenly, ominous growls echoed from the cave behind him.
"...What now? I'm not necessarily having the best of days."
Like shadows emerging from the depths of darkness, a pack of wolves slowly arose from the cave's mouth. Seven of them, their eyes gleaming with an unnatural hunger, their teeth bared in menacing snarls.
These were no ordinary wolves; they were larger and fiercer, their coats bristling with malevolent energy. Their movements synchronized and predatory as they circled Johan, blocking his path down the mountain.
Foam dripped from their mouths as they filled the air with an unmistakable sense of danger. The adrenaline coursed through Johan's veins, leaving him with no choice but to fight.
"Hey, guys, let's all relax here. I don't taste good. Just ask my ex-girlfriend," Johan said to the wolves as his thoughts reached for an escape plan, but there was none.
The wolves blocked the only path down from the mountain. Johan gulped as they inched forward; there was nowhere for him to go until suddenly, a notification blinked into existence, catching his attention.
[Quest Triggered!]
[Survival of the Fittest]
[Use your skills and abilities to slay the seven dire wolves in combat.]
His heart pounded as he read the mission details.
"Quest Triggered...? This damn system is becoming more of an annoying pop-up ad than it is helpful!"
Amid his anger, Johan realized this wasn't longer a matter of survival. The system must plan to use this moment to test his strength, skill, and resolve to keep moving forward.
The Dire Wolves continued their stalking of Johan as they circled him. Their low growls harmonized into a primal symphony of menace. Seven pairs of glowing eyes locked onto him with predatory intent.
His chest tightened, and his feet remained glued to the rocky terrain as he gripped the leather strap of his canteen, his only weapon—an utterly useless weapon.
The most enormous wolf stepped forward, its massive frame towering over the rest of the pack. It let out a chilling howl, signaling the others to close in.
"Okay, okay. Let's think this through—seven wolves, one of me. I've got to outsmart them. Let's see what we've got…"
Johan's thoughts drifted to his newly unlocked skills and abilities while he kept his eyes on the wolves closing in.
Eclipsing Strike seems strong, but it's a single-target attack. Great, but I need to spend energy on more than one wolf.
Sanity's Shield might buy me time, but Refraction Clone is perfect for distracting them.
Prismatic Surge is a big AoE finisher. I'll save this for when I'm desperate.
The larger of the wolves lunged first, its massive jaws snapping shut mere inches from his face. Johan ducked, rolling out of the way as another wolf charged from his left.
"I've played enough MMOs to know how this works," he said, taking a deep breath. "Time to pull a Leeroy Jenkins and hope I don't mess this up!"
"Come at me!" he cried, instinctively raising his hand. The Sanity System responded. A shimmering barrier of white, flowing light erupted around him as the second wolf's claws raked across it.
"So... This is Sanity's Shield, huh?"
The impact from the collision sent ripples through the barrier, absorbing it. Johan stumbled back, staring at the faint cracks spidering through the glowing dome as the wolf continued its relentless attacks.
"Not bad, but I can't just sit here and let them break it."
But the shield shattered with a burst of shadowy energy, sending the wolf reeling back with a yelp. The others hesitated, their snarls turning to wary growls as Johan lowered his stance.
"Now, time for a little distraction."
Johan leaped backward, his hands faintly glowing as he activated his next skill. A shimmering copy of himself materialized a few feet away. The white aura glowing for its body flickering like a mirage.
The wolves paused. The sudden appearance of Johan's clone had their heads snapping between the two.
"Yeah, that's right. You don't know who's who."
He pointed at the pack, yelling at his clone. "Go get 'em!"
The wolves growled, and two charged at the decoy rushing towards them. Their teeth snapped shut on empty air as the clone exploded in a blinding light, disorienting the pack as the dust swirled through the air.
Johan smirked. As the dust cleared, the two wolves lay still on the ground, and the remaining pack staggered, shaking their heads and whining.
"Two down, five to go." Johan grinned, sweat dripping down his forehead. "Who's next?"
His moment of triumph was short-lived. The pack regrouped, their snarls growing louder. The larger of the wolves howled again, its claws scraping against the dirt as it charged.
Johan's grin faltered. "Okay, no more messing around."
He channeled energy into his palm, feeling a strange warmth. The sensation sent a chill down his spine, but he didn't have time to hesitate.
Johan sprinted toward the wolf, his hand glowing with white light and a shadowy aura. "Alright, big guy. It's time to test this one out. Eclipsing Strike!"
He swung his arm, releasing the energy through the air. He drove it forward, slamming it into the wolf's chest. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, knocking the beast back with a pained howl off the cliff's edge.
Johan staggered, a sudden dizziness washing over him. A warning pulsed in his HUD:
[Warning: Sanity Levels Dropping.]
"Great. Thanks for the heads-up," Johan said dryly, shaking his head to clear the mental fog. "It's always one step forward, two steps back."
The remaining wolves didn't give him a chance to recover. They lunged at him simultaneously, their teeth bared.
Johan channeled energy into a volatile core between his palms as light and shadow spiraled together, unstable and dangerous.
"Here goes nothing... Prismatic Surge!"
The energy core exploded outward in a dazzling burst of light beams and shadowy tentacles. The beams pierced through the clearing, blinding the wolves and leaving deep gashes along the terrain.
The tentacles lashed out, coiling around the wolves and dragging them down. As the energy faded, a chorus of pained howls echoed through the forest, leaving behind their dead bodies, along with faintly glowing shadow flares scattered across the battlefield, pulsing faintly in the dirt.
Johan dropped to one knee, panting. "I did it... I won..."
Suddenly, another notification flashed faintly, almost mocking him:
[Warning: Sanity Levels Unstable.]
"Come on. Give me a break."
Johan attempted to catch his breath, but his victory was short-lived as the wolf who had fallen to its death, or so he thought, rose from below the cliff's edge as if leaping through the air. Its glowing eyes burned with renewed fury as it let out a tremendous growl.
"You've got to be kidding me..."
The wolf lunged faster than he expected. All Johan could do was watch as it charged toward him.
But suddenly, explosions from the shadow flares scattered across the battlefield detonated through the air in the beautiful colors of a rainbow, catching the wolf mid-leap.
Johan shielded his eyes as the shockwave knocked the beast to the ground, its snarls fading to silence.
The forest grew still, the faint hum of the shockwave the only sound in Johan's ears.
"Note to self: never piss off the wildlife here," he muttered before collapsing to the ground, gasping for breath as another notification appeared.
[Defeating Dire Wolves: +98 XP]
[Completing Quest "Survival of the Fittest": +125 XP]
[Congratulations! You have reached Level 2!]
[EXP needed for Level 3:]
(123/250)
[Skill Points Gained: +1]
[Attribute Points Gained: +3]
Johan's eyes widened as he read the numbers, fixated on the glowing experience bar before him.
"I leveled up?" he chuckled weakly, staring at the notifications. "Den of Wolves. You'd better be worth all this trouble."
The adrenaline began to fade, leaving him with the aches and exhaustion of the fight. Johan remained on the ground as the system's notifications flickered and disappeared, their glow searing into his vision like afterimages. Above him, the sky stretched vast and uncaring, but his gaze seemed drawn inward.
"What... what is this?" Johan whispered, pressing his palm to his forehead. His breathing quickened as flashes of the battle replayed in his mind, not as a victory but as a blur of light and shadow, chaos and destruction.
"I feel like..." Johan's voice trailed off as a shiver ran down his spine. "It's faint, but there's a voice in my head..."
"Sanity System, huh?" Johan muttered, his voice strained. A bitter laugh escaped his lips, hollow and humorless. "Yeah... starting to see why you called it that."