"Roar!" The sound of a roar echoed through the air once more, this time much closer.
Alex's heart skipped a beat at the thunderous sound, his senses on high alert.
He turned his head towards the source of the noise and his eyes widened in fear.
Before him stood a wolf, a creature of immense danger. It towered at an imposing height of five feet, larger than anything he had ever encountered. Its body was enveloped in a thick, lustrous coat of dark fur that seemed to absorb the fading light of the evening.
But what truly captivated Alex's attention were the wolf's three eyes.
Two gleamed with a fierce, predatory light, positioned where one would expect. The third eye, however, rested in the center of its forehead, an unusual and unsettling sight.
An unseen energy seemed to emanate from the wolf, filling the air around it with a palpable sense of menace.
It sent shivers down Alex's spine, a primal warning that resonated with every survival instinct. The three-eyed wolf stood about fifty meters away, fixating its gaze upon him.
Alex's heart raced in fear as the three-eyed wolf's eyes locked onto him, its intent clear.
For a brief moment, surprise flickered across the wolf's face, only to be replaced by anger and madness. It charged towards Alex with astonishing speed, its fury unleashed.
Startled by the wolf's lightning-fast approach, Alex knew he stood no chance against such a formidable adversary. In a split second, he turned away, his instincts driving him to flee.
"Roar!" The wolf roared in anger, witnessing its prey slipping away.
It gave chase, its powerful legs propelling it forward with incredible speed. Alex marveled at his swiftness, running with an intensity he had never experienced before. Somehow, he found himself able to control his movements even at such breakneck speed.
The pursuit continued, the distance between Alex and the three-eyed wolf diminishing with each passing moment.
As the wolf closed in, Alex realized he had to act swiftly.
But before he could react, the wolf's speed seemed to double, a sudden burst of acceleration that caught him off guard.
In an instant, a powerful force struck his back, sending him soaring through the air before crashing onto the ground. He rolled in pain but managed to rise to his feet.
Blood stained his back, a testament to the injuries he had sustained. Despite the agony coursing through his body, Alex refused to surrender. He pressed on, determined to escape the clutches of the three-eyed wolf.
After what felt like an eternity of running, his body battered and bruised from the relentless pursuit, Alex's weary eyes caught sight of three human figures in the distance.
A surge of hope flooded through him as he spotted the strangers. He believed that if he could reach them, they would lend him their aid. Together, they would stand a chance against the three-eyed wolf.
Alex increased his speed as he sprinted toward the three human figures he had spotted in the distance.
As he drew nearer, he could discern the details of the three figures. One was a young lady, approximately eighteen years old, and the other two were young men of a similar age.
Amongst them lay the lifeless body of a colossal serpent-like creature, its two heads now separated from its body.
Alex was taken aback by the sight of such a creature, but his surprise quickly transformed into hope as he beheld the slain serpent.
He was certain that, with the assistance of these three individuals, they would be able to vanquish the formidable creature.
His pace quickened even further, with the three-eyed wolf relentlessly pursuing him.
*****
Wu Lina observed as the massive body of the twin fang crashed to the ground with a resounding thud.
Standing beside her were Shen Hong and Xiao Se, fellow disciples of the Cloud Moon Sect.
They had engaged in a prolonged battle against the twining, and now that it lay defeated, they could finally catch their breath.
However, just as they were about to rest, the sound of approaching footsteps reached their ears.
Wu Lina looked up, her gaze fixed on the source of the sound. She saw a young man, clad in tattered, bloodstained garments, running towards them. Beside him was a formidable three-eyed wolf.
The two of them were rapidly closing in on her and her companions.
Reacting swiftly, Wu Lina assumed a defensive stance. Shen Hong and Xiao Se, recognizing the imminent threat, also readied themselves for battle.
*****
As Alex sprinted towards the trio with the three-eyed wolf hot on his heels, he observed that they assumed defensive postures upon spotting his approach.
A surge of elation coursed through him at the sight, prompting him to increase his speed.
In a matter of moments, he reached the trio, who wasted no time in launching an assault on the three-eyed wolf after casting him a glare.
The young woman wielded a pair of short swords, one in each hand, as she charged toward the oncoming three-eyed wolf with remarkable agility.
Just as she neared, she deftly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding a collision with the swiftly approaching creature.
Seizing the opportunity, she swiftly pivoted and delivered a powerful slash to the wolf's back, inflicting a deep wound.
The three-eyed wolf emitted a resounding roar of pain and fury, halting its advance and directing its rage toward the young woman.
However, one of the young men swiftly drew an arrow and let it fly toward the wolf's head.
Reacting swiftly, the three-eyed wolf abruptly halted to evade the arrow, affording the other young man, armed with a long sword, the chance to catch up.
Leaping into the air, he raised his sword high above his head, and with a graceful descent, he swung it towards the wolf's neck.
The blade sliced through the wolf's flesh, but its progress halted halfway upon reaching the bone.
Emitting a howl of agony, the wolf lashed out violently with its claw, striking the young man who still clung to the lodged sword.
The force of the blow sent the young man hurtling through the air.
Seizing the moment, the young man with the bow swiftly notched another arrow and released it, piercing the wolf's forehead, precisely hitting its third eye.
Alex, standing by the sidelines, marveled at the seamless teamwork displayed by the trio. He simply stood there, a spectator, realizing that he had nothing to contribute.
The onslaught against the three-eyed wolf persisted, and it didn't take long for the creature to emit a final, agonized roar before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
As soon as the lifeless body of the three-eyed wolf hit the ground, a holographic notification screen materialized before Alex.
_…_…_…_…_…
[DING! DING!!]
Mission: Defeat the enemy - Failed
Reward: None
Punishment: None
_…_…_…_…_…
However, Alex paid little attention to the notification, for he noticed that the trio, having just triumphed over the three-eyed wolf, turned their attention towards him.