I lunged at the nearest wolf, hoping to catch it off guard. But it was faster than I expected, and it dodged my attack. It snapped its jaws at me, trying to bite my arm. I felt a sharp pain as its teeth pierced my skin, drawing blood.
I screamed in agony, but I also felt a surge of anger. I twisted the dagger in my hand and stabbed it in the eye, making it yelp and let go of me. I pulled the dagger out and kicked the wolf away, watching it fall to the ground, lifeless.
I didn't have time to celebrate, though. Two more wolves were already on me, one from the left and one from the right. They coordinated their attacks, trying to flank me and tear me apart. I blocked one with the dagger, but the other one managed to scratch my leg with its claws. I felt another wave of pain, and I knew I was losing blood. I had to end this quickly, or I would die.
I decided to take the risk. I had nothing to lose, anyway. I closed my eyes and felt the fire inside me, burning like a furnace. I felt the anger, the hatred, the fear, the pain. I felt them all, and I let them fuel the fire. I opened my eyes and saw the wolves in front of me, ready to pounce. I raised my hand and pointed it at them, and I shouted:
"Burn!"
A jet of flame shot out of my palm, hitting the wolves in the chest. They howled in pain and terror, as they were engulfed in flames. They writhed and twisted, trying to put out the fire, but it was too late. They were already dead.
I felt a rush of adrenaline, and a sense of satisfaction. I had killed them. I had survived. I had proven myself. I looked around, and saw that the rest of the pack had retreated, scared by the display of my power. I smiled, and said:
"That's right, run away, you cowards. You don't mess with me. I'm the best. I'm the boss. I'm the..."
I stopped, as I felt a sudden weakness in my body. I looked down, and saw that my clothes were soaked in blood. I had forgotten about my injury on my belly, the one that Julie had inflicted on me. It had reopened during the fight, and I had lost a lot of blood. I felt dizzy, and I collapsed to the ground, dropping the dagger.
I realized that I had made a mistake. I had used too much fire magic, and I had drained myself of energy. I had also burned the forest, and I had attracted attention. I heard sirens in the distance, and I knew that the police were coming. I had no way to escape, no way to hide, no way to heal. I had doomed myself.
I picked up one of the wolf's teeth before sighing loudly. It was stained with blood and had a sharp edge. I wondered if I could use it as a weapon or a tool.
"What a bad start to the day for me," I said, annoyed, then an hologram appeared. It was a blue screen with white letters that floated in front of my eyes.
Fire Magic: Level 5
You have unlocked a new skill: Quick Healing.
Quick Healing: Capable of healing small or medium wounds in a matter of seconds but unusable against too deep wounds.
"This new skill could be very useful," I said, smiling. I had several bites and scratches on my leg and hand, and still had the injury on my belly. I activated my new skill and felt a warm sensation in my body. Then, the wounds on my leg and hand had healed, and I no longer felt pain in those areas. My stomach had stopped bleeding, but the wound had not healed. It was too severe for my skill to handle.
The hologram reappeared.
You have gained 5 skill points. Do you want to use them right away: Yes or No.
I chose the option No; I like to think before using my skill points. I could increase my fire magic level, or learn a new skill, or improve my attributes. But I had to be careful, because the system was not always fair. Sometimes, it would give me useless skills or lower my attributes without warning.
I then walked away from the wolves' cave. It was a dark and damp place, filled with bones and fur. Now, I had to find the two missing ingredients: the moonflower and the medicinal herb.
I think I should go look for the moonflower first. According to the description I read, it is a white flower that glows in the dark. It shouldn't be too difficult to find, and the map indicated that it was not far from a river. The moonflower was a rare and valuable ingredient, and it could enhance the effects of any potion.
I walked without really knowing where I was going, but I used my senses. Hearing would clearly be useful, as I could hear the sound of water, and smell would also help because water has a distinct odor. I also used my fire magic to light my way, as it was still dark. I hoped I would not encounter any more enemies, as I was not in the best condition to fight.
I continued walking, and I began to hear the sound of flowing water. I couldn't be too far now. I increased my pace, eager to find the river and the moonflower. I hoped no one else had taken them before me.
I started running towards the anticipated sound and was amazed by what I saw. A few meters away, there was a river, and right next to it, a field with many white flowers that were glowing. The sight was beautiful. The river was clear and sparkling, and the flowers were like stars on the ground. They emitted a soft light that illuminated the surroundings.
But I had to be careful and not be as reckless as before, so I hid behind a tree and observed the field of flowers carefully. There was something odd about it. Why were there so many moonflowers in one place? And why were they not protected by any magic or traps?
Then, I noticed something else. Two men with pointed ears and uniforms were on guard, probably elves. They had bows and arrows, and they looked alert and vigilant. They were guarding the moonflowers, and they would not let anyone take them.
I cursed under my breath. This was not good. The elves were known for being proud and arrogant, and they hated demon and human . They would not let me take a flower, even if I asked nicely. They would probably shoot me on sight, or capture me and torture me for fun.
In that case, I would only need a diversion, and then I could take a flower. I had to be quick and stealthy, and hope they would not notice me. I created a fairly large orange fireball and sent it a little away from the guards. It exploded with a loud noise and a bright flash, attracting their attention. The guards then headed in the same direction my fireball had gone, and I took the opportunity to quickly enter the field. One flower would be enough. I did not want to be greedy or wasteful.
As I was about to pick a flower, a beam of light arrow was shot towards me, and I narrowly dodged it. It grazed my shoulder, leaving a small burn mark. I turned around and saw an elf man with a furious expression on his face. He had seen me and had shot me without hesitation.
"You little thief," he said, before other guards arrived. They surrounded me, pointing their arrows at me. They looked angry and disgusted, as if I was a rat or a bug.
"I clearly have no luck," I said, sighing. "I'll have to fight again." I clenched my fist and prepared to use my fire magic. I knew I had little chance of escaping, but I would not give up without a fight.