(This chapter was uploaded on Saturday 16/March/2024 9:15 PM, timezone GMT+3)
Sadly, I had to stop getting support from RikuKage here so that he could enjoy the chapters in their final image, spoiler-free for him. But for his effort, I will keep it up. Without the effort he expended on helping me, I would not have produced a story this good.
And I still need to gather more experience writing on my own for a while to make use of the advice he gave. I still did not put it to practice fully yet.
Many thanks to RikuKage for helping me shape the first chapters of this fanfiction in a better way.
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('1), ('2), ('3), etc. means that there is some explaining for the thing in the notes at the end of the chapter.
"..." small moment of silence
"Talking"
[Dialogue] (What language it is: Accent if necessary)
"He-" Someone was interrupted.
'Thinking'
{Skills' names, chanting, spell keys and spells' names}
(PoV)
(Flashback)
Don't shy from commenting on typos and/or inconsistencies. That and/or suggesting a modification to certain things that didn't make sense to you.
I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.
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(Henryk's PoV)
After a few minutes of following the sounds of what was most likely territorial disputes between wolves, which happened to be in the same direction as the dragging traces I didn't want to pursue at first, I came across an area filled with wolf and loup garou carcasses. I was hidden in the shadows of a nearby shrub, downwind from their position.
I watched the final combatants on this battlefield. Three loups and a silver wolf. All were severely injured and visibly worn out.
I didn't notice it at first, but there was another loup somewhere. It appeared to say something to the other three before going limp. What it said seemed to light the final fuse that kept them from attacking the lone wolf.
One led the charge against the poor grown pup with a lame leg('1). As another was about to rush the first, I was already aiming my bow at him. I shot an arrow into the loup's chest, forcing it to take a knee before tumbling down.
I didn't aim for the first one because it was moving. So, to stop it and reduce the number of opponents, I made a stationary target out of the second loup. I knew the first one would stop and turn around to look for a potentially more dangerous enemy.
'Lo 'n behold! It turned around!'
I was pleased. It felt good to know that everything went as planned.
"Fey, tackle" Fey did an excellent job of throwing the loup to the ground with that and then hiding behind the trees.
"FEY! HEAVY TACKLE!" I told her to do another powerful tackle while pointing at the last loup in the back. This heavy tackle is executed by gathering all of Fey's momentum and dumping it on her target the same way Falcons do.
Hearing my voice, I noticed the wolf disregarding Fey and turning to look at me.
"PIE!" Fey flew at the fleeing loup and tackled him with her balled-up talons against his chest. She began maiming the poor sod and looking for his magic stone as he whimpered pathetically.
I glanced at them for a time, contemplating whether to come out of cover.
I shouldn't take the chance. I can simply shoot the downed one to kill-
'THERE'S NO TIME!' *Twang* I immediately released the arrow that was already nocked in my bow. It flew to the loup nearest to the wolf, the one Fey knocked down first.
*swoosh* The arrow flew through the air and landed in the monster's throat. The arrow was originally aimed at the loup's head. But a gust of wind veered it off course.
'Dammit. I aimed at its head. But I guess I should be content. It only went down to another lethal spot. It doesn't matter so long it died' I was frustrated by my lack of aim. I really didn't have a talent for archery. Despite my daily practice and years of experience hunting, I sometimes miss my target by not accounting for the weather.
'Now that I'm dealing with actual monsters, I may need to learn how to rapid-fire my arrows for situations like these'
My mind strayed for a second. Given the number of enemies I could face at any given time, I may need to learn how to rapid-fire or bring along another hunter.
I shook my head to clear my mind of any unnecessary ideas, then watched the loup gurgling on its own blood. I knew neither this one nor the one with an arrow in its chest had died yet. If they decide to move in the few seconds they have left, I'll kill them from here.
The instant their attention shifts to Fey, I'll kill them. I wouldn't want to risk triggering their instincts while they were still paying attention to my whereabouts.
I could see they weren't looking at me directly, but even the slightest movement'd make them notice me as... you know, me.
The fools focused their attention on Fey in a frantic attempt to eliminate at least one more enemy. Of course, it was fruitless. They came to an end at the tips of my arrows. Now that I was more composed and the world didn't say otherwise, I had my arrows penetrate their skulls. They died.
'I better get moving. If I kept waiting, Fey'd be eating more magic stones, already eating a second one today as I wait in the shadow'
It concerned me that Fey was left in a sea of their corpses. If I left her to her own devices, she might opt to eat the magic stones.
Not to mention the terrible stink. The stink of blood 'n corpses pervades the environment. Another predator or monster could appear at any moment. I decided I needed to get it done quickly. I ignore all of my mind's inhibitions about revealing myself. I stand up and move slowly and carefully.
Because it was keeping its mind focused on the threat who isn't busy eating, I could reasonably presume that this species of wolves is extremely intelligent and, based on fiction and anime reasoning, may possess human-levels of sentience.
By going slowly, I'm aiming to demonstrate that I'm wary but don't mean to pose a threat. I hold my knife in a dagger grip in my left hand, behind my back.
I approached the area under the wolf's vigilant gaze. It stood there calmly, between me and the tree behind it.
'Don't tell me it's protecting the last of its pack's blood or something?' A fluffy ear emerges from a hollow in the tree trunk. Then a head emerges. This validated my thoughts.
The wolf becomes defensive when it sees me staring into the hollow. It crouched, flared its tail, and flattened its ears backward.
"Grrrr!" It produced a deep growl directed at me, with all of its facial muscles tightened. It's a warning to get away and avoid looking at the pups. That was an assumption until it stopped growling after I'd done what I thought it wanted me to. That verified it. People may have underestimated the intelligence of this wolf species.
'The fact it didn't even look back, that it just knew what garnered my attention; I want to raise one now. Playing with a pup that intelligent's bound to be fun' I found an interest budding inside of me. But, tragically, they're wild. Their wild instincts tell me they'd refuse. And if they're as intelligent and sentient as I assumed based on this one's behaviour, they're even less likely to let a human to lord over their lives.
'Intelligence begets cripplingly stronger desires. And, in turn, those desires beget dreams. One who dreams doesn't follow orders outside the scope of their desires. It's sad, but I'll have to look elsewhere if I wanted a puppy. A dog might do just as well or even better due to domestication'
Another thing is, we've meant nothing but bad news to nearly every other living creature, plant life included.
I maintained my attention in its general direction without staring it in the eye. Wolves perceive staring them in the eye as a challenge to their authority within their pack. I saw the result when I came upon a lone wolf who had been cast out. Even if I could kill it, I don't wanna.
...
'I know it's bad to take your eyes off of a wild wolf, but I want to check on Fey'
Fey stood there, frozen. She wasn't gazing at anything in particular, as her back was turned to us. Fortunately, she stopped eating magic stones on her own.
It took me less than a blink of an eye to make that assessment. And when I whipped my head back, I saw the wolf closer than before.
"Grrrr" This time, I was the one snarling. The wolf stayed in place. It didn't flinch when I growled.
'You aren't terrified, huh? Okay, then. Thank goodness my spare's with me. I should adjust it so that it's accessible from the other side... or so that I don't forget it most of the time'
I prepared to get my mostly-forgotten knife out of its sheath. In stark contrast to the other one, it was totally white from handle to blade tip.
I threw my main knife and caught it with my right hand in dagger grip. I then took out my extra knife and held it with my left hand. I used a hammer grip for the spare knife. ('2)
Seeing my larger "claws," the wolf bent a knee and took a step back to get closer to the tree where its pups are hiding.
"Fey, shoulders" I tried calling her name in the vain hope that she'd answer positively. I don't expect her to comply, or respond for that matter, but there's hope.
"Pie" She listened and stood on my shoulders. But there was an issue. The Fey I knew well didn't usually grab my shoulders as strongly.
'Fuck it. I feel relieved that she at least had enough of her mind to discern what I uttered. I should be content that she at least heard me'
I can wake her up after escaping what could have been a much greater carnage. More monsters and dangerous animals will approach the stink of blood wafting around.
I quickly carved out about ten of the loups' magic stones while keeping an eye on the wolf.
"AAAWWWOOOOOOUUUUUU!!" A howl was heard all around us. I believe we are surrounded by at least ten more loups based on the minor variances in pitch and location. I knew it was them when I spotted one peeking out from behind a shrub.
'My greed, eh. My greed for loot may be my downfall this time. I should run away now'
I had a hunch. I listened to it. My hunches were rare, and they were ever rarer wrong. They almost always come true.
'I still need to keep my eyes on the wolf'
I turned to them, still wary.
'What're they doing?'
I was about to rush out of there. But then I noticed the wolf carrying a pup in its mouth and limping towards me.
The distance was little, so they only took a few seconds to cross it. But at that point, they began tripping on little rocks.
"Grrrr!" I growled at them as a warning before swinging one of my knives a few paces in front of the wolf, asking them to stop.
They appeared half-dead and were also carrying their young. They were unlikely to start an attack in this state. However, you should never trust wild animals on the first contact. They can go from docile to hostile at any time, and they could hold a grudge. While it may appear random to some, their lack of understanding of wild animal behavioural patterns, along with the reality that individuals can stray from the norm, makes it both random and not.
The wolf came to a halt just as it was about to cross the line I designated. They put the pup down and flattened themselves to the ground, submissively. They whimpered something, and the pup followed suit after getting near enough to sniff the wolf.
Looking around, I can tell exactly what they want from me. With all of their kind's carcasses gone in a mortal battle against loups, the wolf's wounds, the loups' howling just a second ago, and now the pup being brought to me.
This wolf's intelligent enough to recognise that humans are eager to accept wild animals who submit to them. However, given their wounds and how heavily they carried themself, this wolf has no hopes of surviving this. They want me to take their pup and leave, thinking that the young one'll continue the pack's legacy.
I may regret it, but I'll honour this wolf's request. Wolves are proud, yet this one is kneeling and instructing their pup to join them in doing so. They threw away the concept of pride in favor of the survival of their family.
I have no second thoughts and dump all of the potion I have left on the wolf. While the potions were taking effect, I quickly examined my gear to ensure that everything was in place.
"Fey! Fly! Follow!" That should reduce the weight I'd have to carry on my back and legs. Fey had regained her bearings and was acting normally. That provided me with a fleeting sense of relief in the midst of this bleak situation.
"Yelp!" I flung the wolf over my shoulder and pulled the pup under my other arm. 'I'm just hoping I don't die today' My face at that moment... I'm quite sure it was priceless. I'm a bit sad I couldn't catch it on tape.
I turned back to see another 30+ loups encroaching on us.
'Adrenaline, my old friend, work your magic. I beg of you'
I cared none for the loups who kept standing in my way. I just bulldozed through them, stamping on their chests and throwing my full body weight into it. Add the weight of the wolf to that and there you have it. Their smaller frames and much smaller masses couldn't stand in my way by simply being there.
I didn't turn around, but I heard the footsteps of perhaps 20 loups following me. Maybe the other puppies are gone now.
'I'm sorry, little ones. This isn't something I can help everyone with at the moment'
According to my calculations, and assuming a straight line to Preblica, it would take me around half an hour of running at peak speed to reach the village from here.
I took a deep breath and increased my speed.
I received claw marks on my sides, which the loups could barely reach by lunging at me. I disregarded the searing pain and fled with the wolf and their pup on my person.
'I may need some antidotes if they had poison in their claws!'
I dodged the loups left and right as I moved through shrubs, past trees, above rocky terrain, and under logs supported by rocks. They were quite persistent. I lucked out and accidentally killed one of them when I shook the wolf, allowing them to gnaw on the loup's throat.
Preblica was finally within reach after about 26 minutes of sprinting at peak pace, with my muscles feeling ripped apart and torn to shreds. I noticed the guards pulling something to their faces. The form and the way they hold it suggests that it's a spyglass.
(End of Chapter)
'1:
Well, Lame: (of a leg or foot) affected by injury or illness.
It could also refer to a being, especially an animal, that could not walk without difficulty. Meaning, the being would have to walk wrong due to an injury or an illness.
'2:
The reason he used the hammer grip for the knife in his left hand is simple. Henryk is left-handed. He practiced so that he could use either hand for practically anything. But he still preferred to use his left hand as it was his dominant one.
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And this is chapter 8. Sadly for those who love action, the next chapter, chapter 9, will have less of that. The chapter after the next, chapter 10, will have some action at the start of it.
Now, let's talk more about how reckless Henryk's actions have been.
Henryk started interfering cautiously by sniping the loups from the shadow. He ordered Fey to distract them at no cost of hers. And the "unknown" wolf was kept in check.
But what Henryk did wrong was that he carried a 41 kg Futura with him on his shoulder. Add the weight of her 10 kg son in. He was carrying a total of 51 kg in addition to everything he was already carrying, namely his gear.
He did do some training where he needs to carry a weight of over 60 kg and run around with it. (I will leave what, or rather who, the 60 kg weight was to your imagination) But that does not make it safe, or okay for that matter. It still totals to what is approximately 58 kg.
Can you see the problem yet?
He was already tired from fighting that last pair of loup garou. He should have abandoned his sentimentality and chose himself over some random wolf and her child. Not to mention the risks accompanying carrying an adult wolf with a very dangerous set of claws and fangs that very well could have been ripping into him at any moment. And giving her the potions? How reckless!
My intention for doing that was so I show the part of him that still did not grow up. And since he distanced himself from society for so long, he did not experience the situations that would have forced him to weigh his options the way you expect him to.
Your actions are influenced by society one way or another. But him, his actions are "free" in a sense. He did not experience the restrictions that come with living in one. He grew up free and acts on what he wants, rather than what other are okay with.
Another point that might peak your interest is how he could casually howl that much weight over his shoulder and still run at full speed as if nothing major happened.
Well, the answer to that would be in his stature. The bigger you are, the more muscle tissue you would pack. The more muscle tissue someone has, the more their strength limit is elevated. Genetics also play a part in this.
If we are talking about Henryk, then he would peak at over 600 kg (~1,322.774 pounds) in a deadlift. If we are talking about his current strength, he would be able to carry at least 231.6 kg (~510.59 pounds) in a deadlift.
Considering that Adrenaline heard Henryk's begging and was generous enough to grace him with an increase in his strength, lifting a near 60 kg weight on him and running off with it for as long as an hour should be possible, helped by the fact that Henryk did way more than necessary endurance training for his muscles.
His muscles could perform at their peak for an extended period when compared to some average joe. Not top athlete in the history of humanity levels of endurance, but almost there with those entering the Olympics and overtaking some of the lower ones in the rankings.
Anyway, the focus of this chapter is over. What is there to ask you?
What do you think I overlooked? What detrimental things did I not mention in Henryk's choices for the day?
What do you think is happening to Fey? And you need to answer this before chapter 9 comes out. That chapter will have the answer to this implied in it. Chapter 10 will give you the answer somewhat clearly.
"Why is he revealing this so quickly?" some may ask. Well, that is because I am using a thing that already exists in the novels of DanMachi, and it is not obscure by any means. I will leave it at that for now.
Then, what do you say? Should Futura survive? Or should she succumb to her injuries later? Should she remain injured if she survived? I already have an answer to that for myself. But I want your opinions in this matter.
Then, what do you say about calling the little guy Ouros? It stands for gold in Portuguese, if we remove that "s" at the end of it, resulting in "Ouro" = Gold. My naming sense is not the best, but translating it to something that sounds good but means nothing much more than the little critter's fur colour is enough to satisfy me. (Those who came from the other version of the story might recognise the name Ouros)
Originally, I was planning to bring 2 cubs along. But the other one was omitted from this for personal reasons. The other cub was replaced with Futura, who grew on me as I wrote these chapters.
I'm suffering the consequences of this sudden change. I already wrote chapters ahead of this, potentially chapter 11, or even 12. And guess what? It was with the other cub and not Futura. This change was so sudden that it actually happened within a few hours before editing these chapters a final time before their upload schedule.
Well, I should stop here before saying (writing) some more spoilers(?) while not paying attention to myself.
Have a great time, ladies and gentlemen.