We had moved about 50 meters ahead of Rolf and the others, down the main shopping street, before some sounds finally broke the trance-like silence of the ruined city.
I slowly moved towards the corner of the side street, where the noise came from.
There was another portal, just 30 meters down. 4 black wolves was standing around it. Two of them was busy tearing into and devouring a human body.
Black Wolf. Level 6
Health: 65. Mana: 25. Fatigue 13/115.
Class: Monster
Skill: Crush.
With the last title boosting all my attributes above 50, I now had 260 health myself. And my units had about half that. But still twice as much as these wolfs.
It was 5 against 4. I had the upper hand, and I ordered my units to attack right away, not allowing any more wolves to potentially come out from the portal.
The wolves was much more agile and sensitive than the goblins. They heard us the moment we started running.
We clashed in the middle of the narrow street, and I quickly realized my error.
They were natural pack animals, accustomed to hunting as a group. Nothing like the goblins who just attacked randomly and in disorder.
The wolves worked well together, one gaining my front unit's attention, allowing another to jump in from behind, grabbing the unit by the neck.
The attack was surely not enough to drain my units health completely. But it didn't take long before I heard a loud crunch. The wolf had used its skill and my units neck was broken.
"Stay in line! Do not let them lure you out!" I screamed, fearing they would die.
But the units was fast, quickly forming a line. A swordsman in the middle and a spear in each side. They hacked and stabbed with the spears, keeping the wolves from gaining any advantage.
I had to take action myself, or it would be a stalemate.
To my dismay, I realized I had been stupid enough to forget my spear at the grocery store. I quickly opened the store and found the cheapest sword I could find.
Rusty Old Sword. 30C.
It had no additional bonuses, but I needed a weapon.
Having withdrawn it from my inventory, I charged past my units line. The wolves had sharp senses, and they were very agile. But I was faster, having 50 agility was no joke, not even compared to the wolves.
It tried to dodge, but I severed the wolfs head in a single slash.
The wolf next to it backed away while the two at the sides jumped at me. I killed the first one, bending backwards and piercing its belly. I forced the sword outwards, slicing half the body open.
The other wolf bit my left arm, but before it could use the crush skill, it was stabbed by two spears and a sword removed its head. I opened its jaws and removed the head from my arm.
"Give me your spear!" The unit obeyed without a word.
I threw the spear. The wolf didn't have a chance to move before it was pierced from head to tail. The force of my throw, was slowly becoming inhuman.
"Gather the spear. Then run back and tell the others I went into the portal. Escort them here and tell them to enter as well, and wait for me in the buffer zone."
I gathered the loot. 2 wolf fangs and a few copper.
Inside the dungeon I summoned another unit to fill the empty spot.
Noone else was here, so I didn't care that he was naked.
They might be humans, as Rolf think they are. And I might also have some weird kind of fatherly emotion towards them. But right now, they were no more than a human shield I could use to become stronger.
We stopped at the green shield at the buffer zone. On the other side, 12 pairs of yellow eyes where starring at us. The wolfs silhouettes barely visible from the sparingly green light, that the cave-plants provided.
I had a look at my status before deciding how to proceed.
Frey Raven. Level 5. Inventory: 1/210
Currency: 17C. 0S. 0G. 0T. Dungeon Points: 97
Health: 260/260 Mana: 260/260 Fatigue: 24/300
Passive Mana regeneration: 5,8 / 5sec.
10% reduction to all damage.
Unallocated Attribute Points: 0
Stamina: 50 - Strength: 50 - Agility: 50
Intellect: 50 - Spirit: 58 - Perception: 65
Class: Legion
Skills: (Rank E) Unique Growth Skill: Looter. (Rank ??) Unique Mythical Skill: Dungeon Creation. Skill: Eternal Watchful Eye. (Rank F) Class-Skill: Summon Unit. (Rank F) Class-Skill: Legions Light.
Titles: The First. Dungeon Master. Commander of Legions.
I noticed I had gathered a lot of DP. But it still wasn't enough to use the skill. Also my inventory capacity had increased when my looter skill ranked up. Apparently the wolf-fangs was stacked and only used up 1 capacity.
The only thing I could think of doing, was increasing my spirit, so I would have more mana regeneration to summon new units in a fight. I would now be able to regenerate almost 70 mana every minute, or little more than 1 mana a second.
"We will fight in pairs. Protecting each others back."
I pointed at the red haired woman, "You go with me."
The woman went close to me, holding her spear at the ready.
"Attack!"
We walked inside the cave, the wolfs immediately launched their attack.
My units was apparently able to learn from past encounters and orders given. They protected each other while predicting the wolves movement, and the 2 units was the first to get a kill, as the swordsman blocked a jumping wolf so the other could easily decapitate it.
The woman and I danced further inside, blocking the wolves jaws as we went. She was agile as she killed our second one, but she couldn't follow me for long as I was generally faster than her.
The other team had killed another, but both had now trouble as wolves had gotten hold of them both. They died before I could help.
I rushed forward, tired of the dance, killing 3 wolves as I dodged and stabbed on instinct.
The remaining 6 wolves backed away from me, and started circling us.
"Protect me!" I was already channeling as the woman sprang in front of me, slowly walking around me with her spear ready.
I managed a summon before one of the wolfs tested us. The woman quickly jabbed at it, and it lumped back with a wounded side.
I was channeling again, with 2 units counter-circling the wolves as they circled around us.
A wolf started to howl loudly and they all attacked at once.
My units had anticipated it and quickly killed one each. My new unit had only just appeared before it died to 3 wolfs.
I took my sword and finished them before they could let go of my unit. The last wolf was killed by the womans spear.
*Level up*
While I summoned again, the units gathered the loot.
*Looted wolf fang x6*
*Looted 23 copper*
*Looted item: Leather boots*
My units was a big help. But I realized that equipping them slowly would be a waste. So I threw my old sneakers away and used the boots myself. Apparently, they fit me perfectly. If that was by chance or they simply fit the user, was a mystery for another time.
They provided me with 3 additional stamina. And I could use all the health I could get, because I knew, that somewhere inside the cave, there would be a boss type waiting.
We killed a number of smaller packs as we went through the tunnels. The loot flowed into me as my units gathered it, and I even leveled up again, reaching level 7.
I had to resummon a new unit now and then, before we finally reached the last big cave.
A huge, 1 meter tall, but flat stone was in the center of the cave. Upon it lay a giant beast of a wolf, 3 times larger then the other 4 wolfs that was guarding it.
Thunder Wolf. level 9
Health: 240. Mana: 160. Fatigue: 3/410
Class: Boss Monster
Skill: Discharge. Thunder fang. Flash-step.
Looking at its skills I quickly added my 6 attribute points to stamina. This wolf looked strong.
"Why did I leave 2 units with the others, I could really use them now." I spoke to myself. But nothing to do about it now.
The boss monster seemed to be asleep.
I decided that because the wolves had so sharp senses, trying to get closer would be pointless.
I assigned a wolf to each of my units, and we charged forward.
The wolves noticed us just as I had predicted, and jumped on each of us. But we where getting used to fighting wolves and we killed them easily.
The big wolf was standing now, letting out a terrifying howl. Sparks was coming from its fur as it growled at us. Its fur was black and deepwater-blue where the sparks came.
Then it was gone.
It appeared in a flash before my red-haired woman unit and literally bit her in half.
I don't know exactly why. But seeing the woman destroyed like that made me furious. Almost like seeing your child die. I didn't feel as strong about the others, but maybe it was because she was a woman, and was different from the others. Or simply because she had been with me longer.
Either way, I rushed forward with fury and anger!
I swung my sword, certain it would hit. But the wolf caught my sword in its jaws and split it in half. And not a moment after the sword broke, a discharge of electrical current came from the wolfs center, hitting the floor and expanding in a growing circle around it.
I was hit and felt my whole body tremble as I feel to the ground. My units were charging the wolf as they got hit and fell to the ground just the same.
The wolf vanished again, appearing next to my incapacitated units. I watched as it ferociously removed both their heads with its massive jaw.
I had almost managed to stand up again, my bodily functions returning, when it appeared before me.
It opened its huge jaws and I was instantly trapped. Half my arm and chest was inside its mouth. As it added pressure, I could painfully feel the many long and sharp fangs pierce into my skin, reaching the flesh and organs inside.
I spewed a huge amount of blood, the fangs reaching my lungs, and the pressure so intense I couldn't breathe.
But my attributes was high. The wolf didn't understand why I was still standing.
I could tilt my head, looking down, I looked directly into the wolfs right eye.
The eye smirked at me, like a cunning fox who was out to do mischief, would smirk, knowing its trap would soon be sprung.
A crackling sound came from inside the wolfs jaws.
An electrical current was unleashed from each of the wolfs fangs, the voltage so intense, I felt my bones could turn to dust. The pain so excruciating, I felt a part of my humanity was burned away.
Aya flashed before my eyes. Her beautiful smile, her tender kiss. Her scream in horror as dark eyes descended.
"ARRRRGH! NOO!"
I found a strength reserve inside myself.
Barely able to move my right arm I threw the hilt of the broken sword to my left hand, and plunged the 15 centimeters of the broken sword directly into the eye of the wolf. I mustered all my energy and pushed with every fiber in my body. Screaming with pain and effort the sword went to the wolfs brain. The electrical current its fangs produced followed the new path through my arm and sword and fried the brain.
*Level up*
I lay on the stone floor, my view darkening as my health bar was close to 0.
"Legions Light"
A large golden flash sprang from me and covered the entire cave. It continued to glow for 10 seconds as I kept focusing on its name.
I had regained half of my health.
"Fuck this shit..."