The cool breeze rustled the leaves as Yuuto slowly made his way back to Ravenwood. His body ached from the intense battle with the Shadowbeast, and while he had leveled up and unlocked the Skill Tree and Crafting abilities, the exhaustion still weighed heavily on him. Every step felt like a test of his will, but the knowledge that he had grown stronger kept him going.
The village came into view, its wooden cottages and small farms bathed in the golden light of the late afternoon. As Yuuto approached, he noticed something different about the atmosphere. The usual calm and peaceful air of Ravenwood was replaced with tension. Villagers moved quickly, gathering supplies and speaking in hushed tones, their faces filled with worry.
Yuuto quickened his pace, heading toward the village square where a small crowd had gathered. At the center stood Brann, the village elder, along with several of the village's guards. Their expressions were grim, and Brann was gesturing animatedly as he gave instructions.
"Brann!" Yuuto called out, jogging over to him. "What's going on?"
Brann turned to face him, his face etched with concern. "Lad, you've come at a bad time. We've got trouble."
Yuuto's stomach dropped. "What kind of trouble?"
Brann sighed, rubbing his temples. "We've received reports of a pack of dire wolves heading this way from the eastern forest. They've already attacked a few of our scouting parties and killed some of our livestock. It's only a matter of time before they reach the village."
Dire wolves. Yuuto had read about them in stories before—massive, feral beasts with the strength of ten men and a hunger for blood. They were dangerous enough alone, but in packs, they were nearly unstoppable.
"How many wolves are we talking about?" Yuuto asked, already feeling the tension building in his chest.
"Five or six," Brann replied. "But that's more than enough to tear through our defenses if we don't act quickly."
Yuuto's mind raced. He had barely recovered from his encounter with the Shadowbeast, and now the village was facing another threat. But this time, it wasn't just his life at stake—the lives of everyone in Ravenwood were on the line.
Brann's voice snapped him back to reality. "I don't suppose that fancy System of yours has any bright ideas, does it?"
Yuuto quickly pulled up the Ascendant System interface, hoping it would have some advice or guidance. To his relief, a new quest appeared on the screen.
[New Quest Unlocked: Defend Ravenwood from the Dire Wolf Pack]
Objective: Assist in the defense of the village by eliminating the dire wolves before they reach the main square. Work with the villagers to prepare traps and fortify defenses.]
Reward: 40 EXP, Basic Trap Crafting unlocked, +1 Skill Point.
Failure: Village destroyed, loss of reputation with Ravenwood.
Yuuto's eyes scanned the details quickly. The quest was clear—he needed to help fortify the village and stop the wolves before they could reach the heart of Ravenwood. The reward of Basic Trap Crafting caught his attention; he would be able to use it to set traps that could slow or injure the wolves.
"I've got a plan," Yuuto said, his voice steady despite the rising tension. "We need to set up traps along the eastern road leading into the village. If we can weaken the wolves before they reach the square, we might stand a chance."
Brann raised an eyebrow. "Traps, eh? We've got a few spare supplies that might work. What do you need?"
Yuuto quickly assessed the situation. The village didn't have sophisticated equipment, but they had access to basic materials—wood, rope, and some metal tools. That would have to be enough.
"I need stakes, rope, and anything sharp that we can use to create pitfalls or barriers," Yuuto said, mentally going over the trap designs he had seen in survival books back on Earth. "We'll dig shallow pits, line them with spikes, and cover them with leaves. If we can slow the wolves down or injure them, it'll give us the upper hand."
Brann nodded and immediately began shouting orders to the nearby villagers. Within minutes, a small group of men and women had gathered, armed with shovels, axes, and whatever tools they could find. Yuuto joined them, guiding their efforts as they dug pits and lined them with sharpened stakes. Every second counted—the wolves could arrive at any moment.
[Basic Trap Crafting Unlocked]
As the villagers worked, Yuuto pulled up the Skill Tree interface for the first time. A branching web of skills appeared before him, each node representing a different ability or upgrade. His eyes immediately fell on one that seemed perfect for the situation: Enhanced Trap Efficiency.
[Enhanced Trap Efficiency: Increases the effectiveness of basic traps by 15%.]
Cost: 1 Skill Point
Do you wish to unlock this skill?
Without hesitation, Yuuto selected the skill, feeling a slight surge of energy as it activated. He could already tell that the traps they were setting would be more effective now, thanks to the boost in efficiency.
With the traps in place, Yuuto turned to the villagers who had gathered around. "Alright, we've done all we can with the time we have. Everyone get to the main square and be ready. If the wolves make it through the traps, we'll have to fight them off together."
The villagers nodded and hurried back toward the center of town. Yuuto stayed behind with Brann and a few of the guards, watching the eastern road closely. The tension in the air was palpable, and Yuuto's heart pounded in his chest as he gripped his staff tightly.
And then, in the distance, he heard it—the low, rumbling growls of the dire wolves.
"They're coming," Brann muttered, his voice low and grim.
Yuuto could see them now—dark shapes moving swiftly through the trees, their massive forms blending with the shadows. The wolves were huge, their glowing yellow eyes fixed on the village as they charged forward with terrifying speed.
The first wolf reached the edge of the traps, its massive paws thudding against the ground as it leaped over the first pit. But its back legs caught on the edge of a second pit, and the wolf let out a pained yelp as it fell, impaling itself on the sharpened stakes.
One down.
But the others weren't far behind. The remaining wolves slowed slightly as they approached the traps, wary of the dangers, but their sheer size and power allowed them to cross the barriers with little difficulty. They were faster than Yuuto had anticipated, and the pit traps, while effective, weren't enough to stop them all.
"Get ready!" Yuuto shouted, raising his staff.
The first wolf charged straight at him, its eyes wild with hunger. Yuuto cast Arcane Bind, summoning the glowing chains to wrap around the wolf's legs, slowing it down. The creature struggled against the magical restraints, snapping its jaws as it tried to free itself.
With the wolf immobilized, Yuuto stepped forward and brought his staff down in a powerful strike, hitting the wolf across its head. The beast howled in pain, but before Yuuto could deliver a finishing blow, another wolf lunged at him from the side.
He barely managed to cast Barrier in time, the glowing shield appearing just as the wolf's jaws snapped shut around it. The impact sent Yuuto stumbling backward, but the shield held. The wolf snarled and backed away, circling him as it searched for an opening.
The guards and Brann fought bravely alongside Yuuto, using swords and spears to fend off the remaining wolves. Despite their best efforts, the wolves' size and ferocity made them formidable opponents. One of the guards was knocked to the ground, a wolf's jaws closing around his arm before Brann slashed the beast's side, forcing it to release its grip.
Yuuto's heart raced as he glanced around the battlefield. The wolves were overwhelming the villagers, and his mana was running dangerously low. He needed to end this quickly.
His eyes fell on the largest wolf, the pack leader, standing at the edge of the clearing, watching the battle unfold. Its dark fur shimmered in the fading light, and its glowing eyes locked onto Yuuto with an intelligence that sent a chill down his spine.
The leader. If I take it down, the others might retreat.
Gathering the last of his strength, Yuuto focused his remaining mana into a single powerful Mana Bolt. The blue light crackled at the tip of his staff as he aimed at the pack leader. With a shout, he released the spell, sending the bolt hurtling toward the wolf.
The Mana Bolt struck the pack leader square in the chest, and the wolf let out a deafening roar as it staggered backward. But it wasn't enough. The beast recovered quickly, shaking off the attack as it charged directly at Yuuto, its eyes burning with fury.
Yuuto braced himself, raising his staff in a defensive stance. He had no mana left for spells, and his body was too exhausted to dodge the incoming attack. But just as the wolf was about to reach him, Brann appeared at his side, swinging his massive axe with all his might.
The blade cleaved into the wolf's side, and the pack leader let out a final, agonized howl before collapsing to the ground in a heap.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then, with their leader dead, the remaining wolves retreated, disappearing into the forest as quickly as they had come. The threat was over.
Yuuto collapsed to his knees, panting heavily as he stared at the dead wolf in front of him. His body was shaking from exhaustion, but relief washed over him. They had survived.
Brann offered Yuuto a hand, helping him to his feet. "You did good, lad. Real good."
Yuuto smiled weakly. "Thanks. But I couldn't have done it without you."
The village of Ravenwood was safe, at least for now. But Yuuto knew that more challenges lay ahead. As the villagers gathered to tend to the wounded and repair the damage, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.
[Quest Complete: Defend Ravenwood from the Dire Wolf Pack]
Reward: 40 EXP, Basic Trap Crafting unlocked, +1 Skill Point.
Level Up! Yuuto has reached Level 4.
New Stats: Health: 160/160, Mana: 90/90, Strength: 14, Magic: 18.