As Aleck calmed down, he started noticing something strange about the wolf's behavior. Instead of charging straight at him, the beast was circling, keeping its distance as if avoiding something. Aleck thought back to when he first entered the forest and how the creature had lagged behind, taking erratic routes instead of moving directly. That's when he saw it—the crescent-shaped white flowers scattered across the forest floor.
Is it avoiding the flowers? Aleck's mind raced as he considered the possibility. The wolf was deliberately steering clear of the plants. Desperate, Aleck made a gamble. He sprinted toward the nearest patch of flowers and came to a halt right in the middle of them.
The werewolf picked up speed, rushing toward him, but as it neared the edge of the flower patch, it stopped abruptly. The beast growled and paced, its glowing eyes locked onto Aleck, but it didn't come any closer. Aleck felt his heart racing as he stood there, frozen, watching the wolf snarl at him, pacing the edge of the flower patch, unwilling to cross.
It's working, he realized with relief. It's afraid of the flowers.
The growling grew louder, but still, the creature kept its distance. The two were locked in a standoff, each waiting for the other to make a move. Aleck knew he couldn't outmatch the beast in a fight, but he could play the waiting game. He braced himself for what might be hours of this standoff—whoever lost patience first would lose the game.
Hours stretched into the night. The wolf continued pacing, but it never dared enter the flower field. Aleck's stomach growled in hunger, but he knew better than to leave his safe spot. Hunger he could deal with. The wolf? Not so much. He was willing to starve if it meant staying alive. Mud on the ground seemed like a better meal than stepping into the jaws of the monster.
Eventually, the wolf grew frustrated. It stopped pacing and let out a final snarl before retreating back into the forest. Aleck let out a shaky breath of relief. He waited a full day to make sure the creature was really gone before he dared to leave the safety of the flowers.
When the coast was clear, Aleck bent down and stuffed his pockets with as many of the white flowers as he could find. Better to be safe than sorry, he thought. Armed with his floral shield, he cautiously ventured deeper into the forest.
The forest was vast and unfamiliar. The towering trees cast long, eerie shadows as Aleck moved through the dense underbrush. He knew it was risky to wander in a forest like this, but it was his only option. Returning to the gloomy graveyard, filled with decaying corpses, hungry wolves, and who knows what else, was out of the question.
As he moved, he kept a close eye on his surroundings, restocking his supply of flowers every time the old ones began to wilt. He even picked up strange-looking plants and fruits, inspecting them cautiously before deciding whether to keep them. Survival was all about risk, but Aleck wasn't about to make foolish decisions. He stuck to the flowers that had already proven to repel the wolves.
Along the way, he encountered several more wolf-like creatures, their glowing eyes watching him from the shadows, but none dared to approach. The flowers were working.
"Guess I made the right choice," Aleck muttered to himself. For the first time since arriving in this nightmare world, he felt a small flicker of hope. Maybe I can survive this.
After traveling for some time, the wolves had disappeared, and the atmosphere around him was eerily quiet. The only companions he had now were the towering, unchanging trunks of the trees and the crescent-shaped flowers nestled in his pocket.
Plop!
Aleck stumbled forward, crashing to the ground. For a moment, he thought he'd tripped, but as he tried to get up, his right leg refused to move. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and he realized with horror what had happened. The blood loss from the earlier wound—the one he had forgotten about thanks to his skill—had finally caught up with him. He was weak, and his vision blurred as the world around him swayed.
"Damn it… I knew I was forgetting something," he muttered. His frustration mounted as he struggled to pull himself up. It was his own skill that had caused him to ignore the wound, leaving him oblivious to the damage his body had suffered. The thought irritated him, but he couldn't waste energy being angry now. He needed to stay calm.
Aleck forced himself to his feet, biting back the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm him. He thought about his situation. He had been unlucky enough to be summoned into a graveyard surrounded by wolves, but at the same time, he had stumbled upon a forest that seemed to offer some protection. He had to believe his luck hadn't run out yet.
"I have to find someone. Anyone…," he whispered, his voice weak from exhaustion and lack of oxygen.
After what felt like hours of dragging himself, Aleck heard something that broke the eerie silence of the forest. A soft rustling. His heart leapt in his chest. Finally!
But when he turned toward the noise, it wasn't a person. It was… a giant squirrel. The creature was easily three times the size of a normal squirrel, with sleek fur and sharp eyes, gnawing on what looked like a piece of fruit. Aleck blinked in surprise.
"Well, at least it's not another wolf," he muttered, half amused, half exhausted. The squirrel seemed harmless enough, and Aleck figured that if it was safe for the squirrel to be here, the area might be safe for him too. Anything that feeds on fruits won't be interested in eating me! he thought, a faint glimmer of hope creeping into his tired mind.
Maybe I should follow it. The thought struck him as odd, but in his delirious state, it made sense. The squirrel was likely foraging for food, and where there was food, there might be other creatures—possibly even people.
He started following the squirrel, careful not to get too close. The animal moved nimbly through the forest, stopping every so often to nibble on fruits or inspect the ground. These brief stops gave Aleck the chance to catch up, though his body grew heavier with each step. Aleck kept his distance, but the presence of the squirrel made him feel strangely secure. If nothing else, it was a distraction from his worsening condition.
As the hours dragged on, Aleck's body grew heavier, and his vision blurred. The blood loss was starting to take a serious toll. His mind wavered between consciousness and the pull of darkness. Just when he thought he couldn't take another step, the squirrel stopped.
Up ahead, Aleck saw something he hadn't expected—a person. No, not a person exactly. The figure standing in the clearing was massive, towering over the forest floor. It looked like a human but much larger, easily twice the size of a normal man. Its features were slightly distorted, as though it had been stretched or 2x zoomed.
Aleck's heart leapt with relief. Finally!
He needed help, and this giant might be his only hope. Gathering the last of his strength, Aleck decided on a plan. He needed to look as pitiful and desperate as possible—he had to make the giant feel sympathy for him. Maybe if he appeared weak enough, the giant would be moved to help.
Aleck dragged himself forward, making feeble sounds as he approached the towering figure. "Help… please…" His voice was weak, barely audible, but he hoped it would be enough.
As he got closer, Aleck released the skill that had been keeping his pain at bay, wanting his desperation to seem more realistic. In an instant, the searing agony from his wound rushed back, flooding his senses. He gasped in pain, stumbling forward as he dragged himself closer to the giant. His vision blurred with tears, and his body screamed in agony, but he kept moving, inch by inch, until he reached the giant's feet.
The pain was overwhelming, and before he could say another word, the world went black. Aleck collapsed, his body finally giving in to the exhaustion and blood loss.