At dawn, Caesar stretched lazily and woke up in the cave, giving Angelina, who was still sleeping beside him, a gentle pat. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Angelina yawned. The wind had howled fiercely through the night, and despite the shallow cave offering some shelter, cold drafts had still crept in. Coupled with the endless howls of beasts echoing across the Bering Mountains in the latter half of the night, Angelina hadn't slept well.
Caesar, on the other hand, seemed unfazed—perhaps thanks to his thick-skinned nature. However, his eyelids had been twitching ever since he woke up, an ominous feeling lingering in his mind. They were still too close to the Mophy Forest, and Caesar knew they needed to leave quickly. The threat from the forest weighed heavily on his mind.
The sky was still dim when the two set out. After crossing this hill and climbing two more mountains, they would finally leave the outskirts of Mophy Forest and enter the heart of the Bering Mountains. Caesar planned to reach their destination by dusk. The two had already agreed the previous day: until they reached safety, they would not rest casually. Even lunch would be nothing more than a few wild fruits.
The morning air in the forest still carried the chill of the night. With winter approaching, everything was eerily quiet. If not for the occasional migratory bird soaring overhead, Angelina might have thought they had wandered into a ghostly realm.
Caesar walked ahead, leading the way. The dense green jungle they had passed earlier was now giving way to the stillness of winter's grip. There were no paths in the mountain forest; every step had to be carved out by foot. Caesar swung a branch to clear obstacles—dried brambles, sharp rocks—each capable of leaving a deep mark on even someone as sturdy as Caesar if he wasn't careful.
Angelina had been complaining about this for some time. While the sharp thorns and branches hadn't cut her skin, her clothes were now in tatters. Caesar promised her that once they found a safe place to rest for the night, he would try to mend her clothes. Having never worked with silk before, Caesar wasn't confident about his sewing skills, but he was determined to try.
Just as the two began ascending the first mountain ridge they needed to cross, a shadowy figure arrived about a kilometer behind them—the old wolf, still in pursuit. Known for their stamina, wolves could chase their prey relentlessly. The old wolf had been following them since the previous night, and though its breath was heavy, its glowing green eyes remained fixed on the two distant black dots ahead.
The newly evolved Moon Wolf had anticipated enjoying a feast at dawn, but to its surprise, its prey had already left their resting spot early in the morning. In this bitter winter weather, even thick-skinned beasts preferred to stay put. Why had these two humans started moving so early? The wolf couldn't understand, nor did it care. Only a hearty meal could ease its gnawing hunger.
Caesar suddenly froze mid-step. That familiar feeling—killing intent. A threat capable of taking his life. He hadn't felt this way since the siege at Felmer Grand Canyon six months ago.
Angelina, with her keen magical senses, had noticed it too. A mage's heightened mental acuity made them particularly sensitive to hostile intent from other creatures.
The two exchanged a cautious glance. Why was there killing intent in this place? Had they been targeted by some wild beast?
Caesar had been meticulously avoiding any creatures that might pose a significant threat. Most of them were magical creatures. Although Caesar was curious to see one up close, he wasn't reckless. The two of them were alone in this vast wilderness, and any injury could lead to unimaginable consequences.
Could it be a tiger or a leopard? Caesar couldn't help but speculate. Ever since he began training in fighting energy, his strength had grown steadily. Now firmly established as an entry-level knight squire, he could easily handle three second-class soldiers or nine third-class soldiers simultaneously. Against wild beasts, he could fend off ten ordinary ones with his bare fists. Only something like a tiger or a leopard would pose a real challenge.
But even a tiger or a leopard shouldn't be a problem. Despite lacking half-plate armor or a trusty sword or spear, Caesar was confident he could handle any overconfident beast that dared to cross him with his fists alone.
Still, it wasn't impossible for a large predator to be prowling nearby. In winter, many carnivorous beasts, unable to find enough prey, would sometimes target opponents of similar strength. Beasts didn't rely on sharp senses; they gauged their targets by heat and the vitality in their blood. And Caesar, with his fighting energy coursing through him, radiated a life force not much weaker than a leopard's.
The old wolf had reached its attack range. It no longer bothered to hide its presence. Summoning all its strength, it became a blur of motion—a streak of shadow shooting towards Caesar and Angelina.
With the power of moonlight enhancing its body, the Moon Wolf was far more agile than an ordinary magical wolf. Under the moon's glow, it could even match the speed of the Shadow Leopard that had once ambushed it.
The old wolf charged down the hillside with an overwhelming presence, heading straight for Caesar and Angelina. Having already sensed the murderous intent earlier, Caesar and Angelina immediately noticed the unwelcome visitor. A gray-white blur streaked across their vision, leaving faint afterimages in its wake. Caesar couldn't even make out the wolf's leg movements—it was that fast.
"Run!" Caesar shouted, grabbing Angelina's hand and sprinting away. Just from the aura radiating off the creature chasing them, Caesar could tell that its level far exceeded his own. When faced with a stronger enemy, Caesar's instinct was to retreat. He wasn't a reckless fool—no fool could survive four years on the battlefield. To Caesar, retreating from a superior opponent wasn't cowardice; it was survival. Only by living could one hold onto hope.
As Caesar pulled Angelina along, he glanced back. The sight sent a chill down his spine—the creature was closing the gap between them at an alarming rate. Despite Caesar and Angelina running at full speed, the pursuer was still accelerating. What in the world was this thing?
"What the hell is that?" Caesar shouted as he ran, glancing at Angelina. In his eyes, Angelina was a walking encyclopedia; there was almost nothing she didn't know.
Pulled along by Caesar, Angelina managed to keep pace and even turned her head to get a good look at their pursuer. Her expression shifted from confusion to shock. "That's… that's a Moon Wolf?" she said hesitantly.
"Moon Wolf? What's that supposed to be?" Caesar asked without slowing down.
"Moon Wolves are low-level magical creatures, aligned with light magic. They are known for their agility and endurance and are a rare variant among wolf-type magical creatures," Angelina explained breathlessly. "Light-element magical creatures are already incredibly rare, and finding one here in the Bering Mountains is almost unheard of."
"Damn it!" Caesar cursed under his breath. He had picked up on two key pieces of information from Angelina: first, the creature chasing them was indeed a low-level magical creature, meaning it outclassed both of them in strength; and second, it excelled in agility and endurance. Running away seemed pointless—it was time to fight.
The distance between them and the wolf had shrunk to just over twenty meters. At this range, the wolf could close the gap in two leaps.
Realizing escape was no longer an option, Caesar abruptly slowed down, placing Angelina behind him and staring down the advancing Moon Wolf.
Sensing Caesar stop, the old wolf also halted, its massive head fixated on Caesar. Having recently evolved into a Moon Wolf, it had shed some of its fiery temperament, replaced by a cold, calculating demeanor. Wolves were, after all, creatures of reason.
Caesar felt suffocated by the frustration of recent events. First, he had wanted to test his strength against an evenly matched Shiloh opponent, but instead, he and his squad had been ambushed by blood-red-armored soldiers. Their leader had decimated Caesar's forces, forcing him to jump off a cliff to escape. If not for the saltwater lake below breaking his fall, he would have become just another beast's meal by now.
Then there was the magical creature fiasco. Caesar had been curious about magical creatures, but the only ones he had encountered near the saltwater lake were tiny, underdeveloped crabs with faint magical potential. And now, instead of a sighting, a full-fledged magical wolf had decided to hunt them down.
Even the most patient man had his limits. Caesar had been fighting on the frontlines since the war between Garrel and Shiloh began. He had faced stronger opponents before and survived. The first time he killed someone, he had only been in the army for two months. Malnourished and just fourteen, Caesar had managed to take down a fully grown Shiloh soldier twice his size through sheer grit and determination.
Perhaps his recent promotion to squad leader had made him complacent; it had been a long time since he had fought an opponent one-on-one. Yet, standing face-to-face with this Moon Wolf, Caesar's mind was drawn back to last year's bloody battle on the Gordon Highlands. Back then, Caesar and Jon, both third-class soldiers, had managed to ambush and kill a second-class Shiloh squad leader while escaping an encirclement. That hard-earned victory had played a significant role in Caesar's promotion.
He refused to believe he would lose to a mere beast.
Besides, Angelina had mentioned that this Moon Wolf was only a low-level magical creature. Compared to the blood-red-armored soldier who had utterly crushed his will to resist, this wolf didn't feel insurmountable.
"Come on!" Caesar growled, dropping his pack of dried meat and supplies. All he had now was a sturdy wooden branch he had been using to clear their path. His eyes locked onto the wolf with unwavering determination.
The old wolf, in turn, no longer underestimated Caesar. Standing opposite him, it realized these two humans weren't as weak as it had assumed. In fact, they exuded a faint sense of threat. What it had taken for easy prey now stood like cornered predators.
This was the fundamental difference between humans and beasts. Caesar and Angelina could analyze the wolf from a distance, assessing its abilities and strength. The wolf, on the other hand, could only rely on scent and instinct during its pursuit. It had no way of knowing the true strength of its prey until now.
Humans also had an advantage in their training. Knights, like Caesar, channeled their fighting energy internally, keeping their power concealed unless actively unleashed. Mages, like Angelina, were even more enigmatic. A powerful mage standing among common folk could appear entirely unremarkable.
The old wolf hesitated. It had only recently evolved into a low-level magical creature, and most of its magic reserves had been spent healing wounds and internal injuries. At this moment, all it had to rely on was its enhanced physical attributes from its Moon Wolf evolution.
Should it continue the hunt? Truth be told, the Shadow Leopard it had fought last night was an easier opponent than these two humans.