We reorganized ourselves, trying to hide among our belongings, although it was barely effective. I didn't think we could fool a wolf's nose, or even its eyes and ears. We didn't have much space to hide, but we hoped that the corpse outside the camp would be tempting enough to give us a chance.
We waited at least 20 minutes, with five people holding the only five bows we had, and arrows distributed, leaving more with the hunters who were better skilled with them. Several minutes of anxiety passed, ending —or rather, intensifying— our emotions when we saw two figures emerge from the forest toward the corpse.
We held our breath, trembling, afraid to make the slightest sound that might catch the attention of these two new predators. The wolves pounced on the fresh corpse and began devouring it. We gripped our weapons, waiting for the hunters to give the signal to fire.
The other three archers, with no real experience in handling bows, could only draw them and hope for the best when the moment arrived. The hunters gave the signal.
Swish! Swish... Swish...
"Ah...ah...!"
The hunters' arrows flew first, followed by the others, and the wolves' howls confirmed that some arrows had hit their mark. We weren't aiming for an immediate kill, as failing at that would've been disastrous. The goal was simply for the arrows to hit, no matter where.
Out of the five arrows, only three struck, and just two caused real damage. The archers quickly reloaded as the wolves, who had previously ignored us out of hunger, now saw us as a threat. Normally, injured and facing a large group, such beasts would have fled, but something different glinted in these wolves' eyes; it seemed they saw only one possible path: to kill us.
They charged at us with terrifying ferocity, causing some of the slaves in the front line to try to flee to the sides. However, their shackles suddenly increased in weight, becoming an obstacle to their escape. But even so, they couldn't avoid the wolves' attack, which received a second wave of arrows, less effective than the first.
The wolves pounced on those in the front, but by then, they were wounded and surrounded. They managed to sink their claws and fangs into some of the slaves, who served as human shields, but there was no way out for them. Clubs, cudgels, axes, and arrows struck the wolves without cease, who tried to defend themselves, although they were attacked from all sides.
They didn't hold out much longer. They fought with all their might, but it was in vain; although they wounded several of ours, they couldn't prevent the strikes from becoming fatal. Now, we had two more wolf corpses on the ground, but also five injured among us, two of them in serious condition. They might survive with proper treatment, but I wasn't sure they could get it.
We regrouped once more, placing the two wounded at the front of our group. They knew we were sacrificing them and cried, resisting, but we had no choice. As time passed, their situation would only worsen; the wounds caused by the wolves, added to those we inflicted while trying to keep them as human shields, would bring them inevitable death or unconsciousness due to blood loss.
We waited again, praying we wouldn't have to face something even more challenging. I knew those wolves were depleting our strength; they weren't an easy enemy to handle. As I waited, I looked at the counter showing our progress, but the numbers puzzled me.
[4/15]
Four? It didn't match. There were only three wolf corpses, but I didn't have much time to question it, because just thirty minutes after the last attack, they appeared again.
This time there were three wolves, who, like before, headed toward the corpse. However, one of them seemed different: it didn't look as weakened as the others. Although it wasn't in top condition, its body showed signs of greater strength. This became clear when, upon reaching the corpse, it raised its head, noticed us, and took an aggressive stance. Unlike the other two, who immediately started devouring the body, this wolf was on alert.
When we saw it howl to catch the attention of its companions, we knew we had to act quickly; with that cry, it had broken its initial distraction, and now all were aware of our presence. The archers released their arrows; one of them struck a wolf, causing it to stumble as it advanced, though it wasn't enough to kill it. The other two continued, and we executed our plan of using the wounded as obstacles to slow their charge.
The fight began again, and this time it was fiercer. Without the element of surprise and with one of the wolves in better shape, the battle became a greater challenge. We had no doubt of our victory; we were many, and we were armed, but the real issue was how many lives it would cost.
Clubs, axes, and knives rained down continuously on the wolves, who dodged and attacked, ignoring their wounds in a wild way that forced us to fall back. The archers, positioned atop the carts for better visibility, continued firing from above.
The first wolf to fall was the one that had been hit by arrows at the start; the injury weakened it so much it barely managed to defend itself. However, the other two were much harder to deal with. Although we managed to land some blows, their attacks forced us to retreat, prolonging the fight beyond what we desired. At one point, one of the wolves lunged at a man's throat, tearing it out with a brutal bite.
Even I, who had stayed behind to avoid being attacked, ended up stained with wolf blood amidst the fray. Although we were many and we defeated them, the price we paid was high, and the battle made it clear that a long and exhausting road lay ahead.
When it was over, I looked at my exhausted people, covered in blood, with a corpse and some wounded who might not survive without treatment. But we had no time; another threat was likely on its way. If the wolves came in greater numbers, especially in better condition like the last one, the next wave could be four, and the one after that five. If all nine remaining came at once, it would be total disaster.
[8/15]
"What!? Why is the counter changing again? Do wolves have different values?"
[9/15]
"It went up again!? What is going on? We haven't done anything… All my people are here, what's happening?"
I gathered everyone again, letting the less wounded treat themselves as best as they could. Those too weakened stayed ready to fight a bit longer, despite everything. We got into position. Although we were fewer, the tension was growing. We had to hold on; I just hoped this trial wouldn't strip us of everything we had.
As we waited, the counter kept climbing. When it reached [14/15], I had a bad feeling, like a needle of fear digging deeper with every second that passed.
[15/15]
It finally hit the maximum. There were no more wolves... or so I hoped. The good news was that there was no more danger from wolves; the bad news was that something had eliminated them, and I didn't know what. The feeling of unease only kept growing.
I didn't tell my men that the counter was full. I asked them to stay alert. The feeling of danger didn't ease; instead, it grew as if it were getting closer.
"There's something there!" one of my men pointed out.
We all looked up. Something was moving between the trees. It was still daylight, but the light wasn't comforting—what was approaching wasn't simply a person.
A figure emerged from the forest, barely human. Its structure was anthropomorphic, similar to an adult man, but it could only be described as something out of a nightmare.
Naked, with no visible sexual traits, its skin was a sickly blend of reddish and pale tones that no healthy body would have. It was covered in muscles, but they were disproportionate, forming asymmetrical and grotesque bulges. It had short legs and long arms ending in long fingers or claws. It was bald, with a huge mouth stretching across its face, filled with conical teeth and a grotesque, pointed tongue.
It walked clumsily, which only made it more terrifying, and it was covered in blood, with clumps of fur caught between its teeth. The sight of that creature froze us all with cold fear.
"ATTACK! ATTACK! BOWS!" I shouted, my voice sharper than usual with the terror I felt seeing that thing slowly approaching.
My men trembled at the sight of the creature, but managed to draw their bows and shoot. It was a large and much less agile target than the wolves, a relatively easy aim. Seeing the arrows pierce its flesh was encouraging at first, but terror took over when we realized they seemed to have no effect. The creature kept advancing, with the arrows sticking out of its skin as if they were mere splinters.
"Keep shooting!" I ordered, determined not to let that thing come any closer, even though it seemed useless.
It was slow, and a regular person could outrun it. However, when it got close enough, we all backed up, holding our weapons tightly, ready to attack.
One of our own, the bravest among us, lunged at the creature and drove his axe into its flesh. But in an instant, the creature reacted with a speed we hadn't anticipated. It extended its long arms and, with its massive fingers, grabbed Goy, the brave warrior. In one brutal movement, it tore off his arm and opened its enormous mouth as if to devour his head in one bite. It nearly did—it bit his neck.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" Goy screamed as part of his throat was ripped out.
We watched as Goy's body was torn apart and tossed aside effortlessly by the creature. The horror made us scream, and the thing seemed to focus on us, moving in our direction while waving its clawed arms.
We quickly backed away. Some fled in terror, while others stumbled trying to escape. Fear momentarily paralyzed me; blood was everywhere, and the creature's roar deafened me. When I snapped out of it, I expected to see the ground littered with the corpses of my men, but it wasn't.
The creature kept attacking in all directions, almost spinning in circles. I noticed it blinked constantly, trying to focus on the loudest screams, only to lose track whenever another sound distracted it.
Our hunters kept shooting arrows, and bit by bit the monster began to resemble a porcupine. Even so, it showed no real signs of injury, and our fear grew as we saw nothing seemed to stop it.
Most of my men were too shaken to follow my orders, except a few who held on. Alone, and perhaps in a moment of foolish bravery, I approached the monster, which continued flailing in confused movements. I crept towards it in silence, with my club in hand, until I was just outside the reach of its claws. When it turned its back to me, I seized the moment and struck a blow to its bald head.
Without waiting to see the result, I ran without looking back. Even when I stumbled, I dragged myself to get as far away from that horrible thing as fast as I could. The monster turned, seeking what had struck it, but luckily, the surprised cries of the women who saw me approach drew its attention, and it lost sight of me again.
I saw that my plan had worked, though it wasn't enough to make a difference. Still, I glimpsed an opportunity. I ran to the men who remained close by and explained my idea. Although they responded with fear of the risk, no one wanted to end up like Goy. We had no choice; we were trapped, in the middle of nowhere, with that thing. We had to kill it or drive it away from the camp, though I preferred to eliminate it rather than leave such a danger lurking nearby.
We noticed the creature couldn't see well and was guided by sound. My men surrounded it, shouting in intervals to keep its attention and lead it in a pattern. When it turned its back to one of them, they would strike or throw something at it, then quickly back away. It didn't matter if they lost their weapon in the process; they attacked briefly and retreated, while the archers kept firing, now from closer range, knowing the reach of the monster's movements.
While my people kept up this strategy, I went after the others who had fled in terror, gathering them to collect more weapons and find ways to attack. I managed to rally everyone I could, though convincing the slaves was difficult; few bore the [Slave] class under the power of [Slave Master]. So we waged a war of attrition against the creature. We used everything we had on hand: weapons, stones, even fire. Although the fire seemed to irritate it more than harm it, we couldn't keep the flames on it without too much risk.
Night fell, and we were all exhausted. Two people had died, but we finally began to see the end of this fight. The creature, full of wounds and repeatedly struck on its head, could barely move. It finally collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.
At that moment, my men regained their courage, approached, and started hitting the monster on the ground, with more determination than before. Without needing to pull back, they secured each blow. With each swing of the axe, the damage became more evident until the creature stopped moving entirely. Right then, a notification appeared before me:
[You have defeated a supernatural creature in the early-stage, achieving a great accomplishment.]
[You do not yet possess the "??? Records Book," so the achievement cannot be displayed.]
[You were not the one to personally finish off the supernatural creature, so you cannot create/change/modify a class to specialize in your achievement.]
[You were not the one to personally finish off the supernatural creature, so you cannot use this achievement to attempt a heroic ascension.]