Warlock Ch 29. Three Headed Wolf
Damian, still catching his breath from the intense training session, wiped the sweat from his brow and shot Cassius a confused look. "What does that mean?"
Before Cassius could respond, Evelyn stepped forward, pulling a small vial from her cloak and handing it to Damian. "Here, drink this," she said, her voice calm but firm.
Damian took the vial, noticing the shimmering blue liquid inside. "What is this?" he asked, his voice a little hoarse from the battle.
"Mana potion. You're running on empty. This'll top you up," she explained.
He uncorked the vial and downed the potion in one gulp. The liquid was cool, almost icy as it slid down his throat, and within seconds, he felt a surge of energy flood through him.
[All your Mana has been restored!]
Damian let out a relieved breath as his mana refilled, the fatigue lifting from his body. "Alright, that's better," he muttered, glancing back at Cassius. "So... what does that mean?"
Cassius's smile faded, replaced by a serious expression. "Warlocks are all about pacts, Damian. The spells you've learned so far—those are just the basics for fighting."
Damian furrowed his brows, sensing the weight of Cassius's words. The gravity in his voice was unmistakable, and Damian could tell there was more to this than just casting a few spells. "So, what's next then?"
Cassius's eyes narrowed, his voice steady but filled with intensity. "You need more pacts. Not just for power, but for survival."
"Pacts?" Damian repeated, still trying to wrap his head around it. "You mean more... partners?"
Cassius gave a sharp, humorless laugh. "No," he said bluntly. "Not partners. Servants. Things that will do your dirty work. And no, it won't be like what you did with Evelyn. This is different. You'll need to dominate them, make them submit to your will."
Damian blinked, his mind racing to catch up. "Servants?" he muttered, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "And how exactly am I supposed to get these... servants?"
Cassius reached into his cloak, pulling out a small flask that shimmered with an otherworldly glow. He held it up, the liquid inside swirling like molten silver. "This is what you'll need," Cassius said, his voice calm but filled with purpose.
Damian eyed the flask with a mix of curiosity and uncertainty. "What's that?" he asked, taking a small step closer.
Cassius didn't answer immediately. Instead, he uncorked the flask and, with a practiced motion, poured its contents onto the floor. The liquid hit the ground and immediately began to spread, forming intricate patterns that glowed with magic. The patterns twisted and turned, creating a magical formation that pulsed with energy. The air around them grew heavy, and Damian felt the ground beneath his feet vibrate with power.
"What the hell...?" Damian whispered, watching in awe as the magic circle expanded across the floor.
Suddenly, the room shook as a low rumble filled the air. Damian took a step back, eyes wide as the formation came to life. A portal tore open in the middle of the floor, crackling with dark energy. From the swirling vortex, a massive figure emerged—a three-headed black wolf, its fur bristling and red eyes glowing with a sinister light.
Due to his level, he could see more status.
Fenrith
HP: 1,200/1,200
MP: 200/200
Skills: [Savage Bite], [Triple Roar], [Void Howl]
Weakness: Unknown
"Oh, a Fenrith," Cassius said casually, as if the giant beast wasn't a terrifying sight. "What a good start."
Damian's heart nearly stopped. He stared at the monstrous creature, its three heads growling in unison, each one snapping its jaws as if eager for a fight. "Holy shit... that thing's huge," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Cassius raised his hand, summoning a barrier around himself and Evelyn. The shimmering wall of magic separated them from the battlefield. "Don't worry," Cassius said calmly. "You're on your own with this."
Damian shot him a bewildered look. "Wait, what? You're not going to help?"
Cassius's tone remained calm, but there was an edge to his voice. "That beast isn't my servant. It's something summoned at random. I can't control it, and neither can you—until you defeat it."
"Defeat it? Are you serious?" Damian's pulse quickened as what Cassius was asking him to do sank in. He could barely handle the shadow creatures earlier, and now he was supposed to take down a level 31 monster? Alone?
Cassius's eyes were cold, unwavering. "Defeat it, tame it, and make a pact with it. Show it who's in charge. That's the only way."
Damian swallowed hard, feeling the pressure mount. His eyes darted between the snarling wolf and Cassius. "Isn't this moving a little fast? I mean, just yesterday I was shaking up cocktails."
"No," Cassius replied flatly, his voice cutting through Damian's rising panic. "You either do this now, or you'll never be ready. This is what it means to be a warlock."
Damian muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "How did my life go from serving drinks to fighting monsters in magical basements?"
But there was no time to dwell on it. Fenrith, sensing Damian's hesitation, let out a deep, menacing growl. One of its heads lunged forward, jaws snapping inches from Damian's face. He barely dodged in time, his heart pounding in his chest as he scrambled to regain his footing.
"Shit, shit, shit!" Damian cursed, raising his hand instinctively to summon [Arcane Bolt]. The familiar blue energy crackled around his fingers, and he fired the spell directly at Fenrith's middle head.
[Fenrith] took 15 damage.
The bolt hit, but Fenrith barely reacted. The massive beast snarled, shaking off the attack like it was nothing more than a mosquito bite. All three heads turned toward Damian, their red eyes glowing with fury.
"Great," Damian muttered. "That barely scratched it."
Cassius's voice echoed from behind the barrier. "You'll need more than that, Damian. Use your surroundings. Don't rely on brute force."
Damian swallowed hard, glancing at Cassius for reassurance. But the warlock wasn't offering any more help than that. Damian was alone with this monster, and if he didn't figure something out fast, he'd end up as dog food.
Fenrith snarled, its middle head lowering as it prepared to charge. Damian felt a spike of panic, but he forced himself to focus. He raised his hand again, summoning [Dark Bolt]. With a flick of his wrist, the bolt of black energy shot toward Fenrith's massive body.
The bolt hit, and this time, Fenrith staggered back, one of its heads snarling in pain. But the beast recovered quickly, shaking off the attack as if it were nothing more than a bee sting. Its eyes flared with rage, and all three heads lunged forward at once, jaws wide open, ready to tear Damian apart.
Instinct kicked in. Damian dove to the side, hitting the ground hard as Fenrith's teeth snapped shut where he'd just been standing. The beast's massive paw swung at him, and Damian barely managed to roll out of the way, feeling the air whoosh past him as the claws missed by inches.