The night descended upon the forest like a thick blanket, blotting out the stars. The dense canopy blocked out most of the moon's glow, but every now and then, the light would slip through gaps in the leaves, casting long, shifting shadows across the clearing where Ryu and Aris rested. It was a quiet, still night, but every rustle of the underbrush made Ryu's nerves jangle.
We must move on," Ryu said, breaking the silence. His voice was low and laced with a bit of caution so he would not draw unwanted attention.
Aris shook her head and leaned against a tree trunk nearby. "We have been grinding nonstop. We must recover stamina and let health bars refill. If we keep pushing too hard, we will be useless in a fight.
Ryu frowned, but she wasn't wrong. Even though the game mechanics were intuitive, the immersive design forced them to rely on real-world instincts. Exhaustion crept up faster than expected, and their makeshift dinner had done little to replenish their energy.
"Fine," he relented, scanning their surroundings. "But we take shifts. I'll stand guard first."
Aris looked as if she was about to argue, but instead she let out a resigned sigh. "Fine. Wake me if anything happens."
She settled against the tree trunk, daggers resting within arm's reach. In minutes, her breathing was even, though the tense grip on her weapons betrayed her unease.
Ryu kept watchful, resting his sword across his lap. The forest seemed alive in the dark; branches creaked and distant howls echoed faintly through the air. Uncertainty gnawed at him, not just about the forest but the situation they were thrust into.
"Why us?" he muttered to himself, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword.
Zenith's chilling announcement echoed in his mind. He had played countless games over the years, but none had ever felt this personal, this dangerous.
His thoughts were interrupted by a faint sound—a rustling too deliberate to be the wind. Ryu's muscles tensed as he scanned the shadows.
"Aris," he whispered sharply.
She stirred, her eyes snapping open. "What is it?"
"Something's out there," Ryu declared, rising to his feet. His gaze darted across the trees, his heart pounded.
Aris stood upright, holding two daggers out. "Where?"
It was not in time. The shadows changed. Three shining yellow eyes showed up with the shadows and then suddenly another pair and another before yet another, which was met by a low growling that gave him the goose bumps.
"More wolves?" Aris asked while her voice trembled for quite a few reasons.
Not just wolves," Ryu said, taking in the bigger size and the dark, spiked fur of the creatures. A glance at his interface confirmed his fears. "Level 6. Dire Wolves."
"Great," Aris muttered, getting into a defensive stance. "Any chance they'll leave us alone if we back off?"
The first wolf stepped into the clearing, baring its teeth. Its growl deepened, and the other two followed suit, their movements deliberate and predatory.
"Take a wild guess," Ryu said, hefting his sword high.
The alpha wolf led the charge, its attack speed catching Ryu off guard. He just barely avoided it, striking his blade across its side. It landed, but the wolf merely twitched its ears; its health bar merely wavered slightly.
"Watch out!" Aris shouted, darting forward to intercept another wolf as it went for Ryu. She spun with precision, landing a series of rapid strikes. The creature snarled, its health bar dropping but not fast enough.
"These things are tougher than anything we've fought so far!" Aris called out, dodging a swipe from the wolf's claws.
"No kidding," Ryu grunted, blocking another attack. The force of the impact nearly knocked him off balance. "Focus on one at a time. We can't split our attention."
Aris nodded, falling back to his side. "Which one?"
"The leader," Ryu said, pointing to the first wolf. "Take it down, and the others might back off."
They adjusted their positions to flank the lead wolf as it circled them. Aris darted in, slashing at its legs to slow it down, while Ryu aimed for its exposed flank. Their teamwork paid off as the wolf's health bar began to drop steadily, though the other two wolves grew more aggressive, snapping at them whenever they left an opening.
"This isn't working fast enough!" Aris panted, narrowly avoiding a bite from one of the other wolves.
Ryu gritted his teeth. "Then we need to risk it."
"Risk what?"
"Overload our attacks."
Aris's eyes widened. Overloading attacks in Eternal Nexus Online allowed players to deal extra damage at the cost of draining stamina. If they missed or miscalculated, they'd be left vulnerable.
"Are you sure?" she asked, glancing at him.
"We can't do anything else," Ryu said. "Ready. Go!"
The lead wolf launched itself once more, its claws raking across the air.
"Go!" Ryu shouted.
He charged forward, unleashing an overhead slash with everything he had. The blade seemed to glow slightly as it bit, a tremendous shockwave crashing through the wolf. The health bar dropped precipitously, but it wasn't enough to kill.
She jumped over Ryu's shoulder, plunged both daggers into the wolf's back. Overload triggered a critical hit; the creature let out a pained howl as it dissolved into particles of light.
The other wolves faltered, their growls subsiding as they looked at one another.
"It's working," Aris said, panting.
"Don't stop now," Ryu said, though his legs felt like lead.
The other two wolves ran forward with desperation, but they didn't know what to do since their leader was not present. Ryu and Aris worked in tandem to finish them off one by one, until the clearing was silent once again.
When the last wolf dissipated, a notification appeared:
Level Up!
Ryu and Aris both sighed out in relief, falling onto the grass.
"That was insane," Aris said, staring at the system menu.
"But we made it," Ryu said, though his body ached from the exertion. He looked at their surroundings, the forest now eerily quiet.
"We can't stay here," he said. "If Level 6 monsters are this close to the edge, who knows what's deeper in?"
Aris nodded, forcing herself to stand. "Agreed. Let's find somewhere safer to rest."
And so, as they traversed through the forest, Ryu felt that the Dire Wolves were just the tip of the iceberg. The world of Eternal Nexus Online was more dangerous than he had anticipated, and their survival struggle was only just beginning.