Chereads / Tower Of The Elite / Chapter 10 - First Quest (3)

Chapter 10 - First Quest (3)

Dante's response was harsh, his bitterness evident from the information that had been stolen from him.

"I'll remember this, you bastard!"

Nathan clenched his jaw, muttering a silent curse under his breath as he wiped the blood from his spear.

Dante ignored the remark, focusing on the corpse instead. He knelt beside it and carefully used a knife to pull out the anima core from its center. The black orb pulsed faintly in his palm, radiating s raw and untamed energy. His core stirred within him, a gnawing hunger awakening as if it craved the orb's essence.

He tightened his grip, resisting the urge to indulge. It wasn't the time to begin the absorption process, Not when the hunt was still underway.

Dante stowed the orb in his inventory along with the corpse, which they planned to sell. Without a word, he headed back with Nathan to retrieve the other two orbs and their respective corpses.

After checking their gears once again they continued with the same strategy. Both of them had decided on a target, they would hunt around 30 dire wolves before calling it a day. 

Each time they attacked, Dante took the lead, with Nathan staying close behind. This strategy helped them avoid any fatal injuries. Dante's metallic ability served as a shield, blocking attacks when timed correctly, while Nathan focused on covering Dante's blind spots.

It wasn't that they didn't have healing potions with them, but prevention was always better than cure.

Nathan had agreed to this approach, knowing he couldn't afford to be as aggressive as Dante while wielding a spear. After all, the spear itself had been bought with money Dante had lent him, so he couldn't complain about getting fewer orbs.

Instead, Nathan focused on mastering his movements and refining his swings. He was still new to spearmanship after all, and each battle was a chance to improve his technique.

Right now he could successfully perform a clean thrust, a throw, a diagonal down slash, and a few more movements to fight while keeping his distance from the enemy.

"Above you!" Nathan warned as he dealt with one of the two dire wolves trying to sneak up on Dante from behind.

Dante heard his voice a fraction too late. He failed to dodge in time, and the wolf's fangs sank into his shoulder. But to the wolf's surprise, its teeth cracked against Dante's metallic skin, failing to pierce through.

The strong resistance unsettled the wolf, making it slow to react to the incoming counter as Dante drove his katana into its side. The wolf growled in pain, attempting to escape, but before it could pull away, Nathan's spear pierced its head from behind, sending it crashing to the ground.

Nathan smirked, savoring the moment of revenge. He stole a kill from Dante and made him feel good.

"Stop smiling like an Idiot and chase the other one. You just had to let it escape and meddle in my fight!" Dante gritted his teeth in frustration, already running after the fleeing wolf.

They had grown accustomed to this scenario as it happened almost every time, the last surviving wolf would always try to escape.

But this was also Nathan's specialty. He would throw his spear, always aiming for the kill. His greed for that perfect shot sometimes led him to miss, but he would quickly retrieve the spear and try again. To him, it wasn't just about the hunt— it was also about practice, honing his skills with every throw.

*Thud*

The practice showed its results as the spear landed squarely in the feeling wolf's upper back with enough force to penetrate deep inside. His throws no longer flew in a straight line. Instead, they were launched with practiced motion and a calculated measure, aimed at hitting precise spots with accuracy.

"What's the fuss anyway?" Nathan asked, still smirking at the frustrated Dante. "I'm always getting them now, aren't I?"

"But your recklessness could sabotage our strategy, what if— ahhhh!" Dante's complaint died in his throat as an unusually large dire wolf leapt at him from the shady sidelines.

"Ahhh! No! Get it off—ahhh!"

His trait had failed to sense the wolf's ground movement in time, and Dante screamed in panic.

The wolf's fangs sank deep into his shoulder blades. This time, his skin was unguarded, the surprise attack catching him off guard.

Nathan quickly recovered from the shock and swung his spear at the large wolf pinning Dante to the ground.

"Grr—roaarrr!" The wolf flinched at the spear's scratch, but it didn't move, its fangs sinking deeper. Dante howled in pain, struggling to push the wolf off, his mind clouded by the burning agony coursing through him.

Just as Dante tried to lift his katana, the wolf stepped on his hand, as if sensing his intent. Meanwhile, Nathan continued attacking relentlessly as he circled around the wolf, landing multiple scratches on its fur.

Finally, the wolf stepped away narrowly evading a critical attack aimed at his head. But the fangs had chewed out a piece of Dante's flesh as blood continued to pour out like a fountain from the wound.

"Use your blessing to close the wound!" Nathan shouted, realizing that Dante's mind was in a state of panic, unable to think straight from the sudden assault and the pain coursing through his body.

But despite his mind not thinking clearly, Nathan's voice reached his ears, and Dante followed the command almost instinctively. His wounded neck region transformed into solid metal, stopping the blood loss and easing the pain slightly, though it still throbbed with intensity.

Dante was left drained of energy, his body barely holding together as he struggled to maintain consciousness.

"Grrr-" The large wolf, sensing its opportunity, charged again with a low growl, its massive form bearing down on them with terrifying speed.

The highly alert Nathan stood in between the writhing Dante and the large wolf as he took a defensive stance with the hilt of the spear facing the wolf. 

Nathan used his blessing to imitate Dante's metal cloaking ability, his hands transforming instantly. But he wasn't proficient in it, having only done it once before. The strain was immediate—maintaining the metallic state drained his chakra reserves faster than it did for Dante.

He gritted his teeth as adrenaline surged through him, fueling his determination. His grip on the spear tightened, as he stood steadily to face the incoming threat.

The massive wolf raised its paw as it aimed to deflect the polearm, but Nathan reacted simultaneously. He slightly jumped back, his muscles coiling as he spun. The back of the spear struck the wolf's paw from an unexpected angle, deflecting its strike.

Nathan skidded back further after the clash as he gained distance. From this single exchange, he realized that he was no match for the wolf when it came to strength.

' Facing it directly would be foolish,' he thought as he quickly threw a smoke bomb to the ground. Before the wolf could react and get close, the place turned foggy as the wolf rushed around blindly.

Nathan hid behind a tree from the farthest side as he hoped the large wolf wouldn't catch Dante.

Yes, The man was left at the mercy of his luck at the moment.

He really couldn't help it. The large wolf was more of a bull that charged with pure body strength. It was acting wildly despite its cunning predatory start due to the pain inflicted by his earlier attacks.

This isn't just any wolf, Nathan thought, his mind racing for a solution. It's sharper, stronger, and more cunning than the others. And it's alone.

The odds were stacked against him. If it were any ordinary wolf, he'd already have it pinned. But this one? It was an advanced form of its kin, most likely an or even .

He quickly released the metal cloaking, turning his hands into normal and reserving some chakra. Though the ability would be over in a few minutes.

Just then, it clicked to him that Dante couldn't hold the metallic state for a long time.

'Once his chakra is drained and the blood starts leaking again....' He didn't finish his thoughts, but the urgency of the situation dawned on him. 

He needed to end this battle fast and treat Dante's injury with a potion. He didn't even consider abandoning his partner as that wasn't what he promised himself.

He would change from the irredeemable man he once was into something better, and now was the chance to prove his chivalry

Taking a steady breath, he opened the , his gaze falling on a single item that could perhaps help him.

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-{ TOWER SHOP }-

[Potions] 

....

-> Low-Grade Strength Potion (x1 Nos) - 10 G

....

[Bank]: 16 G

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*CLING*

After quickly reading the item description, Nathan didn't hesitate. He purchased the potion, and hoped it would arrive faster than when he purchased his weapon and other items.

[ arriving at your location in 2:59 ]

"Fuck!" Nathan screamed in frustration. Though it would be delivered faster than the time it took for his spear, it still felt like an eternity in the current situation.

"Aaaaarrrrooooo!"

The wolf's howl ripped through the air, its fury echoing in every direction.

"Is that bastard calling for me or his pack?" Nathan muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he looked toward the clearing mist.

"Arooo! Arooo!"

His worst fears were confirmed as a chorus of howls responded, signaling a communication he didn't need to interpret.

"I am fucked!" he cursed, his heart sinking in despair at the realization of what is to come.