The team had been walking through the forest for quite some time, but something felt off. Despite walking for a long time, they had yet to encounter any monsters, and this began to worry all of them. As they continued, they entered a clearing.
"This is very strange. By now, we should have run into some kind of monster," Dane said, furrowing his brow as he scanned the area.
"Those weaklings are probably just too scared of dying to my sword!" Toran said nonchalantly.
It was nighttime in the forest, and their visibility was poor. However, Lian, who had no trouble seeing in the dark, began scanning their surroundings, trying to spot any signs of movement.
"Wolves," Lian said quietly, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. The rest of the group could hear him mutter the word wolves. "They're not scared. We've walked right into their trap."
At that moment, several dark-furred wolves began emerging from the dense forest, some even leaping down from the trees above.
"Formation!" Dane shouted to the group, quickly assuming a combat stance, gripping his spear with both hands.
Toran, paying no heed to Dane's command, drew his massive sword with a sadistic grin and charged at the wolves.
Toran rushed toward the wolves, his provocative laughter filling the air. His massive sword glinted faintly with a metallic hue as he invoked its power.
"Come on, you furry pests! I'll take you all on by myself!"
Dane stood speechless for a moment before yelling furiously, "Toran! You're a complete idiot! Get back here! You broke the formation, you moron!"
But it was too late. Toran was already in the middle of the clearing, spinning his colossal sword and cutting down two wolves in a single powerful swing. The impact illuminated the area briefly, revealing the overwhelming number of wolves surrounding the group.
Lian, Elios, and Saya quickly took their positions, forming an improvised triangle to cover each other while the wolves advanced.
"Reckless fool," Saya muttered, summoning her bow. "Now we have to improvise."
"We don't have a choice," Elios replied, raising his sword. The blade glowed, lighting part of the clearing. "Let's end this together!"
The team was forced to fight outside of their planned formation, each handling the wolves in their own style.
Dane spun his spear, creating a gust of wind that pushed two wolves back. With a swift and precise movement, he thrust his spear into the neck of one of the beasts, killing it instantly.
"You idiot, Toran! Now we're all exposed!" he shouted, parrying another attack with the shaft of his spear.
Saya stood at a distance, firing magical arrows. Each arrow split mid-air, striking two or three targets at once. However, the wolves were swift and coordinated. One lunged at her, slashing her leg and forcing her to retreat while firing another arrow that struck the creature mid-leap.
"I need cover!" Saya called out as another wolf approached dangerously close.
Toran found himself surrounded by four wolves at once, but this seemed to fuel him even more. He spun his massive sword, crushing two of them in a single swing while using brute force to repel the other two.
"Is this all you've got? I thought this would be more fun!" he yelled, completely ignoring Dane's earlier warning.
But his recklessness came at a cost. One wolf exploited an opening and lunged, sinking its teeth into Toran's arm. He let out a roar of pain but managed to slam the wolf against the ground with sheer strength before driving his sword through it with a brutal strike.
"These damned wolves won't kill me that easily!" he growled, blood streaming from his arm.
Elios, wielding his glowing sword, joined Saya, protecting her as she retreated to a safer position. Using his light-based powers, he created a temporary barrier that stopped two wolves in their tracks.
"Stay behind me, Saya! I'll handle these!" he called out, advancing and cutting through the wolves with precision as the barrier faded.
At the center of the clearing, Lian faced three wolves simultaneously. Oblivion pulsed in his grip, and he began summoning shadows that rose from the ground like serpents, ensnaring the wolves and immobilizing them.
With a swift movement, he cut down two of the trapped wolves, while the third broke free and lunged at him. Lian skillfully dodged the attack and delivered a clean slash across the wolf's back, killing it instantly.
"You're persistent…" Lian muttered, summoning more shadows to finish off the remaining wolves.
The group finally managed to defeat the last of the wolves. The clearing was littered with the bodies of the creatures, and the sound of their heavy breathing filled the air.
"That was… chaotic," Dane said, panting as he glared at Toran. "You nearly got us all killed, you idiot!"
Toran, clutching his bleeding arm, simply shrugged. "Relax. No one died. Besides, we won, didn't we?"
"You're bleeding too much for someone so relaxed," Saya said, leaning against a tree. Her right leg had a deep gash, and she was clearly in pain.
"You're not looking too great yourself," Lian observed, noting the wound on her leg. It wasn't fatal, but if left untreated, it could become a problem.
"I've got this," Elios said, stepping forward. Placing a hand over Saya's injury, he used his light-based healing ability. A gentle glow emanated from his hand, and the wound began to close, though Saya still felt fatigued.
"Thanks," Saya said with a faint smile before glancing at Toran. "You're supposed to be the tank, not the problem."
"Yeah, yeah," Toran muttered dismissively as Elios moved over to treat his arm.
While the group tended to their injuries, Lian began to feel uneasy. Oblivion pulsed in his hand, and he scanned the clearing. The silence was unnerving, as though something was watching them.
"Lian, are you okay?" Elios asked, noticing his expression.
"No… I'm not," Lian replied, his gaze fixed on the forest's edge. "Something… bigger is here."
A deep, menacing growl echoed through the clearing. The team tensed up, raising their weapons.
From the shadows, a massive figure emerged. A colossal wolf with fur so dark it seemed to absorb the faint moonlight stepped into view. Its glowing red eyes pierced through the darkness, and its sharp teeth gleamed as it let out a growl that shook the ground beneath their feet.
"What the hell is that?" Toran asked, retreating for the first time that night.
"That," Lian said, tightening his grip on Oblivion, "is the real problem."