Chapter 3: Battle I
The Bloodeye Wolf's crimson eyes locked onto him, unblinking. Its growl rumbled through the air, vibrating in his chest.
Luke took deep breaths, attempting to calm his tense nerves. His fears settled in as clarity beamed within those golden eyes.
Despite being in the presence of a mighty wolf, he didn't back down, taking a battle stance with his fist.
Before his death, Luke came from an influential family lacking neither wealth nor power. Despite being born into such a family, he wasn't arrogant. He understood from a young age that knowledge was power and sought to improve himself both physically and mentally.
He had his fair share of practice in martial arts as a form of self-defense and was accustomed to the dark side of human nature.
Murder, assassination, blackmail, torture, etc., were common occurrences in his family. There was a saying: "Most wealthy people didn't get rich without dabbling in some shady stuff."
Previously, Luke had been mentally and emotionally unstable due to his sudden death, causing him to display intense emotions. Now, however, he had calmed down and was actively using his brain to figure out an escape route from this desperate situation.
'Bloodeye wolf—a tyrant rank creature, capable of destroying cities alone. They usually hunt in groups, making it almost impossible to escape from their grasp. They have a strong sense of smell, sight, and even night vision.'
The memories of the Bloodeye Wolf rushed into his mind, providing him with much-needed information.
Luke stared unblinkingly at the creature's eyes and roughly understood its strength. The Bloodeye Wolf before him was significantly smaller than the one from his memories. It also had various scratch marks and injuries around its body.
'Is this a cub?' He guessed, sensing the wolf's cautious nature.
A cub, separated from its mother and severely injured, all alone in the night like him. He understood its desperation, but he wasn't a generous, kind guy, and neither was this wolf herbivorous.
'Do or die situation.'
He prepared for the upcoming battle, sensing the wolf's sudden movement. It seemed the wolf had concluded that he was easy prey.
'You gonna regret it.'
Suddenly, the wolf lunged at him, its claws slicing through the air with a sharp whistle. Luke's instinct kicked in, and he swiftly ducked down.
ugh
He barely dodged the attack in time, but the claw still managed to graze his face. The scent of damp fur and blood filled his nostrils as the beast snarled, baring its fangs.
Luke hadn't completely adapted to this new body of his, causing him some problems including slowed reactions and unusually sharp senses.
He dove to the side, rolling across the dirt as the wolf's claws gouged deep furrows in the ground.
Picking up a sharp stone from the ground, he hurled it toward the wolf's eyes in a swift motion.
Strong!
His eyes widened as the stone was completely obliterated by the wolf's attack. It had headbutted the stone, crushing it with its powerful skull.
'That thing's head is a damn weapon!'
grrr
The wolf lunged again, swiping its claws rapidly, but this time, Luke stepped back. Its claws swiped inches from his face, but the motion overbalanced the beast.
Chance!
Luke clenched his hands into fists and launched a powerful blow toward the wolf's abdomen.
pang
His fist landed on its injuries, causing a painful reaction from the wolf. It howled in pain, stepping back with surprising quickness.
"No, you don't." Luke swiftly followed up with another punch, aimed straight at its guts.
The attack rapidly descended toward the wolf, but it was one step ahead.
It tensed its leg muscles and jumped up, dodging the attack with ease.
A surprised expression flashed on Luke's face as his fist punched through empty air.
The wolf, catching Luke off guard, swirled its tail intensely and smacked him right in the face.
Luke acted quickly and shielded himself with his hands, but the attack still landed on him. A sting of pain surged through his arms, causing Luke to grit his teeth.
He'd forgotten that this was a different world where unexpected things could happen, defying common sense.
'Damn it.'
Blood dripped from his injured arms, dampening the ground beneath him. He had paid the price for overestimating himself.
He swiftly backed down, distancing himself from the wolf. The injuries weren't life-threatening, but continuous blood loss was a severe weakness for a long-term battle.
The wolf snickered loudly at his expression and lunged forward. Its movement was reckless, but Luke didn't underestimate it.
He dodged the incoming slashes, quietly waiting for another opportunity. The battle continued with neither side showing weakness.
Injuries were accumulating on Luke's body, while the wolf's condition was deteriorating further. Its old injuries were acting up, causing its attacks to weaken significantly.
Despite this, Luke didn't press on but silently waited for a chance like a crafty fox.
Suddenly, the wolf growled loudly, performing something unimaginable. It stretched its maw widely, aiming it toward Luke, and concentrated its energy between them.
"What's it doin–OH FUCK!!"
Luke cursed loudly, shocked at the scene before him. Between the wolf's jaws, a small red ball was forming at a rapid speed. The ball was crimson red, similar to its eyes, shimmering lightly underneath the starry sky.
It was…magical.
Color drained from Luke's face, sensing intense life-threatening danger from the red ball.
He felt cold sweat running down his spine, signaling him to dodge it.
A light smirk stretched on the wolf's face as he aimed the ball at Luke, and launched forward.
The ball flashed through at a breathtaking speed, illuminating the surroundings with its red light.
Luke spun on his heels, sprinting into the forest. The crimson light illuminated the trees as it closed the distance, humming with destructive energy.
The wolf's crimson eyes stared indifferently at Luke, an amusing smile appearing on its face.
Despite Luke attempting to escape from its sight, it didn't give chase, having firm belief in the red ball to finish the latter.
Luke was pacing through the forest at an incredible speed, hoping to escape. Sadly, the red ball followed him from behind, enclosing the distance rapidly.
'Is this a targeted attack?' His heart felt a sudden chill at the possibility. If it was a targeted attack, then dodging was almost impossible.
A targetted attack meant, it would follow its target indefinitely, until it hit them. There were only two ways to counter it. Either withstand the attack or counterattack using your own move.
Both were impossible for Luke, he had magical spells memorized inside his memories but, using it practically was extremely difficult. He had tried using it a while ago, but the results were negligible.
'Is this how I'm going to die again?'