Luka stumbled forward as the gate's blinding light dissipated. He instinctively raised his steel blade, scanning the terrain. Instead of the dark dungeon he expected, he found himself in a dense forest. The towering trees stretched high above him, their twisted branches clawing at the sky. The air was thick and suffocating, filled with the earthy scent of moss and decay.
He was alone.
A familiar chime echoed in his ears, and a screen materialized before him.
New Objective
- Survive the Alpha Werewolf until the timer runs out.
- Time Remaining: 01:59:58
"What?" Luka muttered, his grip tightening on the hilt of his steel blade. He barely had time to process the information when a low, guttural growl came from the shadows of the woods.
From the darkness, a hulking figure, easily twice his height walked out. The creature was grotesque, its body a horrific blend of muscle and fur. Its arms ended in claws sharp enough to shred steel, and its glowing yellow eyes burned with predatory malice.
The beast's lips curled back, revealing fangs as long as Luka's forearm. It snarled, the sound echoing through the forest like thunder. Luka's heart hammered in his chest, but he stood his ground, glaring at the monster.
How am I supposed to survive for two hours against that thing?
The werewolf crouched, muscles coiling like a spring. Luka barely had time to react before it charged at him, a blur of speed and power.
He was quick enough to dive to the side as the werewolf's claws raked through the air, missing him by inches. The force of its attack gouged deep trenches into the ground where he had been standing.
He hit the forest floor hard, rolling through the dirt and leaves. Scrambling to his feet, he ran.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" he spat, dodging trees as the beast crashed through the forest behind him. Its massive form smashed through trunks and underbrush with terrifying ease, the sound of splintering wood echoing all around him.
Another notification appeared before him:
Penalty for Failure: DEATH
No kidding, Luka thought bitterly, glancing over his shoulder. The werewolf was gaining on him, its glowing eyes locked onto his every move.
He tripped on a root, slamming into the ground with a grunt. Before he could get up, the beast swiped at him, its claws narrowly missing his face. The sheer force of the blow sent him rolling through the dirt, his body colliding with a tree.
Luka groaned, pain radiating through his ribs. He forced himself to stand, his vision swimming. The beast growled, stalking toward him with deliberate steps, its yellow eyes gleaming with hunger.
He tightened his grip on his sword, his knuckles white. Run or fight? He knew he couldn't keep running for two hours. Not with his stats. His stamina was laughable, and the steel blade they had given him was barely better than a sharpened stick.
"They're setting me up to fail," he growled, spitting blood onto the ground.
The beast lunged at him again, its claws slicing through the air. Luka dodged to the side, the creature's claws grazing his shoulder. The pain was sharp and immediate, warm blood soaking his shirt.
He stumbled back, panting. He couldn't keep this up.
But then, a memory flashed in his mind—the look on her face when those bastards defied her. His queen.
"I'll win this," Luka snarled through gritted teeth, his resolve hardening. "I'll survive this game. I'll protect her this time."
A new notification appeared:
To kill the Alpha Werewolf, destroy the core.
Luka's eyes darted to the beast. A faint glow emanated from its chest and another on its forehead—a stone embedded in the center of its skull.
He braced himself, ignoring the searing pain in his shoulder. The werewolf charged again, and this time, he didn't run.
He rolled under its swipe, coming up behind it. With a roar, he slashed at its legs, the steel blade biting into the muscle. Black blood sprayed across his face, its acrid stench burning his nostrils.
The werewolf howled in rage, spinning to backhand him with bone-crushing force. Luka flew through the air, slamming into another tree. His ribs cracked on impact, the pain blinding.
The beast pounced, its claws aiming to pin him to the ground. Luka rolled at the last second, the claws sinking into the dirt where his head had been. He drove his sword into the creature's arm, the blade sinking deep.
The werewolf roared, yanking its arm free and flinging him like a ragdoll. Luka hit the ground hard, coughing up blood. His vision blurred, but he refused to stop.
"I'm not dying here," he growled, pushing himself to his feet.
The werewolf charged again, and this time, Luka ran toward it.
The beast swiped at him, but Luka ducked under its arm, using its momentum to get behind it. He climbed onto its back, his legs locking around its torso as he clung to its fur.
The werewolf thrashed, trying to shake him off, but he held on. His blade flashed as he drove it into the back of the creature's neck, black blood spraying in thick jets.
The beast howled in agony, falling to its knees. Luka climbed higher, his eyes fixed on the glowing core in its forehead.
"Almost there," he muttered, his breath ragged.
The werewolf slammed its head into a tree, the impact nearly throwing him off. Luka gritted his teeth, his grip slipping as the beast roared and bucked.
With a final burst of strength, he climbed to its head, his hand reaching for the core.
He raised his steel blade and drove it down with all his might.
The sword struck the core—and shattered.
Luka froze, staring in disbelief at the broken hilt in his hand. The jagged remains of the blade gleamed uselessly in the moonlight.
The werewolf stopped moving, its yellow eyes locking onto him. A low growl rumbled from its chest, and Luka's blood ran cold.
He was out of weapons.
How on earth I'm I going to survive this?!
Well, it seems like our dearest Luka is cursed with an absolutely awful luck.