Nolan stood at a safe distance, his sharp eyes locked on the wolf monster. It had come from the direction of the mountain, leaping over the river and landing right on the very rock he had been meditating on just moments ago.
Damn… he swallowed hard. If those annoying brats hadn't shown up, I would've been its meal before I even had a chance to awaken my Gaia Force.
His first instinct was to run. But as he took a step back, hesitation crept in.
The five children weren't fleeing.
Instead, they were drawing their weapons, standing their ground as if they actually planned to fight.
Are they insane?!
No—they were just naive.
Sure, they had awakened their Gaia Force, but the wolf in front of them was a Tier 2 monster. That meant it was a full rank above them. Five inexperienced Gaia Novices had no chance of winning against something like this.
"Where did this monster come from? There shouldn't be any monsters around here," one of the boys muttered.
"Those useless officers don't do their jobs properly. I'll ask my father to fire them," another scoffed.
"We just need to kill the monster. It's five against one; we can handle this," a third declared, puffing out his chest.
Ruby, the only one among them with any real sense, shook her head.
"No, I don't think that's a good idea," she warned. "We should retreat. This is dangerous. We don't know its strength."
But the others weren't listening.
And the wolf was already preparing to strike.
One of the boys tightened his grip on his spear, a cocky grin on his face. "Scared, Ruby? We can take it down!"
No, you idiot! Nolan cursed internally.
It was a shame that someone as talented as Ruby might die here because of their stupidity. But there were no officers around. They were probably still asleep, like the useless guards they were.
Damn it. This city is cursed.
The wolf monster, sensing their hesitation, crouched low, muscles tensed, its growl vibrating through the air like a warning before the inevitable strike.
"They're going to lose," Nolan muttered under his breath, already predicting the outcome.
The tension thickened as the children prepared to fight. While the others raised their weapons, Ruby took a different approach.
She firmly planted her sword into the ground and, with swift precision, formed a series of hand seals—each movement controlled and deliberate.
Nolan's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't expected this. Even in a high-pressure situation, she remained calm enough to execute advanced techniques.
Completing the seals, Ruby grasped her sword once more. The moment her fingers wrapped around the hilt, a faint glow of fire flickered along the blade's surface. The energy pulsed, stabilizing into a steady, fiery aura.
Fire affinity.
Nolan couldn't help but be impressed. To execute hand seals flawlessly in one attempt—especially in a chaotic setting—was a rare skill. And for a six-year-old? That was almost unheard of.
Despite the fear gripping the others, Ruby remained composed. A true prodigy.
But would that be enough?
And then—battle erupted.
Nolan could only hope these kids had enough battle training to put up a decent fight. If nothing else, they needed to hold their ground long enough to escape.
The wolf lunged, and the group scattered, quickly assuming their roles. Those with swords moved in to bait and hold its attention in close combat, while the spear users took advantage of their semi-ranged attacks to keep the pressure on.
But something was off.
The wolf's movements, though aggressive, seemed sluggish. Its stance wavered slightly, its breathing ragged.
Was it already injured? Had someone else hunted this wolf before it wandered here?
Still, the children attacked, each striking from different angles, forcing the wolf to divide its attention. Whenever it zeroed in on one of them, another would slam into its side, redirecting its focus.
Not bad…
Ruby stood out the most. Her swordplay, enhanced by the Gaia Force, was smooth and precise. Every swing was deliberate, her footwork balanced, her strikes landing with controlled efficiency. It wasn't just raw talent—she was trained.
Those hand seals… they're incredibly difficult to master, especially at her age. She really is a genius.
But even with their coordination, the wolf wasn't going down easily. Its strikes were still deadly, its reflexes sharp. It remained in the center as the children surrounded it, dodging and counter attacking with fierce swipes and lunges.
The battle was far from over.
Nolan, watching from a distance, couldn't deny his growing respect for Ruby. Even under pressure, she remained composed, directing the battle with a level of strategy beyond her years.
"Flank it, don't face it head-on!" she commanded.
"Robert, stay to the left! Keep your guard up!"
"Reina, aim for the eyes! Distract it!" she directed another girl, who swallowed her nerves and quickly adjusted her stance.
"Circle it! Keep it off balance!"
The wolf, sensing the shift in its opponents' coordination, became more aggressive. It lunged at Ruby with a burst of speed.
Instead of retreating, she met the attack head-on. Her sword clashed against its claws, sending sparks flying as Gaia-infused steel ground against hardened bone.
"Back up and regroup!" Ruby yelled.
The other children quickly obeyed, pulling back to reposition themselves.
This girl should've forced them to retreat earlier instead of trying to control a fight they have no real chance of winning.
Nolan watched as the battle spiraled out of control, a mix of admiration and frustration churning inside him. These kids were brave—stupidly brave—but they were also inexperienced. Their confidence had blinded them to the real danger they were in.
Ruby moved with skill, dodging a swipe from the wolf's claws and countering with a swift, precise strike. But the moment she absorbed another blow, the force of it sent her tumbling to the ground.
"Ruby…!" one of the boys cried out in alarm.
Fueled by panic and anger, he charged at the wolf with his spear. But the monster, faster and far stronger, knocked the weapon aside with ease. Before the boy could react, the wolf's claws slashed across his shoulder, blood spraying into the air.
He crumpled to the ground, unmoving.
And then—chaos.
The remaining children, driven by fear and desperation, launched reckless attacks. Their sword strikes became wild, their blocks sloppy. The wolf tore through their formation, sending them flying one by one.
Ruby, seeing the situation collapse, made a split-second decision. "Hurry, save yourselves! I'll distract it!"
She grabbed a handful of rocks and hurled them at the wolf, doing anything she could to draw its attention away from her fallen friends.
The wolf's eyes locked onto her.
With a vicious growl, it lunged, fangs bared. Ruby deflected the attack with her sword, but the sheer power behind the monster's strike sent her flying again. She hit the ground hard, her body accumulating injuries, her breathing labored.
Still, she rolled away just in time to dodge another lethal snap of the wolf's jaws.
"Ruby…!" the others called out.
"Find rocks, anything!" she shouted back.
"But I'm hurt… I can't run," one of the boys whimpered. "I'm not strong enough…"
Nolan clenched his jaw.
This fight was lost. And if someone didn't step in soon… they were all going to die.
Ruby, her arms bleeding from fresh cuts, was thrown to the ground once more. Her body ached, her strength fading. As the wolf loomed over her, ready to strike, she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable.
But instead of pain, she felt something else—a presence.
Opening her eyes, she saw a figure standing in front of her, a sword gripped tightly in his hands. The blade was one of the children's, hastily taken yet held with purpose.
It was Nolan.
The wolf's powerful jaws clamped down, but Nolan had already moved, using the sword to block its bite. The impact sent a shock through his arms, but he held his ground.
"Hey, you," Nolan said. "You can still fight, right? This stupid monster can only be killed with Gaia Force, and I can't do it alone."
He didn't know why he was doing this. He hated this naïve, self-sacrificing instinct welling up inside him. He had planned to stay out of it, to let them suffer the consequences of their own arrogance.
But now that he was here, standing between Ruby and certain death, one thought burned in his mind:
What the hell can I even do without Gaia Force?