[The Howl of Death]
The first howl had been distant.
The second was closer.
The third sounded like it was breathing down Andrew's neck.
The forest trembled. The undergrowth shuddered as something massive moved between the trees, their glowing eyes burning through the darkness like distant stars.
Andrew's pulse steadied, his fingers curling tighter around the dagger.
Celia stood beside him, her silver eyes gleaming as she unsheathed her curved blade. She wasn't panicking. If anything—she was excited.
"Wolves?" Andrew muttered, scanning the tree line.
Celia smirked. "If only we were that lucky."
Then—they attacked.
[The Ambush]
The first creature burst from the foliage like a nightmare given form.
It wasn't a wolf.
Its body was elongated, almost feline, but with too many limbs. Its fur was dark and matted, patches of exposed muscle pulsing like something half-dead, half-alive. A maw too wide for its face snapped open, revealing rows of serrated teeth.
Andrew barely had time to react before it lunged.
His Shadow Step flickered—
[SHADOW STEP ACTIVATED.]
[SPEED +30% FOR 2 SECONDS.]
He moved.
The beast's fangs snapped shut on empty air as Andrew sidestepped, pivoting with the momentum and plunging his dagger into its side.
The blade sank in.
But the creature didn't die.
Instead, it shrieked, twisting unnaturally, and raked its claws across his shoulder.
Pain exploded through him as he stumbled back, biting down a curse. Blood seeped through the fabric of his torn shirt.
"Not bad," Celia called over her shoulder, already mid-swing.
Her blade sang through the air, slicing clean through the neck of a second beast that had leapt at her. Its head hit the ground first. Its body followed.
Andrew barely had time to process it before another beast charged.
They were fast. Too fast.
If they didn't end this quickly, they'd be overwhelmed.
[The Battle of Survival]
Andrew ducked as another set of claws slashed past his face, feeling the rush of air against his skin.
He twisted his body, bringing his dagger up—throat. Stab. Twist.
The beast convulsed, its glowing eyes flickering before going dark.
[FELLWRAITH STALKER DEFEATED.]
[XP GAINED.]
Andrew barely had time to register the message before two more creatures lunged at him.
Celia stepped in with a single, fluid arc of her blade, cutting through one mid-air.
The other tackled Andrew.
His back slammed against the ground, the air leaving his lungs in a painful gasp.
The creature's breath was hot, rancid, its slavering maw gaping wide as it tried to tear into his throat—
Andrew drove his knee up, hard, into its stomach.
The creature reeled.
He used the moment to drive his dagger into its skull.
The body went limp on top of him.
With a grunt, he shoved it off and rolled to his feet, panting.
Celia whistled. "Not bad, newbie."
Andrew exhaled sharply. "Not dead yet."
Celia's smirk widened. "Then let's fix that."
Her blade flashed—
And Andrew realized she wasn't talking to him.
Behind him, something enormous moved.
[The Alpha's Arrival]
A deep, guttural growl rippled through the air.
Andrew turned—
And froze.
The trees shook. The ground trembled.
Then, stepping into the firelight, it emerged.
The Alpha.
It was twice the size of the others, standing on two thick, muscular legs. Its body was covered in scarred, blackened fur, patches of bone-like armor jutting from its shoulders and limbs.
But its eyes—they weren't glowing like the others.
They burned. A deep, eerie violet.
Andrew's breath hitched.
That wasn't normal. That wasn't natural.
And then—
[SYSTEM WARNING: HIGH-THREAT ENTITY DETECTED.]
[FELLWRAITH ALPHA – LVL 10]
Level ten.
Andrew clenched his jaw. He wasn't strong enough for this.
And yet, he had no choice.
The Alpha took a slow step forward, its claws carving into the dirt. Its burning gaze locked onto Andrew—
Then it charged.
[A Battle Against the Impossible]
Andrew barely had time to move.
The Alpha closed the distance in seconds, a blur of darkness and fangs.
Celia was faster.
Her blade intercepted the beast's charge, sparks flying as it clashed against bone armor.
The force of the impact sent both her and the Alpha skidding back.
Andrew didn't hesitate. He lunged—aiming for the gaps in its plating.
But the Alpha was smarter.
It twisted mid-lunge, its claws sweeping out—
Andrew barely managed to duck, feeling the wind of its attack graze past his face.
Too strong. Too fast.
They couldn't win this head-on.
"Andrew!" Celia shouted. "We need to—"
The Alpha moved again.
This time, it didn't aim for Andrew.
It aimed for her.
[The Breaking Point]
The beast barreled into Celia, knocking her off balance.
She grunted as she hit the ground, rolling back up to her feet just in time to block another swipe—
But she was too slow to dodge the kick.
The Alpha's massive leg slammed into her stomach, sending her flying into a tree.
She hit hard. The impact echoed.
And for the first time since Andrew had met her—she didn't get back up immediately.
Andrew's stomach turned cold.
The Alpha turned to him.
And charged.
[The Choice]
Andrew's mind raced.
He wasn't strong enough. He wasn't fast enough.
But—
[Survivor's Instinct Activated.]
Time slowed.
Andrew saw one opening. A gap in the Alpha's armor, just beneath the ribcage.
A single chance.
He took it.
With everything he had, he lunged forward, ducking under its claws.
The Alpha's fangs missed his throat by inches—
And Andrew plunged his dagger into its weak spot.
The beast roared.
But it wasn't a killing blow.
Andrew barely had time to react before the Alpha snapped its massive jaws around his arm.
Pain.
White-hot, blinding pain.
Andrew screamed.
The beast clamped down harder, shaking him like a ragdoll before hurling him into the dirt.
The world blurred. His vision swam.
Somewhere, he heard Celia's voice—distant. Yelling.
But all he could focus on was the blood pooling beneath him.
His own.
The Alpha loomed over him, its violet eyes burning.
And this time—
It was going for the kill.
[The End?]
Andrew couldn't move.
The Alpha reared back, its fangs dripping.
The killing blow was coming.
And then—
A voice.
Cold. Commanding. Not human.
"That's enough."
The Alpha froze.
Andrew's fading vision flickered toward the shadows beyond the firelight.
And he saw—
A figure. Cloaked. Watching.
A new player.
And then—
Darkness took him.