Chapter 1

The forest was too quiet.

Silver adjusted the grip on his bow, his calloused fingers brushing against the frayed string. Hunting had been lean all week, and the village elders wouldn't tolerate another empty-handed return. Not after the incidentwith the mayor's prized goat.

"Stupid beast," he muttered, kicking a pebble. "Could've at least died somewhere convenient."

A twig snapped.

Silver spun, arrow nocked, but saw nothing. The Endless Woods stretched endlessly around him—towering oaks, tangled ivy, and shadows that seemed to pulse with a life of their own.

"Come on," he whispered. "Just one rabbit. One mangy fox. I'll even take a—"

A low growl cut him off.

This wasn't the guttural snarl of a timberwolf. It was deeper, older, vibrating in his bones like a struck gong. Silver's breath hitched as he turned slowly.

In the clearing stood a wolf.

But this was no ordinary beast. It stood as tall as a horse, its fur shimmering silver-blue under the dappled sunlight. Nine tails fanned out behind it like a spectral halo, each tip glowing faintly. The creature's golden eyes locked onto Silver, intelligent and brimming with pain. A jagged wound marred its flank, oozing black blood that hissed where it touched the earth.

"Nine tails…" Silver's mind raced. "Legends say those are born on Level 50. What's it doing here?"

The wolf staggered, collapsing onto its front paws. A whine escaped its throat—a sound so human it made Silver's chest ache.

"You're hurt," he said, lowering his bow.

The wolf's ears flattened. With a sudden snarl, it lunged.

Silver dove sideways, his arrow flying wild. Claws raked his arm, and he screamed, scrambling backward. The wolf pounced again, jaws snapping inches from his face—

—and then it collapsed, its strength spent.

Silver trembled, clutching his bleeding arm. The wolf's breaths came in shallow rasps, its golden eyes pleading. For a moment, Silver saw himself in those eyes—an orphan, alone, fighting to survive in a world that didn't care.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, drawing his hunting knife.

The blade plunged.

A burst of light engulfed the clearing. Silver gasped as warmth flooded his veins, hotter than fire, brighter than the sun. Visions flashed—a golden forest, a clan of wolves with a hundred tails, a betrayal in the night. A voice echoed in his mind, ancient and weary:

"Avenge us."

When the light faded, the wolf's body was gone. Silver stared at his hands. His wound had healed, and beneath his skin, something primal stirred.

In the distance, thunder rumbled. But the sky was still clear.