The wolf's crimson eyes glared at Aragorn like two venomous embers, its growl vibrating the ground beneath his feet.
The stench of the beast's rancid saliva filled the air, and Aragorn felt his heartbeat drumming war cries in his ears.
He was alone, weak, but something deep inside him ignited a primal instinct he'd never known in his real life.
Aragon gripped his rusted sword with both hands as the system's blue interface flashed before him.
[Aragon – Wood-1 Rank]
- Health: 100/100
- Mana: 0/50
- Stamina: 70/100
[Shadow Wolf – Wood-3 Rank]
- Health: 250/250
- Attack: 35-40
- Speed: 55
"The game… everything here is just like the game!" Aragon whispered, recalling the countless hours he'd spent staring at Eldrath's screens.
But this time, the pain would be real.
The wolf lunged like an arrow, its front claws slashing toward Aragon's wooden armor.
Aragon dodged sideways at the last moment, but the beast's hind claw grazed his arm.
[Damage Taken! -15 Health]
[Health: 85/100]
"Damn it!" he yelled as virtual blood oozed from the wound.
But he noticed something, the wolf was faster, but it attacked in straight lines.
Around him, the forest was dense with towering trees tangled in root-choked earth.
Suddenly, he remembered a strategy from a gaming forum.
Large monsters lose balance if their legs get trapped.
He sprinted toward the nearest tree, the wolf hot on his heels.
Just before the beast pounced, Aragon ducked and circled the trunk, forcing the wolf to crash into the bark.
[Shadow Wolf Lost 5 Health!]
[Health: 245/250]
The wolf roared in fury, but Aragorn grinned.
"It works!"
Aragon realized he couldn't defeat the wolf with direct strikes.
His rusted sword barely dealt damage, while the wolf could shred him in one hit.
So, he devised a new plan, drain the beast's stamina first.
He zigzagged between trees, leveraging his scrawny frame's agility.
Every time the wolf lunged, Aragon pivoted sharply, forcing it to slam into trunks or trip over roots.
[Shadow Wolf Lost 3 Health!]
[Health: 242/250]
[Shadow Wolf Lost 4 Health!]
[Health: 238/250]
But his stamina was dwindling.
The system flashed a red warning.
[Stamina: 30/100]
[Warning: If stamina hits zero, damage taken will double!]
Aragorn suddenly stopped and faced the wolf.
"Come on… isn't this what you want?" he taunted, waving his bleeding arm.
The wolf charged madly, but Aragorn had spotted a coiled root on the ground.
At the last second, he leaped aside as the wolf's foreleg caught the root.
A sickening crunch echoed the leg bone snapped.
[Shadow Wolf Lost 20 Health!]
[Health: 218/250]
[Status: Temporary Lameness (Speed -30%)]
Now, the tide was turning.
Aragon seized the moment.
He lunged at the injured wolf, hacking his sword into its flank three times in quick succession.
[Successful Strike! -12 Health]
[Successful Strike! -14 Health]
[Successful Strike! -16 Health]
Virtual blood gushed from the wolf's wounds, but it refused to yield.
With a final burst of strength, it leaped at Aragorn, shredding his wooden armor to splinters.
[Damage Taken! -30 Health]
[Health: 55/100]
[Armor: Destroyed]
Aragon collapsed onto his back, his sword skidding away.
The wolf loomed over him, drool-drenched fangs hovering above his throat.
In that instant, he remembered something from his real life, the day he'd hidden in a school locker to escape bullies.
"Hiding isn't an option… but deception is!"
He grabbed a fistful of dirt and flung it into the wolf's eyes.
The beast howled in pain, and Aragorn rolled away.
His sword lay out of reach, but he spotted a jagged rock near a tree.
"Come on… this is it!" He bolted toward the rock, the limping wolf close behind.
Just before it pounced, Aragon heaved the rock and smashed it into the wolf's skull.
[Successful Strike! -50 Health]
[Health: 168/250 → 118/250]
The wolf staggered but didn't fall.
Aragon snatched his sword and finally delivered the killing blow to its heart.
[Successful Strike! -118 Health]
[Shadow Wolf Defeated!]
The wolf crumpled, its body dissolving into digital dust.
Aragon dropped to his knees, gasping as if he'd run a marathon.
The system glowed before him.
[Congratulations! You defeated the Shadow Wolf (Wood-3 Rank).]
[Reward: Iron Sword (Attack 25-30), +100 XP.]
[Rank Up! You are now Wood-2.]
But Aragon didn't care about the rewards. He stared at his trembling hands he was still alive.
"This… this is what they feared in the real world," he whispered, his eyes blazing with newfound fire.
…