BANG!
The head of a colossal wolf exploded as its skull shattered, sending a spray of white brain matter and blood gushing into the air. The massive creature collapsed heavily to the ground, lifeless.
Blackwood rested his giant hammer on his shoulder, wiping the faint beads of sweat from his forehead while grinning widely at the chaos ahead.
Sir Ethan, Logan, Cloud, and the other warriors were besieged by a massive pack of wolves, each one three times larger than your average beast.
These were no ordinary wolves; their fur was a striking crimson red, and they boasted razor-sharp claws and gleaming teeth that glinted menacingly in the light.
Amidst the battlefield, Sir Ethan wielded his spear with precision, expertly dispatching every wolf that attacked him.
He danced among the giant red beasts like a seasoned performer, leaving about twenty of them sprawled beneath his feet.
Meanwhile,
Logan stood in the distance surrounded by several formidable opponents but remained remarkably calm.
A faint silver glow enveloped him as he summoned strength in his legs and charged forward with astonishing speed.
BANG!
A small crater formed where he had been standing as he lunged at the encircling giants with his long sword.
One of the enormous red wolves lunged from his right; without hesitation, he shifted slightly and unleashed a flash of silver light, its head severed cleanly from its body.
Without pausing for breath, Logan continued to unleash relentless attacks on the remaining foes.
His movements were so swift that afterimages trailed behind him as he felled each giant wolf in rapid succession.
Blood sprayed across the battlefield as body parts flew through the air; it was an intense scene filled with chaos.
The other warriors fought valiantly against these monstrous foes using all their skills. Some bore claw marks on their bodies while others sported visible injuries.
Fortunately, five healers positioned at the back tirelessly supported their comrades with healing spells to mitigate blood loss.
Mages cast fireballs, ice spikes, and wind blades from afar to assist those engaged in close combat.
A short distance away from this fierce struggle, Cloud peered out from behind a massive boulder at the bloody spectacle unfolding before him.
A wave of envy washed over him as he watched his friends battle ferociously against creatures that could crush him effortlessly.
"Aaaah! How I wish I had awakened my supernatural abilities!" He sighed deeply while biting his lip in frustration.
His fists clenched tightly as he observed Sir Ethan, Blackwood, Logan, and others drenched in blood while they fought off these titanic wolves, the very beasts that sent chills down his spine.
A few moments later, Cloud let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head as he chuckled bitterly to himself. "Who am I kidding?" he mused.
"I can't even awaken my supernatural abilities, and here I am thinking about fighting on the battlefield."
He laughed at his own self-mockery. "Just keep hiding here like the loser you are."
BOOM!
Suddenly jolted from his thoughts, Cloud's heart raced as a loud explosion echoed around him.
He quickly turned to see one of the giant red wolves land heavily just a few meters away from the boulder where he was hiding.
His eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight of the massive creature.
The wolf shook itself off and then turned its enormous head in Cloud's direction, its cruel eyes gleaming with malice as it locked onto him.
"Shit! I'm dead!" Panic surged through Cloud, draining color from his face as fear gripped him like an icy hand.
He realized he couldn't move; terror paralyzed him while those blood-red eyes bore into his soul.
"Oh no! I'm really dead this time! I'm reall, really, really dead this time"
Thoughts raced through Cloud's mind as he watched the wolf approach, saliva dripping ominously from its gaping maw.
"Ahoooooooo!"
With a deafening howl, the wolf lunged toward him with terrifying speed.
In an instant, it was right in front of Cloud, its enormous mouth wide open to reveal glistening silver fangs. The stench of death filled the air around him.
Just when those sharp fangs were inches away from crushing his skull, a silver streak shot past him.
CRACK! BOOM!
A thunderous boom echoed through the clearing as Cloud instinctively shut his eyes tight.
When he finally opened them again, he saw that the giant red wolf had been pinned to the ground by a long silver spear embedded deep into its skull; blood oozed out as it lay lifeless.
Sweat poured down Cloud's forehead; cold beads soaked through his shirt as he slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.
"Huff! Huff! Huff!"
His face was pale with fear, the near brush with death had sent adrenaline coursing through him at three times its normal rate.
Despite having faced dangers during six months of raiding ruins alongside Sir Ethan, nothing compared to this moment,this time he was truly closed to death.
"Kid, are you alright?" A voice broke through his daze. Looking up, Cloud saw Sir Ethan smiling down at him.
"I… I'm fine," Cloud stammered shakily while wiping sweat off his forehead, a hint of color returning to his cheeks. "Just a little scared."
"Good." Sir Ethan nodded approvingly before striding over to retrieve his spear from the slain beast.
"Need some help?" Blackwood appeared suddenly in front of Cloud with an outstretched hand.
Taken aback but grateful, Cloud smiled and accepted Blackwood's assistance as he pulled him up from the ground.
Cloud smiled at Blackwood, gratitude shining on his face. "Thanks," he said sincerely, his thankful smile radiating warmth.
But the moment was interrupted as Logan appeared by Blackwood's side, his tone icy. "Next time you might actually die, do you know that?"
Cloud felt a jolt of surprise and quickly replied, "Sorry! I'll be more careful next time."
"Humph! You better," Logan snorted disdainfully, turning away with contempt flickering in his eyes.
"Don't worry about him," Blackwood reassured Cloud, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder.
Cloud returned the gesture with a smile of his own.
At this point, all the giant red wolves had been dealt with; the other warriors had killed the remaining giant red wolves.
The battlefield was now littered with massive wolf corpses, thick crimson blood splattered everywhere like a gruesome canvas.
Some warriors were seated on the ground, tending to their injuries under the care of healers, while others rested to regain their mana.
"Alright everyone," Sir Ethan called out as he stepped forward.
"We'll rest here for thirty minutes to recover our stamina and mana." He then turned to Cloud and added, "Kid, start harvesting the valuable parts, you have thirty minutes."
"Understood, Sir Ethan!" Cloud nodded eagerly and quickly retrieved various tools to begin extracting precious components from the giant red wolves, especially their highly sought-after Mana Cores.
As Sir Ethan and the others took a breather and munched on rations to refuel their energy, they reflected on their exhausting journey.
Despite these giant red wolves being D-Rank Ruin Monsters, they were quite tired after all they have face five waves of Ruin Monsters and this wave of giant red wolves making it six.
Suddenly, one of the healers, a woman named Sally clad in a long white mage robe, approached Sir Ethan with a concerned expression.
"Hmm... Sir Ethan? Don't you think this is quite strange?"
Sir Ethan looked up at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Logan, Blackwood, and other warriors exchanged puzzled glances as they turned their attention to Sally.