On paper, the wolves were at a severe disadvantage.
They were outnumbered.
But combat couldn't be measured by numbers alone.
Each wolf was massive, nearly one and a half meters long, muscles packed beneath thick fur. If a creature like that charged head-on, it would be nothing short of a slaughter.
Still, goblins could not be underestimated.
They had weapons.
They had coordination.
And most importantly, they had numbers.
Even before I arrived, bodies already littered the forest floor.
Three goblin corpses lay motionless, throats torn open or skulls crushed. That meant the total number of goblins had been at least eighteen.
One of the wolves was already injured, blood matting its fur, one of its legs dragging slightly.
I crouched on the tree branch and whispered to myself.
"Let's observe first. If things turn dangerous… I'll back out."
The forest suddenly exploded into motion.
One wolf sprinted forward in a blur of gray fur, charging straight at a goblin.
Before the goblin could even scream, the wolf's jaws snapped shut around its neck.
Crunch.
The goblin died instantly.
But the response was immediate.
Two goblins swung their clubs together, smashing into the wolf's side. One blow landed hard enough to force a yelp from the beast as it tore itself free and retreated.
Another wolf surged in from the side, teeth flashing, biting down on a second goblin and dragging it to the ground.
The wolves weren't fighting recklessly.
They were using hit-and-run tactics.
Charge.
Kill.
Retreat.
They took turns, one wolf charging while the others repositioned. After a successful kill, the attacker would pull back, letting another wolf take its place.
Efficient. Brutal. Calculated.
But goblins adapted fast.
The injured wolf, slower than the rest, charged again.
This time, a goblin anticipated it.
The club came down hard.
Crack.
The blow knocked the wolf off balance. Before it could recover, goblins swarmed it.
Clubs rose and fell.
The wolf howled a raw, painful sound before collapsing under the barrage.
As the goblins focused on finishing it off, another wolf lunged into their formation, crashing into their side and scattering them like pins.
Bodies fell.
Blood sprayed.
The goblin count steadily declined, but the wolves were paying the price.
Scratches turned into wounds.
Wounds turned into limps.
Soon, only four wolves remained.
One was severely injured.
The other three carried fresh cuts and blood-soaked fur.
Across from them stood six goblins still in relatively good condition.
Then
Both sides charged at once.
This time, the goblins were ready.
A goblin swung its club with everything it had, striking a slightly injured wolf square in the ribs.
The impact was devastating.
The wolf collapsed.
Another goblin rushed forward and delivered the finishing blow.
But before they could celebrate, a wolf tore into them from behind, killing two goblins in quick succession.
The battlefield fell silent for half a breath.
Now
Three wolves.
Three goblins.
They stared at each other, breathing heavily.
This is it.
I slid down from the tree and quietly began placing my traps.
One advantage of the horned rabbit traps was their reusability. They weren't as powerful as magic traps, but as long as they didn't break, I could reset them endlessly.
The wolves would likely win
That was, of course, if I didn't interfere.
I waited.
Patiently.
The moment a wolf lunged at a goblin
I raised my hand and began chanting.
"O Lady of Eternal Flame, Goddess who dances in hearth and sun, Grant me a spark of your blessing. Gather, burn, and take form. By your grace, Fire Ball."
The Fire Ball launched perfectly into their path.
"Boom!"
Both the wolf and the goblin were caught in the blast.
The wolf took the brunt of it, its body thrown aside, fur scorched black.
The goblin survived but barely. Burn marks covered its body as it screamed.
The wolf couldn't move.
The goblin tried to charge at me in desperation
Only to be intercepted mid-run.
Another wolf bit down and killed it instantly.
I didn't hesitate.
I began chanting again, targeting the remaining wolf.
The Fire Ball flew
But the wolf dodged at the last second, the blast scorching the ground barely two meters away.
The wolf turned its gaze on me.
Its eyes burned with frenzy.
It charged.
I stepped back and threw my dagger.
The blade struck, but the wolf kept coming.
Then
Snap!
The trap activated.
The wolf collapsed instantly, legs crushed.
It stopped moving.
The last remaining wolf and goblin charged together.
The wolf was already heavily injured.
I calmly finished my chant.
Fire Ball.
"Boom!"
The wolf fell.
Now
Only one goblin remained.
The distance was too short.
It didn't even have time to react.
"Boom!"
Silence returned to the forest.
I quickly scanned my surroundings.
No movement.
No threats.
I collected all the goblin ears and dragged the wolf corpses toward the river.
One wolf was still breathing.
I knelt beside it and stabbed its neck cleanly.
"…Rest."
Now I had five wolf corpses.
"I need to skin these."
The fur was badly damaged, and my skinning skill was, honestly, terrible.
"These won't sell for much…"
After skinning three wolves, I rested and scouted the area again.
Clear.
I finished skinning the remaining wolves before heading back to town.
"Today's haul was good," I muttered. "Tomorrow, I should rest and train."
At the adventurers' guild, I submitted twenty-four goblin ears and five badly damaged wolf furs.
The receptionist nodded.
"Forest Wolves. D-rank monsters when in groups."
She glanced at the furs.
"These would normally sell for five silver each… but given the condition, we'll buy them for one."
Fair.
Then she smiled.
"Congratulations. You are now an E-rank adventurer. You may now accept quests up to D-rank."
"That's great. Thank you."
It felt right.
If I had stuck to F-rank quests alone, ranking up would've taken a month. Fighting E-rank monsters while completing F-rank quests had accelerated everything.
After a long day, I returned to the inn, ate, and collapsed into bed.
Tomorrow…
Training.