Chapter 9: rogue wolf
Mara woke before the timer changed.
Not because of pain.
Because of awareness.
The forest felt closer.
Not physically—there was still space between the trees, still fog thinning as the light shifted—but the attention was heavier. Like something had leaned in while she slept and decided to stay.
She opened her eyes.
Darkness was already retreating, pulled back by a pale, cold dawn. The sky above the canopy held no color she recognized. Not blue. Not gray.
Something in between.
The countdown pulsed.
[DAY 3]
[TIME REMAINING: 119:58:31]
[PROCESS TIMER — 00:58:21]
She exhaled slowly.
"Still alive," she murmured.
"Yes," the System replied. "Your survival probability has increased by 3.2%."
Mara grimaced. "That's supposed to make me feel better?"
"It is statistically comforting," it said.
She pushed herself upright, testing her body.
The recovery from yesterday held. Bruises still ached, but the sharpness was gone. Her shoulder rotated without screaming. Her legs felt… steadier.
Not stronger.
But closer to it.
She rolled her neck once and froze.
Something shifted inside her.
Not the forest.
Her.
A presence—quiet, heavy, curled deep in her chest. Not hostile. Not foreign.
Familiar.
Her breath caught.
"…You," she whispered.
There was no voice.
No words.
Just warmth.
A shape, half-formed, pressed against her awareness like a sleeping heartbeat. Fur brushed the inside of her thoughts—dark, thick, matted with exhaustion.
Her wolf.
Mara swallowed hard. "You're alive."
A flicker of emotion responded.
Tired.
So tired.
Not broken—but hurt.
The rejection still clung to it, heavy and raw, like a wound that hadn't closed because it didn't know how.
"I didn't know if you'd come back," Mara said quietly.
A faint pulse.
Not yet.
Images surfaced instead of words.
Running.
Blood.
A howl cut short.
Then darkness.
Her chest tightened.
"I know," she whispered. "I felt it too."
The presence stirred, pressed closer for a brief moment—comfort seeking comfort—then began to recede.
Wait—
"Don't," Mara said quickly. "Please."
A pause.
Then something like resignation.
Rest.
Heal.
The connection thinned.
Her wolf curled in on itself, pulling away from the world, retreating into a deep, necessary sleep.
Not gone.
Recovering.
Mara sat there long after the sensation faded, fingers curled into her palms.
"They broke us," she said softly.
"Yes," the System replied. "The rejection trauma affected both host and bonded entity."
Her jaw clenched. "Then I'll fix it."
"That objective is not currently available," the System said calmly.
She snorted. "Figures."
She stood, slinging her pack over her shoulder, knife settling into her grip like it belonged there.
Day Three had started.
And the forest knew it.
Movement came sooner than expected.
Not footsteps—pads.
Soft, deliberate.
Mara slowed, senses flaring. The air carried scent now. Musk. Heat. Something sharp and invasive that made her skin crawl.
"System," she murmured. "That's not prey."
"No," it agreed. "It is not."
A shape emerged between the trees.
Large.
Larger than the creatures she'd seen before. dirty Gray fur streaked with old scars. One ear torn. Eyes too aware—yellow, tracking her with interest rather than hunger.
A wolf.
But not pack-bound.
Not whole
A rogue wolf.
Its gaze slid over her slowly.
Too slowly.
Her stomach twisted.
"That look," she muttered. "I don't like that look."
"Correct," the System said. "It is assessing dominance and viability."
The wolf stepped closer.
Its lips curled—not in a snarl, but something uglier. Tongue flicking across sharp teeth. The scent intensified.
Mara's grip tightened on her knife.
"Back off," she said.
The wolf laughed.
Actually laughed.
A low, rough sound that scraped against her nerves.
"Well I'll be damned," it rumbled. "An omega walking free."
Her blood ran cold.
"You shouldn't be alone," it continued, circling. "Not out here. Not unclaimed."
Mara's skin crawled. "Try another step and I'll carve out your other ear."
The wolf's grin widened.
"Oh, I like spirit."
The System chimed.
[PRIMARY MISSION DETECTED]
Figures snapped into view.
[MISSION: ROGUE SUPPRESSION]
Target: Rogue Wolf — Class: Predatory
Threat Level: Moderate
Condition: Engage and neutralize target
Restrictions: None
Failure Consequence: Severe Injury or Capture
Reward Preview: • +2 Attribute Points (Agility Focused)
• Stat Points Gained
• Bonus Item (Conditional)
Mara didn't blink.
"Neutralize," she repeated. "Alive or—"
"Termination is acceptable," the System said.
Good.
The rogue lunged.
Fast.
Too fast.
Mara barely rolled aside as claws tore through the space where her head had been. The ground cratered beneath the impact.
She came up low, slashing.
Her blade bit into fur—but shallow.
The wolf snarled, spinning, backhanding her with enough force to send her skidding across damp earth.
Pain exploded across her ribs.
She gasped—but didn't scream.
"You're slow," the rogue taunted. "Soft. Rejected. Your wolf abandoned you, didn't she?"
Something snapped.
Not rage.
Focus.
Mara pushed to her feet, breathing controlled.
"My wolf is resting," she said. "You're about to be dead."
She moved.
Not faster.
Smarter.
She baited him—stepped wrong on purpose, let her footing slip just enough to draw him in.
The rogue lunged again.
Too fast.
Mara barely reacted—PERCEPTION saved her, not speed. She twisted aside, claws ripping through air where her throat had been.
She stumbled.
Hit the ground hard.
Pain flared up her spine.
"You're too weak"
He swiped.
She blocked with the knife.
The impact jarred her arm nearly numb.
Strength difference. Massive.
She rolled, barely avoiding his jaws snapping shut where her head had been.
Her heart pounded violently.
"Host disadvantage confirmed," the System warned.
"No shit," she gasped.
She scrambled to her feet and ran.
Not because she wanted to.
Because she had to.
She used terrain—roots, rocks, uneven ground. Her perception screamed warnings seconds before danger arrived.
The rogue crashed through brush after her, powerful, relentless.
She slipped.
Hit hard.
Claws raked her side.
She screamed this time.
Blood soaked into her clothes.
Her vision blurred.
He was on her before she could rise—pinning her, weight crushing, breath hot against her neck.
"See?" he murmured. "Omegas aren't meant to fight alone. "They're too weak," he murmured, breath hot against her neck.
Panic clawed up her throat.
Her wolf didn't stir.
She was alone.
"No," Mara whispered. "I'm not."
She slammed her knee up—hard.
Not enough to throw him off.
But enough.
She drove her knife into his forearm.
He howled, recoiling.
She rolled free, gasping, half-blind with pain.
Her body shook.
She couldn't overpower him.
She couldn't outrun him.
So she stopped trying.
She stood her ground.
"You want me?" she said hoarsely. "Come get me."
The rogue snarled and charged again.
She moved at the last possible second.
PERCEPTION.
Timing.
She let him overcommit—then dragged him down a steep root-choked incline.
They crashed.
He hit first.
She hit harder.
Pain exploded everywhere.
She barely felt her hands anymore.
The rogue tried to rise.
She crawled forward, shaking, and stabbed—again and again— where she knew the spine thinned, from instinct she didn't remember learning.
Not clean.
Not graceful.
Desperate.
The wolf convulsed, then went still.
Mara collapsed beside the body, gasping, blood everywhere—hers and his.
She didn't move for a long time.
The forest did not react.
The System chimed.
[MISSION COMPLETE]
She exhaled shakily and sank to one knee.
"What… now?" she asked.
"Reward selection available," the System replied.
A display opened.
[REWARD SELECTION]
Choose Enhancement: ① +2 Agility (Speed & Reaction Increase)
② +1 Strength, +1 Constitution
③ Randomized Attribute Boost
Mara didn't hesitate.
"Agility," she said. "Speed."
"Confirmed."
"This will improve speed, balance, and reaction timing."
A surge tore through her legs.
Not painful.
Electric.
Her muscles tightened, rethreaded, aligned. The world sharpened around her—edges clearer, motion slower.
She gasped, hands pressing into the earth.
[ATTRIBUTE ENHANCEMENT APPLIED]
Then—
[STAT POINTS GAINED: +3]
Her full status exploded into view.
[HOST STATUS — MARA]
Level: 1
Status: Injured (Stable)
Attributes: STR — 3
AGI — 6
CON — 3
PER — 5
WIL — 4
Vital Condition: Fatigue: Moderate
Injury: Laceration (Side), Bruising (Torso)
Active Effects: • Probability Divergence (Passive) — Unquantified
Available Points: 3
She stared.
"Six," she breathed.
"Yes," the System said. "Your movement efficiency has increased significantly."
"And the bonus?"
A final panel appeared.
[BONUS ITEM ACQUIRED]
Item: Invisibility Water
Uses Remaining: 3
Effect: Temporary concealment from visual and sensory detection
Duration: Limited
Warning: High cooldown between uses
Mara's lips parted in a slow smile.
"That's… dangerous."
"Yes," the System agreed. "For everyone except you."
She stood, testing her legs.
The world felt different now.
Closer.
Faster.
Then—
The forest shifted.
Not watching.
Responding.
A presence stirred deeper within the trees.
Something that hadn't moved before.
The System went quiet.
Too quiet.
"Mara," it said slowly. "You have triggered secondary interest."
Her smile faded.
"What kind?"
A pause.
Then—
"An observer."
The trees ahead parted.
And something stepped through.