"Well, at least the food stock in the dorm will be safe for the next month," I muttered, forcing a wry smile.
However, that simple hope evaporated instantly.
From behind the dense white mist, pairs of glowing red eyes emerged. One, two, three... ten... fifteen... twenty.
Twenty of them?! Good God, what sin have I committed? My estimate was wildly off. I thought at most ten Dire Wolves would appear, but what stood before me now was a platoon of starving monsters.
Imagine the feeling of your stomach dropping as you face dozens of predators at once.
Among the twenty, there was one wolf whose body was far larger than the rest. Its fur was silver-gray, with a jagged scar running across its face. Its aura was intimidating and dominant.
There was no mistake. It was an Alpha Dire Wolf, a deadly Tier 2 Monster.
Damn it! Retreat was not an option. This snowy terrain was too slippery for a sprint. If I turned my back on them, I would be torn to shreds in seconds.
Cold sweat began to dampen my forehead beneath the helm. I tried to steel myself because surrender meant death.
Wolves are pack creatures. Psychologically, they become terrified when facing an enemy far stronger or larger in number.
My only gamble was to slaughter a few of them in the most brutal and swift manner possible, hoping the rest would flee in fear.
I suppressed the terror that threatened to shrink my courage. I regulated my breathing again, preparing for a fight of life and death.
The wolves growled loudly. The gnashing of their teeth sounded terrifying, like bones grinding against stone. It seemed their numbers made them bolder, ready to strike first.
Sure enough, they didn't wait for a signal. Six wolves lunged forward simultaneously, intending to ram and topple me with their body weight.
I didn't dodge. I activated Peak Junior Aura and flowed the energy throughout my body to reinforce my stance. My feet dug firmly into the rocks hidden beneath the thin layer of snow.
Three wolves slammed into my chest and shoulder armor hard.
BAM!
Instead of me falling, the three wolves whimpered in pain.
Crashing into my body, reinforced by Serum V2 and Mithril, felt like hitting a concrete pillar driven into the earth's core. The wolves' ribs cracked instantly from the impact alone.
Without wasting momentum, I swung my longsword horizontally at neck height, powered by Senior-Level Aura. My right bicep burned, tearing slightly from the excessive load.
Two wolves trying to bite my legs were slashed at once. The faint solid aura coating the blade sliced through their neck bones as easily as cutting warm butter. Their heads rolled on the snow, leaving trails of contrasting red blood.
Seeing two of their pack die, ten other wolves attacked simultaneously without mercy.
Dogpile Attack.
They leaped onto my back, legs, and arms all at once. Their total weight was probably nearly eight hundred kilograms. I fell to one knee. My armor creaked ominously, struggling to support the living load. Razor-sharp teeth began to gnaw at my steel plates, searching for a gap to reach flesh.
I triggered an explosion of Senior Aura in my back muscles to force myself up against the heavy burden.
Simultaneously, I stomped my foot on the ground with all my might to create an area tremor. The pile of wolves exploded in all directions. Three wolves were thrown against sharp rocks around us. Their bones shattered instantly.
My nose felt warm. A heavy nosebleed began to flow. My spine felt hot, as if full of internal purple bruises.
One wolf still hung stubbornly on my left arm, its fangs caught in the gap of my elbow guard. I utilized the body elasticity enhanced by the serum.
I twisted my left arm in an unnatural direction, nearly one hundred eighty degrees, without breaking my own joint. Then, with a single jerk, I slammed the wolf onto the rocky ground.
Crack.
The wolf's neck snapped with a satisfying sound.
The remaining fourteen wolves began to hesitate. Their steps faltered backward. But the Alpha, that Tier 2 monster, roared loudly and dove straight into the fray.
I raised my sword to meet it, but the Alpha was far faster. It rammed my right arm with the speed of a bullet.
The impact of the Tier 2 monster's strength knocked the longsword from my grip, sending it sliding far into a snowdrift. The situation was dire. It was impossible to retrieve my sword in time.
Unarmed, I detonated Senior-Level Aura in my right shoulder. I returned the collision with my own shoulder.
THUD!
I was thrown two meters back, but the Alpha was thrown five meters. My muscle density saved me from being crushed, but unfortunately, I slipped on the slick, thin snow.
My body slid uncontrollably. Three grunt wolves chased, trying to bite my neck as I slid helplessly.
As my body careened, I drew the dagger from my waist. With accelerated reflexes, I caught the neck of a wolf leaping at me in mid-air. I flowed Senior Aura into my grip.
My fingers bled inside the gauntlet from excessive muscle contraction. However, it was worth it. I used the wolf's body in my hand as a cushion when my back slammed into a large rock at the end of the slide.
The wolf died instantly, crushed between the hard rock and my armor.
I stood up again with difficulty. My breath was heavy; bloody steam escaped my helm vents every time I exhaled. Damn it, I was surrounded again by ten wolves and the Alpha who had recovered.
They attacked simultaneously from all directions. This was pure chaos. I exploded my breathing, driving my heart to critical limits, trying to dodge the lethal assault.
I moved my legs with speed that defied logic for someone in heavy armor. I dodged the Alpha's jaw aiming for my head, then pivoted nimbly behind the monster.
I leaped onto the Alpha Wolf's back. I drove the dagger into the base of its neck. The problem was, the Alpha's fur and muscle were too thick and hard. The dagger got stuck in the monster's shoulder blade, unable to penetrate deeper.
The Alpha raged in pain. It bucked wildly, trying to throw me off its back. Meanwhile, other wolves below bit at my dangling legs.
My steel greaves began to dent. My legs started to ache from the relentless pressure of the bastard wolves' bites.
Shit! I couldn't hold on much longer on the Alpha's back. I had to end this now or my legs would be torn off by the grunts below.
I released the hilt of my dagger still stuck in the Alpha's body. I wrapped both my arms around the Alpha's thick neck in a Chokehold.
Like it or not, I had to bet my life. I flowed the last reserve of Senior Aura into my biceps, chest, and back muscles.
Blood capillaries in my biceps burst, and my pectoral muscles tore. A mouthful of red liquid escaped my lips, vomiting blood inside the stifling helm.
I pulled the Alpha's neck backward with terrifying force, while my knees pressed its back forward as a fulcrum.
The Alpha thrashed madly, clawing the air, howling in panic. It was in agony facing a lethal lock cutting off air and blood flow to its brain. The raw strength of a Tier 2 monster clashed against my Full Burst state.
CRACK-BOOM!
The sound of the Alpha's neck bone snapping was loud, like a pistol shot in the silence of the forest. The Alpha's giant body went limp instantly, falling to crush three other wolves beneath it.
I rose from the pile of corpses, struggling to stand firm. My arms were cramped and aching terribly. My legs wobbled, unable to support my own weight. But I had to stay standing and look strong.
I pulled the dagger from the Alpha's corpse. With a limp forced into a steady stride, I walked to retrieve my fallen sword.
Looking weak was not an option. Show them that I am still capable of finishing you all, you bastard dogs.
The remaining seven living wolves stopped attacking. They froze, seeing their leader dead with a broken neck. They watched this "iron thing" kill thirteen of their brethren and the Alpha with bare hands.
An aura of fear spread among the pack. One wolf howled mournfully, then turned and ran with its tail between its legs. The rest followed, disappearing into the snow mist in the blink of an eye.
For a moment, I stood firm like a statue, ready to move if there was a sudden attack. One minute, two minutes... five minutes passed, and nothing happened.
Only then did my body collapse to its knees. Weakness washed over me like a flash flood. My sword fell from my grip again. My fingers were no longer strong enough to hold it.
My armor, coated in black blood, was full of small puncture marks and claw scratches. Shoulders and legs were badly dented.
I immediately took sedatives and painkillers from my belt pouch with trembling hands. I swallowed the pills all at once, then downed the remaining water in my canteen to the last drop.
My mind began to clear, the pain starting to subside thanks to the high-dose drugs. Even so, my body didn't respond much to brain commands due to excessive fatigue.
With difficulty, I skinned the Alpha Dire Wolf. The pelt was removed quite roughly due to exhaustion. Even so, the fur fetched a high price on the market and could serve as proof of achievement.
I wanted to skin the other wolves for extra money, but time gave me no choice.
Twilight began to fall. It wasn't good to linger in this forest while injured. I strengthened my steps to walk home. This time I had been too arrogant because of my new strength.
Honestly, I regretted not preparing better. I could have died foolishly if those wolves hadn't fled. A bit of bitterness seized my heart. Next time, I would prepare more thoroughly.
I passed through the back gate with stiff steps like a walking corpse. The guards saw me, stood tall, and saluted. Their gazes were full of awe seeing the ancient wolf skin tied to my back.
The guards probably thought I was a third-year senior who had finished a hunt. Well, my Mithril armor was full of scratches and black blood stains. Who wouldn't be amazed seeing this veteran war sight?
Students around the dorms also watched me closely. They wondered, who is that knight? Is he a strong upperclassman? Gossip began to spread.
Because my face was blocked by the helm visor, no one knew that behind the gallant armor was the Class C cripple. I also had no intention of showing it. Right now, what I needed was medical treatment and a soft mattress, not the validation of strangers.
My steps took me to the infirmary, straight to room 302 where Edna usually worked. Sure enough, Edna looked confused, glancing at the ingredient shelf in her lab which might feel lacking because I took some yesterday morning.
She turned toward the opening door. Her gaze turned serious, as did her tone when seeing a figure in bloodied armor enter.
"Sir, do you need assistance?" she asked politely but warily.
Sir? Me? How amusing. Would she be that respectful when seeing my face behind this armor?
"Hahaha."
I laughed, releasing a bit of stress. What would her expression be when she saw my face? Angry? Confused? Or amazed?
Edna looked confused and stepped back hearing the sudden laughter from behind the iron helm.
Whatever, I didn't care anymore. I opened my visor slowly, exposing the face of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed man smiling. The corners of my lips stained with dried blood gave a horror impression to my smile.
Edna's eyes bulged, her mouth hung open in disbelief seeing the face behind the helm. Her shrill scream instantly filled the room.
"ARIN! YOU AGAIN?!!!"