Chapter 200: Moving Through Teeth
Torren moved first, stepping forward sharply before raising his voice.
"Hey!"
The shout rang out, loud and clear, and as he surged ahead, his shield slammed forward with a heavy THUD! that echoed through the area.
It worked.
Three wolves broke from cover immediately, drawn to him as they circled low and fast, growls rumbling deep in their throats.
Torren planted his feet and steadied himself.
"Come on then."
They lunged at once.
BANG!
SCRRAAAPE!
Claws crashed against his shield, scraping hard as they tried to break through, but he held firm and didn’t give an inch.
Althea was already moving behind him, her voice calm and steady.
"Hold."
A soft glow wrapped around him, layering strength and defense over his body.
Torren exhaled sharply as the pressure eased just enough.
"...Yeah, I feel that."
Selene had already taken her position in the backline, giving herself a clear view of everything.
Arthur noticed it.. the way her breathing slowed, the way her fingers rested lightly on the bowstring as she waited for the right moment.
Then she moved.
TWANG!
The arrow flew fast and clean, cutting straight through the air toward the wolf’s neck. There was no hesitation, no correction mid-flight.
It hit a vital point.
THUNK!
The wolf dropped instantly without a struggle.
Torren let out a breath.
"That helps!"
With one down, the pressure eased, and control returned.
Althea didn’t relax.
Her eyes kept moving, scanning, tracking..
Ryn. Arthur.
She watched both.
Ryn’s fight stayed steady and controlled. Two wolves circled him, snapping and retreating, testing his reactions.
He didn’t chase them.
Didn’t rush.
Instead, he moved with them, dodging when needed and striking only when they overcommitted. A cut here. A slice there.
Nothing wasted.
But nothing decisive yet.
He was waiting.
Then...
Althea saw her moment.
"Now."
A faint bind locked one of the wolves in place for just a second.
That was all Ryn needed.
He stepped in, fast and clean, his blade flashing..
SHHK!
The wolf dropped instantly, like the outcome had already been decided.
Ryn didn’t pause. He turned immediately to the next one, calm and precise, as if it were routine.
But Arthur..
Arthur was different.
Althea’s gaze lingered on him longer, because his fight didn’t look like a struggle.
It looked like he was enjoying himself.
There was a small grin on his face, not wild or exaggerated, just confident, like he already knew how it would end.
The two wolves around him moved together, coordinated. One circled while the other lunged.
Arthur didn’t step back.
He stepped forward.
Then he moved.
Not vanished, just too fast to follow.
Althea caught it a moment late as he appeared behind one of the wolves, right in its blind spot.
His dagger was already coated, fire wrapped around it in a tight, controlled layer.
Then he brought it down.
CRACK!
The blade split through the skull cleanly, meeting no resistance.
The wolf dropped instantly.
No sound of struggle.
Just dead.
The second wolf reacted immediately on instinct.
It lunged from behind, fast and precise, aiming straight for his neck.
Althea’s eyes widened slightly.
"Arthur.."
But he had already seen it.
Of course he had.
He didn’t even turn fully, just shifted slightly, his hand moving with quiet precision..
And then three fire spears formed.
Right there.
No delay.
"Too obvious," he muttered.
As the wolf pounced straight into them.
FWOOOSH!
BOOM!
The spears struck and exploded at once, flames bursting outward as the impact threw the wolf back mid-air.
It hit the ground..
Burned. Broken. And then still.
Arthur stood a few steps away, already outside the blast range.
He had moved before the explosion even landed.
Watching calmly like it was nothing.
He flicked his dagger once, letting the last traces of fire fade.
"...Done."
For a moment, everything went quiet.
Even the usual sounds of the dungeon seemed distant.
Torren blinked.
"...What?"
Selene lowered her bow slowly.
Althea didn’t say anything.
She just stared.
Ryn glanced over once, then looked away like it was expected.
Arthur noticed.
"...What now?"
Torren let out a breath.
"...I take it back."
Arthur raised a brow.
"About?"
Torren shook his head.
"Everything."
Selene nodded slightly.
"Same."
Arthur chuckled.
"Relax. It’s just wolves."
But even as he said it, he knew that wasn’t true.
What he just did wasn’t normal.
Not even close.
The last of the wolves fell soon after.
Ryn finished his side cleanly.
Torren held strong.
Selene kept supporting.
Althea kept everything steady.
And just like that... seven wolves were gone.
Arthur looked around once more.
The silence returned, but it didn’t feel safe.
It felt like a pause.
He exhaled slowly.
"...Yeah."
His grip tightened slightly around his dagger.
"This place is getting worse."
Ryn nodded once.
"Move."
And just like before.. they moved again.
Althea was still looking at him.
Not openly, but enough.
Arthur noticed it.
As he wiped the last bit of blood from his dagger, he glanced up.
"...What?"
Althea blinked, like she’d been caught.
"Nothing."
Arthur raised a brow.
"That didn’t sound like nothing."
She hesitated, then let out a small breath.
"That last move... you planned it?"
Arthur shrugged.
"More or less."
That didn’t help.
If anything, it made it worse.
Althea frowned slightly.
"You let it get behind you."
"I knew it would," he replied simply.
"And if it didn’t go how you expected?"
Arthur looked at her for a moment, then gave a small smile.
"Then I’d adjust."
He said it so casually that it felt off, like he wasn’t talking about a fight at all.
Althea shook her head.
"...You used yourself as bait."
Arthur tilted his head.
"Worked, didn’t it?"
That shut her up.
Because it did.
Perfectly.
Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling.
The timing.
The control.
The way he didn’t panic even for a second.
It wasn’t just skill.
It was something else.
Something sharper.
She looked away.
"...You’re ridiculous."
Arthur chuckled.
"I’ve heard worse."
The others had noticed too.
Of course they had. As the explosion made sure of that.
A/N:
Please send Powerstones and Tickets, Let’s fly to the TOP of the rankings together🚀..
Also, drop Comments and Reviews..
(TEN REVIEWS = BONUS Chapter🔥).