Chapter 208: Into the Pack
Ryn stepped forward again, his expression more serious this time.
"So... when were you planning to tell us?"
Arthur tilted his head.
"About?"
Ryn didn’t look amused.
"Your wind element."
He paused then continued.
"And that combination."
The others didn’t interrupt.
But they were clearly waiting for his answer.
Arthur looked at them, then shrugged slightly.
"...I was going to."
"When?" Selene asked.
"When i had tested it properly."
Torren frowned.
"That looked more than ’proper’ to me."
Arthur smiled faintly.
"Yeah. Now it does."
That didn’t fully convince them.
He could see it.
The doubt.
The curiosity.
The slight frustration.
But he didn’t look bothered.
"Relax," he said. "It’s not like I was hiding it for fun."
"...Then why?" Althea asked quietly.
Arthur paused for a second.
Then answered simply.
"I wasn’t sure it wouldn’t blow up in my face."
That got a reaction.
A small one.
But enough.
Ryn studied him for a moment longer, then exhaled.
"...Fine."
He glanced at the others.
"We’ll let it go."
Arthur raised a brow.
"That easy?"
Ryn looked back at him.
"You used it to get us out alive."
A short pause.
"But don’t do that again."
Arthur smirked.
"No promises."
"...Arthur."
"Alright," he sighed. "I’ll try."
That was the best they were getting.
Ryn shook his head but didn’t push further.
"Next time, we move as a unit."
Arthur nodded slightly.
"Fair."
Nox, completely unaffected by the tension from before, raised her hand slightly.
"I found something."
Everyone turned to her.
She brightened a bit at the attention.
"There are more monster groups ahead. Different ones, not just wolves."
Ryn nodded.
"Numbers?"
"Spread out, but... there’s a spot where they’re gathering more."
Selene frowned.
"A nesting point?"
Nox shook her head.
"...No. It felt different."
That got their attention.
"How?" Althea asked.
Nox hesitated for a second, trying to explain.
"I don’t know... it just felt wrong. Like before."
Arthur’s expression shifted slightly.
"...External influence."
Nox nodded quickly.
"Yes! That."
Torren frowned.
"So something’s pulling them together?"
"Looks like it," Arthur replied.
Nox, still in her usual tone, added,
"But it should be fine though. With your skill—"
Arthur cut her off gently.
"We’re not doing that again."
She blinked.
"...Huh?"
"We move together this time," he said.
No jokes or playful grin.
He spoke calmly, but with seriousness.
"We can’t afford to draw that kind of attention again."
Ryn nodded immediately.
"Agreed."
Selene crossed her arms slightly.
"Once was enough."
Torren sighed.
"Shame. That was fun to watch."
Arthur glanced at him.
"You can go back if you want."
"...I’m good."
Nox looked between them, then smiled.
"Okay. Together then."
Arthur nodded once.
"Together."
But even as he said it.
That small grin came back.
Because deep down.. he wasn’t worried.
Not about the monsters or about what was ahead.
If anything..
He was looking forward to it.
Soon, Arthur and the others moved quietly through the forested stretch of the dungeon.
No one joked.
No one teased.
That alone said enough about what they were walking into.
Their steps were steady and careful as they followed Nox’s lead toward the place she had sensed earlier. The air itself felt different the deeper they went. Mana gathered thicker around them, heavy in a way that made breathing feel slightly slower.
Torren muttered under his breath. "Yeah... I feel it now."
Selene didn’t respond, but her eyes narrowed slightly as she scanned ahead.
Arthur felt it too.
At first it had been faint, something he noticed only because he had fought those black wolves earlier. The same strange touch was still there.
Tainted mana.
But now that they were closer, he realized something else.
It wasn’t just the wolves.
There was something deeper behind it.
Something that made the hairs on his neck rise.
Arthur let out a quiet breath.
So Nox was right.
Beside him, Nox had also grown quiet. The usual light energy she carried was gone. Her ears twitched slightly as she looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of what she felt.
"Still ahead," she said softly.
Ryn nodded.
"Then we deal with the wolves first."
That had been their plan from the start.
Break through the pack.
Find whatever was causing the mutation.
And if possible, destroy it.
They slowed down as they approached a clearing where the mana felt even thicker.
Shapes began to appear in the distance.
Black fur.
Low bodies moving between rocks and twisted trees.
The wolves.
A lot of them.
Ryn raised a hand and the team stopped.
He turned back slightly and spoke quietly.
"Same roles."
They gathered closer as he went over it again, though everyone already knew their part.
"Torren holds the center and draws attention."
Torren nodded. "Like always."
"Selene keeps distance and removes anything that slips through."
Selene simply lifted her bow.
"Althea supports and controls the flow of the fight."
She gave a small nod.
"Nox scouts and warns us if anything strange approaches."
Nox saluted playfully, though her eyes were still sharp.
Then Ryn looked at Arthur.
"And you."
Arthur raised a brow.
"What about me?"
"No explosions unless we’re in trouble."
Arthur sighed dramatically.
"You’re no fun."
Ryn didn’t react to his gimmick as he continued.
"Focus on wind."
Arthur rolled his shoulder and nodded.
"I was already thinking that."
Fire would be loud.. too loud.
If something deeper in the dungeon was responsible for the mutation, blasting the entire area again might draw attention they didn’t want yet.
Ryn gave one last look around.
"Alright."
He lowered his hand.
"Move."
They stepped into the clearing.
The wolves noticed them almost immediately.
The closest one raised its head and growled, a deep vibrating sound that rolled through the pack.
More heads turned.
Yellow eyes locked onto them.
For a few seconds the wolves didn’t attack.
They moved slowly instead, spreading out, circling like they were judging the threat.
Arthur watched them carefully.
Their bodies were leaner than normal wolves and their eyes carried that same twisted glow he had seen before.
Tainted for sure.