Chapter 20 - The Flavor of the Hunt
The sound of the leaves whispered in the wind as Rygar advanced through the dense forest, his feet pressing firmly into the damp soil, the strong scent of earth filling his nostrils. Sunlight barely pierced through the canopies of the towering trees, creating shadows that danced around him. He carried two swords. At his waist hung Tsukikage, the sword entrusted to him by Verdia. On his back was his regular sword, the one he had initially planned to use.
He breathed deeply, preparing for the challenge he had set for himself. He had already exhausted all his mana constructing extremely dense earthen structures before entering that territory. It was a dangerous gamble but a necessary one. He had been training to reach the Saint level for two years now. Fendrel had told him that with his talent and the speed at which he reached the Advanced level, he should already be there. However, the lack of strong opponents and real pressure had caused him to stagnate.
As he approached the area where he knew the Silver Mist Wolf reigned, his instincts began to scream. The sensation was like an electric shock through his nerves, a shiver climbing his spine. He was out of mana, approaching a dangerous enemy. His body was warning him. But he shook his head, pushing the fear aside—the whole point was for it to be dangerous, after all.
He kept moving forward, senses sharp, ignoring the growing discomfort. The air felt denser here, almost oppressive. The sounds of the forest had diminished, as if even the insects feared disturbing this place.
Suddenly, the surroundings opened into a clearing. The ground was littered with battle marks, and pieces of flesh scattered across the area exuded a metallic scent of blood. His eyes fell on the remains of the ruler of that territory, the original Silver Mist Wolf. Its massive body, over seven meters long, lay destroyed. The powerful claws and silver fur, which should have symbolized its strength, now lay motionless, covered in deep wounds and bite marks.
The figure responsible for the massacre was feasting on the fallen opponent's flesh. The new wolf was half the size of the original Mist Wolf but equally impressive. The creature was unlike anything Rygar had expected. Its blue-green fur shimmered with a supernatural hue under the forest's diffuse light, moving as if alive, and its eyes gleamed with terrifying intelligence.
"A mutation," Rygar thought, recalling Verdia's lessons. Mutated monsters were rare but incredibly dangerous.
Before he could react, his instincts screamed again, more intensely than ever. "Run." It was a primal command, straight to his core.
For a moment, he hesitated. But then the wolf turned its head, fixing him with eyes that seemed to pierce his soul. He saw the creature's muscles tense, and in the next instant, it charged with a speed he could barely follow.
Rygar leapt back, trying to evade the attack, but wasn't quick enough. The creature's claws grazed his throat, leaving a deep cut. Pain exploded in his mind as blood began to flow. Without time to process, he activated Flash Step, though a version using only Touki, which made it less effective. The movement was instinctive but poorly executed, and he stumbled upon landing, feeling the impact in his knees.
"Damn it!"