Chapter 11 - Wolf Slayer

Did I fall over…I can’t feel my legs anymore.

Uriel mentioned my mana being low, did using them to exhaustion do this? I never needed to worry about it before… damn it, why now!

The warm breath of snarling beasts brushed against my cheek, it sounded ready to rip me to shreds. I couldn’t understand why it didn’t.

My eyes flickered open with the last shred of strength I had left and noticed the Boss of the Dungeon standing over me. It rested its massive dark claws over my body pressed down.

My health bar dropped lower into the red and reached a small fraction until it was barely visible.

“You’re…playing with me…?” The last of my voice escaped.

When I was younger the orphanage didn’t watch over us too strictly, so I spent most of my time wandering through Istoria’s streets. I learnt a whole bunch of things from it, especially one day when I snuck into a bar filled with men in huge armour, carrying expensive shiny weapons.

One of them was telling a story, the most recent tales of their adventures on the higher floors. He spoke of a monster so powerful that it wiped out his entire team in the blink of an eye but once it had them, it simply laughed. The monster hesitated and at that moment, they were able to strike its heart and kill it.

I never thought much about it and brushed it off as another story in the book of adventurers. Now I was in their shoes, I felt the anguish of being played with like some monster's bone after a meal. After recalling that single story, only one thing seemed right.

I could feel the cold pressure from its paws weigh over me, its sharp claws sunk into my skin as it pressed further.

That guy who escaped death didn’t have the skill to do so at that moment. It was the monster's error that let that guy kill it. Still…he managed to survive, didn’t he?

My arm jerked up and pierced the Howler's belly, the warmth of its blood ran down my arm as I drove my blade deeper. The monster didn’t yelp but rather growled. It wasted no time and sprung up and out of sight.

Everything felt hazy. If I tried fighting, I know I would have lost. My head spun around as I stumbled across the floor, I struggled just to stand up.

The Shadow Prowlers who were lying in wait, rushed in with a bloodthirsty charge. A sharp cry pierced through the pack.

{300 Exp gained}

{Level Up}

I pulled my blade from the stabbed wolf and muttered, “Devour....”

{A small portion of mana has been replenished}

“Much better~”

I stretched out my arm like I had just woken up from a deep nap.

If I devour them, I’ll be able to get back small amounts of Mana. So as long as I keep killing them, I can continue past my limits.

The wolves surrounding me weren't moving as recklessly as before, they became much more patient and went back to skulking around me with their heads lowered.

I felt the difference in my body, the only way I could describe it was like a second source of energy. The more I used it, the more it depleted, like running would from your body's energy supply.

It was only after I reached my limit, that I became aware of its depths. I could sense my mana perfectly.

“Rush!”

There were only two wolves in my path but with the speed I was traveling, they didn’t have time to react.

I flew right past them and reached out for the ground where my other Chakram lay in wait. In one swift motion, I rolled over to it and snatched it up into my left hand.

The wolves suddenly pounced towards me, I was cornered on the opposite end of the pit but not fazed at all.

Only enough for one more, but that’s perfect.

“Rush.”

{Rush activated}

A white aura surrounded my legs and I burst across the grass-covered pit. I sliced through the three wolves that pounced on me.

A smile cracked over my face as I heard the notifications appear one after the other.

{250 Exp gained}

{250 Exp gained}

{450 Exp gained}

{Level Up}

I slid up to the wall and reached out behind me to claim my prizes, I devoured all the shredded bodies left behind.

A rejuvenating energy filled my body, my mana was close to full. It was a sensation unlike any other as if I had just taken a bite of food after starving myself a week prior.

My eyes focused on the monster closest to me and its health bar popped up, it was far into the yellow. It dripped with blood and it didn’t move as fast as before.

“It’s a good thing I cut these guys short earlier…now it’s time to collect. Hyaaa!” I charged forward with a swift speed and cut through its neck.

{200 Exp gained}

The amount of experience I need to level up has increased, it's slowing down my growth. I’ll need to fight stronger monsters if I want to grow.

There were two more to my left and another right in front of me. They were all low on health but I still couldn’t risk rushing in, they outnumbered me.

I threw out my chakram to the wolves at my side and both disappeared into a puff of smoke, then reappeared a few steps closer to me.

They’re just like the Rush Rabbits, there’s a pattern to them. If they sense danger, they will use the skill but if they don’t see it coming they will tank the hit. I’ll have to go off of that for now!

I cast the chakram out and it sliced across the Prowler's sides, it bounced off a stone pillar and shot back at me. I avoided the path of the blade and let it collide with the attacking beast that snuck up behind me.

“Kyaaahh!” The monster cried out as blood burst from its stomach.

Just as I thought! I can use these things as projectiles but if I bounce them off of stuff, they can continue attacking endlessly.

{300 Exp gained}

“Now, with everything I have!”

White aura focused around my right foot, I directed my swing at the rushing Prowlers. They swarmed me from both sides but I didn’t have a shred of fear in me.

{Strike Kick activated}

{300 Exp gained}

{400 Exp gained}

{Level Up}

…

“Huff…Puff…is that all you got?”

{The users Enemies have become intimidated} – {Effects of Leaders Howl have depleted}

“Oh ho, looks like I became a bit scary to you all. Don’t worry, it will be over soon.”

I managed to cut down their numbers quite a bit, after killing one I moved on to the next. My momentum only sped up when they grouped around me, it made it easy to link my attacks.

Swish!

My eyes raced to the thin tail that slashed through the air in front of me. I dodged back and avoided it by the hairs on my head.

That attack was crazy fast, if I was any slower it would have taken my head off. He must have been trying to take me out because he saw me as a threat. Not only did the Howler's attacks become more frequent but they were stronger than before.

The Shadow Howler emerged from the back of the group, its devilish tail flicked through the air. Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, the tail split into two.

Every few seconds its swift strikes cracked through the air where I stood. To avoid it, I quickly dashed off toward the group of Prowlers that surrounded it.

If he’s going to go on the offensive, I’ll have to do the same. Don’t expect me to stand around like a punching bag, not when you’re putting out all this juicy experience for me!

The Prowlers disappeared into smoke the moment my chakrams shot at them. Without a second to rest, they appeared at my sides and attacked. Large rows of teeth opened at my sides and my body reacted on its own.

{Shadow Claw activated}

I’m faster than these guys now, I can win this.

{200 Exp gained}

{300 Exp gained}

One after the other, I cut down the members of the pack. I used everything to my advantage, from the pillars around me to the mana they delivered when I devoured them.

{User has levelled up}

“I took care of the whole pack but this guy doesn’t seem as easy.”

Every time I caught my blades I tried hitting him from a distance but he would teleport away before I could get him. His teleportation didn’t work as manually as the Prowlers did, it seemed almost automatic.

Two large whips barreled towards me and snapped at my feet, I dodged the first but the second was just too fast.

A burning pain rushed through my foot from the hit and I fumbled to the ground. It was a bad fall, I lost all my momentum and stranded myself right in the open.

“Ugh- Damn it!” I cursed as my body rolled across the dirt.

Suddenly the Howler's eyes lit up with a crimson glow and it raised its head to the sky. There were no Prowlers left to call, yet it howled regardless.

“Arooooooo!”

Its deafening cry filled the arena and shook the ground from its fury. In response to the howl, the beast's shadow stretched out like a pool around its paws.

One by one, crimson eyes emerged from the pool, until the Shadow Howler was surrounded by a new pack of spectral hounds.

I focused on one of them, displaying a new bar of health with the name,

{Houndling}

{Shadow Howler has summoned Houndlings}

I killed all those other guys and it managed to regroup its army, just like that? If I don’t hurry then it will just overwhelm me again–

I darted through the almost endless amount of ghostly figures with my blades extended out to the sides. I could feel just how light and empty their bodies were as I tore through them. I barely considered it bodies, it felt more appropriate to call it smoke.

Swish!

A dense object slammed into my back and folded my centre slightly as I launched across the pit. My senses blurred once my backside collided with the large stone pillar wedged into the ground.