The Dire Wolf King's wounds bled, steaming where blood met frostfire. Its growl shook the clearing, low and resonant, as though the Tower itself spoke through its throat.
Then it struck.
The beast's body blurred. One moment it was before them, the next it was behind the Iron Vultures. Its claws raked through shields and bone alike, scattering men like broken dolls.
[System]: Dire Wolf King HP: 45%
[System]: Casualties +6 (Iron Vultures). Survivors: 13.
The survivors screamed. The line collapsed.
"Hold the flank!" someone shouted, voice cracking with fear.
"We can't—!"
Their words drowned beneath the Wolf King's roar.
Alexis's katana flashed, intercepting a claw strike aimed at his neck. The impact rattled his bones, driving him back into the frost-cracked ground. Stamina burned from his veins like fire.
"Alexis!" Lyra's voice cut through the din.
She darted in, her daggers stabbing deep into the tendons behind the King's knee. The beast howled, collapsing momentarily on one leg. Alexis surged forward, blade gleaming, carving a deep gash across its chest.
[System]: Dire Wolf King HP: 45% → 39%
The frostfire dimmed — but only for a breath.
The Wolf King's eyes ignited brighter, pale flames spilling from its jaws.
[System]:Boss Ability — Frostfire Veins (Overload).
Effect: AOE Frostfire Burst.
The beast exhaled.
White flame erupted across the clearing, devouring adventurers whole. Screams froze mid-air, bodies turning to brittle statues before shattering into shards of crimson-streaked ice.
[System]:Casualties +7. Survivors: 6.
Only six remained — and two of them were Alexis and Lyra.
The frostfire washed over Alexis, his health bar dipping dangerously. For a heartbeat, the world blurred white, his breath freezing in his chest.
Then the System's notification pulsed faintly at the edge of his vision:
[System]:HP Critical. Stamina Critical.
He gritted his teeth, forcing his body forward, katana steady despite the pain.
Lyra crouched low in the frost, grinning wide despite the blood trickling down her temple. "Six left. Gods, the Tower's ruthless."
"Stay focused," Alexis said through ragged breaths.
Her laugh was sharp, breathless. "I've never been more focused."
The Wolf King prowled forward, its breath steaming frostfire, its body scarred but unbroken. It circled now, no longer rushing. Its eyes locked on Alexis and Lyra — not the guilds, not the stragglers. Them.
The Tower had chosen its duel.
[System]: Dire Wolf King HP: 39%
[System]: Raid Survivors: 6.
The clearing was death incarnate.
And the fight was only halfway done.
Chapter 6 Part 2 : Duel of Frost and Steel
The Dire Wolf King lowered its head, frostfire dripping from its jaws. Its massive paws cracked the frozen ground as it circled. No longer distracted by guild banners or broken lines — its eyes burned with singular focus.
Alexis. Lyra.
The rest of the raid were gnats in its eyes. It wanted the hunters who had dared strike it true.
Alexis steadied his breathing, katana poised low at his side. His body screamed with pain, stamina a flickering ember in his veins. But his eyes were sharp, unwavering.
Lyra rolled her shoulders, daggers glinting, her grin as wild as the beast before her. Blood streaked her cheek, her mantle torn, but her stance was light, ready.
"Finally," she whispered. "No more distractions."
The King lunged.
A blur of silver and frostfire.
Alexis met it head-on, blade flashing upward in a perfect arc. Steel met claw, sparks and frost bursting outward. The impact rattled his arms to the bone, but he held firm, sliding aside at the last instant to cut deep into the King's foreleg.
Lyra darted from the side, her daggers stabbing into the beast's ribs. She twisted, tearing flesh as she rolled clear of a snapping maw.
The Wolf King howled, blood steaming against the frost.
[System]: Dire Wolf King HP: 39% → 34%
The beast's jaws glowed brighter. Frostfire poured forth in a sweeping arc, devouring the ground where they'd stood a heartbeat earlier. Adventurers too slow screamed as they froze solid, shattering seconds later.
[System]: Casualties +3. Survivors: 3.
Alexis stumbled to one knee, frost clinging to his armor. His health dipped low again, red flashing at the edge of his vision.
[System]: HP Critical.
"Alexis!" Lyra shouted, vaulting over the beast's sweeping tail.
"I'm fine," he growled, forcing himself up. His breath steamed, his katana trembling — not from weakness, but from the strain of holding on to every ounce of focus.
He couldn't falter. Not here.
The Wolf King charged. Its massive jaws snapped toward him, fangs glowing with frostfire.
Alexis planted his foot, body turning, blade rising in a clean, controlled slash. Steel met fang — and sparks burst as the katana bit deep into the King's jaw.
The beast howled, blood flooding its maw.
Lyra used the opening, vaulting onto its back, her daggers sinking into the muscles along its spine. She carved twin lines down its flank, her laughter ringing sharp in the chaos.
"Bleed for us, King!"
[System]: Dire Wolf King HP: 34% → 29%
The frostfire dimmed, but only for a heartbeat. Then the King roared, its entire body igniting in pale blue flame. Frostfire veins raced across its fur, its power surging higher.
[System]: Dire Wolf King — Berserk Threshold Reached.
HP: 30%Buff: Attack +50%, Speed +30%Drawback: Defense -20%
Alexis's knuckles tightened on his blade. Lyra's grin widened.
"This is it," she said, voice breathless but gleeful. "The Tower's true face."
The Wolf King lowered its head again, frostfire burning hotter than ever.
And it charged.
Chapter 6 Part 3 : Berserk Howl
The Dire Wolf King thundered forward, a storm of silver fur and frostfire. Its speed was unnatural — faster than before, faster than any eye could follow.
[System]:Dire Wolf King — Berserk Mode Active.
Attack: +50%
Speed: +30%
Defense: -20%
Alexis barely raised his katana in time. The claws struck, sparks and ice exploding as he was hurled backward, skidding across the frozen ground. His health bar screamed red.
[System]: HP Critical — Alexis.
Lyra darted in, fearless, daggers flashing as she slashed across the beast's haunch. Blood spurted, steaming in the frostfire heat.
The King whirled, its tail sweeping like a battering ram. She twisted in midair, the strike grazing her ribs, her mantle ripping open with the force.
She landed crouched, blood painting her grin. "Oh gods—yes. This is what I wanted!"
The Wolf King roared, frostfire spilling from its jaws in waves. The last surviving adventurers screamed as the blaze engulfed them, their bodies freezing and shattering in an instant.
[System]: Raid Casualties — 2. Survivors Remaining: Alexis, Lyra.
Only they were left.
The Tower had chosen them as the raid's true challengers.
Alexis pushed himself to his feet, frost clinging to his armor, breath ragged. His katana trembled faintly — not from weakness, but from the weight of the fight. His eyes never wavered.
"Just us now," he said quietly.
Lyra laughed, blood dripping from her lip. "Like it was always meant to be."
The King lunged again. Alexis sidestepped, blade slashing across its flank. Blood sprayed, a shallow wound but enough to slow its stride. Lyra pounced, daggers sinking deep into its throat before she was shaken free by a violent snap of jaws.
[System]: Dire Wolf King HP: 29% → 22%
The beast's eyes blazed brighter, its howl shattering the false moonlight above. Frostfire rained down like shards of ice, embedding into the ground around them.
[System]:Environment Change — Frostfire Storm.
Effect: Continuous AoE Damage.
Alexis staggered as shards seared into his shoulder, blood freezing against his skin. His health bar dropped dangerously low again.
Lyra rolled through the storm, laughing breathlessly. "Alexis, if you're going to pull off one of your perfect-kill tricks—now's the time."
His breath steadied, his grip firmed on the katana. His eyes locked on the beast's throat, its chest heaving, its wounds bleeding rivers into the frost.
"Not yet," he said, voice calm amidst the storm. "We cut it down when it gives us everything."
Lyra's grin sharpened, her daggers spinning in her hands. "Then let's survive long enough to take it all."
The Wolf King lowered its head, frostfire veins pulsing brighter than ever.
The final clash was coming.
Chapter 6 Part 4 : The King Falls
The Dire Wolf King's body blazed with frostfire veins, every breath a torrent of white flame. Its roar cracked the clearing, shaking the frozen trees, echoing through the bones of the Tower itself.
This was no longer a fight. It was judgment.
Alexis planted his feet against the storm, katana raised, the steel vibrating with the strain of holding steady. Every nerve screamed, his health bar bleeding red, stamina almost gone.
Beside him, Lyra twirled her daggers with bloodied fingers, her grin feral despite the gash across her ribs. "It's beautiful," she whispered. "A monster dying to be remembered."
The King lunged.
Alexis moved. A flash of silver in the storm, his blade carving a deep arc across its muzzle. The beast howled, snapping back, jaws missing his throat by a breath.
Lyra struck from behind, vaulting up its back, her daggers plunging deep into its shoulders. She carved downward, tearing twin rivers of blood across its spine.
The beast bucked, thrashing, frostfire pouring from its jaws in fury.
[System]: Dire Wolf King HP: 22% → 14%
The storm intensified. Shards of frostfire rained from above, embedding into flesh and ground alike. Alexis stumbled, his health flashing dangerously low.
[System]: HP Critical — Alexis.
He gasped raggedly, forcing himself forward, blade steady despite the fire in his veins.
"Alexis!" Lyra's voice cut through the howl. She leapt clear of the beast's back, landing at his side. Her daggers dripped blood and frostfire both. "We finish it—together."
His eyes locked on hers for the briefest breath. Then he nodded.
The Wolf King reared back, frostfire glowing in its throat, preparing to unleash one final breath to end them both.
Alexis surged forward, every muscle screaming. His katana gleamed silver as he poured the last of his strength into one perfect strike.
Lyra darted beside him, her daggers flashing, aiming for the beast's exposed chest.
The King roared—
Steel and shadow met frostfire.
The clearing erupted.
Alexis's blade carved deep across the Wolf King's throat. Lyra's daggers plunged into its chest, twisting hard. Blood and frostfire burst outward in a torrent.
The beast staggered, its howl breaking into a strangled cry. It swayed, frostfire dimming, eyes fading from blazing hunger to empty stillness.
Then it collapsed.
The ground shook as the King's body hit the earth. Frostfire veins shattered like glass, fading into nothing. Silence rolled across the clearing.
[System]:Boss Defeated — Dire Wolf King (A Tier).
Raid Complete.Rewards Distributed.Outpost Secured.
[System]:Loot Acquired:
Dire Wolf King's Fang (Epic)Dire Wolf Pelt (Epic)Frostfire Core (Epic, Crafting)Silver x1,200EXP +2,500
[System]:Level Up!
Alexis: Lv. 8 → Lv. 10Lyra: Lv. 8 → Lv. 10
Stats Increased. HP/Stamina Fully Restored.
Alexis exhaled slowly, lowering his katana. The exhaustion, the burning pain, all washed away as the System's blessing surged through him. His body steadied, wounds closed, breath filled his chest again.
Lyra collapsed onto the frost-slick ground, laughing breathlessly. "Gods… hah—hah… I thought it was going to eat us alive."
She rolled onto her back, grinning at the false moon overhead. "But we cut down a king, Alexis. We killed it."
He stood silent, gaze fixed on the beast's lifeless body. Its silver fur gleamed faintly in the dim light, blood soaking into the frost beneath it.
Finally, he spoke. Quiet. Firm. "One floor. One king."
He looked up, eyes on the looming Tower in the distance.
"And many more to come."
[System Status — Alexis]
Level: 10
HP:3260 / 3260 { (Stamina × 80) + (Level × 150) = (22 × 80) + (10 × 150) }
ATK:175 / 187 { Base = (Strength × 5) + (Level × 2) = (31 × 5) + 20 } → +12 ATK from gear applied to the effective value only.
DEF:77 / 101 { Base = (Resilience × 3) + (Level × 2) = (19 × 3) + 20 } → +24 DEF from gear applied to the effective value only.
Energy:122 / 122 { Base 100 + (Enlightenment × 2) = 100 + (11× 2) }.
Attributes (allocated so far):
Strength: 31Stamina: 23Resilience: 19Agility: 27Enlightenment: 11Critical: 17Luck: 14
Equipped Gear (12–13 slots framework): Katana; Leather Helmet, Chestplate, Gauntlets, Leggings, Boots, Larp Shoulder; (no jewelry equipped yet). Framework per Codex.
Weapon: Rare Katana (+12 ATK)Armor Set: Hardened Leather (Common) (+24 DEF, +5% stamina efficiency) — stamina-efficiency is a typical secondary effect for early gear.
Titles (displayed: "Wolf's Bane") — effects are conditional and not pre-added into ATK/DEF above:
Wolf's Bane — +2% CRIT vs Beasts. (Analogous to "Wolfslayer" example.)Ogre Slayer — +3% damage vs Ogres. (Combat-type title; numeric bonus scaled in line with Codex examples.)
[System Status — Lyra]
Level: 10
HP:2620 / 2620 { (Stamina × 80) + (Level × 150) = (14 × 80) + 1500 }
ATK:115 / 125 { Base = (Strength × 5) + (Level × 2) = (19 × 5) + 20 } → +10 ATK from gear to effective.
DEF:53 / 71 { Base = (Resilience × 3) + (Level × 2) = (11 × 3) + 20 } → +18 DEF from gear to effective.
Energy:122 / 122 { 100 + (Enlightenment × 2) = 100 + (11 × 2) }.
Attributes (allocated so far):
Strength: 19Stamina: 15Resilience: 11Agility: 35Enlightenment: 11Critical: 30Luck: 21
Equipped Gear: Twin Daggers; Leather Helmet, Chestplate, Gauntlets, Leggings, Boots, Larp Shoulder; (no jewelry equipped yet). Slots per Codex.
Weapons: Uncommon Twin Daggers (+10 ATK, +2% CRIT)Armor Set: Light Leather (Common) (+18 DEF, +3% stamina efficiency).
Titles (displayed: "Wolf's Bane") — conditional, not pre-added into ATK/DEF above:
Wolf's Bane — +2% CRIT vs Beasts.Ogre Slayer — +3% damage vs Ogres.