The Beast in the Dark
The forest had never felt so alive. Every rustle, every groan of the trees carried weight. The air thickened, heavy with damp earth and the metallic tang of something unnatural.
Kai walked at the front now, his hand brushing the hilt of his old iron dagger. His breathing was calm, but the System's faint glow inside his mind pressed like a heartbeat.
[Warning: Proximity Alert – Unknown Entity Approaching][Optional Quest Updated: Survive the Encounter]
The message struck like a gong in his head. Optional quests always felt like dares, whispered promises of strength and danger wrapped together.
"Did you hear that?" Lira's voice trembled. She had her bow drawn, arrow notched, her eyes darting between the trees.
Dane shifted his axe onto his shoulder. "Yeah. Too close." His tone was low, but Kai could hear the tightness in it.
Kai swallowed. "It's coming."
As if on cue, the trees to their left shuddered violently. A massive shape burst from the undergrowth—hulking, fur matted with blood, eyes glowing a sickly yellow. It was no ordinary beast. Its form was wolf-like, but its size rivaled a horse, and strange markings glowed faintly across its hide.
Lira gasped. "That's… that's not natural."
[Identify Target? Y/N]
Kai's hand twitched. "Yes."
[Target: Corrupted Direwolf – Level 7][Danger Rating: HIGH]
The numbers chilled him. His Body Level 3 was nowhere close.
"Level seven…" he whispered.
Dane glanced at him sharply. "Level? What do you mean, level?"
Kai froze. He'd slipped. The System was supposed to be his secret. But the Direwolf lunged, and the moment for explanations vanished.
"Move!" Kai shouted.
The beast's claws tore into the earth where Dane had stood a second earlier. Dirt and leaves exploded in every direction.
Lira loosed her arrow. It sank into the Direwolf's shoulder but barely slowed it. The creature snarled, eyes burning brighter.
[New Sub-Quest: Defeat or Evade the Corrupted Direwolf][Reward: ???]
Kai's pulse hammered. He darted forward, activating Sharp Perception. Time seemed to stretch; every movement of the wolf became clear, every twitch of muscle a warning. He slashed with his dagger, grazing its leg.
It roared, snapping its jaws, missing Kai's head by inches.
"Dane, hit its flank!" Kai yelled instinctively.
Dane didn't question it. With a roar, he swung his axe into the Direwolf's side. Sparks flew, the axe biting deep, but the beast whipped around and slammed him aside with a single swipe. Dane hit a tree with a grunt, coughing blood.
"Dane!" Lira screamed.
Kai's vision tunneled. He couldn't let this end here.
[Emergency System Boost Available – Accept? Y/N]
He hesitated. What if it came at a cost? But Dane was bleeding, Lira was cornered, and the Direwolf was preparing another charge.
Kai clenched his teeth. "Yes!"
[Boost Activated: Adrenaline Surge – Strength +2, Speed +2 (Duration: 60 seconds)]
The world blurred. His muscles burned, his veins on fire, but his body moved faster than thought. He dashed between the beast and Lira, slamming his dagger into its snout. The blade cracked but drew blood.
The Direwolf howled in fury, snapping its massive jaws toward him.
"Lira, now!" Kai shouted.
She fired, arrow after arrow, each one landing true now that Kai kept its attention. Dane, groaning, forced himself back to his feet, axe dragging in the dirt.
Together, they fought in desperate rhythm—Kai distracting, Lira striking, Dane waiting for an opening.
Finally, the beast overextended, lunging at Kai. He rolled aside, and Dane swung his axe with all the strength left in him. The blade cleaved into the Direwolf's neck. The creature staggered, choking on its own blood.
Kai, chest heaving, summoned the last of his borrowed strength. With a primal yell, he drove the broken dagger into its glowing eye.
The Direwolf let out a final, gurgling roar before collapsing into the earth, shaking the ground as its glowing markings faded to nothing.
Silence. Only their ragged breaths filled the air.
Kai fell to his knees, hands trembling. His vision blurred as the System flared before him.
[Quest Complete: Survive the Encounter][Reward: Skill – Battle Instinct][Item Acquired: Corrupted Core Shard][Body Level Increased: 4]
His chest tightened—not from exhaustion, but from fear of what his friends had seen.
Lira dropped beside him, eyes wide. "Kai… what was that? How did you…?"
Dane, clutching his side, spat blood and stared at him. "You knew things… called them out like you could read the fight. And that glowing screen—don't think I didn't see it."
Kai froze. The words he had dreaded since the System first appeared hung in the air.
The night no longer felt silent. The forest wasn't empty. And Kai realized the Direwolf hadn't been the real test.
It was just the beginning.