The forest vibrated with growls. Red eyes gleamed from every shadow, fangs dripping saliva like daggers thirsty for blood. One wolf had been terrifying enough. Now there were twelve, maybe fifteen, each one larger than a donkey cart and three times hungrier. Their silver fur shimmered like polished steel, muscles coiling beneath as they closed in, tails slashing the air like whips.
Ahmed stood in the middle of the clearing, sweat pouring down his face, his knees knocking together so violently that he could barely stand.
"System… please… give me ANYTHING!" he begged, voice cracking.
🔊 [BEGINNER PACK WILL BE AVAILABLE IN… 2 HOURS, 59 MINUTES.]
Ahmed threw his hands to the sky and shrieked like a tortured rooster.
"YA RABBI! THREE HOURS?! I'M GOING TO BE SHAWARMA IN THREE SECONDS!"
🔊 [CORRECTION: YOU WILL BE DOG FOOD, NOT SHAWARMA. 🐺🍖]
Ahmed slapped his own face in disbelief. "Even now, you're joking? I'm surrounded by wolves the size of trucks and you're making emoji jokes?!"
🔊 [YES. THIS IS CONTENT.]
"CONTENT? FOR WHO?!"
🔊 [HIGHER BEINGS ARE ENJOYING YOUR STRUGGLE. THEY RATE YOUR CHANCE OF SURVIVAL: 0 STARS.]
Ahmed's Brilliant Idea (That Fails)
Ahmed's brain spun like a broken fan. He thought of every action movie he had ever watched. Maybe if he looked intimidating, the wolves would back down.
So, with all the courage he could muster, Ahmed puffed out his chest, raised his arms, and bellowed:
"HEY! BACK OFF YA KLAB! I AM… I AM… THE ALPHA!"
The wolves blinked. Silence filled the clearing. Ahmed's confidence rose for a single heartbeat.
Then the wolves all howled in unison, their voices shaking the trees. Ahmed's bowels nearly betrayed him.
"…eh beh… maybe not alpha," he whispered.
🔊 [NOTICE: HOST JUST DECLARED HIMSELF ALPHA. PACK HAS NOW MARKED HIM AS PRIORITY SNACK.]
"WHAT?! PRIORITY SNACK?!"
🔊 [CORRECT. YOU ARE THE 'SPECIAL OF THE DAY.']
The Chase Begins Again
The first wolf lunged, its jaws snapping inches from Ahmed's arm. Ahmed screamed so loudly that birds burst out of the nearby trees, terrified by the sound. He spun and bolted deeper into the forest, his lungs burning, his heart pounding like a darbuka drum.
"YA SYSTEM! DO SOMETHING! GIVE ME A SKILL, A KNIFE, A ROCK, EVEN A SLIPPER, ANYTHING!"
🔊 [DENIED. BEGINNER PACK STILL LOCKED. PLEASE SURVIVE LIKE A RAT.]
"I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU IF I SURVIVE THIS!"
🔊 **[ERROR: HOST'S THREATS = COMEDY GOLD.] 😂
Branches whipped his face, roots tried to trip him, and the wolves thundered behind him like rolling storms. Ahmed sprinted with every ounce of desperation, his tracksuit already shredded.
Ahmed's First "Martial Technique"… Accidentally
As Ahmed ran, he tripped on a root and faceplanted into the mud. One of the wolves lunged straight at him.
In panic, Ahmed flailed his arm wildly. Somehow, the strange spiritual energy in the air responded. His hand glowed faintly, and a shockwave burst outward like a weak explosion.
The wolf was thrown back into a tree with a yelp.
Ahmed froze. He stared at his glowing hand, his jaw dropping.
"…did… did I just do magic?!"
🔊 [CORRECTION: HOST PERFORMED 'USELESS FLAILING HAND STRIKE.' DAMAGE: 0.00001%.]
"USELESS?! I JUST YEETED A WOLF!"
🔊 [YES. AND IT WILL RECOVER IN TEN SECONDS. PREPARE TO DIE.]
Ahmed's eyes widened in horror as the wolf shook its head and rejoined the hunt.
The Mockery Continues
"System, wallahi you're useless! At least tell me what kind of world this is! Where am I even?!"
🔊 [ANSWER: YOU ARE IN A MARTIAL FANTASY REALM. SPIRITUAL ENERGY FILLS THE AIR. POWERFUL BEASTS AND SECTS RULE HERE. EVEN CHILDREN CAN DESTROY YOU.]
"…CHILDREN?! Ya khra, even kids can beat me?!"
🔊 [CORRECT. EVEN A TODDLER HERE HAS MORE COMBAT VALUE THAN YOU.]
Ahmed groaned, clutching his face. "This is injustice. This is oppression. Even the babies are stronger than me?!"
🔊 **[CORRECT. YOU ARE BELOW BABY LEVEL.] 👶
Ahmed nearly cried as the wolves continued to circle him.
Improvised Combat
Another wolf lunged. Ahmed, fueled by pure terror, grabbed a stick from the ground and swung it with all his strength. The stick snapped in half, and the wolf barely flinched.
"YA SYSTEM! THE STICK IS USELESS!"
🔊 [NOTICE: HOST HAS INVENTED THE 'BREAKING STICK TECHNIQUE.' POWER LEVEL: PATHETIC.]
"I SWEAR IF I SURVIVE I'LL BEAT YOU WITH A REAL STICK!"
🔊 [DENIED. YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE.]
The wolves closed in, growls rumbling. Ahmed backed against a massive rock, his stick fragments shaking in his hands. His eyes darted everywhere, searching for salvation.
Divine Intervention…?
Just as the first wolf leapt at him, a shadow streaked across the sky. A blast of golden light struck the ground, forcing the wolves back. Ahmed shielded his eyes, coughing from the smoke.
When the dust cleared, he saw a figure standing tall — a woman in flowing robes, her long hair shimmering like fire, her eyes cold as ice. She held a sword that glowed with runes, the blade humming with power.
Ahmed's jaw dropped.
"…an angel?!"
🔊 [CORRECTION: NOT AN ANGEL. SHE IS A MARTIAL CULTIVATOR.]
"She looks like she stepped out of an anime! Look at the sword! Look at the outfit! YA RABBI, SHE'S GLOWING!"
The woman raised her sword. The wolves whimpered, backing away. With one sweeping motion, she cut the air, and a wave of energy tore through the pack. In a single instant, half the wolves were obliterated into light particles.
Ahmed collapsed onto his knees, sobbing with relief.
Ahmed Tries to Impress (Fails Instantly)
He scrambled up, mud on his face, and shouted:
"THANK YOU YA MALIKA! YOU SAVED MY LIFE! I OWE YOU EVERYTHING!"
The woman looked at him. Her eyes narrowed.
"…pathetic," she muttered, her voice like frost.
Ahmed's soul cracked. "Pathetic?! After all that running? After all that screaming?!"
🔊 [CORRECT. SHE RECOGNIZES YOUR TRUE VALUE.]
Ahmed turned on the System. "Don't team up with her against me! At least one of you should respect me!"
🔊 [DENIED. NOBODY RESPECTS YOU.]
Stakes Rise
The remaining wolves regrouped, growling, but the woman's aura flared again. Ahmed ducked behind her instantly.
"Eh beh, go ahead! Show them what you got!" he said nervously.
She shot him a glare. "Stay out of my way, weakling."
Ahmed nodded rapidly. "Don't worry, I'll be behind you like a shadow!"
🔊 [NOTICE: HOST HAS INVENTED 'COWARDLY FOLLOWING TECHNIQUE.']
"…ya System, I will uninstall you with a hammer one day."
The End of Chapter 2
The woman's blade shone, ready to finish the battle. Ahmed crouched behind her, trembling yet secretly thrilled. For the first time since arriving, he wasn't about to die — at least, not immediately.
But deep in the forest, a deafening roar erupted. The trees shook, birds fled, and even the wolves froze in fear. The woman's expression hardened.
Ahmed peeked around her shoulder, his stomach dropping.
A beast far larger than the wolves stepped into the clearing — a monstrous bear covered in black scales, its eyes glowing like molten lava.
🔊 [NOTICE: NEW ENEMY DETECTED. RANK: NIGHTMARE BEAST. SURVIVAL CHANCE: 0.0000001%.]
Ahmed's scream pierced the heavens.
Epilogue Cliffhanger:
The giant bear roared, shaking the forest. The woman raised her glowing blade, preparing for battle. Ahmed fainted on the spot, his face smacking the dirt.
🔊 [NOTICE: HOST HAS INVENTED NEW TECHNIQUE: PLAYING DEAD. SUCCESS RATE: QUESTIONABLE.]
[TO BE CONTINUED...]