Everyone was running around in a panic.
They'd been so shaken up by that monster earlier that they'd completely forgotten about what Elina said—the Wind Wolves.
Those beasts always hunted in packs. If there was one, there were more. The fact that the girl had only been chased by a single wolf was practically a miracle.
Now, drawn by the scent of blood, the rest had followed it here. No matter how you looked at it, this was big trouble for the villagers.
"Damn it! The hole's too big! We need more wood!"
The men patching the wall were drenched in sweat as they stared helplessly at the gaping, block-shaped breach several meters wide.
"There!" someone shouted suddenly. "That thing the monster left behind—we can use it to block the gap!"
He pointed at the cube-shaped structure nearby. It looked kind of like a furnace, but it didn't seem light.
"Go!"
There was no time to think. A few of them rushed over—but no matter how hard they pushed, it wouldn't budge.
Even when they tried the smaller workbench next to it, it was useless.
"We're wasting time!"
"Shit, they're coming!"
"Get the torches!"
"No use! The wind's too strong!"
The scene descended into chaos. Some managed to light torches, but the Wind Wolves' gathering gale snuffed them out in seconds.
Their wall repair plan had fallen apart because of one bad idea, leaving the hole wide open—more than enough for a whole pack to pour through.
"Chief! What do we do?"
The villagers crowded around Edmund, desperate for orders.
It had been so long since the village had faced an attack—when they did, it was usually some harmless slime or stray critter.
Decades of peace had made them soft. Even those who remembered the old defense drills were too panicked to follow them now.
Edmund climbed atop the tallest roof, scanning the forest.
There—pairs of glowing eyes flickered in the dark. The wolves were channeling mana.
Clever bastards. They must've been burned before; that's why they stirred up such a strong wind before attacking.
And worse—if they kept this up, that wind could condense into Wind Blades. Against a village without a single superhuman, that would be fatal.
He looked to the shattered wall. It had been repaired just half a year ago, but the monster earlier had smashed through several blocks, leaving it useless now.
"Should we run? If this keeps up, we'll be trapped in here!"
"But what about Elina? She's still unconscious!"
"We can't outrun those things!"
"What if we make for the river? Maybe they won't go in the water!"
Edmund's mind raced—analyzing, rejecting, searching for a way out. His eyes darted between the massive hole the monster had dug and the forest where glowing eyes drew closer.
Finally, he gritted his teeth and made his choice. "We'll ask that monster for help!"
The crowd fell silent. Their faces turned pale.
They knew what he meant. If Elina was right—if that creature could kill a Wind Wolf so easily—then it might be their only hope.
But none of them had ever seen anything like it. Could they even communicate with such a being?
Edmund didn't waste another second. The old man climbed down from the roof with surprising agility, his frail body moving with the urgency of sheer willpower.
He sprinted toward the pit. No matter what, he had to lure that monster out—even if it cost him his life.
His eyes hardened as he leaned over the edge—only for something square-headed to suddenly leap out.
A sharp pain shot through his chin as he was smacked backward, crashing to the ground. His old bones creaked in protest.
Steve, half-stuck in the collision box, had to wriggle free before finally pulling himself out of the hole.
He blinked at the villager sprawled on the ground, face twisted in pain, blood at the corner of his mouth.
Not thinking much of it, Steve brushed himself off and started sorting through his inventory.
He'd been digging for a while before realizing something was off. The world's vertical limits felt… different. Normally the dirt layer was only four or five blocks thick, but he'd gone through several stacks without hitting stone.
Was this mod pack designed to discourage mining? Maybe it intentionally made the terrain like this.
His torches were running low, and the darkness here was absolute—so he'd had no choice but to stop.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have turned back until he hit bedrock.
Edmund groaned and pushed himself up. When he finally got a good look at Steve, he froze. Fear flickered in his eyes—but then he remembered the wolves. He clenched his jaw and stepped forward.
"...Lord!"
He had no idea how to address him, so he just blurted it out.
Steve didn't react.
"Lord!" the chief called again, forcing himself to jab Steve in the side.
He reached out, meaning to grab what looked like clothes—but realized in horror that it was the creature's actual skin. His heart nearly stopped.
Steve felt something nudging him and turned his head.
"The village is under attack by Wind Wolves! Please, Lord, help us—save us!"
Maybe it was desperation, but the chief's words started flowing smoothly. Whether Steve understood him or not didn't matter; he poured everything out in one breath.
Steve followed the direction of his trembling hand—and sure enough, glowing eyes shimmered in the dark forest. Wind Wolves, just like the ones he'd seen before.
A monster siege? Was this some kind of triggered event?
And then a much larger Wind Wolf stepped out from the trees, its head held high as it glared down at the villagers.
As the alpha moved, the rest of the pack charged out of hiding, flooding toward the breach in the wall.
Steve spotted the opening too. Without hesitation, he slammed down several dirt blocks, sealing it instantly.
Then he started stacking—building upward around the pale-faced villager, wrapping him in layers of dirt until he was completely enclosed.
It reminded Steve of that one world he'd played before—what was it called again? Bed Wars?
From the top, he extended a dirt bridge toward the wall, linking it while leaving himself an escape route. Standing above the village now, he was ready to strike from high ground.
He knew the Wind Wolves had complex movement mods. His old leg-chopping trick might not work this time, and if they broke through a hole beneath him, it'd be game over.
His gear wasn't great either—just a worn-out pair of leather pants, no shield. Getting surrounded would be a nightmare.
The first Wind Wolf lunged at him, leaping high into the air.
But Steve was ready. One clean sword swing stopped its momentum midair and sent it crashing back down, blood spraying as it hit the ground hard.
The others hesitated, circling the fallen wolf cautiously.
With a snarl, the injured one shook itself and leapt again.
This time, Steve built one more block higher—just out of its reach—and slashed again as it rose.
The wolf dropped back to the ground, growling. But instead of jumping a third time, it opened its jaws wide. White light flared between its teeth as the wind gathered around it.
A Wind Blade shot out with a shriek.
Steve hadn't expected that. The moment it hit, his body flashed red, and he staggered back a step.
"Ugh!"