The group began moving into position to tackle the incoming group of wolves.
Through the trees, Moon could make out the shapes Derek had indicated. Three wolf-like creatures, larger than any natural wolf from the old times, with fur that can withstand swords. Their fangs were visible even from this distance, elongated and sharp, exactly as their name suggested.
They were feeding on something, tearing into a carcass with focused intensity.
Derek raised his hand, preparing to give the signal.
Moon positioned himself near Selene, his mind already running through various scenarios.
Three level 4 beasts. The math favoured them heavily, but numbers meant nothing if coordination failed or if someone panicked.
His hand moved through the motion of gathering mana, preparing to form a water ball the moment combat began.
Derek's hand dropped.
"Now!"
The whole team moved in coordination with the command.
The three wolves darted between trees the moment they detected the group, using the thick trunks as natural barriers to close the distance while minimising their exposure. The wolves were smart; they didn't lunge blindly at Moon's team in a suicidal charge. Rather, they were sly and calculated. Derek reacted immediately, his sword already drawn. "Marcus, intercept left! John, support centre!"
The main tank, Marcus, moved with no fear. He slammed his shield into the ground, and a translucent barrier of energy expanded outward, cutting off the leftmost wolf's approach. The creature snarled, forced to redirect.
John rushed forward to support, positioning himself slightly behind Marcus. His role became immediately clear: he wasn't the primary tank but a secondary line of defence, ready to catch anything that slipped past or to reinforce where needed.
"Iris, focus fire on the centre one!" Derek shouted, his sword flashing as he engaged the rightmost wolf that had broken through.
Iris drew her bowstring back in one fluid motion. She released it, and the arrow struck the centre wolf mid-stride, punching through its shoulder. The creature yelped but didn't slow its approach.
Selene raised her new staff, mana gathering at its tip. A spear of compressed water formed and launched forward, following Iris's arrow. It struck the same wolf in its flank, the impact causing it to stumble.
Moon positioned himself slightly to Selene's left, his angle giving him a clear line of sight to the wolves while keeping his back away from the older group's members. His eyes moved constantly: tracking the wolves, monitoring Derek's team positions, and noting exit routes through the trees.
He formed a water ball and released it toward the centre wolf, adding his damage to Selene and Iris's barrage. The attack struck true, crashing against the creature's head just as it tried to recover from the previous hits.
The wolves were strong; they moved with frightening speed and coordination, their fur seeming to deflect some of the damage from glancing blows.
But Derek's team was experienced.
Marcus held the left wolf's attention, his shield absorbing vicious bites and claw strikes. Derek danced around the right wolf, his sword finding gaps in its defence. The thin man with twin daggers appeared from the wolf's blind spot, his blades flashing across its hind leg.
The center wolf, taking the concentrated fire from three ranged attackers, began to falter. Another arrow from Iris. Another water spear from Selene. Another water ball from the Moon.
The creature's legs buckled. Derek's stocky companion with the battle axe rushed in, bringing his weapon down in a devastating overhead strike that crushed the wolf's skull.
[You have killed a level 4 Razorwolf.] [You have gained 10 Lives]
The notification appeared in Moon's vision. A soft smile formed on his face. To gain so many lives whilst in a group was truly a great benefit. Rewards such as experience or lives were distributed by the system based on contribution; compared to the others, he had the lowest contribution. Yet he might have gotten the highest lives whilst making the lowest contribution, all due to his talent.
With the centre wolf down, the fight shifted rapidly. Iris and Selene redirected their attacks to support Marcus. The left wolf, now taking damage from multiple sources while still being locked down by Marcus's defensive skills, lasted less than ten seconds.
Derek finished his opponent with a thrust through its throat.
Whoosh!
The entire fight had taken maybe two minutes. Derek straightened, wiping his blade on the wolf's fur.
"Good work, everyone. That's how it's done."
Moon's eyes continued scanning the surroundings even as the others began to relax. Throughout the entire fight, he'd maintained awareness of every person's position. He'd noted how the older group moved, how they communicated with subtle gestures and timing.
And he'd made certain that he never gave his back to any of them. Never put himself in a position where someone could strike without him seeing it coming.
The wolves were dead, but Moon's vigilance wasn't.
Derek sheathed his sword and turned to Moon's group with an approving nod. "Not bad at all for your first real fight. Selene, your timing was excellent. Those attacks hit exactly when they needed to." He looked at John. "And you, solid positioning. Knew when to hold back and when to support. That's good instinct for a tank."
His eyes moved to Elara. "Your accuracy is impressive. Every arrow counted."
Then his gaze swept past Moon as if he wasn't there, moving on to address the group as a whole. "You all did well. Keep that up and you'll survive out here just fine."
Moon noticed the deliberate omission but showed nothing on his face.
Selene, still catching her breath from the fight, asked, "How many lives do you lose if you die in the eastern woodlands?"
Derek's expression grew more serious. "Depends on the area. Where we are right now? Two lives per death. It's one of the safer zones, relatively speaking." He gestured vaguely toward the deeper parts of the forest. "Venture further in where the level five and six beasts spawn, you're looking at four or five lives lost. I heard from older awakeners that there are areas in these woodlands where death costs ten lives or more."
"Ten?" John's eyes widened slightly.
"Or more," Derek confirmed. "The deeper you go, the higher the stakes. That's why we stick to areas we can handle. No point getting greedy and losing everything."
Moon absorbed this information silently, already running calculations.
He pulled up his status, the translucent panel appearing before his eyes where only he could see it.
[ Name: Moon ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Class: Classless, Elemental Mage(Limited Time) ]
[ Level: 3 ][ 25% ]
[ Lives: 45 ]
[ Strength: 12 ] [ Agility: 14 ] [ Constitution: 14 ] [ Mana: 17 ]
[ Attribute Points: 0 ]
[ Skills: Elemental Attack, Four Element Affinity ]
[ Talent: Grim Reaper ]
[ Class Skill: Class Slot {1/1} ]
Forty-five lives. In this area, where death cost two lives, he could die twenty-two times before being permanently gone.
Twenty-two chances.
Meanwhile, others in his group, Selene included, probably had around ten lives at most. Maybe twelve if they'd been particularly efficient in the training grounds. For them, five deaths would mean complete erasure. For Moon, five deaths would barely make a dent in his reserves.
The disparity was staggering, and it gave him a safety net that no one else possessed. He could take risks others couldn't afford. Could push further, fight harder, make mistakes and learn from them without the same fear of permanent consequences.
But he'd never let anyone know that. The moment people understood how many lives he had, questions would follow. How did you accumulate so many? What's your secret? Can you share it?
No. This was his advantage, and it would remain hidden.
"Two lives doesn't sound too bad," John said, though his voice carried uncertainty.
"It's not, compared to other areas," Derek agreed. "But losing even two lives hurts. That's resources you could have used for enhancement, trading, other opportunities. Death is never cheap, even in the safer zones."
Iris was already moving toward the wolf corpses, pulling out a knife. "Might as well harvest what we can. Razorwolf pelts sell decently in the base."
The group began the post-battle routine of harvesting materials, their conversation turning to what they'd do with their earnings.
Moon stayed at the periphery, his eyes still scanning the treeline, his awareness still tracking every member of both groups.