Just as the Wood Treant collapsed, Arjun let out a long breath and lowered his sword.
Finally… a moment to rest.
He took a step back, muscles trembling from exhaustion—
—and the forest exploded into motion.
A sharp growl tore through the silence.
"—!"
A blur shot out from the shadows.
A wolf-type monster lunged at him, its claws flashing with brutal speed. Arjun's mind lagged for a split second, his body still heavy from the prolonged fight.
Too late.
His instincts screamed.
He twisted sideways at the last possible moment. The claws missed his throat by inches—but pain tore through his shoulder as the attack grazed him.
Blood sprayed.
Arjun staggered back, teeth clenched as fire burned through his arm.
"Tch—!" he hissed.
The wolf landed lightly a few steps away, yellow eyes locked onto him, tail low, body coiled for another strike.
Arjun tightened his grip on his sword despite the pain.
So much for resting, he thought grimly.
The forest wasn't done with him yet.
Arjun forced himself backward, creating a brief gap between him and the wolf.
No time.
He reached into his pouch and crushed a healing pill between his fingers, swallowing it dry. A second later, he followed it with a stamina recovery pill, the bitter taste barely registering.
The wolf didn't wait.
With a snarl, it lunged again—faster than before.
Arjun's eyes sharpened.
This time, he was ready.
Mana surged through his body, flowing roughly into his sword. He raised the blade just as the claws descended and met the strike head-on.
Clang!
The impact rang through the forest. The force traveled straight through the steel and into his arm, sending a violent jolt up to his shoulder. Pain flared, but Arjun gritted his teeth and held firm.
Using the rebound, he twisted his wrist and stepped back, letting the wolf's momentum work against it. The beast skidded across the leaf-covered ground, forced to reset its stance.
Arjun exhaled sharply.
Now.
Warmth bloomed beneath his skin.
The healing pill activated first, a gentle heat knitting torn flesh together. The sharp pain in his shoulder dulled, replaced by a deep ache as the wound slowly closed.
Moments later, the stamina recovery pill followed. Fatigue drained away in waves, his breathing steadying, strength creeping back into his limbs.
Arjun rolled his shoulder once, testing it.
Not perfect—but good enough.
He lifted his sword again, eyes locked onto the wolf.
As the healing warmth spread through his shoulder, Arjun didn't rush.
He watched the wolf.
The beast circled slowly, muscles coiled, yellow eyes never leaving him. It wasn't charging blindly—it was measuring him. Testing his breathing. His balance. His weakness.
"…Smart for a monster ", Arjun complained.
The wolf growled low, pawing at the ground.
Arjun made his decision.
Mana surged into his legs, reinforcing them. Without another glance, he dashed.
The forest exploded into motion.
Branches whipped past as Arjun sprinted between trees, boots pounding against roots and damp soil. Behind him, the wolf burst into pursuit, crashing through undergrowth with terrifying speed.
Too fast. Too strong.
I can't beat it like this, Arjun admitted grimly, teeth clenched. Not while injured.
He focused on survival instead—zigzagging through dense trees, forcing sharp turns, using uneven terrain to slow the beast. Each second bought him more time.
The pills continued working as he ran.
His breathing steadied. The burning in his legs faded. Strength returned, inch by inch.
The wolf leapt, claws grazing the air behind him.
Close.
After several minutes, Arjun felt it—the last of the fatigue lifting, his shoulder no longer screaming in pain
Mana surged through Arjun's arms as he coated both his hands and sword, compressing it tighter and tighter until the blade hummed with restrained power. The familiar weight of mana settled into his grip, dense and volatile.
He slowed his pace.
Each step was deliberate now, measured, baiting.
The wolf noticed immediately. Its ears flattened, pupils narrowing as it closed the distance, claws digging deep into the soil.
Come closer, Arjun thought.
The moment the beast entered his range, Arjun twisted his hips and swung.
The wolf reacted on instinct, rearing up and crossing its claws to block—
BOOM!
The collision detonated like a thunderclap.
A violent shockwave rippled outward, rattling nearby trees and sending loose leaves spiraling through the air. The ground beneath them cracked, dirt spraying in all directions.
Arjun was hurled backward, boots carving trenches into the earth as he fought to keep his balance. Pain flared through his arms and shoulders as the backlash tore through his muscles.
The wolf skidded back as well, claws smoking faintly.
Both stopped.
Arjun exhaled sharply, suppressing a groan. His arms trembled despite the healing pill's effect. Compressed mana amplified the strike—but it also punished his body in return.
Blood trickled from the wolf's claws, dripping onto the forest floor.
I hurt it, Arjun realized. But not enough.
The beast snarled, shaking its forelegs as if trying to rid itself of lingering pain. Its stance remained solid. Stable.
The wolf was a level higher than him.
Arjun tightened his jaw. Even fully healed, he knew the truth.
"I can't win," he muttered under his breath.
Not cleanly. Not alone.
The wolf was stronger, faster, and built for prolonged combat. If the fight dragged on, exhaustion—or a single mistake—would be enough to kill him.
Arjun shifted his footing, lowering his stance, mind racing.
Arjun didn't hesitate anymore.
With a sharp breath, he pulled out the berserk potion and downed it in one motion.
The liquid slid down his throat like molten fire.
"—Gah!"
Heat exploded through his chest, flooding his veins. Mana around his body went wild, surging without restraint, crashing through his limbs like a raging tide. His heartbeat thundered in his ears as raw power tore through muscle and bone.
His body screamed.
And then—strength followed.
His grip tightened around the sword as if the weapon weighed nothing. His legs dug into the earth, muscles coiling with violent force. Even his senses sharpened—the wolf's breathing, the twitch of its claws, the shift of its weight—all of it became painfully clear.
But Arjun knew the truth.
This wasn't control.
This was borrowed power.
Minutes. Maybe less, he thought grimly. After that… I won't even be able to stand.
Exhaustion would crush him. His mana would be empty. His body would be defenseless.
The wolf growled, sensing the change, instinct screaming danger.
Arjun met its gaze, eyes burning.
"If I'm walking out of this," he said through clenched teeth, "you're dying first."
There was no room for retreat now.
Either he killed the wolf before the berserk potion burned itself out—
—or the forest would gain another corpse.
His stance lowered, mana roaring around him like a storm.
This was his final window.
And he intended to end it within it