I was heading outside the cave. It seemed Fenrir had come here to heal himself. I didn't really understand why he would choose such a remote place for that, but I had already pushed the thought to the back of my mind. If you can't figure something out, there's no point in being stuck on it, right? Either way, when I finally stepped outside, something phenomenal happened.
"How fascinating!"
Inside the cave, it had felt like daybreak, but outside? The entire area was shrouded in darkness. And the moment I stepped out, the cave vanished! as if it had never existed. I stared at the empty space where the walls should have been and even reached out to touch it, but there was nothing there.
"..."
I was speechless, yet I couldn't help but admire it. A rush of questions filled my head, but in the end, I sighed in resignation.
"Too little information... but still amazing. Can he really erase things at will? I wonder."
I pondered for a while, then started walking forward. The moon shone unusually bright tonight, or was it just me? I chuckled and walked through the dim moonlight. The feeling was pleasing. The sky looked clear, the stars showcasing themselves beautifully.
After walking for a while, I returned to the place where I had last hunted the wolves. The corpses lay in the spot, just as they had been.
"Hmph... I thought they'd been stolen or eaten... guess wolves don't eat their own kind?"
I chuckled, satisfied. Now I could take them to the camp as spoils, but how should I? I gazed at my small body and then at the wolves. A concerned sigh escaped my lips.
"There's no way I can lift all of them, right? Should I go bring the others? Though they'll be angered, they would at least appreciate my efforts... or should I not go? The old man would probably be furious."
I am not someone who regrets his own decisions. I did wreck the old man's tent, so it was obvious he would punish me, but that wouldn't kill me, so it was fine. I had already braced myself for that. I was thinking hard about how to fix the mess I had created when suddenly, a shiver ran down my spine. An uneasy feeling gripped me so sharply that I jumped from where I had been standing. I stared at the spot without blinking, but nothing seemed to happen. It was quiet—oddly quiet.
"There has to be something!"
I murmured, still staring at the spot. It might seem dramatic to others, but I trusted my instincts, so I waited. Several minutes passed, and still, nothing happened.
"...."
I walked toward the spot near the corpses, staying highly vigilant.
"Still nothing, huh?"
Now I started to question my instincts. It wasn't impossible to be wrong. I wasn't the type to be stubborn over something futile. I sighed deeply.
"Maybe it really was just a mistake? Happens sometimes! Haha."
I consoled myself and focused on the corpses again. Then, my instincts screamed danger once more, and I jumped instinctively. This time, I caught a glimpse of a massive, wide mouth. Shadowy—no, it wasn't shadowy. It was shadow itself.
"What the hell was that just now? Did the dead wolves just come back to life?"
I fixed my gaze on the corpses from afar, but the eerie sensation from before had faded.
"I could swear I saw a wolf's shadowy mouth…"
I scratched my head in frustration, not daring to go near. The unknown has always been more dangerous than anything known—that's a fact everyone must agree with. I could try to find it again, but it seemed too risky. Betting my life can be thrilling, but doing it for a meaningless cause? That's just stupidity.
I was still weighing my odds when the chill hit me again. I reacted on instinct, leaping away at the very last moment. A dark blur grazed past me—this time, it didn't bother to hide itself. It stood there, fangs gleaming like blades of shadow.
It had the shape of a wolf. The corpses still lay motionless, but this thing—this shadow—moved with a predator's intent.
[The Constellation of Salvation warns you of: Shadow Wolves.]
Shadow Wolves? Were they the wolves' shadows… or something else entirely? I couldn't tell. I'd never heard of anything like this. Was it an anomaly—or the true nature of this place? I didn't know. But my resolve was already set.
Unlike the wolves, the shadow didn't hesitate. It lunged at me, fangs wide, movements fluid and silent. It was fast—faster than my body could react—but my heightened senses saved me. I twisted away just in time, the air where I'd been standing splitting apart under the force of its strike.
"Woaaahh! That's some insane power... it's way too powerful, even compared to the live wolves. If I'd been standing there like an oaf, I'd be sliced apart!"
"Some insane strength you've got there, you shadow asshole!"
An amused chuckle nested on my lips. This forest is getting more interesting as time goes on. If it's like this here, what would be in the heart of it all? I couldn't help but imagine.
Suddenly it jumped at me. Its pattern, unlike real wolves, was a hazy mess. You could say it had no predictable beastly nature — it's just a shadow, so that's understandable. I avoided it by a hair's breadth again, but it seemed to have gotten faster — not just a bit compared to the first time, it really had sped up a lot.
"Does it get faster as time passes, or if it succeeds in playing with its prey?"
I gripped my dagger tightly. I have to finish it quick, or I might be in a lot of trouble. I focused all my senses and glared at it fiercely. It didn't hesitate and bared its claws at me. I swiftly moved my upper body and struck right through its skull with my dagger.
"What the fuck, man?"
My eyes widened — it was unexpected. The dagger went right through its body as if it had only grazed the air, not flesh. I immediately jumped sideways and rolled on the ground several times. I was in a dilemma, and it wasn't hard to come to a conclusion.
"My dagger won't be able to slice it to smithereens."
It was a painful reality. If I can't fight it with my dagger, then what should I do? I stood up vigilantly and analyzed the situation quickly.
"Well, fuck me. I'm screwed."
It wasn't hard to reach that conclusion. If I can't hurt it with my daggers, then what can I even do? There should be a way, right? There must be.
"This bastard won't even let me think for a goddamn moment!"
I grasped in frustration as it grazed past me again. I tried to hurt it, but it was to no avail. Worse, it was nowhere to be seen.
"Where the fuck did it go?"
I looked around, highly cautious of my surroundings. It wouldn't just let me go, right? Thoughts ran wild through my head—and then it happened. My instincts screamed danger. I tried to move to a safer position, but this time every inch of my surroundings screamed danger. I stood there.
"I really enjoyed fighting for my life—can we call it quits now, buddy? I think I've had enough for today!" I tried a light joke. No response.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."
The noises grew fiercer.
"Shaaaaaaaa."
Then, out of nowhere, it struck. There wasn't any time to evade it, so I braced myself to lose an organ. The impact came. I had braced for crushed bone or a sliced arm and planned to strike at the last moment, but reality hit harder than anything else could. My eyes went wide in disbelief. I couldn't feel my entire left shoulder. I reached for it with my left hand—and felt nothing.
"Aaagghhhrrrrrrrr!!"
The pain didn't hit until after I realized what had happened. When the truth settled, my whole body went rigid; an unbearable agony crawled down my spine and expelled a hoarse scream. I tried to grit my teeth, to hold it back, but it didn't help.
[The Constellation of Salvation is in panic]
[The Constellation of Salvation....]
My vision went red, like when I faced Fenrir. But this time the floating blood-red text felt desperate.
I looked for the wolf, but it was nowhere to be seen—I couldn't sense anything. I gripped my remaining dagger with all the strength my frail body could muster. I still had a chance.
I thought it was a shadow, but it wasn't entirely shadow. When it struck me at the last moment, I felt it—the same sensation as when the real wolves bit me. I can't say for sure, but it seems when it wants to interact with living or nonliving things, it can—for a fraction of time—reveal its true physical anatomy.
I took a deep, heavy breath. The pain was still there, reminding me of my cruel fate. I focused—poured all my attention into my surroundings. I couldn't be sure, but as its name suggested, the shadow wolf must be using the shadows. Last time, it must have struck me through my own.
Now that it had dealt such significant damage, I was certain it would strike again—maybe to end my miserable life in one clean hit, or maybe to make me suffer by taking another shoulder. I couldn't tell. So, I relaxed my body—but my right hand, the one holding the dagger, stayed tightly gripped.
"Whoooooooooshhh—"
My entire body screamed danger, but I remained vigilant and immediately slid sideways, raising only my right arm—the one holding the dagger—to where my head had just been.
"Thwaaaack!!"
Something slammed into the dagger. Blood splattered everywhere as my hand, along with the dagger, flew off into the distance. I didn't have the strength to hold on—it was understandable.
"Arghhhhhh!"
Now I'd lost another hand—but the upside was that the shadow wolf had died. Fighting through the pain, I glanced at its motionless body. It had revealed its full form after being struck in the head. I guessed it couldn't control its speed at the last second—that's what brought its demise. It hit my motionless dagger, and with its speed, the impact was unavoidable. Still, I didn't think it would die from one strike. Maybe it had a weak body constitution? I couldn't tell.
"Muahahahahaha! I fucking killed the bastard!"
I had already collapsed to the ground. My left shoulder was completely gone, and my right arm had just been ripped off. I was bleeding out, my condition dire—but I felt amazing. The smile on my face widened in satisfaction. With how frail my body was, I wouldn't have been able to kill it even after two or three years of training—but here I was, achieving the impossible.
[The Constellation of Salvation is in great panic]
[The Constellation of Salvation sheds tears of agony]
[The Constellation of Salvation sends a Highest-Grade Potion to the Character]
I stared at the red alerts and desperate messages as I lay there. It was hopeless. There was no way I could recover from this.
"Why are you the one who's sad? I'm the one going through this fucking hassle."
[Warning!! An anomaly has been detected!]
[The Constellation of Salvation's attempt has been neutralized]
[A warning has been sent to the Constellation of Salvation]
Along with those desperate, glowing blood-red words, the same uncomfortable screeches began ringing in my head for the third time.
"Fuckkk! As if this goddamned pain wasn't enough—now I have to deal with this shit too!"
Right at that moment, a new pain shot through my left leg. I turned my gaze with what little strength I had left and chuckled.
"I'll be damned... there were more of you? Why didn't you attack together? Hmph... by your nature, I guess I was his prey, huh?"
I sighed deeply. Truth be told, I couldn't feel anything. A shadow wolf was chewing on my leg—and yet I felt nothing.
[The Constellation of Salvation is attempting to send a Highest-Grade Potion again]
[The Constellation of Salvation sheds tears of agony!!]
[The Constellation of Salvation is looking at you with mortification]
[Attempt failed. Additional warning sent to the Constellation of Salvation]
"How desperate... I don't understand what's happening—but why go through such lengths?"
I couldn't feel anything, but it seemed another wolf had bitten my other leg. I guess I was truly delicious.
[The Constellation of Salvation sends a Highest-Grade Potion]
[The Constellation of Salvation sends a Highest-Grade Potion]
[Request denied. A penalty has been placed on the Constellation of Salvation]
[The Constellation of Salvation...]
[The Constellation of Salvation is looking at you with resignation]
[The Constellation of Salvation sends a Highest-Grade Potion] ×92
[Request denied]
[Request Denied!!]
[REQUEST DENIED] ×93
[An anomaly has appeared! The Constellation of Salvation is banned from observing the tutorial!!]
I had long lost the ability to feel anything, but those screeches kept haunting me. The mental pressure I had to endure because of it was worse than any physical pain I'd ever felt. But finally, it stopped.
"Finally, some peace of mind."
Am I dying? The thought appeared countless times throughout this ordeal.
Death—it stands for the end of a lifetime. The end of countless memories, countless calculations, countless joys and sorrows. Everything vanishes when life extinguishes—be it frustration or relaxation.
People fear death. But why? The question struck me. What's there to fear? Death ends your miseries and your trepidation as well. So why do humans crave immortality?
A small smile tugged at my lips as I vomited blood.
"Death feels like a sweet deal to me... If I could die, I would've died hundreds of times already. It feels... extremely delicious."