I had planned a seven-day hunt for an E-rank Wolf in an abandoned village, about 60 km north of the city.
With the 10,000 Red Orbs I'd snatched from Estel, I purchased an E-rank hunter's knife for 1,000 Red Orbs, 50 Recovery Potions for 3,000 Red Orbs, 50 Health Potions for 3,000 Red Orbs, and hunter-specific Compression Socks and Sleeves for 2,000 Red Orbs to train my endurance.
Since successfully defeating the Ironhide Bull, I've realized my weakness lies in endurance.
If I hadn't executed my snatch skill to defeat the Ironhide Bull, I would likely have died of exhaustion.
Therefore, I've added variety to my training routine by running long distances to increase my stamina.
With the help of Recovery Potions, my strength has increased without the risk of injury.
I even ran towards my destination, Ashwick Village, maintaining my tempo and steady breathing to boost my endurance.
Upon arrival, the previously clear sky had now turned into a dark night sky.
I looked around, only a few ruins of nearly collapsed houses.
There was no trace of people, animals, or any living creature.
I walked slowly and cautiously along the quiet village road.
Although they sounded the same, I could hear footsteps among the rubble of houses to my left and right.
I glanced around and saw other eyes staring at me, then ran, hiding among the rubble.
I could sense them lurking, waiting for my moment of inattention.
My hand gripped the hilt of my knife tightly, my gaze still fixed on the monsterwolf still running around.
From my research, this E-Rank Wolf is called an Ironfang.
They typically move in packs and ambush their prey.
"VROAAARRR-!!"
Two Iron Wolves emerged from the ruins of the houses to my left and right.
They targeted my legs and arms first.
But I could already see through them!
>Time-Stop Activated
>5 Seconds Remaining
Both Iron Wolves stopped just as they were charging.
Each Iron Wolf had 100 Red Orbs in their heads, which I immediately Snatched.
>Iron Wolf's Red Orb Snatched: 100 Red Orbs!
>Iron Wolf's Red Orb Snatched: 100 Red Orbs!
Two hundred Red Orbs instantly gathered!
As time passed, both Iron Wolves fell to the ground, instantly dead.
I knelt for a moment, catching my breath during the one-minute cooldown.
Less than a minute later, the sound of Iron Wolf footsteps approached.
Judging from the direction of the sound, my instincts told me they were targeting my back, left, and right sides.
According to my research, these bastard wolves rarely attack directly from the front.
>Time-Stop Cooldown Remaining 15 Seconds
I ran forward because I still had 15 seconds left on my cooldown.
The three Iron Wolves that emerged from behind the ruins of the house immediately ran, attempting to ambush me from behind, left, and right.
I accelerated my run to allow for stalling time, but the Iron Wolves were much faster than I expected.
>Time-Stop Cooldown Remaining 10 Seconds
The two Iron Wolves on my left and right had already attacked.
I immediately ducked, managing to avoid the attack, causing the two Iron Wolves to collide with each other.
>Time-Stop Cooldown Remaining 5 Seconds
The Iron Wolf behind me managed to ambush me and land on top of me.
Before its sharp fangs could rip through my neck, my hand quickly reached for the hunter's knife at my waist.
"STAB-!"
The hunter's knife managed to pierce the Iron Wolf's mouth, preventing its sharp fangs from landing on my neck.
"RRRAAAGHH-!!"
Unfortunately, this Iron Wolf's strength was truly beyond belief.
Its sharp claws managed to cut both of my shoulders, causing me to bleed profusely.
Gradually, the Iron Wolf's sharp fangs drew closer to ripping through my neck.
>Time-Stop Activated
>5 Seconds Remaining
Time stopped.
Even though my breathing was still labored and my heart was pounding, I forced myself to snatch the damn Iron Wolf that was pinning me down.
>Iron Wolf's Red Orb Snatched: 100 Red Orbs!
I woke up covered in blood.
With three seconds remaining in my Time-Stop Skill, I immediately sped towards the two fallen Iron Wolves and performed a quick snatch to secure their respective Red Orbs.
>Iron Wolf's Red Orb Snatched: 100 Red Orbs!
>Iron Wolf's Red Orb Snatched: 100 Red Orbs!
Time returned to normal.
My body was still trembling violently as I endured the pain from the wounds on both my shoulders.
Even though the Iron Wolf was only an E-Rank monster, its attack power was quite piercing and painful.
It was understandable, since I didn't have any hunter gear to protect me.
My hunter gear only served to increase my movement speed and stamina.
Just me.
I took a healing potion and immediately downed it.
Simultaneously, the wound on my shoulder closed and I could breathe normally.
Oh, damn.
It was only the first day, but I was already so close to death.
From a distance, I could see the Iron Wolves' eyes watching me from within.
There were about ten of them.
The Time-Stop cooldown was still about 45 seconds, and I wasn't sure I could stall in my current condition.
My current endurance allowed me to Time-Stop up to three times, but I still had to be careful because I was alone on this battlefield.
I needed to survive, not win today.
I decided to find a hiding place, then my attention was drawn to the village chief's house, which happened to be about 100 meters in front of me.
The village chief's house still had a fence around it, but I wasn't sure if anyone was still inside.
Without hesitation, I ran, climbing the fence, and finally entered the village gate.
Seconds after I walked through the village gate, I saw ten Iron Wolves about to charge, but they were all blocked by the iron gate.
I immediately entered and locked the door.
The loud, piercing howls of the wolves made my body tremble, still hoping they wouldn't get through.
After I looked through the peephole, I breathed a sigh of relief.
The remaining Iron Wolves hadn't made it.
I walked into the living room, which was full of furniture and sofas, and sat down on the sofa to catch my breath.
Damn it.
I miscalculated.
I had just come from a long journey, arriving at night with only half my stamina left.
Being attacked by Iron Wolves like that certainly left me exhausted and panicked.
It seemed I needed a break.
***
The second day, after a good rest, I resumed monitoring the movements of the remaining Iron Wolves in Ashwick Village.
Luckily, the village chief's house I was currently occupying had three floors, and from there, I could observe the Iron Wolves' movements.
As far as I could see, the Iron Wolves often ran around the village, sometimes hunting deer or other animals that approached.
Their movements were swift and organized.
I'd seen them hunt deer, often attacking the legs and arms to immobilize their prey first.
But I'd learned from experience, and this morning, I would prove that I was far stronger than those damn wolves.
I went down to the first floor, grabbed the remaining frozen meat, then ran out into the yard.
Behind the high fence that enclosed the village chief's house, I could already see the Iron Wolves' gazes fixed on me.
Their quick steps and heavy breathing gradually became clearer as I walked toward the iron gate.
Without hesitation, I unlocked the iron gate, took about five steps back, and threw the frozen meat.
In a matter of seconds, the Iron Wolves rushed towards the open iron door.
I roughly counted five Iron Wolves, aiming for the frozen meat and me.
But I wasn't as stupid as they were.
>Time-Stop Activated
>5 Seconds Remaining.
Time stopped.
The five Iron Wolves stopped, some already inside the fence, some still in the middle of the door, and still others behind.
They were close together because there was only one way in, the fence door I had opened earlier.
Even though there were quite a lot of Iron Wolves, if they were close together like this, I could snatch their Red Orbs all at once!
>Iron Wolf's Red Orb Snatched: 100 Red Orbs!
>Iron Wolf's Red Orb Snatched: 100 Red Orbs!
>Iron Wolf's Red Orb Snatched: 100 Red Orbs!
>Iron Wolf's Red Orb Snatched: 100 Red Orbs!
>Iron Wolf's Red Orb Snatched: 100 Red Orbs!
Time returned to normal, and the five Iron Wolves immediately collapsed, lifeless.
I pushed aside the Iron Wolf blocking the iron gate, hoping to close the door again before another Iron Wolf attacked.
Unfortunately, one Iron Wolf burst through.
Damn it!
I was forced to jump back before the Iron Wolf's claws ripped my face apart.
>Time-Stop Cooldown Remaining 55 Seconds
Ah, damn it.
What I feared had happened.
The Time-Stop Cooldown was still long, but there were still Iron Wolves left.
I took a ready stance, and the Iron Wolf roared loudly, preparing to attack me again.
"SKKRAA-!!"
The Iron Wolf came, about to rip off my right arm.
I reflexively stepped back, tilting my body before the claw could slit my hand.
I managed to dodge it!
I took a moment to steady myself while suppressing the trembling of excitement within me.
"GRRR-!"
The iron wolf walked slowly, its sharp gaze still fixed on my body.
I didn't attacked immediately.
In fact, I waited for him to attack because I wanted to avoid his next attack.
"THUD—!"
The Iron Wolf darted quickly, about to bite my thigh, but I jumped first, and he missed again.
"Huh…! So that's how it works…!" I exclaimed, starting to feel confident as I read all his attacks.
"WHHRSSH—!!"
The Iron Wolf continued charging furiously, aiming for my leg.
I quickly took a few steps back, but the Iron Wolf didn't give up on landing its sharp fangs on my leg, then suddenly—
"THOK—!"
Damn it.
There was a tree behind me.
My retreat was halted, and the Iron Wolf's fangs were already very close!