The team moved like clockwork, every member sliding into their assigned position. Their hands trembled ever so slightly, and their breathing was uneven, but they remembered their training.
Facing one Savage-rank beast was already deadly. Facing four at once? That was a nightmare made real.
The first Ironfang Wolf made the opening move. It burst from the mist like a black blur, all muscle and fur, its crimson eyes locked on the team.
The ground shook under its heavy stride.
"Hold!" Edwin said.
Ronan—the tank—braced himself. With a deep grunt, he slammed his massive shield into the earth, the metal edge sinking slightly into the soft forest floor. A heartbeat later, the wolf collided with it.
BANG!
The impact was like a tree falling. Dirt and leaves exploded upward. The force drove Ronan backward, his boots digging two deep trenches in the mud.
His arms shook violently, veins bulging in his neck as he held on with everything he had.
