Chapter 17: The Earth Wolves
In the blink of an eye, Aydin reached the outskirts of the commotion.
He did not stride forward like a fool to reveal himself. Instead, he searched for higher ground, a vantage point from which he could observe unseen. His eyes settled on the half-ruined remains of a building. Quietly, he climbed to its peak and crouched behind a half-shattered window.
What he saw beyond that frame was horrifying.
A host of colossal beasts prowled below—creatures carved from nightmares. Their massive, muscular frames seemed sculpted from black stone, each movement radiating raw power. Their broad backs and thick, stubby necks spoke of brute strength, while their taut bellies and long hind legs promised a terrifying speed.
Their coarse, pallid fur blended seamlessly with earth and rock, streaked with wiry black bristles along their spines like cruel barbed wire. Their heads were monstrous, with long muzzles brimming with dagger-like teeth that gleamed beneath slack, blackened lips. But it was their eyes that froze the breath in his lungs—amber orbs glowing with an unnatural light, sharp and merciless, filled with cunning and malice devoid of fear or pity.
Their forelimbs were immense, ending in claws black and solid as stone, each talon capable of tearing flesh—or rending rock—apart in a single strike. When they moved, they made no more sound than shadows gliding over the ground, muscles rippling beneath fur, coiled to strike at any instant.
A pungent haze of damp earth and rotting blood clung to them. Low growls hummed through the pack—primitive, guttural whispers that spoke of hunting, killing, feasting.
These Earth Wolves had already cornered a small cluster of humans. Many had been torn apart and devoured; the few who remained clung desperately to life.
"Not resistance," Aydin thought coldly. "Just luck."
A glowing blue screen shimmered before his eyes:
> [Earth Wolf]
A lesser creature from the Elemental World, member of the Earth Wolf tribe. Its thick fur reduces physical damage by 10%. It possesses remarkable speed and agility, with jaws capable of crushing iron as though it were bread.
[Strength]: Wall+
[Speed]: 200 m/s
[Agility]: 100
[Skills]: Earth Fangs (Lv. 5), Dust Storm (Lv. 3), Earth Claw (Lv. 5)
[Power Rating]: E+
"..."
Aydin had no words. Even though his strength surpassed them in raw measure, in every other aspect they far outstripped him. To slay even one would prove a brutal challenge. Perhaps, with an ambush, he might manage it—but as his gaze swept across the field, he counted their numbers. At least a dozen.
He sighed, his chest heavy with something between pity and resignation. These miserable souls, ringed by predators, had no future but to become a feast for the wild.
A tear slid from his eye—born of sorrow, perhaps even prayer.
But Aydin did not linger. Rising from his hiding place, he vanished into the darkness as quietly as he had come.
"They'll last a few minutes at best," he thought. The destiny points he might earn from their deaths were far too meager to justify risking his life. Their fate—whether death or survival—belonged to the natural order.
Fwoosh!
He reappeared before his own companions, who had been waiting patiently for his return.
Relief blossomed across their faces as he smiled gently.
"Well then, did everyone enjoy their rest?" he asked, voice soft.
"Shall we continue our journey?"
"Yes, Master," they answered in unison, as if in his absence they had silently sworn themselves to his every word.
And so, under Aydin's lead, the group departed—heading in a direction that would never cross paths with the Earth Wolves.
---
"Damn it! What kind of cursed hell is this?"
The complaint came from an old man, his voice trembling with fury.
"I black out for a moment, and when I wake, I'm surrounded by giant dogs? What madness is this!?"
"Shut your damned mouth, old fool! No one wants to hear you whine!" snarled a younger man, swinging a long stick to ward off the circling beasts.
"Bah… this cursed generation," the elder muttered bitterly, hurling rocks with trembling hands.
"But admit it—these dogs are… remarkable. Has anyone ever seen the like?"
"They're not dogs, you senile idiot! Look at them—they're wolves! Giant wolves!" another spat, though his body trembled, sweat soaking the grip of his weapon.
Swish!
The stick slipped from his slick palms.
"Ah…!" he cried out in terror. His only shield—the thin line between him and death—was gone.
Panic hollowed his face as he stumbled back, legs giving way beneath him. A primal fear seized his body, stripping him of reason. Instinct drove him to crawl backward, as though distance alone could grant him safety.
But to show one's back to a predator… was death.
The wolf behind him lunged. Its massive claws sank deep into his back with a sickening crunch of bone and flesh.
"AAAAH!"
His scream tore the night—a sound of agony, despair, and betrayal by fate itself.
The beast did not falter. Like any animal, it felt no pity. Its enormous jaws clamped around the boy's throat—
Crunch!
—and tore his head away in a single bite.
"Ah…"
"Damn it!"
"No!"
The survivors' cries filled the air—grief and horror entwined. Their number had fallen again. Their hope diminished.
The old man glanced down. The fallen boy's stick lay at his feet. With trembling hands, he seized it, whispering:
"Rest in peace."
Then, with renewed desperation, he swung the stick as though it were a sword.
"We need a plan!" he shouted. "We won't last much longer!"
A young woman answered, her voice trembling but fierce. She was in her twenties, her silky ash-blond hair matted with dust, her emerald eyes burning with resolve despite fear. Her pale skin bore shallow cuts, and in her hands she clutched a kitchen knife and an iron rod as if they were divine weapons.
"We know," she whispered, biting her lip until blood welled. "But we have no plan."
Her eyes closed, hands lifting as though in prayer—
Grrrrooooowl.
A massive wolf stepped forward, its back marked with golden streaks that proclaimed its dominance. The pack leader.
It growled again, and the others ceased their assault, turning toward it.
A chorus of guttural sounds rose, deep and resonant—communication in a tongue primal and brutal.
Then the alpha roared, its voice shaking the earth.
"AWOOOOOO!"
The pack followed, a thunderous howl erupting across the land.
And then—
Fwoosh!
As one, the Earth Wolves turned, surging away from the battered survivors…
Straight toward the path where Aydin's group now traveled.