The forest was quiet.
Too quiet.
A blanket of stillness hung between the ancient trees, thick and suffocating, as if the very air held its breath in anticipation. The usual chorus of crickets, owls, and rustling leaves had been swallowed by the dark. Even the distant rumble of the waterfall that had been Ren's constant companion these past days felt muffled, like a fading heartbeat.
Ren crouched low on a moss-covered ledge, cloaked in shadow as he watched the valley spread out beneath the pale light of the twin moons. The night stars twinkled overhead, distant and cold, yet it was the silhouette across the valley that held his gaze.
There, standing like a titan carved from moonlight and steel, was a colossal wolf. Its fur shimmered with a strange, metallic blue-gray sheen, as if woven from the night sky itself. Its eyes glowed an eerie silver, casting ghostly light across the rocks beneath its paws. Around the giant stood a phalanx of over fifty black wolves, sleek and powerful, their fur blending with the shadows, eyes gleaming with predatory intelligence.
"They've been waiting," Ren whispered, voice barely audible even to himself. His heart hammered hard beneath his ribs. "That has to be the boss of this region."
With a steady breath, he activated Scan.
The golden text appeared before his eyes:
[Boss Monster: Varyth, Alpha of the Silver Howl]
Territory Ruler – Southern Vale
Level: 42
HP: 7,800
Strength: 52
Defense: 38
Agility: 47
Magic Resistance: Medium
Traits:
– Pack Commander: All subordinate wolves gain +15% to stats within 300m
– Lunar Howl: Can buff pack with a night-time Howl, once per night
– Adaptive Fur: Reduces physical damage, becomes water-resistant when wet
Drops: Alpha Beast Core, Silverhide Pelt, Moon Fang
"That thing's a fortress with claws," Ren muttered, swallowing hard as he studied the stats. Every black wolf prowling around them was at least level 40 — more than a match for him, and he was only 28. The boss alone had nearly triple the health of his strongest foes so far.
Ren felt a cold knot in his stomach.
He didn't stand a chance in a straight fight.
But life — and games like this — weren't about fair fights.
"Seraphina," he whispered into the night, voice tense but focused, "show me terrain options within a 1-kilometer radius."
"Confirmed," the soft melodic voice replied.
"Three elevation drops, two cliffs, one minor cave depression northwest, potential rockslide zone northeast."
"Show me the cave."
"Uploading map overlay."
Before his eyes, a translucent 3D map materialized, detailed and glowing softly. The cave depression he'd asked for stood out—a dark hollow nestled at the edge of the valley, barely visible from a distance.
"Perfect," Ren breathed.
For two long days, Ren prepared. He didn't sleep much, his every waking moment consumed by planning, crafting, and perfecting. He called his strategy The Funnel of Death.
A narrow valley wedged tightly between steep ridges, forcing anything passing through to follow a single route. The perfect choke point.
Traps Along the Way:
Pitfalls: Dug by hand, widened and reinforced with Earth Stone magic. Hidden beneath leaves and twigs, they waited to snap shut on any unwary footfall.
Boulder Drops: Set atop trees and cliffs, triggered by delicate tripwires woven from vines, designed to crush and maim.
Mud Zones: Created with repeated Water Ball spells, these slick, sucking patches slowed movement and forced the wolves into predictable paths.
Burn Zone: A carefully stacked pile of timber and dried foliage sat at the cave's mouth, ready to ignite and trap any survivors inside.
The final piece was the Death Trap itself: the cave.
Ren expanded the natural hollow using Earth magic into a twisted, earthen tunnel — narrow enough that only he could maneuver through it easily. The tunnel curled into a tight U-turn, a bottleneck where he could fight with advantage.
He carefully carved air holes for breathing and weak points designed to collapse on command.
And the final, cruel trick: a smoke entrapment system that would choke and blind anyone trapped inside when ignited.
"If I can't outfight them," Ren said quietly to himself in the still night, "then I'll outthink them."
He'd even calculated the burn time of the firewood, the wind's direction for the smoke, and the angle of the moonlight to ensure maximum visibility for himself — and maximum confusion for them.
Night Before the Storm.
Ren stalked the wolves with two new skills freshly acquired and practiced to near perfection: Night Vision and Silent Steps. The first sharpened his sight to see through the dark; the second muted every movement so he could slip between shadows unseen.
Twelve scouts fell silently that night — swift, precise kills that didn't raise alarm.
Each death fed data into his growing Encyclopedia. The system started identifying behavioral patterns — pack rotations, call signs, feeding grounds — the wolves' lives laid bare like an open book.
"Showtime," Ren whispered, heart hammering.
He crept to a ledge overlooking the pack and raised his hands.
Six fireballs sparked to life, orbiting him like flaming meteors. They spun faster and faster, humming with destructive energy.
"For Bear Grylls… and every trash isekai MC who taught me not to die stupid," he muttered under his breath.
With a sharp flick, he sent the fireballs screaming downward into the center of the wolves.
Chaos erupted.
Howls shattered the silence, loud and terrified.
"Target engaged. Boss Varyth has activated Lunar Howl," Seraphina warned.
From the cliff's edge, the silver wolf let out a bone-rattling roar — a sound that echoed for miles.
Buffs surged through the pack. The wolves grew larger, faster, deadlier.
Without hesitation, Varyth leapt down from the cliff. Over forty wolves surged after the fleeing Ren, who dashed for the traps with desperate speed.
The pitfalls did their grim work — a dozen wolves plunged into hidden pits, their agonized screams swallowed by the forest. Boulder drops crushed five more with lethal precision.
Mud zones swallowed seven, stumbling and flailing helplessly.
But Varyth kept coming, undeterred. The alpha bounded over fallen bodies and obstacles like a force of nature.
Ren dove into his U-turn cave tunnel.
"Earth Lock!" he shouted.
The cave's entrance collapsed behind him in a shower of dirt and rock, sealing off the wolves in a fiery trap.
From the cave's mouth, Ren ignited the timber pile with Fireball.
Flames roared to life, licking at the edges of the cave.
He cast Wind Cutter repeatedly, steering thick smoke inward.
Inside, the wolves barked in panic, howling and clawing at the choking darkness.
Varyth barked orders — sharp, guttural commands — but the narrow tunnel allowed no escape.
"Too late."
Thirty agonizing minutes passed.
Ren approached cautiously.
Suddenly:
BOOM.
An explosion of smoke and flame.
Out of the inferno emerged Varyth.
Half-burned, fur singed and blackened, eyes bloodshot and wild, foam dripping from its jaws.
It didn't bark or howl.
It charged.
Ren reacted late, caught off guard.
He braced himself —
WHAM.
The wolf's massive body slammed into him, sending him tumbling across the dirt like a ragdoll.
"Alright… time to go all in," Ren growled, adrenaline surging.
Buffs activated:
Lesser Strength – Lv 4
Lesser Agility – Lv 5
Adrenaline Rush – Lv 3
Magic Mind – Lv 3
Weapon Enchant: Lightning – Lv 4
Primal Instinct – Lv 2 (Eyes glowing deep red)
He dashed forward, twin daggers flashing.
Twin Slash aimed for Varyth's underbelly — the only vulnerable spot.
But the Adaptive Fur dulled his blades.
The wolf retaliated with a claw swipe, knocking Ren into a tree trunk with brutal force.
"Gotta use elements…"
Ren conjured Water Ball, drenching the beast.
As it charged again, Ren leapt onto its back.
"Let's see how well you conduct electricity."
Lightning Burst flared from his palms.
Arcs of blue-white lightning danced along the soaked fur, making the wolf howl in pain.
Ren jammed a sharpened Wolf Fang Dagger deep between vertebrae.
Varyth's fury exploded.
It twisted violently, smashing itself against the rocky ground — crushing Ren underneath.
A muffled crack echoed.
Ren's lungs screamed for air, breath knocked from his chest.
Firelight flickered through swirling smoke and ash.
"Move — dammit — MOVE —" he rasped.
With trembling fingers, he summoned a desperate Lightning Burst.
His palm crackled, burning wild with mana.
He slammed it into Varyth's underbelly.
[Lightning Burst – Lv 3]
The shock surged through the wolf's nerves.
Varyth convulsed, howled a twisted scream of rage and pain.
Then, in a final act of desperation, Varyth bit down on Ren's right arm as he tried to strike again.
[Critical Damage – Right Arm Severed]
Ren's scream tore through the night.
The wolf shook him like a chew toy, then hurled him across the scorched earth.
Ren rolled, blood spraying from his mouth.
Condition warnings flashed:
Bleeding. Fractured ribs. Mana critically low.
Pain was unbearable — but something inside refused to yield.
[New Skill Unlocked: High Pain Resistance – Lv 1]
"You refuse to submit to pain. Physical and mental resistance dramatically increased."
The searing agony dulled.
Numbness edged his senses like a protective shield.
Gasping, Ren forced himself up.
His right arm was gone — a raw stump smoldering in the night air.
Yet somehow, he was alive.
Varyth limped, wounded and furious.
The forest burned around them, flames licking the trees, smoke twisting like vengeful spirits beneath the moons.
Suddenly, golden particles shimmered around Ren:
[EXP Gained: +4,800 (Black Wolves – Cave)]
[Level Up x3 – Stat Points +15 | Skill Points +750]
[New Level: 29]
[Limb Regeneration: Activated via Magic Affinity + High Healing Skill Level]
[Right Arm Restored]
Flesh knitted itself back from the smoking stump.
Bone and muscle reformed.
His arm regenerated before his eyes.
"Hell… yes."
He looked up at the panting wolf, eyes fierce.
Time for the final strike.
"Tangle."
Thick green vines erupted from the scorched earth, coiling tightly around Varyth's limbs and neck.
The alpha snarled, struggling against the magical bonds.
Ren dashed forward, pain muted by adrenaline and his new skill.
He charged, fists blazing with fury.
Varyth bit down hard on his fist again.
Blood poured.
"Got you now."
Ren's palm glowed hot with fire.
He formed a Fireball — this time inside the wolf's mouth.
"Since your hide's too tough on the outside…"
"…I'll burn you from the inside."
The orb detonated with brutal force.
Varyth's howl turned into a mangled, pained scream.
The vines withered to ash.
The alpha collapsed.
Ren was thrown back by the blast, landing hard.
Smoke curled from the wolf's scorched mouth.
System Prompt:
[Boss Defeated: Varyth, Alpha of the Silver Howl]
EXP Gained: +8,000
Level Up x5 – Stat Points +25 | Skill Points +2,500]
Loot Acquired:
– Alpha Beast Core (Epic)
– Silverhide Pelt (Rare)
– 2x Moon Fang (Legendary Crafting Material)
New Passive Skill Unlocked: Alpha Slayer – Lv 1
New Title Earned: The Pack-Ender
Breathing heavily, Ren lay on the ground, gazing at the glowing trees swaying in the firelight.
"Never again," he muttered, voice hoarse but amused, "am I letting a wolf get that close to my mouth…"
A rough laugh escaped his lips.
"Seraphina…"
The gentle system voice replied.
"Yes, Ren?"
"Remind me to… never fight anything with the word 'Alpha' in its name again."
The forest was quiet once more. But Ren's heart was pounding, alive with pain and victory both.
He was scarred. He was changed.
And above all, he was ready.