I noticed the screen that was hovering immediately above the head of the wolf.
« 3-Star Normal Wolf »
Getting attacked by 3-Star Normal wolves might be some luck for us.
In as much as demons had their ranks, these ranks were also grouped in strength with stars.
A 1-Star Normal demon is not considered to achieve something that the strength of a 2-Star Normal demon can. In this same way, a 2-Star Normal demon is inferior to a 3-Star.
However, there is a limit to this ranking, and that is when the demon reaches 5-Star. Just like the Purifiers, at the limit point, the demons are expected to break through to the Prospectives, and the only way to do this is by killing a Prospective.
But if a 5-Star Normal demon doesn't succeed, unlike the Purifiers, who have a set lifespan, they respawn to start again from a 1-Star Normal demon.
Due to this, the number of demons existing in the world continued to increase.
In as much as Prospective demons are limited to only four kinds of creatures, they were also ranked in superiority like the Normal demons. And the same rules apply to every other ranked demon except the Titans, and of course, the Master.
After making my analysis, I ended up speculating that we could see 5-Star Normal wolves in this spatial tear. However, if there's the possibility of meeting a Prospective, they shouldn't be in ranks more than 2-Star Prospectives.
I'm guessing that should be the limits of demons we would be able to handle.
Taking my stance and reclaiming my composure, I stared at the wolf before me.
Killing a 3-Star wolf won't be as easy, but judging from the fact that I now feel more surge of power as an Adept than when I was still lower ranked, I should be able to.
The wolf snarled, opening its maw to reveal its four sharp fangs. It broadened its claws on the ground, as if to remind me that I had intruded in their domain, and focused its fierce, pressed eyes at me.
'I need to act now before it makes a move.'
With the snaky, blue strands of energy in my left palm, I directed them to the wolf, which had started running towards me. The flow of the Mana was thicker, and the distance it covered was farther.
The moment I felt the Mana had reached the right eye of the wolf, I muttered...
"I call upon the chill of the endless frost... Glacius Invictus!"
The wolf stilled, a lattice of frost crawling at the edges of the skin that protected its left eye, until they extended to completely cover the eyes.
It was a successful spell casting. The knowledge I had gained from reading magic spell books was flooding in.
But I knew the effect wouldn't last. Since the wolf was hot-blooded, the temperature of its eyes soon melted the ice.
"I need to act fast," I whispered, with my head down.
As if to clarify my current situation, the system notified me of the condition I was in.
Ding!
« 10% of Mana used »
« Time Limit: 5 minutes »
« Count Down: 00:04:59 »
I needed to kill this wolf before the time elapsed.
With no time to cause the same damage to the right eye of the wolf, which is now alerted and is avoiding such an attack, it roared and lunged forward.
Even though I didn't have precise and advanced skills like Muna, I trusted myself.
Darting to my left, I kept my movements sharp and unpredictable.
The right eye-blinded wolf snapped its claws into empty air, growling in rage. Taking advantage of the opening, I turned my body around and, with the sword in my right hand, I slashed downward.
My blade carved into its right foreleg.
The wolf yelped and staggered, its three limbs now bearing the burden of its weight.
Blood poured onto the floor, making it slippery. Its growls turned more wild, frantic and even more reckless now.
I had wounded not just its body, but its pride as well.
« Count Down: 00:03:59 »
Blinded by fury, the wolf lunged again, but its strikes now lacked precision. As it swiped its claws, it missed by inches, shredding bark and scattering soil.
Then, whoomph!
A massive log, tied to a very high branch in a chain, swung down with terrifying speed, aiming straight at me.
First, my memory recollected to recognize that this was what had attacked us on entering the Spatial tear.
But my instinct screamed louder than my thoughts.
Muna's voice came loudest as she warned me to be careful.
"Mobix! Watch out!"
By now, she was already done with the second wolf and was extracting the beast cores from the two wolves she had killed.
« Count Down: 00:01:59 »
With no time to check the time, I dropped low, sliding across the dirt just in time, the wood rushing past so close it ruffled my hair.
But, instead of retreating, I extended the slide further, moving right beneath the wolf's heaving chest.
"Try to keep up your attack, Mobix. I will go check up on Linda, then come help you out," Muna announced. She must have collected the beasts' cores already.
Looking up, I raised the pointed edge of my sword to meet the wolf, starting from some inches below its neck.
The blade tore through its fur, ripping down through its chest, leaving it wide open. The wolf let out a deafening howl, then choked in silence as its massive body collapsed, shuddering once, twice, before going still.
I pushed my way forward, rolling out from beneath the corpse, my arms trembling from the impact.
Sitting on my legs, I gasped, struggling to tolerate the heavy stench of blood that clung to me.
Then—
Ding!
«↓ Congrats | You have slain a 3-Star Normal Wolf! ↑»
« You have been rewarded with [+3] Attunement points »
«↓ Attunement Points: 17 → 20 ↑»
«↓ Congrats | You won before time elapsed! ↑»
« You have gained a new title | Accurator »
«↓ Title: The New Being, Shadow Master, Accurator ↑»
I stared at the fallen creature, joy lifting my chest as I tightened my grip on the hilt of my sword.
"I did it," I exclaimed.
One fight was over, but I knew we were yet to start. Killing the 3-Star Normal Wolf had given me +3 Attunement points, which meant the higher the rank, the higher the points I would get.
But what will the Attunement points be used for?
What answered my question was Muna's scream of my name.
"MOBIX!"
I staggered to rise and rushed to the spot where Muna carried Linda in her arms.
My mind flared into fear, my limbs, my whole body organs refusing to take in the reality before me.
Linda was swimming in the pool of her own blood.
"But how?" I couldn't find my voice as I muffled the words.
"She had turned into her human form in order to save you from the direct hit of that massive log," Muna explained.
"Oh!" I never realized, remembering that I stood on the outer left, when the log had landed against us.
Leaning further, I noticed that Linda was pierced deeply by a thorn-branch of the tree she had landed on. And that was the main cause of her blood.
Something like this never happened in my novel.
I must save Linda before her slow, ragged breaths finally shut down.