His eyes slowly opened, trying to rise even as fatigue and dizziness filled his entire body. The wolf shook his head slowly, standing up unsteadily.
His sharp pupils dilated upon realizing the dusk had painted the sky with a golden hue. He jumped out of the cave, running frantically along the path.
Damn, I fell asleep!
A soreness was still felt in his calf, even though he knew the slash wound he had received had closed and dried.
Thank goodness. But there was a problem I had to solve.
His eyes moved rapidly, watching his surroundings, searching for any prey he could find. But no easy target passed by.
Skrtch. Skrtch.
His ears twitched. The bushes beside him rustled. A small mouse showed its face. Without a second thought, he pounced on it in a single leap.
No disgust remained. There was only the instinct to survive.
His ears stiffened upon hearing a faint, distant sound. His instinct said something was wrong. His knees bent low, preparing for anything that might come.
In this forest, a small rustle could be a sign of approaching danger.
Not wanting to take risks, the wolf was determined to leave before the sun fully set, the time when nocturnal creatures began to wake and hunt brutally.
The shadows of the trees grew longer, time was running thin. The little wolf had to fill his stomach soon or he would spend the night with an empty stomach.
As he passed through the thickets, his steps halted. His nose sniffed something pungent, yet it felt familiar.
This smell... the smell of a carcass. Could it be that large green creature from before? His lips curled sharply. Maybe I can get some free meat that's still edible.
The wolf crept stealthily among the bushes. His black fur camouflaged him in the darkness of the night. It was all done to avoid any lurking danger.
Slowly but surely, the scent in the air grew more pungent. He was getting closer to its source.
There it is!
Not far from him, a white bear with red eyes and a long, sharp horn on its forehead. Its jaws ripped apart the carcass voraciously.
Although the carcass was no longer recognizable, the wolf was sure that before him lay the remains of the green creature he had encountered the previous night. The burn marks on its outer skin were clearly visible.
He hadn't dared to reveal himself from behind the bushes. Even so, his eyes never once left the typical scene of the wild.
"Groar...."
The bear suddenly glanced back. Its sharp gaze made the little wolf gasp in panic. Cold sweat trickled down his temples. He held his breath, sinking deeper into the shrubs.
The bear fell silent for a moment. The muscles around its eyes seemed to soften, then it turned away and chose to ignore him.
Pity? No. That's impossible. It made more sense to say the meat in front of it was more appealing than dealing with a small nuisance behind it.
The wolf let out a sigh. But he still mustered the courage to stay there, hoping to get a small portion of the wild carcass. Besides, he didn't sense any bloodlust or hostility from the bear.
For that reason, he did his best to conceal his presence.
Wild beasts tended to be very sensitive. If they felt disturbed, they would surely become more aggressive.
Never disturb those stronger than you. That was the unwritten rule he had learned so far.
A moment later, the bear finally stood up and left the remains of its prey just like that.
After it was no longer in sight, the wolf mustered the courage to approach the carcass remains. He began eating the leftover meat clinging to the monster's bones. Perhaps not much, but it should be enough to fill him up.
"Kheeekh."
He looked up. On a tree, a giant bat was watching him.
The bat descended silently, landing a few meters from him. Its long wings were spread, as if trying to intimidate the wolf by making its body appear larger.
Tch. He thinks I'm so stupid!
The wolf felt underestimated, growling softly and adopting a wary stance. His claws dug into the ground, ready to attack.
"Grrr..."
"Kheeekh!"
Dry leaves and twigs flew as the bat flapped its wings, flying low while cackling loudly above him.
Judging from its behavior, the bat was clearly trying to drive him away so it could enjoy the carcass alone.
"Grrr! Rawr!"
The wolf barked loudly, unwilling to let the free meal he had obtained be taken so easily, especially considering his stomach was still growling. His eyes narrowed sharply, full of confidence.
Just try to steal this carcass from me if you can. Our sizes aren't that different, I'm sure I can prey on you if you dare to do it.
"Kheeekh!"
"Rawr!"
The two of them shouted at each other, though neither took the initiative to attack. They were only intimidating each other and probing the other's main weapons.
The wind blew softly, bringing silence to the two who had been staring at each other. Unexpectedly, the bat then flew away just like that without showing any signs of resistance.
The little wolf tilted his head, not understanding the bat's strange behavior. Could it be that it just didn't want to waste energy? Well, in the wild, most animals would prefer to avoid a fight because it would only be detrimental to themselves.
Sighing, he glanced at the carcass and then continued eating. Licking and biting the scraps of meat still clinging to the bones of the carcass.
Whoosh!
Suddenly the wind blew hard, a large shadow swooped sharply towards him. The wolf immediately jumped backward.
Crash!
The bones shattered into pieces from the impact, but the wolf had managed to dodge just in time. The bat glared at the wolf who was growling softly.
"Rawr!"
The wolf leaped, but his sharp claws and fangs failed to reach it as it immediately flew upward.
The wolf below howled loudly. He tried several times, but no matter how high he jumped, he still couldn't reach it.
After circling him a few times, the bat swooped down again and directed its fangs and claws at the little wolf.
Slash!
One charge and one gash was created through the layer of his thick fur. But the bat wasn't finished, it immediately turned and swooped again with high maneuvers that the wolf couldn't stop.
Dust flew, blood fell bit by bit from the small gashes that kept appearing due to its successive attacks. The wolf tried to reach it, but his movements were too slow. He only clawed at empty air.
Dammit! What kind of bat flies faster than a falcon!
Realizing he had no chance, the wolf ran away, moving through the narrow gaps formed naturally by the protruding forest roots.
Behind him, the bat maneuvered, chasing him between the crowded tree branches. But, it was clear that the bat couldn't move as agilely in such a tight and winding place. Their distance quickly widened.
The wolf glanced back, a thin smirk spreading on his snout.
He increased his speed and tried to disappear behind the bushes. Hiding while watching the bat.
The bat hovered silently in the air, having lost the trail. But then, the bat let out a loud screech, then quickly dove towards the bushes where he was hiding.
Crash!
The bushes were destroyed, fortunately the wolf had immediately jumped high because he had realized his position was discovered.
I forgot they 'saw' with their ears.
As the bat prepared to fly again, the wolf immediately ran like the wind. Then, lunged with his claws outstretched.
Clap!
His claws managed to reach it, his fangs quickly pierced the bat's shoulder before it could flap its wings. Then he used his strength to slam it to the ground.
"Kheeek! Kheeekh!"
The bat screamed, unable to move because the wolf concentrated his weight on the leg pinning the bat's body.
However, the bat suddenly disappeared, as if swallowed by the forest shadows.
Huh?!... Where did it go?!
The wolf tried to use his senses, but found nothing. The bat had vanished, as if it had never existed.
The wolf looked around, once again trying to find its whereabouts.
Behind!
In his confusion, his instinct screamed. He turned and found the bat suddenly appearing behind him through its own shadow. His body reflexively swung its claw, tearing the bat in two.
I already know! All the creatures here are weird!
But, the bat he had split turned into black mist and vanished like vapor. The wolf was slightly stunned but quickly regained his composure.
Whoosh!
The wind blew hard. Several shadowy figures flew from behind. The wolf's eyes widened when he saw many bats—or more precisely, shadow bats—surrounding him.
"Grrrr!"
"Kheeekh!"
The shadows attacked him one by one. Although not as fast as the original body, their large numbers resulted in not a few gashes on his body.
Occasionally, the wolf could counterattack with his claws and fangs, turning their bodies back into black mist. But the wounds on his body didn't lie.
If this continues, I'll be the one who falls first. I have to find its real body as soon as possible!
His ears twitched, trying to catch even the smallest sound. His nose sniffed, trying to find out through the spreading scent. Unfortunately, there was no clue to where its real body was.
Useless, this is futile.
While struggling to avoid each shadow bat's attack, somehow, he found a moment of calm.
I have to use my instinct.
He took a deep breath—not an easy thing to concentrate amidst the successive bat attacks—but he kept trying.
After a while, he slowly felt something. In the darkness of the night, several meters to the west, a shadow was watching him from within the darkness. Slowly, the figure emerged from the shadows and crept under the bushes.
He could feel the bloodlust from the figure watching him. The wolf kept waiting and waiting until finally the bat's killing intent reached its peak.
Got you!
Without hesitation, the wolf swung his claw, then broke through the shadow bats. He ran very fast, breaking through the thickets blocking his way. Then, when the distance felt close enough, the wolf jumped high.
His jaws opened wide, directly attacking the bat's neck. Before the bat could react, it had already been pounced on by him.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bones screeched in his ears. Slowly, the bat began to close its eyes until finally it would never wake up again.
"Awooooo!"
The wolf howled loudly, flaunting his victory in the silent night. Even though his body was full of wounds, even though his celebration might invite danger, he didn't care, his satisfaction had stolen all his logic and calm.
Finally...
Next, he tore apart the bat's corpse and ate it. The satisfaction of hard work made the fresh meat, earned through his own effort, taste even better.
Hm?
The warm meat danced on his tongue, arousing a hunger that was not yet satisfied. He knew some power would flow, but this time it felt... different.
The warmth didn't spread slowly, instead, it felt like a hard jolt, akin to a flash flood. His stomach, which had been empty, felt so full it made him want to vomit.
Ugh... what is this...?!
Something ignited within him. Not just energy, but like a wild and unfamiliar spark. The world spun quickly. It felt like being severely drunk. He tried to get rid of the dizziness by shaking his head, but it was useless.
His head felt like it was being forcibly stuffed with knowledge. Memories of the bat seemed to seep into his brain nerves.
I... want to go home...
He walked unsteadily, accompanied by the dim moonlight. The smell of fresh blood still lingered behind him, inviting other hungry scavengers.
Then... upon reaching the cave, he immediately lay his body on the ground. His eyes slowly closed. Fatigue and dizziness mixed into one.
A moment before his eyes shut, he saw something invisible, a woman's shadow. Her face was vague, but his heart knew who she was.
A dream? Or an imagination? He couldn't tell.
But her warm smile brought a faint, vague calm amidst the storm of pain hitting him.
"Sleep... you've done your best."
That was what faintly reached his ears. A voice he always remembered, a voice that soothed his restlessness. Bringing a tranquility that finally made him close his eyes.
Thank you.