"Ow—!"
The gray wolf pushing through the bushes had also spotted James and the other two cubs inside the cave.
Its dark green eyes glowed eerily in the night, like ghostly flames.
To it, these saber-toothed tiger cubs—soft flesh, tender meat—were nothing more than delicacies laid out on a cutting board.
If an adult saber-toothed tiger were present, the wolf would have turned and fled without a second thought, not even daring to glance back.
But three weak cubs?
In its eyes, this was a feast.
"Rrr—!!"
Brock and Vivi had also noticed the sudden intruder.
The wolf's ferocious gaze—one that looked at them purely as prey—made their fur stand on end.
Too terrifying.
What kind of monster was this?!
Having had almost no contact with other predators, the first reaction of the two cubs was instinctive fear. The next moment, they cried out desperately, calling for their parents.
But Willam and Wilma were already far from the cave.
Their cries would not reach them.
"…No choice. I'll have to fight."
James made his decision quickly.
Running was pointless.
Even if they somehow escaped this wolf, the outside world was filled with predators. There was no guarantee they wouldn't fall into the jaws of something even worse.
But if they stayed and fought—
There were three of them.
That meant there was still a chance.
"ROAR—!"
James lowered his front body slightly, a warning growl rumbling from his throat.
The muscles in his hind legs tightened, coiled like springs, ready to charge at any moment.
The gray wolf, however, showed nothing but disdain for the threat.
"Rrr—!"
Having confirmed that the adult saber-toothed tigers were not nearby, the wolf straightened, adopting the arrogant posture of an apex predator.
Its lips curled back, rows of fangs interlocking, a thick stench of blood spilling from its mouth.
It had eaten enough carrion.
This time, it wanted fresh meat.
Step by step, the gray wolf advanced.
Each footfall felt like it was stomping directly on James's heartbeat.
Yet instead of retreating, he calmly lowered his head and picked up a sharp stone from the ground with his mouth.
Carrying over instincts from his human past, James knew one thing clearly—
At his current stage, his fangs and claws were still too weak.
A weapon, even a crude one, could make the difference between life and death.
So earlier, he had taken advantage of some spare time to prepare a simple weapon inside the cave.
Using a piece of easily found gravel, he had roughly polished it, sharpening one end into a crude blade.
A primitive stone dagger.
Holding it in his mouth, James felt a surge of confidence.
—Even a brain could use tools. Once tools were involved, nothing was absolute.
The gray wolf, however, paid no attention to this detail. Even if it noticed, it wouldn't understand what James was trying to do.
At this moment, its breathing grew rapid, hunger and bloodlust filling its eyes.
The next instant—
Whoosh!
The gray wolf suddenly lunged, its entire body springing forward as it snapped viciously toward James.
This was where his daily training paid off.
With a powerful push from his hind legs, he dodged sharply to the left.
The wolf, unable to stop in time, missed completely.
"ROAR!"
Seizing the opening, James counterattacked.
He drove the stone dagger clenched in his jaws straight toward the wolf's waist.
There was an old saying: wolves had heads of copper, tails of iron, and waists of tofu.
He didn't know how accurate that was—but instinct told him the waist was a weak point.
Rip!
The stone blade sliced through fur with alarming ease, tearing open a bloody gash along the wolf's side.
If it had been just his small claws, this would have been impossible.
"Awoooo—!"
A piercing howl of pain rang out.
Enraged, the gray wolf spun around instantly and snapped back at him.
James still refused to meet it head-on.
Relying on his smaller, more agile body, he kept dodging and circling.
Fortunately, he had always prioritized boosting agility. That didn't just increase his speed—it sharpened his reflexes, coordination, and balance.
He knew exactly how terrifying a wolf's bite was.
If it caught one of his limbs, the result would almost certainly be a shattered bone.
Hit-and-run tactics were his only option.
"Awooo—!!"
Before long, the gray wolf was completely enraged.
Its stamina was already running low. If this continued, it would be worn down little by little.
Suddenly, its gaze shifted.
Toward Brock and Vivi inside the cave.
The two cubs were huddled together in the corner, trembling. Unlike James, they had neither the courage nor the means to fight back.
If this one was too troublesome—
Then go for the weaker prey.
Pick the soft target and tear it apart first.
The next moment, the gray wolf twisted its body, took a few strides, and charged straight toward Brock and Vivi.
James wanted to stop it—but he was a step too late.
"Rrr—! Rrr—!"
Brock and Vivi saw the wolf rushing at them, and pure survival instinct exploded inside their small bodies. They kicked off the ground and fled deeper into the cave.
The tunnel inside the cave was nearly five meters long, and at the very end was the birthing chamber where Wilma had given birth to them.
Once they retreated there—
There was nowhere left to run.
"Awooo—!"
The gray wolf howled again, its speed suddenly surging. In a blink, it pounced toward Vivi, who had collapsed to the ground in terror.
"This is bad!"
James chased after it at full speed, but the wolf was even faster. He couldn't catch up.
Too fast.
Just as the gray wolf lunged—
Brock suddenly rushed forward from the side and slammed his entire body into it.
At that instant, his strength as an older brother burst forth.
But the result was like shaking a tree with a mantis.
The charging gray wolf knocked Brock flat to the ground, then snapped its sharp fangs downward.
In a desperate move, Brock rolled instinctively.
The wolf, originally aiming for his hind leg, missed—and instead clamped down hard on his backside.
"Rrr—!!"
A piercing scream of pain echoed through the cave.
At that moment, James finally arrived.
The instant he saw Brock being bitten, his vision reddened.
No time to check on him.
With a powerful kick from his hind legs, his body launched forward explosively.
Like a blade falling from the heavens, James slammed onto the gray wolf's back. The stone dagger clenched in his jaws was aimed straight at its neck.
He drove it down with all his strength.
The wolf's attention had been completely focused on Brock. By the time it sensed the danger from above, it was already too late.
The stone dagger plunged into its neck, forcing it to release its grip.
"Awooo—!!"
Even so, the injury wasn't fatal.
The gray wolf shook violently, and James—unable to maintain his balance—was thrown off and rolled across the ground.
Enraged, the wolf let out a long, furious howl, as if vowing to tear James apart piece by piece.
But at that very moment—
From outside the cave, a thunderous roar suddenly shook the air.
"ROAR—!!"
James's heart leapt with joy the instant he heard it.
It was Wilma's voice.
The moment that roar echoed through the cave, the gray wolf visibly faltered—like a plant struck by frost.
James clearly saw it.
Pure, unmistakable fear flashed across the wolf's face.