Osric felt the forest change.
It wasn't sound at first — it was pressure. The air grew heavy, thick enough to weigh on his chest. His instincts screamed even before his mind caught up, a cold dread crawling up his spine.
He forced himself to breathe.
Slow. Shallow.
His body was still broken. Every movement sent sharp protests through his muscles. Whatever the system had done kept him conscious — barely functional — but it hadn't made him whole.
Then the voice returned.
[Emergency Trial details loading…]
Text unfolded before his eyes.
[Trial: Survival Verification]
Objective: Eliminate the Dire Wolf.
Condition: Kill confirmed.
Failure: Termination.
Osric's breath caught.
"A… wolf?" he rasped.
He had no weapon. No armor. His clothes were soaked with blood, his limbs trembling from exhaustion. Even standing felt like an impossible task.
This wasn't a trial.
It was an execution.
A low growl rolled through the trees.
Osric's head snapped up.
Between the trunks ahead, something massive shifted. Pale eyes gleamed in the shadows, fixed on him with predatory focus. A hulking shape stepped into the faint moonlight — far larger than any normal wolf he had ever seen.
Its fur was matted and dark, its body lean with corded muscle. Saliva dripped from bared fangs as it sniffed the air.
The Dire Wolf had found him.
Osric's heart slammed violently against his ribs.
Run.
The thought came instantly — and died just as fast.
His legs barely held him upright.
Another growl echoed, closer now.
Osric clenched his fists, nails biting into his palms.
"…So that's how it is," he muttered hoarsely.
The system didn't respond.
The wolf lowered its body, muscles coiling.
And Osric understood.
This wasn't about strength.
It was about survival.
His gaze flicked to the side.
A thick stick lay half-buried in the dirt — rough, splintered, heavy. The closest thing to a weapon he would get.
Osric staggered toward it.
The Dire Wolf charged.
He barely managed to grip the stick before the impact came.
Claws tore across his chest, ripping fabric and flesh. Pain detonated through him as he was thrown backward, the air crushed from his lungs.
Osric slammed into the ground hard enough to knock the breath from his body.
Then the fangs sank into his shoulder.
"Arghhh!!"
His scream tore out of him as teeth punched through muscle. The wolf shook its head violently, ripping the wound wider. Blood spilled freely, soaking into the dirt beneath him.
'At this rate… I won't even last another attack.'
His vision swam. The edges of the world darkened.
The wolf released him and stepped back, watching — waiting.
Saliva dripped from its jaws.
Osric forced himself to stand, legs shaking uncontrollably.
'I'll have to gamble.'
He loosened his grip on the stick.
Let his arms sag.
Let his body slump.
He made himself look weak.
Helpless.
The Dire Wolf didn't hesitate.
It lunged.
The instant it left the ground, Osric moved.
He stepped forward, dropped to one knee, and drove the stick upward with everything he had left.
His arms screamed in protest.
The impact was brutal.
The Dire Wolf crashed down onto him with its full weight as the stick punched into its chest, burying deep but not cleanly through. The force slammed Osric flat against the ground, the breath crushed from his lungs as the wolf's body pinned him down.
The monster thrashed.
Claws raked wildly, tearing into his side. Its jaws snapped inches from his face as it choked, blood spilling hot and thick over his hands.
Osric screamed, pushing upward, but the weight was unbearable.
'I can't breathe—'
The wolf convulsed again, body spasming violently as it tried to tear free. The stick cracked, splintering under the strain, but held just long enough.
The thrashing slowed.
One last shudder ran through the Dire Wolf's massive body.
Then it went still.
Osric lay there, crushed beneath it, gasping desperately until he managed to shove the corpse aside.
He rolled onto his back and retched, bile burning his throat.
His hands shook uncontrollably.
The forest spun.
'I… killed it.'
There was no triumph. No relief.
Only nausea. Shock. The sickening weight of what he'd just done.
The system's voice returned.
[Emergency Trial completed.]
Only then did the pain change.
It didn't vanish — but it dulled, pulling back just enough for him to stay conscious.
[Rewards Issued.]
Stat Points:
Strength +1
Endurance +1
Vitality +1
Skill Acquired:
[Pain Resistance] (F)
Osric lay there, staring up at the canopy, chest heaving.
Alive.
Barely.