Side Chapter: Wolfing Resolve

Author Note:

This happens before chapter 141

With a big chunk of bite, a large piece of red meat was torn from a carcass. The silvery wolf chewed the creature that lay beneath her claws, absorbing its essence and power. Her silver fur shimmered under the sunlight, mixed with blood splatters.

Today, just like any other, the forest was alive with the sounds of nature, but her keen senses detected a powerful mana fluctuation and a ferocious growl. In haste, she followed the source, weaving through the underbrush with practiced ease until she realized that it was heading toward her master’s dwelling.

Lumen knew her duty. Protecting her master’s home and defeating invaders was her mission. She would stake her life to protect her beloved master’s belongings. To do that, she was determined to grow stronger, venturing deep into the forest and seeking out the most powerful magical beasts she could find. She never shied away from facing tough opponents, especially those that threatened her master’s home.

With the enemy near, Lumen crouched low, her muscles tensed as she prepared for battle. Ahead was a ferocious monster she had never seen before — it had the shape of a gorilla with tentacles sprouting from its back. No magical beasts she’d hunted in the forest had any resemblance to the creature before her. All she knew was that this monster was dangerous. Truly dangerous.

But for her master’s peace, she would hunt it down!

Decisively, she unleashed dozens of light arrows at the monster. But as the arrows were about to pierce it, the creature flapped its tentacled limbs to intercept the attack. Subsequently, dark, blackish blood splattered around, coloring the surroundings. The attack had worked, causing gruesome injuries to its many tails.

However, only a few moments later, the injuries began to heal. The lost chunk of mass was slowly recovering at a speed faster than anything she had ever seen. Apparently, this foe wasn’t to be underestimated.

With a swift, calculated leap, Lumen launched herself at the monster with her claws and fangs. They clashed in fierce close-quarter combat. Lumen’s agility and cunning outmatched the monster’s brute strength and unpredictable attack patterns. She dodged its tentacles and retaliated with a flurry of swift, precise strikes, her claws cutting deep into its body. Still, the monster regenerated faster than she could inflict damage.

It was only after a prolonged struggle that Lumen finally found an opening. Swiftly, she became a blur of light, darting onto the monster’s back with blinding speed. The moon mark on her forehead shimmered as she unleashed her power. Particles of radiant energy coalesced around her head, morphing into a massive, spectral mouth lined with razor-sharp fangs.

The air surged as the monstrous jaws clamped down on the creature’s spine. The sheer force of the bite sent shockwaves through the battlefield, the ground beneath them trembling under the impact.

“GRAAAHHHH!!” the monster roared in pain — its tentacles flailing wildly in a desperate attempt to shake her off. But Lumen’s grip was unyielding, her fangs tearing through the beast’s sinew and bone with terrifying efficiency.

With a final, furious snarl, Lumen bit clean through the monster, the immense jaws of light splitting it in two. The monster’s dark, blackish blood sprayed across the ground, pooling around its bisected form. For a moment, the battlefield was eerily silent…

The severed halves of the monster collapsed to the ground with a sickening thud. Its grotesque, tentacled limbs twitched briefly before falling still, lifeless. The light particles surrounding Lumen gradually faded, revealing her true form once more, her chest heaving with exertion.

But just as Lumen believed the battle was over, the severed halves of the monster began to twitch violently. Her keen eyes narrowed in suspicion, and she instinctively prepared for another attack. Suddenly, a grotesque eyeball-like creature burst forth from one of the wounds. The sight caused Lumen to instinctively lunge forward to tear it apart.

Nevertheless, it was faster. It slithered and squirmed out of her reach with unnatural speed, darting through the underbrush with an eerie, serpentine motion. Lumen snarled as she went into pursuit. Unfortunately, the creature vanished into the dense forest before her very eyes, leaving no trace behind.

Frustration burned within her as she felt that she had failed her beloved master. She let out a howl, her fur bristling with anger. She hated to let such a dangerous entity escape, especially one that could pose a threat to her master. Her instinct urged her to continue the chase, to hunt it down and finish the job. But as she paused, a different feeling overcame her…

Her master was about to have a dangerous battle very soon, and she had to be there to support him. Chasing after this unknown entity was not an option until that was taken care of.

With a reluctant huff, Lumen turned away from the direction the creature had fled and began to make her way back to her master’s home.