A menacing pack of black wolves with glowing red stripes slinked out from the shadows, encircling the werewolf. Kit couldn't keep track of all the golden eyes locked onto their target. He wanted to flee back to his cave, but his body was frozen in place, drained of all strength by the terrifying scene unfolding before him.

The silence was shattered by a single howl, followed by a chorus of echoing cries from the pack. Fear coursed through Kit's veins as he watched them close in on the werewolf. The night air filled with shrieks and growls as the ferocious battle began.

Bodies and blood soon littered the clearing in front of Kit's hiding spot. He could only watch in horror as the werewolf mercilessly slaughtered each wolf that dared to attack. But even in the face of their brothers' deaths, the pack did not retreat or surrender.

As the werewolf became more wounded, its movements began to slow. And then, with one final massive attack from the relentless wolves, it tumbled to the ground. Kit's heart raced as he witnessed the wolves pouncing on their vanquished enemy, determined to finish it off for good.

Kit closed his eyes, unable to witness the death of the werewolf. His chances of survival were low enough with just one creature, let alone a pack.

As he prepared to retreat back into the small cave behind him, a menacing growl sounded in front of him, startling him beyond belief. Kit's hands flew to cover his eyes, only to feel the hot breath and see the glowing golden eyes and sharp teeth of the wolf snarling at him.

Fear gripped Kit as he realised, he was trapped in this crevice with the dangerous predator. In a moment of desperation, Kit kicked out at the attacking wolf and screamed for help. But as soon as the scream left his lips, he knew it was too late.

More snarls and growls echoed through the area, signalling that other wolves were closing in on him. Hot tears threatened to fall from Kit's eyes, not because of his inevitable death, but because this would ruin his chance of finding the treasure he sought after.

Suddenly, the fierce wolf in front of him disappeared, revealing a black fur-covered back with blood dripping from open wounds blocking the entrance to his cave. Kit could see the heavy rise and fall of the injured werewolf's breathing.

The sounds of battle echoed through the small space as the figure in front of him continued to guard the entrance. When the fighting died down, the protector's body suddenly collapsed.

Kit's heart clenched when he saw the numerous wounds covering the werewolf's body. He quickly crawled out of the cave and was shocked by the destruction around him. All the wolves were dead. Kit tore his gaze away from the gruesome scene and hurried to the werewolf's side.

He knelt beside its head, noticing deep claw marks on its muzzle. The creature's eyes slowly opened and locked onto Kit's before gradually closing again. Panicking, Kit fumbled with his healing potions and forced them into the werewolf's open mouth.

Thankfully, Grandpa had given them each a stack of healing potions before their journey began; otherwise, his saviour might not make it. But even after using almost every potion he had, the wounds on the werewolf showed no signs of healing. Kit couldn't believe how much health this creature must have; each potion could refill 1000 health points!

Kit wasn't sure if he was risking his own safety by helping the werewolf, but he couldn't just leave it to die. After all, it had saved his life. With a hopeful heart, Kit carefully poured the last of his healing potions into the creature's mouth. As he watched the wounds on its body slowly heal, Kit settled down to keep watch over the beast.

But soon enough, he grew bored and started looking around for something to do. His gaze fell upon glimmering shards scattered across the ground, catching his attention with their mysterious beauty.

With growing excitement, Kit stood up and ventured closer to one of the fragments. His heart raced as he picked it up, realising it was a shard from a spiritual beast. This gory scene was actually a hidden treasure! Fuelled by greed, Kit forgot all about the werewolf and instead began collecting as many crystal shards and wolf meat as he could find.

As dawn approached and light started to filter in, Kit finally remembered his saviour and returned to its side. He noticed a small movement from the werewolf and focused all his attention on it. However, even though the creature was showing signs of life, it remained unconscious.

Kit's gaze shifted to the creature, noticing something strange happening underneath its skin. The sound of bones snapping filled his ears, and he watched in horror as the werewolf's body began to twist and contort. Its fur disappeared and was replaced with smooth skin, while its flesh shrunk, and bones rearranged. Soon, a person laid on the ground in place of the werewolf. Kit couldn't believe it - a real werewolf!

The man was much taller than Leonard and completely naked. Kit hurried back into his small cave and grabbed his bedding. With some effort, he rolled the man onto a blanket and covered him with another one.

The freezing temperature made Kit worry for the man's survival without any outerwear. He searched his pouch for spare clothes or shoes, but nothing would fit the stranger. As Kit fretted over what to do, the figure under the blanket began to stir.

As the man sat up, his light brown hair and sharp features came into view. The blanket that had been covering him fell to his lap, revealing a body of pure strength and muscle. Kit couldn't help but feel envious of this stranger's physique. Why did everyone seem fitter than him?

The man slowly looked up at Kit and then down at the blankets pooled in his lap. He then shifted his gaze to his own body, checking for any injuries. When he realised that all his wounds were healed, he turned to Kit with an incredulous expression. "Heal me?" His gravelly voice asked.

Kit beamed proudly and nodded. "Of course! You saved me from those wolves last night." He reached into his pouch and handed some food to the man, knowing that he must be ravenous after fighting off the wolves. "Here, eat up!"

The man hesitantly took a bite of the food, sniffing it first to make sure it was safe. His face lit up as he devoured the meal with surprising speed. Kit was taken aback by how quickly the food disappeared and offered three more portions from his pouch. "You look like you could use more," he joked as the man eagerly accepted them.

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"Thank you for saving me," Kit said, introducing himself. "My name is Kit."

"I am Zart," the man replied.

Zart reached for a necklace around his neck and pulled out a set of clothing - a shirt, pants, and a thick fur-lined coat. He quickly dressed himself and added a pair of black boots to complete his outfit. Then, he neatly folded the blankets and handed them back to Kit.

Zart thanked Kit for taking care of him, then made motions to leave. Kit's heart filled with fear at the thought of being left alone. He couldn't let Zart go without accompanying him, he would be in danger again otherwise. "Which direction are you going?" Kit asked anxiously.

Zart pointed towards the peak of the mountain. "Up there."

Feeling a glimmer of hope, Kit asked if he could join Zart on his journey. "I'm heading towards a safe area not too far from here," Kit pleaded.

After briefly studying Kit, Zart reluctantly agreed.

As they walked, Kit opened up about how he became separated from his friends. Zart couldn't help but ask why Kit was so determined to come up the mountain.

Kit couldn't reveal the real reason, so he gave a half-truth instead. "I'm looking for someone I lost," he said, and proceeded to explain the situation surrounding Snowball’s disappearance.

“It's not right to leave a companion alone for so long. It's no surprise he went searching for you,” Zart scolded Kit. Kit's gaze fell, knowing that Zart was correct. He had made a grave mistake in leaving Snowball by himself for such a long time.

As Kit continued to dwell on his actions, a big hand patted him on the head. “Don't worry, your companion will be overjoyed to see you. I'll help you keep an eye out for him. What does he look like?” Kit's spirits lifted at the thought of having an extra set of eyes helping in the search for Snowball. He quickly gave a description of the small fluffy creature.

The rest of the day passed in pleasant conversation as Zart used his tracking skills to follow Kit's trail and eventually led them to the safe spot.

But when they arrived, there was no one there. Kit let out a disappointed sigh, hoping that Leonard wouldn't take too long to find him. As grateful as he was for Zart's companionship and for saving him, Kit didn't want to bring another person along on his journey. The less people who knew about his plans, the better.

Zart meandered through the small cave they had stumbled upon, inspecting every nook and cranny. "This will serve as a suitable place to wait for your companion. The warding array will provide protection to keep the monsters out."

No wonder Leonard had insisted on coming here. "I am grateful to you, Zart, for rescuing me. I won't keep you any longer." Kit then produced some meals and handed them to his saviour. "When you finish your business in the Devouring ranges, please come visit me at Spartan Fire."

Kit mentioned his restaurant once more, hoping Zart would accept his invitation. He sensed that Zart was a good person and wanted to befriend him.

"Thank you, Kit. I would be delighted to stop by your restaurant on my way home." With those parting words, Zart bid farewell to Kit.

Kit returned the farewell to the man with gratitude in his heart, already making plans to find a suitable gift to thank him for saving his life. As he waited for Leonard, Kit decided to experiment with some of the new ingredients he had recently acquired.

Lost in cooking, he was startled by a noise that signalled someone's approach to the cave. When Kit lifted his head, he was met with a surprise: it wasn't Leonard! They both stared at each other in shock. "Kit?" The newcomer spoke first.

"Kai? What are you doing here?" Kit couldn't believe his eyes.

Kai laughed. "I never would have expected to run into you here."

"Same here!" Kit greeted the tall desert warrior with a wide smile. It had been a while since they had last seen each other.

Kai's gaze lingered on the meal Kit was preparing and his mouth watered. "Kai, come inside and join me for a bite!" Although it may not turn out to be a stats dish, Kit was sure that it would still taste delicious.

Kit and Kai conversed while the latter finished cooking. "What brings you all the way out here from Fairweather town? Are you still on the trail of that shifter?"

Kai nodded. "Yes, I tracked it until the Devouring Ranges."

Kit's heart skipped a beat as he remembered the description of the shifter Kai was after. It was a monstrous black creature with no conscious thought, capable of wiping out entire towns. "Kai, are the towns below the Devouring Ranges in danger?" Fear for the safety of Spartan Fire flooded Kit's mind.

Kai ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I don't know. This clever shapeshifter is different from any others I've encountered. It hasn't caused any chaos since escaping, but that doesn't mean it won't."

"But don't worry, Kit. I'm not the only one searching for it. Three teams have been dispatched to contain the monster," Kai reassured him. But Kit's worry didn’t lessen. After all, Kai had been chasing this creature for months and still hadn't caught it.

"I hope you capture it soon, Kai," Kit solemnly replied. He couldn't help but think about his friends who were also in danger in the Devouring ranges. If they came across the creature, they wouldn't stand a chance against it.

"Don't worry, Kit. I'll help you find them and get you safely down the mountain. It's my duty to protect civilians," Kai confidently stated, which helped to calm Kit's nerves. He knew that Kai had a way to contain the shifter if they encountered it.

"Thank you, Kai." Just as Kit finished speaking, Leonard walked into the cave.

"You're alive!" he exclaimed with relief. The large man quickly made his way over to Kit and pulled him into a bear hug. Kit was surprised by Leonard's sudden change in attitude towards him; if this had happened before their heart-to-heart talk, he would have received a very different reception.

"You too, Leonard." Kit chuckled, knowing that Leonard was not someone who would easily meet his demise. He quickly introduced Kai to Leonard and explained the new danger they were facing. "We should start moving now, Kit. I don't want anything to happen to Snoo Snoo," Leonard said with fear evident in his eyes.

Kit packed up his belongings and unfinished meal, and the trio set off in search of the rest of their group. Both Leonard and Kai were skilled at navigating through the treacherous mountain terrain, making good progress.

As three days passed, Kit felt his muscles tense with worry, fearing for the safety of his friends. As night began to fall, they finally came across some signs of the others. Leonard discovered a parchment hidden in a crevice between two rocks, with a mysterious glyph etched on its surface.

Leonard let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness Snoo Snoo is safe." He held the parchment in his hand.

Kit's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Is that from Snickers?"

Leonard nodded, but kept the note to himself, Kit assumed it contained something private between the two of them. "Kit, they've decided to continue towards your destination. We need to catch up as quickly as possible."

Kit understood and another week went by before they had to stop their journey to log out. As soon as the capsule opened, Kit rushed to Mars and Peaches' apartment. Then banged on the door with such force that it left red marks on his hands.

"Kit!" Mars exclaimed happily and pulled Kit inside. "We think we found the spot on the map!"

Peaches walked out of one of the bedrooms and greeted Kit with a wave. "Good morning, Kit."

But Kit was too focused on Mars to register Peaches' greeting. Excitement pulsed through them. "Are you sure?"

Mars spoke with excitement, his eyes shining as he shared his discovery. "I'm almost positive we're on the right track - I even saw a bird in flight that matches the symbol on the map." Kit couldn't contain his joy. "That's incredible! Leonard says we're only a day behind you now." He then recounted his own experience after death.

"I wish I could have met a werewolf like you did!" Mars pouted, feeling envious. "All we encountered were spiritual creatures and we had to flee; we couldn't even fight them."

Peaches laughed and gave Mars a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Perhaps the werewolf will visit the restaurant so you can see it."

"It's not fair!" Mars lamented. "I thought our journey to find the treasure would involve more battles, but these creatures are proving to be quite troublesome." Kit and Peaches tried to cheer him up; they knew how much Mars loved a good fight. Unfortunately, they had all moved past the base of the mountain, now the monsters' levels were too high for their group to handle in combat.

"Oh Kit, I have some great news!" Mars perked up suddenly. "We found evidence of Snowball and the other animals!"