ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝟙𝟚: 𝔇𝔦𝔯𝔢 𝔚𝔦𝔫𝔡 𝔚𝔬𝔩𝔣 ⓇⒺⓋⒶⓂⓅⒺⒹ

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Among the 15 or so wolves in the pack, all except their leader stood at roughly 1.2 meters tall and 2.5 meters long, their grey fur blending seamlessly with the shadows of the forest.

They moved with deadly coordination, eyes fixed on him with predatory intent. Leading them was a massive wolf with chalk-white fur, towering at 1.8 meters in height and stretching 3 meters in length.

Its piercing eyes gleamed with intelligence, and its presence radiated authority. One growl from it was all it took to send the entire pack into formation. The other wolves responded immediately, encircling him from all directions, tightening the noose.

Jay quickly activated║Inspect║, focusing on the white-furred alpha. As expected, only its name was visible:

[Lv.?? Dire Wind Wolf ⧼Tier-2⧽]

The jump in his skill’s level was instant, leaping from Lv.6 to Lv.8 in one go, revealing just how formidable the Dire Wind Wolf truly was. It was every bit as dangerous as the Tier-2 Bloodthirsty Earth Bear he had encountered earlier.

Although its exact level remained hidden, the significant skill increase was enough to confirm its strength.When their eyes met, a wave of suppression hit him—not overwhelming, but unmistakable in its presence.

It wasn’t enough to paralyze him, but the dominance exuded by the higher-tier creature was undeniable, reminding him just how outmatched he was.

He quickly refocused, shaking off the lingering pressure. His survival instincts kicked in as he swiftly evaluated his options, searching for a way to escape the dangerous situation.

He couldn’t afford to take the pack head-on; there were simply too many of them, and their coordination under the alpha’s command would overwhelm him.

His mind raced for a strategy while he discreetly used║Inspect║on the grey-furred wolves surrounding him. The results came quickly: the lowest among them was Lv.8, while the strongest reached Lv.10, excluding the Dire Wind Wolf.

With his upgraded║Inspect║skill, he could view the full status of Lv.8 creatures, but anything above that remained unclear.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

﴾ Lv.8 Grey Wolf ﴿

⧼Tier-1: High-Phase⧽

A lesser race among the Wolf Species.

Strength: 22

Agility: 26

Vitality: 16

Endurance: 20

Spirit: 14

Luck: 3

Innate Skills

⧼ Common ⧽

Lv.9║Auditory Sense║Lv.10║Olfactory Sense║

Lv.10║Bite║Lv.8║Night Vision║

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

Its Stats were higher than his in almost every category, except for Spirit and Endurance. He could easily imagine that the other wolves surrounding him—mostly Lv.9 and Lv.10 Grey Wolves—had even stronger Stats.

Even if he activated║Agility Boost║and sprinted at full speed, the Grey Wolves would still outpace him. But the bigger threat was the Dire Wind Wolf, which hadn’t even bothered to attack yet, likely considering him too weak for it to waste effort on, instead leaving the task to its pack.

The disparity in both level and numbers between him and the wolves severely restricted his options.

Each of the grey wolves prowled with disciplined movements, awaiting a signal from their leader. He realized that the pack wasn’t just mindlessly aggressive; they were following a clear strategy, with the alpha controlling their movements like a battlefield commander.

The Dire Wind Wolf’s intelligence was evident in the way it subtly adjusted its stance, its eyes never leaving him. It was gauging him, watching for the slightest misstep. He knew that any sudden movement could trigger an all-out assault. The alpha’s confident demeanor suggested it had dealt with stronger foes before, making it unlikely to be fooled by simple tricks.

His thoughts raced, weighing his limited options. He couldn’t flee without being chased down by the wolves’ superior speed. Engaging them all at once would be suicidal given their levels and the alpha’s presence.

But as he considered his situation, the skill he had recently merged with came to mind—a hidden ace he hadn’t fully utilized yet. It could give him the burst of speed and agility needed to escape, but the timing had to be perfect.

While keeping his expression neutral, he glanced around, looking for an opening. The wolves closed in tighter, their formation closing the gap. His mind worked furiously, calculating distances, angles, and possible escape routes. The Dire Wind Wolf’s low growl vibrated through the air, signaling the pack to prepare for the strike.

Then, in a split second, he made his move. Jay bent his knees and activated║Hydraulic Leap║, channeling just enough power to propel himself high into the treetops ahead.

The force of the leap carried him swiftly upward, and with practiced precision, he caught hold of a thick branch. Without missing a beat, he began bounding from tree to tree, utilizing the dense canopy to obscure himself from the wolves below.

The branches swayed under the impact of each jump, but he maintained his balance, using his momentum to glide through the air.

The sudden maneuver caught the wolves off guard. For a brief moment, they hesitated, their eyes tracking his rapid movements above. However, they quickly adapted and surged forward, racing after him on the forest floor with renewed aggression.

He pushed forward relentlessly, covering over 300 meters as the wolves kept pace, refusing to give up their hunt. The Grey Wolves, driven by instinct, attempted to climb the trees with their claws, tearing into the bark as they scrambled upward.

Yet the branches weren’t built to support their bulk, and their awkward, clumsy attempts only slowed them down. Realizing they couldn’t match his agility in the treetops, they grudgingly returned to the ground, snarling in frustration.

But the Dire Wind Wolf was no ordinary beast—it was the alpha for a reason. Observing its pack’s struggle, it decided to take matters into its own hands. With a low growl, it unleashed a barrage of transparent, crescent-shaped wind blades, each one curving through the air with deadly precision.

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As the blades streaked toward him, they sliced effortlessly through the branches, cutting them down as if they were nothing more than twigs. Leaves scattered into the air, and the once-sturdy canopy began to thin as branches crashed to the forest floor.

Reacting instantly, Jay adjusted his approach. He knew that moving in predictable lines would make him an easy target, so he switched to a zig-zag pattern, unpredictably shifting direction with every leap.

The erratic movements forced the wind blades to miss by mere inches, striking the branches behind him instead. The sharp whoosh of each blade cutting through the air sent adrenaline surging through his veins, but he kept his focus sharp, calculating each leap to stay ahead.

As he darted between trees, he could sense the Dire Wind Wolf’s frustration growing. The beast’s eyes glowed with predatory intent as it continued to launch relentless attacks.

Every missed strike only increased the tension, and the wolves below matched their alpha’s fury, snapping and snarling as they tried to keep up with his aerial maneuvers. But he wasn’t just fleeing—he was analyzing the situation, searching for the right moment and angle to either escape or turn the tide in his favor.

The forest became a blur of motion, the chase intensifying with every passing second. He knew he couldn’t keep this pace forever—║Hydraulic Leap║consumed precious Stamina with each use, and the cooldown for║Agility Boost║meant he couldn’t rely on it for sustained speed.

But every second he stayed ahead mattered, buying him time to figure out his next move. The wolves were relentless, their snarls echoing below, but their struggle to chase him in the treetops gave him a crucial edge—one he desperately needed.

The Dire Wind Wolf, however, was a different threat altogether. Its attacks were relentless, the transparent wind blades slicing through the air with deadly precision. Each time, he narrowly dodged them, branches cracking under the force of the missed strikes.

But with every passing moment, it became clear that at his current pace, it was only a matter of time before one would eventually hit its mark.

The gap between them was closing as the Dire Wind Wolf’s speed matched his burst of leaps with ease. Realizing he needed to push harder, he quickly activated║Hydraulic Leap║ at one-third of its full capacity—a level he could manage without risking a misstep.

His speed surged, allowing him to cover 30 meters with each leap, but the rapid acceleration came at a cost, draining his stamina at an alarming rate. Yet even at that pace, the Dire Wind Wolf kept up, its eyes locked onto its prey.

As it pursued, the Dire Wind Wolf began gathering a swirling mass of wind at the tip of its snout. The energy condensed into a compact, deadly sphere of compressed air, ready to be unleashed with devastating force.

Jay spotted it just in time and swiftly altered his trajectory, zigzagging between trees while keeping the wolf in his peripheral vision. Timing was crucial—one wrong move could spell disaster.

He observed closely, waiting for the perfect moment. When the Dire Wind Wolf finally unleashed the attack, he made a sharp turn, deliberately slowing just enough for the wind blast to narrowly miss him.

The attack veered off course and struck a tree—exactly the one he had intended all along. A triumphant smirk crossed his face as the wind blade slammed into the golden-leaved tree where the Bloodthirsty Earth Bear had been resting.

The reaction was instant. A thunderous roar shook the forest as the enraged bear woke from its slumber. Its fury was palpable, directed squarely at the Dire Wind Wolf for daring to damage the tree it guarded so fiercely.

The bear’s eyes flared with wrath, and it immediately shifted its focus from the tree to the intruding wolves. The creature lifted its massive paw and brought it down with a force that shook the ground. In an instant, jagged earth spikes erupted from the soil, hurtling toward the Dire Wind Wolf.

The wolf barely dodged the spikes, leaping aside with the same agility that had allowed it to pursue him earlier. But the fight had been triggered, and two powerful Tier-2 monsters faced off against each other.

The Bloodthirsty Earth Bear, fully awakened and armored in hardened earth, roared once more, its defensive layer absorbing the wolf’s incoming wind blades. Each attack bounced harmlessly off the bear’s fortified hide, while the wolf circled with calculated movements, searching for openings.

From a safe distance in the treetops, he watched as the battle unfolded below. The Dire Wind Wolf and the Bloodthirsty Earth Bear were locked in a fierce clash, both showcasing the raw power and abilities that made them dominant creatures in this trial zone.

The bear’s brute strength and sturdy defenses met the wolf’s speed and precision in a brutal exchange of blows. The ground trembled under the weight of the bear’s stomps, while the air hummed with the wolf’s razor-sharp wind attacks.

The Bloodthirsty Earth Bear, realizing that its usual attacks weren’t enough to pin down the swift Dire Wind Wolf, adapted its strategy. It began raising thick earthen walls to cut off the wolf’s escape routes, trapping it within a tightening arena.

In just a few moments, the bear seized the upper hand, using its control over the terrain to restrict the wolf’s movements. The Dire Wind Wolf, no longer able to dodge freely, found itself on the defensive. But before the bear could fully press its advantage, the rest of the Grey Wolves arrived, surrounding the battlefield with snarls and growls.

Understanding the chaos that was about to unfold, he didn’t waste time watching the clash between these two powerful Tier-2 monsters. He silently retreated, grateful that his risky maneuver had worked.

he chaos he had orchestrated between the two monsters bought him a crucial window of opportunity. As the sounds of their fierce battle faded behind him, he focused on putting as much distance as possible between himself and the conflict, fully aware that such encounters would only grow more frequent and dangerous as the trial progressed.

Without wasting a second, he turned and headed toward his tree hideout, counting on the thick canopy and the growing distance to keep him out of sight. However, the Dire Wind Wolf’s sharp senses caught his retreat even in the midst of its own battle.

With a commanding howl, it signaled part of its pack to pursue. Five Grey Wolves immediately broke away from the main group, closing in on him with lethal intent, their eyes locked on their fleeing prey.

Realizing that the wolves were gaining on him, he pushed himself harder, using ║Hydraulic Leap║ to increase his speed. Every leap covered ground quickly, but each one came at the cost of his rapidly depleting stamina. After a relentless sprint covering 100 meters, he felt the strain in his body and the sharp drain on his energy reserves.

﴾ Stamina: 22/100 ﴿

With less than a quarter of his stamina remaining, he knew that he couldn’t rely on running alone. Even if he reached his tree hideout, the wolves would be right behind him, and his stamina wouldn’t last through a drawn-out chase.

He quickly assessed his situation. The five wolves closing in included one Lv.10 wolf, clearly stronger and more experienced, while the others were Lv.9—formidable opponents in their own right.

Desperation sparked a shift in his strategy. He couldn’t keep running; he had to take the fight to them before his stamina completely ran out. With quick hands, he untied the Rusty Short Sword from his waist, its chipped and weathered edge a stark contrast to the glowing cyan aura he summoned around it.

He infused the blade with Lv.14║Sword Aura║, enhancing its damage by 140%. The aura surged through the weapon, crackling faintly as it amplified the sword’s destructive power.

But raw damage wasn’t enough—he needed speed and precision. Without hesitation, he activated ║Agility Boost-I║, feeling the temporary increase of 4 Stats surge through his body. His muscles tensed, but the usual jolt of pain was barely noticeable, dampened by his Lv.24║Physical Pain Resistance║.

The boost granted him enhanced reflexes and sharper control over his movements, allowing him to maneuver with newfound fluidity.

He calculated his approach and made his move. He leapt directly at the Lv.10 Grey Wolf, exerting one-third of his║Hydraulic Leap║capacity. His sudden shift from fleeing to attacking caught the wolves off guard.

They hadn’t expected him to go on the offensive. In that brief moment of hesitation, he closed the gap, his leap covering the distance with blinding speed.

Even though the wolves had higher Agility Attributes, his leaping speed outmatched them in short bursts. Before the Lv.10 Grey Wolf could react, he brought the Rusty Short Sword down with deadly precision, driving it straight into the top of the wolf’s skull.

The blade, enhanced by║Sword Aura║, pierced through with lethal force, killing the wolf instantly. The creature’s body crumpled to the ground, its lifeless eyes frozen in shock, flashing a series of notifications in his mind.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

﴾ Lv.10 Grey Wolf Killed ﴿

﴾ 250 Life Energy obtained ﴿

﴾ Congratulations! You have reached Lv.5 ﴿

﴾ 5 Undistributed Stats are available ﴿

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

Leaping from tree to tree at high speeds didn’t cause much strain, thanks to his increased Endurance Attribute. However, when he used║Hydraulic Leap║to land directly on the ground in front of the wolf, the force of the impact reverberated through his body, causing internal damage. Blood trickled down the side of his lips as he wiped it away, grimly aware of the toll it was taking.

For a brief moment, he allowed himself a breath of relief as the Lv.10 Grey Wolf collapsed, lifeless. But it was short-lived. The remaining four Grey Wolves snarled and lunged forward, eyes burning with aggression, ready to avenge their fallen packmate.