**Chapter 14: The Trial of the Wolves**

Elias took a deep breath as the third trial began. The familiar humid air of a dense rainforest surrounded him, the sounds of life echoing through the trees. A voice in his mind, that of the butler, warned him:

*"Survive or eliminate all enemies within sixty minutes."*

A bow materialized in his hand, along with a quiver of thirty-five arrows. This time, the trial seemed to be testing his combat skills in an environment not too different from the forest near Barnes.

Before the trial commenced, the butler had advised Elias not to use the drop of mist he had earned from the previous trial. The reasoning was simple: ingesting it here, in the chaos of these tests, would be a waste of its potential. And, as the butler added with a sly tone, "If you can complete the trials without any additional aid, the final reward may be even greater."

Elias adjusted the bow over his shoulder, scanning the thick foliage around him. The dense trees and the calls of unknown creatures made the atmosphere tense. "This is my element," Elias whispered to himself, knowing his experience in the woods would be crucial for his survival here. He had spent countless hours navigating forests, training for moments just like this. But there was no room for overconfidence.

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Suddenly, a rustling sound came from his right. Elias instinctively reached for an arrow but froze as a large wolf, bigger than any he’d ever seen in his village, emerged from the trees. Its glowing eyes locked onto him, baring fangs sharp enough to pierce through flesh with ease.

Without wasting time, the wolf charged at him. Elias swiftly dodged, rolling to the side as the creature's claws barely missed him. He scrambled to his feet, trying to get a clean shot, but the trees and undergrowth made it nearly impossible. The space was too cramped. The wolf was faster and more intelligent than any animal he'd ever hunted. It circled him, ready to strike again.

Elias cursed under his breath. "To hell with the bow!" he muttered, tossing it aside. This wasn’t the right environment to use it. There was no time to keep drawing arrows when the beast was this close.

His eyes quickly scanned the ground. A heavy rock caught his attention. Elias grabbed it just as the wolf leaped again. This time, he was ready. He rolled forward, charging toward the beast instead of running away. With all his strength, he slammed the rock into the side of the wolf's head. The impact sent the creature stumbling back, dazed and disoriented.

Not wasting a second, Elias drew an arrow from the quiver, gripping it like a dagger. He lunged toward the wolf and plunged the sharp tip into its skull. The wolf let out a final, pained howl before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

Elias stood there panting, adrenaline coursing through his veins. His heart raced, but he couldn’t celebrate the victory yet. His senses screamed danger.

A low growl echoed through the forest. The bushes rustled as more wolves emerged, their glowing eyes fixated on him, enraged at the death of their packmate.

Elias wiped the sweat from his brow. He counted four, maybe five wolves surrounding him now. They were bigger, faster, and far more aggressive than any creature he had encountered in Barnes.

"This is going to be a problem," Elias muttered to himself, gripping the arrow tightly.