[You have been afflicted by Silver Wolf - Mutated’s ability Terrifying Howl. You can take no actions]
Adam dropped down to one knee, his mind reeling with thoughts from every nightmare or fear he’d experienced in his lifetime. From the memories of hanging over the abyss in the fake dungeon as he almost bled out, to the visage of the silver worm in the tower, which had left him sleepless and unable to fish for items for weeks, to even the suicidal ideations he had experienced for years after waking up in the body of a child, used as no more then slave labor in a world that made no sense.
Pain shot through his shoulder and neck. His side and ribs. He forced his eyes to look at the notifications popping up around him.
[You have received damage from Alpha Wolf’s attack Bite]
[You have received damage from Forest Wolf’s attack Claw Swipe]
[You have been afflicted with Bleed - 1]
[You have received damage from Alpha wolf’s attack Devastating Flurry]
[You have been afflicted with Bleed - 2]
What was happening? Adam couldn't process the words. He was afraid. There was nothing he could do. This was hopeless.
[Iggy used Call For Help on you, action failed]
[You have received damage from Forest Wolf - Elite’s attack Rip and Tear]
[You have been afflicted with Bleed - 4]
[Your pet has been incapacitated]
[You have received damage—]
He was back.
Adam's mind cleared. He was in pain. A quick glance at his health and stats told him just how much trouble he was in. HP at 22% and losing 4% every few seconds due to 4 cumulative stacks of Bleed.
He brought his adamantium dagger down with full force onto the top of the wolf’s head in front of him. It shattered like a watermelon spewing bits of bone, blood, and brain across the ground.
Another wolf was already leaping at him from behind the dead one, mouth open, razor sharp teeth ready to tear into him. Adam raised his hand. “Wind Cutter.”
A blade of air hit the wolf in the mouth. It's ethereal edge slicing through the meat and webbing around the beast’s jaw hinge and into the bone, slicing the top of the head clean off.
Now was his chance. Adam pulled a potion out of his personal inventory, the vial of red liquid appearing in his hand. Too much was happening for him to attempt the item prompt. The danger was too great.
HP 18%.
He raised the vial to his lips.
Pain like having his arm rubbed over a cheese grater shot through his arm as it was pulled down and away, the vial dropping from his grip.
HP 13%.
A wolf had clamped its jaws around his forearm and was holding him in place.
HP 9%.
Another was leaping at him. This was it. Adam’s luck had run out. There was no time to prompt an item into existence. One of his hands was restrained. And even from his personal inventory there was no way to drink another potion in time. The wolf leaping at him would probably take at least 5% of his life away and the bleeding would tick off again finishing him.
He had to try though, he wasn't going to give up. A second potion appeared in his free hand but the teeth of the beast were almost at his throat. This was really how he was going to go out. He needed a miracle.
They say miracles happen every 35 days. And it just so happened that today was Adam's 35th day.
Two arrows slammed into the wolf’s side driving it to the side as Adam slammed the potion to his lips. Some vitality returned to him as his HP rose to 46%. He placed his free hand against the wolf’s chest that was restraining him. “Wind Blast.”
Adam could see the elf woman fighting for her life as well. She sat inside and atop a sphere of branches tangled together, shooting arrows out at the wolves who were tearing it apart.
He saw Iggy halfway between them on her side, her fur slick and coated with glistening blood. She was at 2% health. Her still form surrounded by corpses of wolves, some with arrows sticking out of them. He had to get to her.
One of the wolves tearing at the sphere of branches broke away and ran for the downed cat. Leaping at her prone body with claws outstretched.
“Iggy!” Adam screamed. He hadn’t realized it but the words escaped his throat unbidden. No, he thought, not on your life!
A smoke bomb appeared in Adam's hand from his inventory and he threw it at his feet. With a poof he was enveloped in a chalky water powder, obscuring all around him. Adam readied his dagger. “Backstab.”
Instantly the cloud disappeared and the wolf appeared before him. Or rather he appeared behind the wolf. He was airborne and Adam could see Iggy below them on the ground. He didn't hesitate, the blade slammed into the wolf sending it flying into a tree, its back arching around the trunk with a sickening snap.
Landing softly on the grass beside her, Adam knelt beside Iggy, carefully cradling her head in his hand. He needed to work quickly. With a potion at the ready Adam tipped the ruby liquid into her mouth, lifting her head gently back to rub her throat. Iggy's eyes snapped open as she jumped to her feet. Her HP now at 71%. The potions were inefficient now, they couldn't be relied upon against a strong opponent, or when they were overwhelmed.
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Something more was there. Better options to heal existed, and he knew all of them. He'd have to rely on every single skill if he wanted to survive this world.
“Lesser Heal.” A weak yet warm light emanated from Iggy topping up her HP to 100%. She bristled at the oncoming wolves, yowling her anger at them. Adam smiled at her vigor and healed himself as well.
Finally out of immediate life threatening danger Adam surveyed the battlefield. Dozens of wolf corpses littered the small clearing. Their levels ranged from 5 at the weakest up to 10. Worse though was the giant wolf whose ability had almost cost Adam his life.
[Level 15 Silver Wolf - Mutated]
Its base stats were average. However it was receiving bonus attributes that nearly doubled them, adding points to every stat including intelligence and wisdom. As it stood now the thing was stronger than him. No wonder it's howl had an effect.
It stood taller than a man, its silver fur darkened and wet. Large purplish lesions clung to exposed patches of mottled grey skin, weeping sickly looking fluids. Its jowls were distended leaving its too wide mouth hanging open. Even worse it was flanked by two level 10 alphas and a smattering of lesser wolves.
“I'm surprised that you're still alive,” called the elf woman atop her twisted tangle of wood. The wolves had done a number on it. She jumped down to join him, her landing unnaturally soft.
“Thank you for the help,” Adam replied. It was true he’d have been dead without her assistance. “You're my miracle.”
She paused for a moment, her cheeks flushing. “Who says something like that? We need to focus, they're coming.”
A wave of Alpha’s and Forest Wolves rushed them. The elf woman loosed arrow after arrow, each one finding a home in the hide of a beast. While roots rose up from the earth to ensnare another, an arrow obliterated its eye socket a moment later.
Adam and Iggy cut down those that got close by blade and claw. Bursts of air knocking enemies back to be killed outright or finished by arrow. The fight was handily going in favor of the three as they killed wolf after wolf.
“Why does it just sit there,” Adam yelled over to the elf.
“I don't know, it's smart, patient. I've been tracking it for a week.”
What was its play? Was it trying to exhaust them before attacking? Maybe it was too sickly with its affliction, though its stats were boosted and not diminished. Whatever the reason it was not behaving as a normal animal should.
It howled again, this time summoning two alphas to its side, who in turn howled, summoning a pair of forest wolves each. They all charged together, the alphas, the wolves, and the mutant.
“Shit, it's coming!” Adam warned.
They didn't have time to lob attacks at the incoming wolves, engaged still with their own melee. By the time the wolves from the previous wave had died the mutant and its entourage were upon them.
The elf leaped back dodging a swipe from an alpha, but two of the forest wolves pursued her. She twisted away from one, giving it an arrow to the heart. The second wolf sunk its teeth into her leg causing her to cry out in pain.
Iggy engaged the other alpha, her feline grace letting her slip behind it as she tore its side open with her claws, she finished it from behind leaping on the beast and snapping its neck.
Adam was able to knock one of the forest wolves aside with his blade, while delivering a point blank wind blast to the other, sending it sprawling backwards. He barely brought the dagger back up in time to parry the massive paw of the mutant. It sent him skidding backwards.
He didn't have time to recover, the thing was before him again swiping from the other direction with its wickedly sharp claws. It took him in the side sending him cartwheeling away. He tasted blood, a gash bleeding where he had been struck.
[HP 71%, Bleed - 1]
Adam was positive that the attack had just been the creature’s basic attack. What a nasty piece of work taking a quarter of his HP on top of inflicting a damage over time debuff. He glanced at his personal inventory, he had a rag tag collection of bombs, and some scrolls he had created while testing out the prompt, along with some backup potions. Nothing though that stood out to him to deal with the mutant.
It roared in fury and shook itself violently. Iggy was latched onto its back, her claws dug in for purchase as she tore at it with her teeth, its health only dropping to 96%.
“Help the woman,” Adam ordered. The elf was struggling. Her leg was injured giving her a movement debuff of 25%. For a long range fighter it was disastrous, especially now that the wolves were engaging her at close range. Still she was holding her own for the moment, entangling one in roots to keep the pressure off.
Iggy leapt from the mutant’s back, but the monster did not let her go unscathed. It whirled, slamming a paw into her side. The cat was flung away, a gash in her side, her health down just below half with a stack of Bleed.
Adam plunged the dagger into the thing’s chest. It roared and knocked him back again. Which opened up space. “Wind Cutter!”
The blade of air hit the creature in the leg, knocking it off balance but only wounding it. It leapt away its HP down to 72%. It was tough. No wait, its health was now 73%. It was slowly regenerating!
Adam cursed, shooting a wind blast at it but the creature dodged it, 74%. This bastard, thought Adam. What was he supposed to do to kill it? Drop its HP to zero obviously. Yet it was fast, hardy, smart, its attributes boosted, and it was regenerating, 75%.
Adam glanced over at the elf. Iggy was there helping her. They seemed to be managing even though more wolves had shown up. For now it was up to them to help themselves while Adam faced off with this, boss of sorts.
It sprinted at him lunging with its sharp claws outstretched. Adam was able to turn the claw aside with his dagger, bringing it back in an arc to catch the mutant under the chin. Its head snapped up, blood shooting from the sides of its mouth, 66%.
Adam checked his own health, 67%. A mistake in the very heat of battle. The air was knocked from his lungs and he rolled end over end across the ground. Having taken a direct attack from the creature’s other paw. He gasped for breath forcing himself to his feet.
[HP 38%, Bleed - 2]
“Lesser Heal.” Adam felt the warm soothing light as he healed himself, HP 88%. He was still bleeding but he had a cushion. Adam had an idea.
He charged the beast, it roared at him and charged too. They collided together, Adam's blade crushing its shoulder and driving it down against the ground, as its teeth latched around his midsection and pulled him down too. He hit it with a point blank wind blast freeing himself.
A piece of paper appeared in his hand and he unfurled it before the mutant. Glowing blue runes and magical diagrams were woven into the scroll’s surface, preserving a magical spell within its fibers. “Activate Cone of Ice!”
A frigid blast of air and ice enveloped the mutant completely. Its fur was coated in ice crystals, and its limbs were frozen to the ground by chunks of ice. The beast growled and strained against the icy shackles.
“I've got you now fucker,” Adam said emptying his entire inventory. A dozen or so bombs appeared in the air between the two. Regular bombs, fire bombs, ice bombs, and thunder bombs. Along with a few scrolls and potions. Adam touched one of the bombs activating it, as he threw the last smoke bomb down at his feet. In the next moment he was next to the elf and Iggy, his dagger burying itself in the last forest wolf’s back.
The mutant roared, summoning up all of its strength to break its frozen bonds. Adam could only watch as the creature made to leap away to safety. Shit, he thought. Just one more second and the bomb would go off. Which in turn would destroy the scrolls and potions but bomb blasts immediately activated other bombs caught within their radius. He was out of items, and out of ideas.
“Entangle!”
Thick roots tore through the earth beneath the mutant. Snaking their way around its limbs and torso. It howled in surprise, now trapped as the bomb went off. The area around it turned into a cacophony of elemental fury.
Rainbow light circled the trio in the glade of dead wolves.