The great gray wolf appeared intelligent and cunning.

It was cautious enough to hold the attack on the cabin blindly. Hiding in the shadows till the time was right.

It had the gray wolves butcher Trek while leaving a barely alive white wolf guard the door. It was an obvious yet cunning trap.

"Vincent, what did you see? Did the old man Trek die? " Ester said quietly, not wishing to shout.

Vincent took a few deep breaths and gently exhaled, soon he calmed down. 

Vincent approached Ester with a frown feeling pissed by Trek for deserting them. Then said, "Trek used us as bait. Now he is feeding the wolves. Who was he to you?"

Ester didn't cry of his death; she barely even blinked. Ester only nodded as if she understood. 

It made Vincent think Trek wasn't important to her. But why did Ester call him her guardian?

"About ten years ago, I made a magical contract with Trek. However, it's a long story. He didn't care for me, and I didn't care for him." Ester didn't want to remember the past.

Vincent let a faint grin at the word "magical contract." He was excited, yet the current situation didn't allow him to leisurely ask for what he wants.

"I'm sorry if I reminded you of bad memories." Vincent gently patted her shoulder while he apologized, trying to ease her worries. Then he debriefed Ester of his findings.

"Now, this is the situation. Three gray wolves are feeding on Trek. A white wolf in a horrible condition is behind the door." Vincent explained the hard part. 

"A huge and intelligent great gray wolf is hiding in the forest. I think it's commanding the others. " Vincent finished saying the hopeless part.

Ester started tearing up from this devasting news. She felt as if all hope was lost.

Suddenly two warm arms wrapped around Ester. She could feel Vincent's warm embrace as he gently patted her back.

At that moment, Vincent's brain was brainstorming so many ideas that he forgot to be embarrassed.

"If we lock ourselves in here, then we might stand a chance. " Vincent said a possible solution with an unknown result. 

The most significant factor was the dangerous great gray wolf. It might be able to break in with ease, so Vicent had to think of an alternative plan.

"You didn't run away and stayed with me. Now we might die together. Can't you use your otherwordly powers and save us? " Ester didn't know what else to do. 

All she could do was to ask the supposed powerful curse upon the land Hero to save their lives.

'I wish I could. But why was my power to inspect stats?'

'If I had powers like the other Heroes, then the problem would have been solved long ago.'

Vincent thought while he frowned and cursed his luck at his strange hero powers.

"I'm sorry. There's always a first in everything. I'm an ordinary human with ordinary human strength. " Vincent let another long sigh. Then he remembered a forgotten thing. 

He never used inspection on himself.

Vincent took a few steps back, breaking the hug. He raised his hands and focused his eyes.

Soon the pair had a faint green glow, and a stats box appeared.

[Name] Vincent Agius

[Condition] Healthy, Afraid

[Soul Power] 0

'Hmm... I have a stat no one has. Could this be my special power?'

'I used soul power to learn a new ability. Does that mean my power is to learn things?'

'But it's a double-edged sword. I got an intense headache due to learning something that I didn't have enough points to learn.'

'At least the dizziness passed a while back.'

Vincent stood still pondering on his findings as he kept staring at his hands. Ester felt a little worried. She thought he might have gone crazy.

"Time. " Vincent blurted out.

Ester heard Vincent say the word "time," yet his face radiated hope. As if he discovered a solution, a ticket out of this danger.

"We need time. Ester, could you light the fireplace. Ohh, don't forget to throw other things with the logs. We need to leave a black trail of smoke to exit the chimney. Maybe we can get help if someone sees the smoke. " Vincent decided to play the waiting game and bet on the mysterious soul power stat.

Vincent didn't know when, how, or if the soul power would replenish itself. So he wanted to think of his hero power as an emergency lifeline. 

Maybe lady luck would bless them with luck and help would arrive, or his hero power saves them in the end.

Ester quickly understood and liked this plan. 

She wiped her tears and gave a reaffirming nod. Then she quickly went to the fireplace.

Soon from the chimney, a trail of smoke exited. 

The great gray wolf noticed the trail of smoke. It licked its lips in amusement at the idea of its prey wanting to play a game hide and seek.

Ester started throwing other things such as unused rags or whatever burnable objects her hands picked up in the fireplace.

From light gray, the trail of smoke almost became black. If anyone other than the wolves could see it, Vincent and Ester didn't know.

It could only give them new hope in this desperate time.

"Here, drink some water. " Ester approached Vincent and handed him a cup of water. 

The two were mentally exhausted and needed rest. However, the danger was still lurking outside with its fangs and claws ready to tear them apart. 

Their only hope was to outlast the wolves' persistence to eat them. Maybe the wolves would decide to leave instead of breaking in.

Vincent sat and rested his back against the entrance door. He could only wait and see if his plan could work.

Ester gulped, held her cup with a tight grip, then sat beside him.

The mood quickly turned awkward. The two stranded people didn't utter a word and avert their gaze if their eyes would ever meet.

Time slowly passed, and hours passed by. The sun had set, and the moon took its place. But the two didn't know the time because the cabin was sealed shut.

"Four hours have passed. If the sun was about to set, then it might be eleven or twelve in the night. " Vincent took out his watch from the pocket and checked the time.

It was a thing he did every half an hour.

"What is that object in your hands? The one you keep looking at so attentively? Does that artifact work with cores or gemstones? " Ester's curiosity could hold any more. 

She had the urge to ask about the object in his hands. It had four numbers glowing white. Ester had the impression it was something grand.

"This is a digital watch. It charges with electricity and can tell time. It's powered by what in my world is called a battery. " Vincent placed the watch on Ester's lap.

Ester cautiously picked the watch as if it was a treasure. Well, in a way, it was the only one existing in this world.

Vincent lightly chuckled at the sight of Ester's unique actions as she inspected every nook and cranny of the watch. 

This single object instantly changed the dreadful mood. Vincent felt more at ease while Ester had her mind filled with curiosity.

Vincent decided to inspect himself once again. This time the status box made him raise his brows in surprise.

[Name] Vincent

[Condition] Healthy, Afraid

[Soul Power] 20sp

'My soul power has returned! Now I can learn something new... '

'But, doesn't that mean I might faint and leave Ester alone to defend the cabin?'

As Vincent was thinking, he got interrupted by something ramming against the door.

*Bamm... Bamm...

The door made a loud noise. A few seconds later, it repeated itself. 

The wolves were violently slamming their body against the door, trying to force it open.

Vincent quickly stood up and placed his back against the door to keep it closed with all his might. 

The need to keep the door closed overwhelmed his sense of fear. Vincent stood his ground while his adrenaline gave him a boost in strength.

He lowered his head down and saw a discouraging sight. 

There he saw Ester trembling on the floor with her arms crossed. She was too frightened to move a muscle.

"Ester, look at me. " Vincent said in a reassuring tone. When she slowly turned her head facing him, he continued, "Carefully go on the roof and check what is trying to knock the door. Leave the door to me, ok. Trust me."

Ester quietly nodded with an expression of dread. She held on his watch to provide the courage Vincent was displaying and move her frozen legs.

Ester immediately removed her small round bells and slowly went on the roof. She saw a scene that almost made her puke by what the bright moonlight illuminated.

Like Vincent before her, Ester saw three gray wolves. They were playing with the bones of the recently deceased Trek, and underneath them was a pool of blood.

Ester felt too sick to move. But as her eyes glanced at the watch in her hand, a hint of courage ignited within her.

Ester slowly approached the opposite side of the roof. Soon she saw a white wolf slamming its body against the door with no regard for its health.

Ester turned her head from left to right, but no great gray wolf was in sight. She let out a light sigh of relief and cautiously retreated down inside the cabin.

"Only the white wolf is trying to break down the door. The other three gray wolves are... playing with bones. " Ester raised a faint hopeful smile and continued, "I couldn't see the great gray wolf."

'The great gray wolf is very cunning indeed. '

'If it's going to use the white wolf to break the door, then if it dies, it might have another plan.'

'I need to come up with a contingency plan, or we might need to fight to the death.'

Vincent pondered as fast as he could while the white wolf kept trying to force the door open.

"Do you have any idea why only the white wolf is doing all their job?" Vincent felt the weakest link might be the key to their survival.

Ester revealed a puzzled frown, but then she remembered Vincent didn't know about the wolves' hierarchy.

"The white wolf breed is rare. They mostly breed with other white wolves and are very proud of their pure breed. I think this white wolf is forced to be with this pack because of its different breed, dire condition, and following unreasonable orders." Ester explained in detail about the white wolves and the reason why it might be in their pack.

'Could it be that this pack of gray wolves killed the white wolf's family?'

'Then it was forced to follow and act as their pawn?'

Vincent thought about the scenario of survival of the fittest. About the possibility of how the white wolf chose to survive with the hope of revenge.

"Do you have any weapons that we can use? Also, maybe a shield or something similar?" Vincent asked if the cabin had objects to use for protection.

Ester nodded and said, "Under my bed is an heirloom shortsword. The lid of a pot could be the nearest thing to a shield."

"In the book of heroes, it said a retainer bond could be formed even with monsters, or how you call them magical beasts. So animals could be the same. " Vincent held the door with all his strength after the white wolf slammed its body against the door, then continued, "I want to bet everything on my retainer bond and get the white wolf to help us."

Ester could feel new hope rising from these few words. She gave a confirming nod and went to bring the things he asked to get.