A few minutes later, Ester returned. 

In one hand she held a short sword in its sheath. However, it had an ordinary appearance instead of a grand heirloom sword. 

Vincent raised a puzzled frown, but it wasn't a good time to ask. Then he turned his sight at her other hand.

Ester held a thick iron lid from a large pot, or a cauldron as he never saw one this large.

Vincent felt it was as big as the last sixteen-inch pizza he ate with aunt Trisha and grandma Tessy.

"This is my sword, but I never used it for anything. This lid is the largest and sturdiest in my home. But it's a little bit heavy for me. " Ester handed the lid first. It was too heavy for her to move it freely as a shield.

Vincent held the lid from the handle with a firm grasp and said, " Could you wrap the handle tightly around my hand. The ribbons around your arms would be fine."

Ester glanced at her ribbon bows for a few seconds contemplating what to do. Then she decided to unfasten her ribbon bows.

A few minutes later, the lid was fastened tightly to his hand. The new lid shield was there to stay.

Vincent grabbed the short sword and asked to do the same. Ester used the second ribbon bow to attach the short sword in place.

Now he didn't need to concern himself about the sword and shield from slipping.

"I'm planning to open the door after the next three hits, but my hands are tied. Could you open the door and leave everything to me. " Vincent said while trying his best not to reveal any hint of fear. 

However, his poker face was terrible. Ester knew he wasn't sure about his plan.

Vincent had to depend on Ester. If she became too afraid to move, then it would be game over too soon.

Vincent wasn't a courageous person himself, but one thing brought fort courage he never knew he had.

First of all, Vincent didn't want to die this young, yet he had the urge to eat a pizza one more time after seeing the lid.

Secondly, Vincent got to know Ester as a kind and naive girl. 

Vincent didn't want to see a kind person he knew die. Furthermore, in front of his eyes with the possibility of a gory death as Trek experienced.

The memory of his parents fighting until their last breath encouraged Vincent to do his best.

It filled him with the courage to do something other than to cower in a corner trembling in fear.

Vincent wanted to survive the first twenty-four hours in this new world.

Ester could feel an emotion she thought was lost after she ran away from her home. To place her full trust in somebody and depend on them.

Ironically, most hated being in the world, an otherworldly hero, was the only one who could save her and no one else.

She wanted to place all her trust in Vincent, even if it was about to be the last thing before their death.

These actions gave Ester the conviction to trust his words, and her crimson eyes burned with the urge to hold the door shut.

"I-I will hold the door in your place. " Ester was filled with the resolve to keep the door shut no matter what. Even after their plan starts and the white wolf enters.

Ester removed the wooden door stopper while Vincent kept pushing his back against the door to keep it closed shut.

The white wolf's ramming attacks stopped for a second. It seemed as if the white wolf had become hurt and tired.

Soon the two bathed in a cold sweat from the danger lurking outside as they waited for the three rammings to occur. 

A few seconds later.

*Bam

The first ramming occurred. Vincent gulped to muster his courage, turned his head at Ester, and gave her a nod.

*Bam

The second ramming occurred. This time Vincent took a few steps forward and prepared for the door to open.

Ester nodded,  stood at the edge next to the door hinges, and extended her hand.

Her trembling hand grabbed the doorknob tightly. Then she opened the lock. 

Now with the slightest push, the door could be open.

*Bam

The door violently opened, then abruptly stopped halfway after it slammed against Ester.

The white wolf entered tumbling inside until it crashed against a table. 

From the door to the white wolf was a trail of blood. It was injured and seemed fortunate if it could stand again.

Ester grunted from the pain, but with the adrenaline pumping, she tolerated the pain with the will to close the door shut.

*Bam

The door was swiftly closed. Ester placed the door stopper as a precaution to be safe. 

Their predicament had drastically changed, wolves were outside and a wolf inside.

Vincent's face turned deadly pale. As if all his blood drained from his face. 

Now that a real wolf was before him, his courage waned, and his hands trembled. 

If not for the ribbons, the sword and shield fell on the ground.

'Did I really think I could fight against a wolf?'

'Even if it's injured and can bearly stand... It can eat me blind.'

Vincent thought with his fear riddled mind. 

As a person that visited the wilds for the first time, Vincent felt differently about what he imagined he could do. 

Life was real and imagination not. It was one thing to read about people killing monsters, and another to live in their shoes.

The white wolf slowly and painfully stood up. It could smell the fear emanating from the two humans.

Its jaw opened, a set of sharp wet fangs were on display while drool fell on the floor. 

There was no need to use the inspection ability to figure out it was hungry, suffered from malnutrition and sickness. 

Its thin body and protruding rib cage also told the tale. The two were its first meal in a long time.

The white wolf was hunched but appeared larger than a wolf from Earth.

Currently, it was probably over two feet tall.

Vincent was its first target but soon stopped its advancement. 

The white wolf noticed his sword and shield. 

A few painful memories resurfaced of humans using such objects and averted its eyes to the easier target. 

Soon its head stopped where its golden predator eyes stopped. Ester became its next target to be hunted.

Ester trembled as the white wolf glared at her with a murderous gaze while licking its drooling mouth. 

The intensity of this sight was strong enough to steal the ability to breathe.

One thing was for certain. The white wolf had a weak body, but its will to live another day was terrifyingly strong.

*Grrrr

The white wolf started limping over to Ester with a glare ready to kill. It growled as every step sent chills to both Vincent and Ester.

'It's gunning for Ester. 

'Will I lose someone else?'

'Does everyone I meet die because of me or my actions?'

Vincent was regretfully thinking of his unfortunate past. 

Suddenly a memory of his father resurfaced. 

It was when he bravely stood up for his family and fought against mutants with just a one-way sign.

Vincent snapped from his usual self-blame. Then he remembered a thing Kevin once said.

Young Vincent "If a hero needs help, what can he do? "

Kevin "They help themselves since they are their own Heroes. haha. "

"If I don't save myself... then who will save me?" Vincent gritted his teeth, and a frown filled with all his remaining courage formed.

*Clang clang

"Hey, you over here! " Vincent banged his sword against his shield to attract the white wolf's attention.

The white wolf stopped in its tracks, then turned its head back at Vincent with a vicious glare.

The white stared limping circling Vincent while he did the same. 

One limped from the left, and the other paced from the right.

Vincent waited for the white wolf to attack and block with the shield, while the wolf waited for the human to attack first and bite back.

Every step, every breath, every second, was crucial for one of them to survive this deathmatch.

The white wolf was experienced while Vincent was not. 

His only way to fight back against the fear of facing a wolf was his imagination of somehow blocking its attack.

Vincent kept a passive stance with his trembling guard up. As the two made a full circle, the white wolf became impatient.

*Grrrr

The white wolf growled, then in the blink of an eye, it leaped at Vincent with all it had.

Vincent instinctively pushed his hand forward and hit the white wolf's head with the shield.

The hit badly hurt its nose and staggered the white wolf leaving it barely able to stand.

'Shield bash worked? And a critical hit at that! Now is the only chance.'

Vincent bought himself a few seconds to start working on his plan. 

To discover a way to activate the retainer bond ability every hero before him had.

"Let's stop this and join forces." Vincent decided to check if the retainer bond ability would start by saying an essential word to the other party.

"Fight with us. Let's kill the other gray wolves. You hate them, right? Survive with us and take revenge." Vincent kept trying, but it seemed futile.

The white wolf was slowly regaining its balance to attack once again.

'I need to communicate with the white wolf, but I don't think it can understand me.'

'Let me try to focus hard on wanting to be my retainer. A part of my family.'

Vincent was racking his brains while he thought of the white wolf becoming friends with them. To join and help them fight.

Suddenly Vincent felt his body getting hotter, his eyes glowed green and the mark on his side as well.

[Do you want to start the [Blessed Retainer] Trial on the intended target? (Max range 5 meters)]

[Cost of 20 soul power will be taken to start the test.]

[Test duration is 5 seconds. No refund on failure.]

[Agree to bridge the soul domain of both parties for mutual understanding.]

[Accept -20sp used]              [Cancel]

A display box appeared hovering in front of Vincent. 

As he was reading the details, the white wolf took the opportunity and leaped at Vincent.

Vincent raised his shield to block the attack, but it learned its lesson and used its shoulder to knock Vincent on the floor.

"Accept!" Vincent exclaimed as his body stopped falling on the ground.

'What... What's happening?'

Vincent was stuck hovering in mid-air while the white wolf rested on his shield. It was also stuck frozen in mid-air like him.

It felt like time had halted, but Vincent could see clearly his surroundings. 

Vincent tried to move his body, but it didn't respond. 

He couldn't even breathe, yet he felt there was no need.

Then Vincent tried to move the only things that seemed to work, his eyes.

Moving the pair of glowing green eyes, Vincent noticed a fly nearby.

It was staying still hovering in the air with its wings frozen in place.

Vincent turned his eyes to the opposite side. 

Ester was standing still, not moving, not blinking, and not even breathing.

It was as if time itself stopped, and only Vincent could see in this strange frozen time.

Soon the room was getting dark as if the lights were slowing dying out.

Vincent felt a familiar feeling and wanted to smile if he could. The ability worked, and the test to gain an ally was about to start.