Chapter 35: The real MVP

The branches ahead continued to sway.

Kael remained perfectly still, his sword held at a comfortable angle in front of him. The others waited behind him.

No one spoke for a few seconds. Even the forest seemed to be holding its breath.

Then a pair of red eyes appeared between the trees.

A massive wolf slowly stepped into view.

The creature stood roughly 1.4 meters tall at the shoulder, nearly reaching Kael’s chest. From its nose to the tip of its tail, it was close to three meters long. Its dark crimson fur made its muscular frame look even larger beneath the shadows of the forest.

Its paws were broad enough to nearly cover a human hand, and its exposed fangs were considerably longer than those of an ordinary wolf.

Quinn immediately raised several of its legs and released a quiet warning.

"Qiu."

Kael glanced at the spider.

"Good, Quinn."

Elias slowly raised his bow.

"That is definitely not a normal wolf."

"Yeah," Kael replied. "It is a Bloodfang Direwolf."

Darius tightened his grip around his sword.

"How strong is it?"

"Strong enough that we should not let it surround us."

Darius glanced around the forest.

"How many do you think there are?"

"Three at minimum," Elias answered.

As if responding to his words, another pair of red eyes appeared among the trees to their left.

Mira’s expression tightened.

"There is another one."

Elias turned toward the opposite side.

"And there is probably another behind us."

Kael glanced over his shoulder.

Elias was right. A third Bloodfang Direwolf emerged from the undergrowth behind them.

Quinn became tense. Several of its legs lifted from Kael’s shoulder, and the bluish markings along its back began to glow slightly brighter. Kael noticed it.

"What is it, Quinn?" He asked.

Quinn pointed toward Wolf One.

"Qiu."

Kael narrowed his eyes and saw Wolf One lowered its body. Kael noticed the change immediately.

"Darius, get ready," he said.

Darius shifted his stance. Just right after Darius did that, Wolf One lunged straight toward them.

"Now!" Kael shouted.

Darius stepped forward and intercepted the attack. His sword managed to strike the direwolf across the side. But before Darius could follow up, the beast already distanced itself from him.

Darius tightened his grip.

"It is fast."

"It will be worse if all three attack at once," Kael replied.

Before they could reposition, Wolf Two charged from the left.

Kael immediately moved to intercept it.

The direwolf snapped its jaws at him. But Kael stepped aside and used the wolf’s own momentum against it. He caught its movement with his sword and redirected it past him, then struck its hind leg as it passed.

Wolf Two stumbled.

"Elias!"

Elias had already drawn his bow. He released the arrow the moment he heard Kael’s call. The arrow struck Wolf Two in the shoulder.

The direwolf growled and turned toward Elias.

"Keep its attention away from Mira!" Kael shouted.

"Okay."

Fwoosh!

Elias fired another arrow. The second shot struck Wolf Two in the side.

Gwar!

The wounded direwolf backed into the trees and disappeared. It had been forced away from the main group. Although it retreated, Kael could still feel its presence nearby. It was just hiding, observing them and waiting for the opportunity to strike once again.

Kael immediately looked toward Darius.

"Keep Wolf One in front of us."

Darius nodded.

"Understood."

Wolf One charged again and Darius met it head-on. Their attacks collided with a heavy impact. He could feel his hands trembling at the moment of impact but Darius managed to withstand it somehow.

At the same moment, Quinn suddenly stiffened on Kael’s shoulder.

Its legs pointed toward the rear.

"Qiu!"

Kael turned.

Wolf Three was already moving.

It had circled behind the team while their attention was focused on Wolf One and Wolf Two.

Its target was Mira.

"Mira, move!" Kael shouted hastily.

Mira turned just as Wolf Three lunged toward her. Kael rushed between them. The direwolf’s claws came down. Kael twisted aside and struck its jaw with the flat of his sword.

Wolf Three’s head snapped sideways. Kael followed with a thrust toward its shoulder. The direwolf twisted away, but one of its claws tore through Kael’s sleeve and left a shallow cut along his arm.

Kael stepped backward.

Quinn immediately jumped from his shoulder. The spider landed on the ground between Wolf Three and Mira.

"Qiu!"

Several strands of webbing shot toward the direwolf’s front legs. Wolf Three tried to leap away but one strand caught its paw.

Its movement was disrupted for a moment. It was only a moment but that was enough for Kael to regain his position.

"Good job, Quinn."

Quinn quickly climbed back onto Kael’s shoulder and Wolf Three ripped the web apart and retreated.

Kael watched it carefully.

It was trying to separate itself from the team.

"Elias, target Wolf Three," Kael instructed.

Elias turned his bow toward the wounded direwolf.

"Got it."

Kael moved first.

He rushed toward Wolf Three, forcing it to retreat in Elias’s direction. Seeing Kael, Wolf Three suddenly lunged at him. Kael stepped aside and redirected its foreleg.

The wolf stumbled into the path of Elias’s arrow.

Elias released.

Fwoosh!

The arrow struck Wolf Three in the chest. The direwolf staggered. Darius immediately disengaged from Wolf One and rushed over. He delivered a powerful slash across Wolf Three’s ribs. The direwolf rolled away and disappeared behind a tree.

Darius came after it.

"Do not chase!" Kael shouted.

Darius stopped.

"But it is injured."

"We do not know where the other two are," Kael replied. "If you leave the group, they can surround us again."

Darius reluctantly stepped back.

"Right."

The forest became quiet.

Elias lowered his bow slightly.

"I cannot see any of them."

"Neither can I," Kael said.

Quinn suddenly raised its legs.

"Qiu!"

Kael looked toward the spider.

Quinn pointed upward.

Kael followed its direction.

A branch moved above them.

"Everyone, above us!"

A savage growl erupted from above.

Before Darius could even look up, Wolf One came crashing down from the branch.

Darius barely managed to raise his sword. The direwolf’s claws smashed into the blade with a deafening clang.

The force of the impact nearly ripped the sword from Darius’s hands. His arms buckled instantly, and his knees slammed into the ground. A jolt of pain tore through his shoulders and down his spine as the full weight of the direwolf crashed against him.

"Help! I can’t hold it!"

Darius gritted his teeth as the claws pressed closer to his face. His muscles screamed under the strain. His fingers had already gone numb around the hilt, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as his body struggled to withstand the crushing force.

From Darius’s strained voice and the way his body had buckled beneath the attack, Kael immediately realized something was wrong.

The impact had likely caused internal injuries.

Kael was right.

Darius could feel something twisting painfully inside his chest. His vision blurred, then began to spin. His breath came shallow and ragged, sending another wave of pain through his body.

Still, he refused to fall.

His arms shook violently as he forced the sword back up, keeping the direwolf’s claws from reaching him.

He couldn’t collapse.

Not yet.

Quinn reacted instantly.

"Qiu!"

A thick strand of webbing shot from beneath its body and snapped around Wolf One’s hind leg.

The direwolf snarled and violently jerked its leg backward. But the web stretched taut. Then Wolf One pulled again with even greater force. Its massive body lurched sideways as the sudden resistance threw its balance off. One paw scraped desperately against the ground, claws gouging deep furrows into the soil as it struggled to keep its footing.

That split second was enough.

Kael moved.

He drove one foot into the ground and surged forward, closing the distance before the direwolf could recover. His sword remained in one hand as he twisted his body and swung the pommel upward with all his strength along with his breathing technique and the first principle of Moonlit Blade.

Crack!

The metal pommel slammed into the side of Wolf One’s neck.

The impact snapped the direwolf’s head sideways and sent its entire body staggering several steps. Its claws tore through the dirt as it fought to stay upright, a furious growl rumbling from its throat.

Wolf One recoiled.

Elias released another arrow.

Fwoosh!

The arrow struck its front leg and caused it to stumble. Darius pushed himself upright and forced the creature backward with a heavy sword strike.

"Mira!"

Mira raised both hands.

"Stay still, Darius!"

Green healing magic enveloped Darius’s body. The bruising and injuries caused by the earlier impact gradually faded beneath its glow, easing the pain that had been coursing through him.

Darius flexed his fingers before nodding.

"Thanks."

He then turned his attention back to Wolf One. His expression tightened as he saw the direwolf still standing despite the attacks it had endured.

"Tsk. Even after all that, it’s still not enough to take it down?"

"Yeah. We’re basically punching above our weight class here," Kael replied.

Bloodfang Direwolves were simply too strong for their current level to take head-on.

Kael studied Wolf One. The direwolf was breathing heavily. Blood covered its shoulder and chest.

It was becoming slower and weaker!

Kael looked toward Darius.

"Can you keep it busy for a few seconds?"

Darius nodded.

"Alright!"

Darius didn’t question Kael’s plan, he immediately stepped forward. Wolf One growled and charged again even with those injuries it suffered.

Darius blocked its claws. The direwolf pushed against his sword and tried to force him backward, but Darius held his ground this time.

"Quinn."

The spider looked toward Kael.

"Qiu?"

"Get behind it."

Quinn immediately climbed down from Kael’s shoulder and sprinted toward a nearby tree. It climbed the trunk and moved through the branches until it was positioned behind Wolf One.

Kael waited.

Wolf One was still focused on Darius.

"Now."

Quinn fired.

Several strands of webbing shot from the tree and wrapped around Wolf One’s rear legs. The direwolf tried to jump backward. Its legs were pulled against the web.

It lost its balance.

"Elias!"

Elias fired.

Fwoosh!

The arrow struck Wolf One in the side. Kael rushed forward immediately. He struck the direwolf across the ribs, while Darius followed with a powerful blow that knocked it to the ground.

Wolf One struggled to rise.

Quinn tightened the webbing around its legs.

The direwolf snarled and pulled against the restraints.

Darius placed his sword against its neck.

"It is finished."

Kael raised a hand.

"Wait."

Darius looked back.

"Why?"

Kael glanced toward the surrounding forest.

"Because the other two are still out there."

As if responding to his words, Wolf Two and Wolf Three emerged from between the trees. They stood several meters away. Neither attacked. Both were watching Wolf Three.

Kael immediately understood.

Just like what stated in the game.

"Look at them. They are not coming for us," Kael pointed.

Darius and the others observed the two other direwolves and saw it wasn’t attacking this time.

"Kael, explain it," Elias said while maintaining his bow aimed at the two wolves.

Kael then told them that direwolves prioritized their companions’ safety rather than attacking their prey.

"So they came back for Wolf One?" Elias asked.

"Exactly."

Mira looked toward the injured direwolf.

"So they wanted to protect it," she said.

Kael nodded.

"They know it cannot keep fighting."

Wolf One struggled upright.

Quinn released its webbing.

The direwolf limped toward the other two. Wolf One and Wolf Two immediately moved around it, positioning themselves between their injured companion and Team 37.

Darius lowered his sword.

"Should we stop them?"

"No," Kael replied.

Darius looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because we already have what we need. We have driven them away, and Wolf One is too injured to continue fighting."

Kael watched the three wolves carefully.

"If we chase them, we risk another fight. There is no reason to take that risk."

Darius, Elias, and Mira immediately understood Kael’s reasoning. Although Wolf One was injured and incapable of fighting, the other two were still fit enough to fight. They couldn’t risk their safety over a wolf meat.

Mira nodded.

"Then we should let them go."

Kael agreed.

"Yes."

The three direwolves slowly backed away.

Wolf Three and Wolf Two remained between their injured companion and team 37 until they had created enough distance.

Then they turned and disappeared into the forest.

Quinn remained on the branch for several seconds, watching the direction they had gone. Only after the forest became quiet did it climb back down and return to Kael.

Kael held out his arm.

Quinn climbed onto it.

"You did well."

"Qiu!"

Elias slowly lowered his bow. For a few seconds, he just stood there, staring at the exhausted direwolf in the distance. Then his legs gave out.

He dropped onto the ground and lay flat on his back, breathing heavily.

"Haaah..."

He stared blankly at the sky before suddenly letting out a shaky laugh.

"Haha... we actually survived!"

Hearing it, the others also breathed a sigh of relief.

Kael stared at the distance and thought.

They just arrived and were already greeted by an intense fight.

Thankfully, his game knowledge still proved helpful.

’Quinn was the real MVP of this fight though,’ Kael thought.

Honestly, he did not expect how useful Quinn was.