Chapter 103: Fucking Mutt - 2

Silk Touch could relax the muscles of the beast if its mental barrier wasn’t strong enough. Earth Shield could provide a defensive barrier, while Mana Missile offered a direct offensive option. Water Prison, if successfully established around the wolf, could restrict its movement and potentially give him the opening he needed.

None of those skills guaranteed victory, especially against a beast stronger and faster than him. But at least there were real options he could use right now.

"Listen, you oversized flea-infested fucker," Kyle muttered, trying to keep his voice steady.

"I don’t want to fight you. You can have the forest. You can have all the fuckass humongous trees..."

"You can have whatever the fuck you have."

GRRRRR...

The wolf growled and began circling him.

"I just want to get out of this place," he stammered.

Kyle slowly shifted his footing, keeping the creature in front of him. His injured shoulder throbbed, and the absence of his amulet left him feeling considerably more vulnerable.

Still, panic wouldn’t save him. He needed to assess the situation, watch the wolf’s movements, and choose the right skill at the right moment. Charging blindly into another exchange would be suicide.

The Bloodfang Wolf lowered its head. Its muscles tensed.

Kyle’s expression hardened as mana gathered in his hand.

"Come on, then," he whispered. "Let’s see how tough you really are."

ROOOOAAAR!

The beast sprang forward.

Kyle barely had time to react before the beast closed the distance between them. He thrust his hand toward the ground and shouted, "Earth Shield!"

WHOOSH! CRACK-CRACK!

Mana surged through his body and into the earth beneath his feet. A thick slab of soil and stone erupted between him and the charging wolf just as its jaws snapped shut.

KRAAASH!

The impact sent a shockwave through the makeshift barrier, cracking its surface and scattering chunks of earth in every direction.

Although the shield couldn’t withstand the full force of the collision, it served its purpose. Instead of sinking its teeth into Kyle’s throat, the wolf struck the barrier and was forced to land a short distance away.

THUD!

Kyle immediately rolled to the side, struggling to put some distance between himself and the beast. His injured shoulder throbbed with every movement, but he couldn’t afford to pay attention to the pain. The Bloodfang Wolf was already turning toward him, its crimson eyes fixed on its prey.

"Silk Touch!"

Kyle extended his palm toward the creature, releasing a thin stream of mana that attempted to establish a connection with its body. Silk Touch was a muscle-relaxation skill that allowed him to relax the muscles of a target through direct contact with his palm. Against an opponent with a weak mental barrier, even a brief touch could interfere with their movements and create an opening for an attack.

Unfortunately, the skill wasn’t working as he had hoped.

[Can’t Use Silk Touch: High Power Difference]

For an instant, Kyle sensed the muscles beneath the wolf’s fur, but the connection immediately began to collapse. Something resisted his mana with overwhelming force, preventing the skill from taking effect.

ZZZT!

The Bloodfang Wolf’s muscles tightened, and the remaining mana dispersed into the air.

Kyle’s expression darkened. He had already suspected that the creature would be difficult to control, but experiencing its resistance firsthand made the difference between them painfully clear. The wolf was simply too powerful for him to overcome its mental barrier with Silk Touch.

"Of course it doesn’t work," he muttered.

"Why the hell would anything be easy for once?"

GRRRR!

The wolf growled and lunged again.

Kyle raised his hand and fired a Mana Missile directly at its face.

FWIP! BOOM!

The concentrated projectile struck above the creature’s eye, tearing through its fur and leaving a bloody wound. The wolf’s head snapped sideways, and it released a furious shriek before stumbling backward.

SKREEEE!

For a moment, Kyle thought he had finally gained the upper hand. However, the creature recovered far faster than he expected and charged again, seemingly enraged by the injury.

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

Kyle threw himself aside, but his movements were slower than before. The wolf’s claws caught his side, tearing through his already damaged clothing and opening several deep wounds along his ribs.

SHRAAAK!

Pain erupted through his body, and he crashed onto the forest floor with a strangled gasp.

THUD!

He clutched his side, feeling warm blood seep between his fingers. The wounds were serious enough that even breathing had become painful, and the thought of how much blood he might lose sent a chill through him.

The Bloodfang Wolf turned around, its injured face twisted into a vicious snarl. Blood dripped from its muzzle, but the beast showed no intention of retreating.

Kyle forced himself to his feet, using a nearby tree root for support. His shoulder was injured, his ribs were bleeding, and his legs had begun to tremble. The absence of his Amulet of Light made him feel especially vulnerable, since he no longer had even the modest defensive boost the accessory had provided.

He needed to end this fight before his injuries became any worse.

The wolf lowered its body, preparing to leap at him once more. Kyle recognized the movement and immediately began gathering mana in both hands.

"Water Prison!"

SHHHHH!

Moisture gathered around his palms before surging toward the beast in a twisting mass. The water wrapped around its legs and torso, forming a prison that tightened as Kyle poured more mana into the spell.

SPLASH!

The wolf struggled violently, but its movements were restricted enough to give Kyle a precious opportunity.

His heart leaped with hope.

"That’s it! Stay right there, you bitch!"

He clenched his fists and concentrated on maintaining the spell. If he could keep the wolf trapped for a few more seconds, he might be able to finish it with another Mana Missile. His injuries made a prolonged battle increasingly dangerous, and he couldn’t afford to waste the opening.

However, the Bloodfang Wolf was far from helpless.

Its muscles bulged beneath its fur as it struggled against the water. The surrounding mana fluctuated, and Kyle felt the strain on his concentration increase sharply. He tried to reinforce the prison, but the effort drained his remaining reserves faster than he had anticipated.

GRRRRROOOOAAAR!

The wolf suddenly roared.

BOOOOM! SPLAAASH!

The Water Prison burst apart, sending a torrent of water across the forest floor. The force of the release threw Kyle backward, and he landed hard on his injured side.

CRUNCH!

A cry escaped his throat as pain shot through his ribs, leaving him gasping and momentarily unable to move.

For several seconds, he could only lie there, struggling to draw breath.

’This is bad.’

The realization settled over him with terrifying clarity. He wasn’t fighting another human who might hesitate or surrender when the situation turned against them. The Bloodfang Wolf was a predator, and its only concern was killing the creature in front of it.

Worse, the predator was winning.

The wolf emerged from the dissipating water, its breathing ragged and its body covered in blood. One of its forelegs trembled when it put weight on it, and the wound above its eye had begun to swell. Yet despite its injuries, it remained capable of attacking.

"What a beast!"

Kyle pushed himself onto his knees and assessed his options. Silk Touch had failed against the wolf’s mental resistance, Water Prison couldn’t hold it for long, and his Mana Missiles hadn’t inflicted enough damage to stop it. Earth Shield could protect him for a moment, but it wouldn’t guarantee his survival.

He needed to use his remaining skills more intelligently.

The wolf began circling him, its gaze occasionally drifting toward the blood running down Kyle’s side. The creature could smell his injuries, and Kyle suspected that every second he spent bleeding made him a more tempting target.

"Listen again, you bastard," he muttered, trying to steady his voice. "I don’t want to fight you. Just leave me alone!"

The wolf responded with a low growl.

GRRRRR...

Kyle sighed. "Yeah, I didn’t think you’d be reasonable."

The beast suddenly sprang forward again.

This time, Kyle anticipated its movement and slammed his palm toward the ground. Another Earth Shield erupted in front of him, but instead of attempting to create an immovable wall, he shaped it at an angle.

KRRRSH!

The wolf struck the barrier with its full weight, and the shield cracked almost immediately. However, the angled surface redirected the beast’s momentum, forcing it to stumble sideways when the earthen structure collapsed.

CRAAACK! THUD!

Its injured foreleg buckled briefly beneath its weight.

Kyle seized the opportunity and rushed toward it, ignoring the pain in his ribs. He pressed his palm against the wolf’s neck and activated Silk Touch once more.

"Fucking Hell!"

The skill established a connection, but the wolf’s mental resistance immediately pushed back against his mana. Kyle felt as though he were trying to force his way through an impenetrable wall. The creature’s power overwhelmed him, and he knew he couldn’t sustain the connection for more than an instant.

Still, the brief contact disrupted the muscles around its neck just enough to make its head dip unexpectedly.

SNAP!

Its jaws snapped shut a fraction of a second before reaching Kyle’s throat.

That tiny delay was all he needed.

"Mana Missile!"

FWOOOSH! BOOM!

Kyle released the spell at point-blank range. The concentrated mana struck beneath the wolf’s jaw, sending it staggering backward with a choking snarl. The creature’s front legs buckled momentarily, and Kyle finally saw genuine weakness in its movements.

But he was weakening, too.

His mana reserves were running dangerously low, his injured arm was trembling, and every breath seemed to drive another knife into his ribs. The effort required to keep himself standing was becoming almost unbearable.

The wolf shook its head and turned toward him again.

"Seriously?" Kyle gasped. "What the fuck are you made of?"