Chapter 363: Ghet Ulg Can Fight

Seren froze for half a second.

The wolf was already in the air, its massive body blocking out the light, its horns aimed directly at her chest. She could see its yellow eyes, its bared teeth, the muscles rippling beneath its fur. It was fast. Too fast. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t do anything but watch as the creature descended toward her.

The wolves had been smart. Smarter than she had expected. They had assessed the situation, had identified the threats, and had made their calculations. Ghet Ulg was the main force to fear here. He was tall, strong, and deadly. He could rip them in half, rip them to pieces, crush them with his bare hands.

He was an undead knight, a creature of death and magic, something that didn’t tire, didn’t flinch, didn’t stop.

And he was acting as a bodyguard for Seren, protecting her, shielding her from them. Every time they tried to attack her, he was there, his weapon raised, his body blocking their path. He was the wall between them and their prey.

But the wolves were hungry. They had been hungry for days, maybe longer. The forest was a dangerous place, full of creatures larger and more deadly than them. They were predators, yes, but they were also prey. Larger things hunted them. Bigger creatures with sharper teeth and stronger claws. They had survived by being fast, by being smart, by knowing when to fight and when to flee.

And now, for the first time in days, they had found easy prey. A human. A single human, alone except for the undead knight. The undead wasn’t food, they had sniffed him, had smelled the lifeless flesh, the absence of blood, the coldness of his body. He was not food. He was a threat. But the human was food. Warm, alive, full of blood and meat. She was the prize.

So they had planned. They had waited. They had used the forest to conceal their movements, to approach from angles that the undead couldn’t cover. They had distracted Ghet Ulg, had drawn his attention, had created openings. And now, one of them had finally found its chance.

Seren tried to pull the reins, to turn the horse, to do something, but the wolf was too fast. It crashed into the horse, its horns tearing through the animal’s side. The horse screamed, a terrible sound of pain and terror, and Seren was thrown from the saddle. Her body hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of her, her vision flashing white.

Before she could get up, the wolf turned toward her. It lowered its head, its horns pointing directly at her chest. Seren reached desperately for her bow, her fingers scrambling in the dirt. The creature charged. She rolled aside at the last possible moment. The horns slammed into the ground where her body had been, dirt and stones exploding around her. Seren scrambled backward, her hands scraping against the forest floor.

For the first time, she genuinely felt like she might die.

Ghet Ulg saw her fall. He saw the wolf charge, saw Seren roll, saw the horns slam into the ground inches from her body. He saw her scramble backward, her face pale, her eyes wide, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

Something changed in the undead knight. Something shifted in his posture, in his movements, in the way he held his weapon. He had been acting as a bodyguard, protecting Seren, shielding her, keeping her safe. He had been fighting defensively, creating openings, letting her take the kills.

But now, seeing her on the ground, seeing the wolf charge at her, seeing how close she had come to death, something clicked. He stopped acting like a bodyguard. He started acting like a killer.

Ghet Ulg appeared between them. He moved faster than Seren had ever seen him move, his body a blur of rusted armor and dead flesh. He grabbed the wolf before it could attack again, his massive hands closing around its horns.

The creature thrashed violently, its strength forcing Ghet Ulg backward several steps. But the undead knight refused to release it, his feet digging into the ground, his body absorbing the impact.

He finally gained enough leverage to throw the wolf sideways. It crashed into several trees, its body snapping branches and scattering leaves. Ghet Ulg immediately moved after it, his weapon raised. The final wolf attempted to attack Seren while she was still on the ground, but Ghet Ulg intercepted it too, his body blocking its path.

The fight became brutal and close-range. Ghet Ulg and the wolves traded blows, the undead knight’s weapon clashing against their horns. He wasn’t fighting defensively anymore. He was fighting to kill. His weapon swung in wide arcs, each blow carrying the full weight of his undead strength. The wolves tried to dodge, tried to circle, tried to find openings, but Ghet Ulg was relentless.

He caught one of the wolves with a backhand swing, his weapon slamming into its side. The creature yelped, its body flying through the air before crashing into a tree. It didn’t get up. He turned to another, his weapon raised, his eyes: empty, dark, lifeless, fixed on his target. The wolf tried to charge, its horns aimed at his chest. Ghet Ulg didn’t dodge. He didn’t retreat. He simply swung his weapon, the blade meeting the wolf’s horns with a deafening CLANG.

The wolf staggered, its head snapping back. Ghet Ulg stepped forward, his weapon swinging again. The blade carved through the creature’s neck, severing its spine. The wolf collapsed, its body going still.

The last wolf circled them, its yellow eyes fixed on Ghet Ulg. It was the smartest of the pack, the one that had survived the longest. It knew it couldn’t win. It knew it was outmatched. But it was hungry, and it was desperate, and it had come too far to give up now.

Ghet Ulg didn’t give it a chance. He moved forward, his weapon raised, his body unstoppable. The wolf tried to dodge, tried to circle, tried to find an opening. But Ghet Ulg was faster. He caught the creature with a sweeping blow, his weapon slamming into its legs. The wolf stumbled, its body crashing to the ground. Ghet Ulg stepped forward, his weapon raised, and brought it down with a final, brutal strike.

The wolf went still.

Silence returned to the forest. Four massive horned wolves lay dead across the forest path, their bodies broken and still. Ghet Ulg stood over them, his weapon dripping with blood, his armor splattered with gore. He didn’t move. He didn’t speak. He simply stood there, waiting for his next command.

Seren slowly got to her feet, her clothes covered in dirt, her heart still pounding. She looked at Ghet Ulg. Then at the corpses. Then back at him.

She realized that without Ghet Ulg, that third wolf might have killed her. She had been on the ground, defenseless, the creature charging directly at her. If Ghet Ulg hadn’t intervened, she would be dead. He had saved her life. Not just by protecting her, but by fighting for her. By killing for her.

She quietly muttered, “…Okay. Maybe having an undead sitting behind me isn’t so bad.”

Ghet Ulg, naturally, said nothing.

Seren looked toward the forest ahead. They still had a long way to go before reaching Percvale. She reached for the reins, ready to continue the journey. Then she noticed something.

There were fresh tracks in the dirt. And they weren’t from the four wolves they just killed. The tracks were larger, deeper, and there were more of them. Many more. They led deeper into the forest, away from the path, toward something she couldn’t see.

Seren’s expression changed. She looked at Ghet Ulg. The undead knight turned his head toward the tracks, his body still and waiting.

There were more wolves out there. And they were close.

The first thought that came to Seren’s mind was that they should retreat. Should they go back? Follow another route, the longer route, be more safe.

She went through the possibilities in her head, weighing each option, considering each outcome. They had come a long way already. The journey from Vrethka to Percvale was not a short one, and they had covered more than half the distance. Going back now would mean retracing their steps, wasting hours, losing the advantage of surprise. Darion was waiting for them. Garren was waiting for them. The message needed to be delivered.

Going back was not an option. Hell no.

But if the fight went the way it was going now, if more wolves appeared, if the pack was larger than she expected… she might not survive. She might end up seriously injured. She might end up dead. The thought was sobering, a cold weight in her chest.

She looked at Ghet Ulg. The undead knight stood motionless beside her, his weapon still dripping with blood, his armor splattered with gore. His empty eye sockets were fixed on the tracks ahead, his body still and waiting.

And then she saw…the green fire burning in his eyes.