CHAPTER 92 — REAL

The carriage wheels finally stopped.

Percy opened his eyes.

It was completely dark outside.

The moon was hidden behind clouds.

The driver turned around.

“The mission area starts here.”

William checked his map.

“We're at the right spot.”

Arthur opened the door.

Cold air rushed in.

Charlotte shivered involuntarily.

Marcus looked outside.

Nothing was visible between the trees.

Clara took her wand in hand.

Percy got out first.

His foot touched the earth.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then he turned back.

Clara was holding out her hand.

Percy took it.

Clara stepped down.

The others followed.

The driver gathered the reins.

“I won't be here in the morning.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

“Lovely.”

The driver continued seriously.

“A team will be sent when you signal.”

Percy nodded.

“We won't signal.”

The driver looked at him for a few seconds.

Then turned the horses around.

The wheels started moving again.

The sound slowly receded.

Then disappeared completely.

Six people were left alone.

Truly alone.

Percy looked at the forest.

Trees weren't like this in the simulations.

They had a smell.

The wind really moved the leaves.

The earth really gave beneath your feet.

And the darkness...

Was truly dark.

Arthur broke the silence.

“Pathfinder.”

Percy looked at him.

“What?”

Arthur smiled faintly.

“Say something.”

Percy thought for a few seconds.

“What should I say?”

William adjusted his glasses.

“That was very reassuring.”

Charlotte laughed.

But it didn't last long.

Percy took a breath.

“All right.”

“Marcus.”

Marcus turned immediately.

“You're our eyes.”

Marcus nodded.

“William.”

“Here.”

“You keep track of the route.”

William lifted his map.

“I am.”

Percy looked at Arthur.

“You...”

Arthur waited.

Percy grinned.

“Don't make too much noise.”

Arthur's face fell.

“What did I do?”

Just then, a branch broke.

CRACK.

Everyone looked at Arthur.

Arthur looked down.

A thick branch lay beneath his foot.

Charlotte whispered.

“Stone Man.”

Arthur gritted his teeth.

“Not another word.”

Charlotte smiled.

They advanced.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

Marcus tracked the shadows.

But the darkness was too dense.

Everything was shadow.

That didn't make things easier.

It made them harder.

William kept looking at the map.

Then around him.

Then back at the map.

He lingered too long at one turn.

Percy noticed.

“William.”

“Hm?”

“You're overthinking.”

William didn't answer.

He folded the map.

“True.”

Clara brought up a little light.

A white glow illuminated their surroundings.

Percy raised his hand immediately.

“Dim it.”

Clara looked at him.

“Why?”

“It reveals us too.”

Clara dimmed the light.

“Right.”

Charlotte looked behind her.

Then at her bag.

Then behind her again.

Percy saw it.

“Charlotte.”

“What?”

“The supplies are still there.”

Charlotte let go of her bag.

“I was checking.”

“For the third time.”

Charlotte went quiet.

Percy smiled at her.

“I'm scared too.”

Charlotte's expression softened.

“Okay.”

Percy started walking again.

His own hand was trembling slightly too.

Clara saw it.

But said nothing.

Far away...

Two people stood on a hill.

Galahad had his arms folded.

Holar stood beside him.

Both were looking down.

Galahad broke the silence.

“Why are you here?”

Holar looked at him.

“Came out for some air.”

Galahad looked around.

It was night.

They were in a forest.

Above the mission area.

“Air.”

“Yes.”

“Here.”

“Yes.”

Galahad nodded.

“Coincidence.”

Holar looked at him.

“Why are you here?”

Galahad didn't hesitate.

“Came out for some air.”

Holar stayed quiet for a few seconds.

Then looked down.

“Of course.”

Both were lying.

Both knew it.

Neither continued.

A sound came from the forest.

Low.

Long.

Deep.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWL!

All six stopped at once.

The hair on Percy's neck stood up.

Arthur's hands rose on their own.

Did the author approve this copy? No; the chapter was taken from NovelPhoenix, where reading their publication supports them.

Charlotte's breath caught.

William lowered the map.

Marcus's shadow expanded.

Clara moved closer to Percy.

The sound came again.

Closer this time.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOWL!

Then...

Came the aura.

As though the air had grown heavy.

Pressure settled on Percy's chest.

Clara's light flickered.

Arthur's jaw tightened.

Charlotte took an involuntary step back.

William's fingers froze.

Marcus's shadow scattered for a moment.

No one spoke.

The darkness between the trees changed.

Two green points opened.

Eyes.

Then a large head emerged.

Shoulders.

A chest.

Long forelegs.

The creature dropped onto all fours.

It was roughly three meters tall.

Arthur let out a breath.

“It's bigger than the one in the simulation.”

William answered immediately.

“Much bigger.”

The wolf bared its teeth.

Saliva dripped onto the ground.

Then it barked.

WOOF!

The sound struck their chests.

Charlotte stepped back.

Percy's eyes widened.

“Okay.”

Arthur looked at him.

“Okay what?”

Before Percy could answer...

Another growl came.

From the right.

Marcus suddenly turned.

“Another one.”

A second wolf emerged from the darkness.

It was a little leaner than the first.

But its eyes were sharper.

They walked forward together.

Percy's voice changed at once.

“Get in formation.”

Everyone moved.

“William, all the way back.”

William pulled back.

“Marcus.”

“See what we can't.”

Marcus spread his shadow.

“Arthur, up front.”

Arthur formed his shield.

“Clara, right side.”

Clara raised her wand.

“I'll take left.”

Chaos fire wrapped around Percy.

“Charlotte.”

“One position ahead of the rear.”

Charlotte moved in front of William.

Percy took a deep breath.

“No one splits off.”

Arthur nodded.

Clara looked at Percy.

Percy didn't look at her.

Both wolves attacked at once.

The first came at Arthur.

Arthur set his shield.

“IMPENETRABLE SHIELD OF EARTH!”

The claw descended.

BOOOOOOM!

Arthur slid backward five meters.

His feet plowed through the earth.

The shield cracked.

Arthur's eyes widened.

“YOU MOTHER—”

The second wolf leaped at Percy.

Percy moved sideways.

The claw swept in front of his chest.

Chaos fire rose.

Percy extended his palm.

Flames struck the wolf's shoulder.

The wolf barked.

But didn't retreat.

It came through the fire.

Percy's expression changed.

“It's in pain.”

Clara understood.

“But it's not stopping.”

The wolf slammed into Percy.

Percy spun through the air.

Hit a tree.

“Percy!”

Clara turned to him.

The first wolf got past Arthur.

Ran straight at Clara.

William shouted.

“RIGHT!”

Clara turned at the last moment.

“Spear of Light!”

A white spear shot forward.

The wolf turned its head.

The spear tore its cheek.

But didn't bring it down.

The wolf reached Clara.

Clara activated her defense.

BAM!

White light burst outward.

Clara was pushed back two meters.

She stayed on her feet.

But her breathing faltered.

Charlotte raised her hand immediately.

“Grace of Life.”

Green energy flowed into Clara.

Clara's breathing steadied.

But the wolves didn't wait.

Marcus vanished into the shadows.

He tried to emerge behind the first wolf.

But fear...

Delayed him half a second.

The wolf turned.

A claw came as Marcus was still emerging.

Marcus threw himself backward.

The claw grazed his chest.

His uniform tore.

Marcus rolled across the ground.

William's eyes widened.

“Marcus!”

Marcus tried to get up.

“I'm fine.”

Percy heard him.

Wiped the blood from his own lip.

“Liar.”

Marcus looked at him.

Percy smiled.

“But we'll talk later.”

The second wolf turned toward William.

Charlotte stepped in front of him.

“No.”

Arthur thrust his shield sideways.

The wolf hit it.

Arthur went flying again.

Charlotte didn't fall this time.

William raised both hands.

“Ice Lance!”

Three lances shot forward.

The wolf broke the first.

Dodged the second.

The third pierced its leg.

The wolf growled.

Then shattered the lance.

William's expression changed.

“Not enough.”

Percy ran back toward the center.

“None of us is enough.”

Arthur looked at him.

Percy continued.

“We do this together.”

Minutes passed.

But they felt like hours.

The first wolf was pushing Arthur hard.

The second pursued Percy.

Clara kept closing gaps.

William calculated routes.

Marcus moved through the shadows.

Charlotte kept everyone standing.

But...

None of them could finish it.

When one wolf fell...

The other increased the pressure.

When Percy found an opening...

The wolf accepted the pain.

When Arthur put up a shield...

The creature went around it.

When William made ice...

Claws broke it.

When Marcus moved behind them...

Scent gave them away.

When Clara intensified her light...

The wolves didn't squint.

When Charlotte gave them buffs...

Her Orin drained rapidly.

Percy took a hit to his left shoulder.

Blood dripped onto the ground.

Clara's lip split.

Arthur's right arm went numb.

Charlotte's knees were trembling.

William's breathing was uneven.

Marcus's chest was bleeding.

The two wolves...

Were still standing.

Arthur spoke between gasps.

“How long has it been?”

William checked the time.

“Eighteen minutes.”

Arthur's mouth fell open.

“THAT'S ALL?”

Percy wanted to laugh.

He couldn't.

For the first time...

He truly thought about it.

They could die here.

All of them.

Now.

Tonight.

Clara looked at Percy's face.

Saw that he had realized it too.

For the first time, Percy looked away.

He was scared.

So was Clara.

The first wolf attacked again.

Arthur raised his shield.

The shield broke.

Arthur fell.

The second wolf caught Clara.

Clara activated her light defense.

But she was too late.

The claw struck her shoulder.

Clara was thrown to the ground.

“CLARA!”

Percy ran to her.

The other wolf cut him off.

Percy sent fire.

The wolf came through the flames.

Its chest slammed into Percy.

Percy fell.

The breath left him.

Charlotte activated her buff again.

Her Orin wasn't enough.

The green energy flickered.

Went out.

Charlotte sank to her knees.

William tried to reach her.

A claw swept past his cheek.

William dove to the ground.

Marcus entered a shadow.

But his exit was blocked.

The wolf struck with its tail.

Marcus hit a tree.

There was no silence.

Only growls.

Galahad stepped forward on the hill.

“Enough.”

Holar didn't look at him.

Galahad's hand was clenched into a fist.

“They're going to die.”

Holar's face was like stone.

“Wait.”

Galahad turned to him.

“How long?”

Below, one wolf was approaching Clara.

The other stood before Arthur.

Percy was on the ground.

Galahad took a step.

“I'm going.”

Just then...

Percy's fingers moved.

Galahad stopped.

Percy gripped the earth.

Pulled himself along.

One centimeter.

Then another.

Clara's hand was close.

Percy reached out.

His fingers touched Clara's.

Clara opened her eyes.

Percy took her hand.

“Clara.”

Clara didn't answer.

But squeezed Percy's hand.

Percy tried to stand.

Clara rose with him.

Charlotte saw it.

Crawled to Arthur.

Held out her hand.

“Stone Man.”

Arthur opened his eyes.

Took Charlotte's hand.

William reached Marcus.

Marcus draped an arm over his shoulder.

They helped each other up.

Six people...

Slowly stood.

Galahad's hand relaxed.

Holar finally exhaled.

Galahad looked at him.

“You were waiting for this.”

Holar didn't answer.

But his eyes were smiling.

The first wolf growled at Arthur.

Arthur wiped his bloody lip.

Then laughed.

“Come here.”

The wolf lowered its head.

Arthur slammed both hands onto the ground.

“Come here...”

The earth trembled.

“...you stinking...”

The ground beneath the wolf swelled.

“...four-legged son of a bitch!”

BOOOOOOM!

A pillar of earth erupted.

The wolf was launched into the air.

Clara raised her wand.

Charlotte turned her hand toward Clara.

“Grace of Life.”

Green energy wrapped around Clara.

Clara's light grew.

“Resonance of Light!”

White light caught the wolf.

Its body stopped in midair.

Percy raised Blaze.

The sky turned red.

William looked up.

Percy shouted.

“Descent of the Fire Angel!”

A ring of fire opened.

Giant wings appeared.

The fire angel descended.

The wolf began hurtling toward the ground.

William narrowed his eyes.

“Not yet.”

Percy looked at him.

William gathered ice.

The wolf's head was pointing down.

William brought both hands down.

“ICE LANCE!”

A giant ice lance rose.

Before the wolf touched the ground...

The lance struck its head.

BOOOOOOM!

Ice fragments scattered everywhere.

The wolf's body hit the ground.

It didn't move.

Silence.

Only one second.

Because the other wolf saw.

Its green eyes changed.

Its growl deepened.

Its aura erupted again.

This time, it was angry.

It looked at the first wolf's corpse.

Then at the six children.

And attacked.

William's eyes moved.

The wolf was heading for Percy.

It changed direction at the last moment.

“Marcus.”

Marcus was ready.

William shouted.

“LEFT!”

Marcus didn't think.

He stepped left.

Then sank down.

Vanished into his own shadow.

The wolf leaped at Percy.

Percy didn't retreat.

The wolf's shadow...

Grew right in front of him.

A hand emerged.

Then Marcus.

Directly behind the wolf.

The wolf tried to turn.

Too late.

Marcus's eyes darkened.

Shadow wrapped around both his arms.

“Shadow Execution.”

A dark line descended.

Passed through the wolf's neck.

Its body hung in the air.

Then fell.

There was no further movement.

No one spoke.

Percy was breathing.

Very fast.

Clara's hands were trembling.

Arthur sat on the ground.

Charlotte dropped beside him immediately.

William took off his glasses.

Marcus stayed beside the wolf.

Everyone was covered in blood.

Some of it was their own.

Some wasn't.

Percy looked at the first wolf.

Then the second.

“They're dead.”

No one answered.

Percy said it again.

“They're really dead.”

Clara's eyes filled with tears.

Arthur lowered his head.

Charlotte began crying quietly.

William wiped his eyes.

Marcus turned away.

Tears ran from Percy's eyes too.

No one hid it.

William recovered first.

He took out his notebook.

His hand was trembling.

He wrote anyway.

“Two wolves.”

Arthur looked at him.

“Now?”

William nodded.

“Now.”

“Before we forget.”

Percy sat back on his knees.

“Eighteen minutes.”

William wrote it down.

“First major mistake...”

Marcus answered.

“I spotted the second wolf too late.”

Clara:

“I used too much light.”

Arthur:

“I underestimated the first blow.”

Charlotte:

“I spent my Orin too early.”

William:

“I overcalculated.”

Everyone looked at Percy.

Percy thought for a while.

“I...”

Stopped.

Then continued.

“I realized too late that we couldn't finish them.”

William wrote it down.

Arthur clenched his fists.

“Two of them did this to us.”

William raised his head.

“Thirty-three more to go.”

Arthur closed his eyes.

“William.”

“What?”

“I love you.”

William raised an eyebrow.

Arthur continued.

“But shut up sometimes.”

William closed his notebook.

“Okay.”

Charlotte tried to laugh.

Couldn't.

Clara was still crying.

Then suddenly stood up.

“Everyone up.”

No one moved.

Clara's voice hardened.

“Now.”

Percy raised his head.

Arthur looked at her.

Charlotte wiped her eyes.

William stood up.

So did Marcus.

Finally, Percy rose.

Clara raised her wand.

White light spread.

A gentle wave passed through.

Wind tossed their hair.

The blood on their faces cooled.

The tears in their eyes dried.

Clara looked at all of them.

“Pull yourselves together.”

No one spoke.

Clara continued.

“This is our first battle.”

“Our first real battle.”

“We were bad.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

Clara looked at him.

“Really bad.”

Arthur nodded.

“True.”

Clara continued.

“But we're still here.”

“I don't want to talk now.”

“First, we find a safe campsite.”

“Rest.”

“Then we'll talk about everything.”

Percy looked at her.

For a long time.

Then nodded.

“Okay.”

They cut parts from the monsters.

No one liked it.

But they did it.

Percy opened the spatial ring.

Put both pieces inside.

The mission progress changed.

[GREEN-EYED WOLF: 2/35]

Arthur looked at the text.

“Thirty-three.”

William opened his mouth.

Arthur raised a finger.

“Don't.”

William stayed quiet.

They started walking again.

The night had grown darker still.

Marcus checked the shadows ahead.

William read the map.

Percy stopped after a few minutes.

Two paths lay before them.

Both led into darkness.

William looked at the map.

“Left is shorter.”

Percy crouched.

Examined the ground.

Then stood.

“Right is safer.”

Clara looked at him.

“Are you sure?”

Percy nodded.

“Yes.”

Then looked into the darkness.

He was quiet for a while.

“But I can't see.”

Clara stood beside him.

“I'm here.”

Percy looked at her.

Clara raised her wand.

White light bloomed.

This time, it wasn't broad.

Wasn't bright either.

It only lit the path before them.

Percy looked at the light.

Then at Clara.

Clara smiled.

“Walk, Pathfinder.”

Percy smiled too.

“Yes, ma'am.”

Arthur called from behind.

“Save the romance for later.”

Charlotte looked at him.

“Stone Man.”

Arthur sighed.

“Why did I speak?”

They walked for about forty minutes.

Marcus finally raised a hand.

“Stop.”

Everyone stopped.

Marcus pointed ahead.

A small stony clearing lay before them.

Rock walls bordered three sides.

Only one entrance was visible.

William checked the surroundings.

“Good.”

Arthur looked at the ground.

“I can build a wall.”

Charlotte spoke immediately.

“Rest first.”

Arthur looked at her.

“I'm fine.”

Charlotte narrowed her eyes.

Arthur lowered his head.

“I'll rest a little.”

Clara smiled.

“Progress.”

Arthur:

“Now you've started too.”

They set up camp.

Arthur built a low wall at the entrance.

Marcus spread shadows around the perimeter.

William set a watch route.

Charlotte checked their wounds.

Clara reduced the light.

Percy didn't light a fire.

He didn't want to give away their position.

The six sat quietly.

No one wanted to speak first.

Percy looked at his hands.

The blood had been cleaned away.

But he could still feel it.

The wolf's breath.

Its claw.

Its aura.

The moment he thought they would die.

Then he thought of Clara.

“Everyone up.”

Percy raised his head.

Clara sat across from him.

Quietly bandaging her wound.

Percy suddenly stood up.

Arthur looked at him.

“What happened?”

Percy looked at all of them.

“Guys.”

William put down his notebook.

Marcus turned.

Charlotte paid attention.

Clara looked at him too.

Percy took a breath.

“That was bad.”

Arthur laughed.

“Good start.”

Percy laughed faintly too.

“It was really bad.”

“We made a lot of mistakes.”

“We suffered a lot.”

“We were really scared.”

Percy paused.

“But we did it.”

No one spoke.

Percy continued.

“Next time...”

“We'll be better.”

“Much better.”

Arthur nodded.

So did William.

Then Percy looked at Clara.

“There's something else.”

Clara raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

Percy put his hands in his pockets.

“Earlier...”

“What Clara said...”

“I should have said it.”

Clara's expression changed.

Percy continued immediately.

“So I'm going to do this now.”

Arthur looked at Percy.

William smiled faintly.

Percy moved into their midst.

“I was going to wait.”

“I wasn't going to do it until there were eight of us.”

Charlotte looked surprised.

“Teams have eight people.”

Percy nodded.

“Yes.”

“But I realized something today.”

Everyone waited.

Percy gestured at Clara.

“Meet Clara Leyvar.”

Clara's eyes widened.

Percy continued.

“Deputy leader of First Spark of Hope.”

Arthur smiled.

Charlotte's face brightened.

William picked up his pen again.

Clara was looking at Percy.

Percy's voice softened.

“The one who sees what Pathfinder can't.”

“Who notices what he misses.”

“When necessary...”

“Who knocks some sense into even Pathfinder.”

Arthur spoke immediately.

“That'll happen a lot.”

Percy looked at him.

“Green.”

Arthur went quiet.

Charlotte giggled.

Percy turned back to Clara.

“Her team nickname...”

He thought for a moment.

Clara waited.

Percy smiled.

“Guiding Light.”

Silence.

Clara's eyes filled slightly.

Percy continued.

“Pathfinder finds the path.”

“Guiding Light...”

“Shows him the path he can't see.”

William nodded slowly.

“Fitting.”

Marcus spoke too.

“Very.”

Percy shrugged.

“You can call her something shorter if you want.”

Clara raised an eyebrow.

Percy grinned.

“Daughter of Light.”

Arthur laughed.

So did Charlotte.

Clara walked toward Percy.

Percy took a step back.

“What?”

Clara stopped in front of him.

“Say it again.”

Percy raised an eyebrow.

“Which one?”

The corner of Clara's mouth lifted.

“Guiding Light.”

Percy smiled.

“Guiding Light.”

Clara nodded.

“Okay.”

Percy relaxed.

Then Clara grabbed his ear.

“AAAA!”

Percy bent down.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

Clara stayed calm.

“Knocking some sense into Pathfinder.”

Arthur dissolved into laughter.

Charlotte covered her face.

Even William laughed.

Marcus shook his head.

Percy tried to free his ear.

“ALREADY?!”

Clara didn't let go.

“Get used to it.”

Percy laughed through the pain.

The tension in the camp broke.

A little.

Only a little.

But it was enough.

Far away...

Galahad sat on the rocks above.

Holar stood beside him.

Galahad looked at the little light below.

“Guiding Light.”

Holar's mouth curved faintly.

“Suits her.”

Galahad looked at Percy.

“Two wolves.”

Holar nodded.

“Two wolves.”

“I nearly stepped in.”

“I know.”

Galahad looked at him.

“So did you.”

Holar didn't answer.

That counted as an answer.

Galahad looked down again.

The six children were laughing now.

An hour ago...

They had thought they would die.

Now they were dressing their wounds.

Discussing their mistakes.

And planning tomorrow.

Galahad smiled quietly.

“They've begun.”

Holar looked toward the distant forest.

“No.”

Galahad raised an eyebrow.

Holar pointed at Percy below.

“They're beginning now.”

The white light in the camp...

Looked small in the middle of the darkness.

But it didn't need to illuminate the entire path.

For now...

Showing the next step was enough.

CHAPTER 92 — REAL

END