God of Destruction: Living Among Mortals

As they stepped through, the world changed, colors bleeding into a green palette. The air shifted; it was heavy with the scent of damp Earth and pine, not the tundra they had embraced for.

Nova's boots sank into the soft, vibrant grass; the ground felt like a spring. The trees loomed all around, their canopies thick, filtering the light into patches that seemed to be dancing across the floor.

Vines curled around trunks, moss clung to rocks, and a faint mist hung low, as if they were in a gothic novel. The dungeon itself felt alive; it didn't feel like the tundra that Marcus had led them onto.

Nova's hand itched again, but he ignored it. He didn't know why his Circle of Pillars was itching so much; maybe, he thought, it was some sort of malfunction or something, but it was far from that.

He scanned the clearing, his ears straining for any sound beyond the rustle of leaves and the distant chirp of unknown birds.

Adam stood beside him, activating his ability, his claws sprouting, his skin hardening. His eyes were wide, taking in the greenery, while also looking past it.

"Thought this was supposed to be snow and rocks," Adam muttered, his voice low, as if he didn't trust the deafening silence.

"Yeah," Nova replied, crouching slightly, getting his fists ready. "Something feels off. Stay sharp."

The air felt thick, not just with humidity but with something heavier, like the dungeon itself was omnipresent, watching their very action. A twig snapped to their left, and Nova's head sharply turned around.

Nothing but shadows between the trees. His heart picked up pace, not in fear, but with the anticipation of the upcoming fight.

Then, another snap, this one much closer this time. Then a low growl rumbled through the clearing. He turned slowly, eyes locking onto movement in the underbrush.

Five wolves stepped out, their silver fur glinting in the filtered sunlight, eyes glowing red like embers. Four were big, lean, and mean, their muscles ripped under their coats as they spread out, flanking the clearing.

But the fifth, the alpha, was something else. It stood a head taller, broader, its frame packed with muscle that made the others look scrawny. Its fur was darker, almost black at the edges, and its eyes burned brighter, locked on Nova like it already knew his weaknesses.

The alpha's lips curled back, its fangs as long as knives, and its growl was a deep, guttural, tumultuous, and torturous promise to deliver pain.

Nova grinned, his adrenaline boosting his confidence. "There's the welcoming committee."

Adam's claws flexed, his skin hardening further, scales creeping up his arms.

The wolves didn't move yet, just watched, their formation tight, like they'd hunted together a hundred times. The alpha stood center, head low, sizing them up.

Then, without a warning, the four smaller wolves lunged, two at Nova and two at Adam.

Nova barely dodged the first, its claws grazing his shoulder, tearing fabric and skin. Blood sprouted up sharply. The second wolf came low, aiming for his legs. He jumped back, slamming his fist into its snout, but it barely flinched, snapping at his arm.

These wolves were fast, maybe even faster than the holograms. He ducked another swipe, heart pounding, but the wolves moved like a unit, one feinting while the other struck.

A claw caught his thigh, pain exploding as he stumbled into a nearby tree.

Adam wasn't doing much better. His wolves had him pinned against a rock, one snapping at his face, the other clawing his side. He scales held most of the damage, but cracks quickly began to spread like wildfire across his arms and body.

"Ahhh!" he yelled, slashing wildly, spraying blood between the wolf's ribs.

Even though blood sprayed, the beast didn't stop; it rammed Adam against a rock. He grunted, sprouting thicker fur to match the wolves. But it wasn't enough. The second wolf's teeth sank into his arms, screaming wildly, shoving it off with a burst of strength.

Nova glanced back at the alpha. It hadn't moved, just sat there, eyes looking like it was laughing at them. Its tail wagged as if it were playing a game.

"SMug bastard," Nova said, dodging another claw.

He grabbed a nearby branch, swinging it like a club, cracking it across one wolf's skull. The beast yelled as its partner lunged at him, tackling him to the grass.

Teeth snapped an inch from his throat, the wolf's weight crushing his chest. He punched its ribs as hard as he could, but it only growled louder, its claws digging into his shoulders.

Adam's wolves kept coming and coming; they were relentless, as if they didn't know what "stamina" meant. He slashed one across the face, blinding it in one eye, as the other one tackled him, pinning his legs.

His scales cracked louder as the blood seeped through. "Damn it, Nova, they're too fast!" he shouted.

Nova rolled, throwing his wolf off, but it was back on him in seconds, claws tearing his back. Blood soaked his shirt, and his vision started to blur. The alpha's gaze burned into him, mocking him, as the four wolves pressed their attack, driving them deeper into a struggle they could barely handle.

Nova spat blood into the grass, forcing his eyes to stay open. His Circle of Pillars burned again, the itching now flaring like fire.

Why the hell is my hand itching so much? Nova thought, annoyed at his hand. Even if I try to ignore it, it burns even more. This is actually annoying me now.

He clenched his teeth, ignoring it, but the sensation spread down his arm, pulsing with every heartbeat. The wolf lunged again in a blur, too quick, until suddenly, it wasn't.

For a fraction of a second, everything slowed. The beast's claws hovered midair, droplets of saliva suspended like a statue. Nova caught his breath.

The wolf lunged back at him, but Nova saw it in slow motion, as if unlocking a layer in his mind that he didn't know existed.