NOVEL NEXT Chapter 73: First
The white wolves wasted no time.
The moment the broken howl reached their ears, their bodies moved.
Muscles tensed, claws dug into the dirt, and in an instant they were sprinting at full speed.
The ground barely registered their weight before they were already closing the distance, and by the time two seconds had passed, they had arrived at the source.
What they found froze them mid-step.
Their comrade, the one who had cried out for help, was no longer on the ground.
Instead, his limp body dangled in the air, lifted effortlessly by a figure dressed entirely in black.
The matte helmet, the visor hiding his face, the dark gloves gripping the weapon — all of it painted a picture that sent a sharp warning through their instincts.
This was no ordinary opponent.
[EXP +7]
The system notification blinked to life, another insult added to the scene, and the figure tilted his head slightly in their direction.
His voice followed right after, muffled through the helmet, but dripping with sarcasm as though he had been waiting for this exact moment.
"Oh wow, you came here pretty fast," Lanz said, casually raising the corpse higher before letting it drop to the dirt.
"Even though this spot is only, what, six meters away? I honestly expected you to show up after ten seconds or so. But hey, good hustle."
The wolves growled low, their bodies lowering toward the ground.
Their paws spread wide, claws dug into the soil, their muscles coiling like drawn bows.
They weren't just approaching an enemy anymore — they were staring at a monster that had already torn through their pack with no hesitation, and now stood in front of them with blood still dripping from his blade.
"Feisty," Lanz commented, amusement clear in his tone.
His visor reflected the faint light as he tightened his grip on his weapon and shifted his stance. "But I'm also short on time, so let's do this sh*t."
As soon as Lanz spat those words out, the undergrowth cracked open with a violent snap, and the three white wolves tore through the shadows together, their massive frames pushing branches aside.
Each one stood nearly two meters tall, their fur shimmering in the thin light that managed to pierce through the canopy, but none of that compared to the fire burning in their eyes, eyes so bright they cut through the dark and made everything else feel smaller.
They didn't hesitate. They didn't test the waters. They didn't need to waver for sh*t.
So they just lunged straight at him, three bodies of muscle and fangs closing in at once, and Lanz had to move or get buried alive under their combined weight.
His hand clenched harder around the hilt of the Aged Blade Fragment, the edge trembling from the pressure of his grip, and he muttered through gritted teeth, "Ain't no way you pieces of sh*ts are about to jump my ass."
The wolves didn't care about insults.
They were already sprinting, claws raking through the soil so hard the ground itself almost seemed to split open in lines that stretched with their charge.
They were fast, far too fast for something that heavy, and the air seemed to tear with the speed they carried as they zeroed in on him.
Lanz bent his knees, breath locking in his chest, and let the tension coil through his body.
The moment their shadows fell over him, he moved, his body bursting to the side before those claws shredded him apart.
[Phantom Stride — Activated.]
The command burned through his veins and his body snapped out of place, his form cutting into the night until even the wolves' glowing eyes failed to catch him.
His afterimage still lingered in their path, a faint blur tricking their instincts into ripping through where he no longer stood, when in reality he had already reappeared meters away, boots grinding against the soaked dirt.
His legs screamed with strain, sparks of pain stabbing through his calves, but he didn't let it stop him.
His blade was already raised, the sword catching what little light it could, and before the wolves could even turn, the weapon was in motion.
The first wolf was too reckless for its own good.
Its fangs clamped down at the space where his throat had been a heartbeat earlier, but Lanz had already driven his body forward, shoulder dipping low as he angled the Aged Blade Fragment upward in a vicious sweep.
The edge cut across its fur and flesh, and the beast's momentum twisted into a staggered recoil, a spray of blood scattering over the leaves as it stumbled sideways in a broken sound.
The second wolf didn't bother hesitating, didn't even twitch toward the sight of its ally reeling back.
It moved straight in, closing the gap with a blur of pale fur tearing through the dark, its claws already raised to split him down the chest.
The swipe carried enough force to shred bark off the trees behind him if it connected, but Lanz met it head-on, his body twisting as he brought the fragment down into the strike.
The sound was ugly and violent, steel scraping against claw in a clash that sent a shock shuddering up his arms.
His grip almost slipped from the impact, and for a moment he felt the blade grind against resistance that wanted nothing more than to crush him under its weight.
His boots sank deeper into the damp soil, pressed down by the force, but he clenched his teeth and shoved back with everything he had, carving enough space to rip the beast's momentum off course.
The wolf skidded back a single step, and that was enough for him to catch his breath.
His chest heaved, his lungs burning in the tightness of the fight, every inhale cutting through him sharp, but the strain only dragged a grin to his lips beneath the helmet.
It was crooked, stubborn, and didn't match the exhaustion digging into his arms.
"F*ck," he muttered, the word slipping out low, too quiet for anything but the trees to hear, but it didn't matter.
The curse grounded him, pulled his focus into the clash, and his eyes stayed locked on the next move.
As for the scarred wolf? Yeah, that f*cker still hasn't moved yet.
Its frame was tense but steady, muscles bunched under the pale coat as its eyes stayed locked on him unblinking, tracking every shift in his stance.
Unlike the others, it wasn't lunging without thought, wasn't caught up in the frenzy of the hunt.
It was waiting, studying, letting its pack-mates wear him down before it struck.
That was the part that dug at Lanz, because it meant the one with the scar was the real fight, and this was just the warm-up.
The first wolf he had cut earlier didn't care about plans or patience.
It snarled, fury dripping as freely as the blood staining its coat, and it darted forward again with even more aggression, the wound across its side only adding fuel to its charge.
The second wolf wasn't far behind, claws tearing lines across the soil as it closed the distance in sync with its ally.
Both came at him from opposite sides, angles that left no room for hesitation, forcing him into a choice.
He could run and try to catch his breath, or he could commit to one and risk being torn apart by the other.
Instead, he ignored both options.
His grip steadied, his focus narrowed, and his blade pulsed faint red, mana crawling over the fragment's edge in a thin glow that throbbed with each heartbeat.
[Crimson Slash — Activated.]
The system call surged through him, power flowing from his chest to his arm until the blade vibrated with energy that demanded release.
When the wolves struck, his sword answered in kind.
He swung horizontally, the motion intentional, and the fragment carved outward in a crimson flare that lit the dark with violent heat.
The enhanced cut was too much for the second wolf to take head-on.
It twisted back at the last moment, but not fast enough to avoid the strike completely, a harsh line splitting open across its shoulder as the force sent it stumbling away with a yelp that cut through the night.
The first wolf tried to commit, to push past the glowing strike in an attempt to reach him before the arc finished, but it caught the blade across its foreleg, the energy tearing deep enough to buckle its stance.
For a fraction of a second, its weight collapsed, balance failing under it.
That fraction was all he needed.
Lanz's boots pressed hard into the ground, and his body blurred forward in an instant as [Phantom Stride] ripped through his veins again, snapping him out of their sightlines.
His form reappeared at the wolf's back, the limp in its leg leaving its guard wide open.
Lanz didn't hesitate. Why would he?
His sword thrust forward, the fragment sinking deep into muscle and flesh, piercing the wolf's spine with brutal force.
The beast shrieked, its entire body thrashing violently as blood erupted across the dirt in a spray that stung his face and coated his armor.
Its claws scraped wildly at the ground, tearing lines in the soil as it tried to break free, but Lanz only twisted his grip and ripped the blade out in one sharp pull.
The wolf's body gave out immediately, its legs folding under the weight of its collapse.
It hit the ground hard, the thud of impact shaking through the earth, a pool of blood spreading beneath its twitching frame before it finally stilled.
[EXP +15]
The system notification flickered faintly at the edge of his vision, but he barely spared it a glance.
His chest rose and fell, heat pouring out of him in short bursts as he let a steamy sigh escape through his helmet, fogging it in the process.
He dragged the back of his gloves across his helmet, smearing the streak of blood instead of wiping it clean, and muttered to himself with a dry grin tugging at his lips, "Two left."
His eyes flicked back to the scarred wolf, the one that still hadn't moved.
End of Chapter 73.
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ALT SYSTEM — USER PROFILE: ZERO
Level: 15
EXP: 138 / 150
Next Reward: Quick Sever
Global System Tracking: DISABLED
World Rank Association: UNLINKED
Stats:
STR: 20 | AGI: 10 (Affinity) | VIT: 5 | DEX: 5 | INT: 17 | WIS: 5
[Available Stat Points: 0]
[Derived Stat — MANA: 81 / 90]
Skills:
[Crimson Slash Lv. 1]
[Phantom Stride Lv. 2]
[Instinctive Blade Lv.1]
[Predictive Guard Lv.1]
[Skill Fusion Menu: Active]
[Dev Tree: Tier 0 Access Granted]
[Developer Node – Fusion Core Anchor: Active]
[Skill Slot Available — Unassigned]
Equipment:
Aged Blade Fragment (??? Rarity) (Bound)
Training Ring (+1 VIT)
Bag :)
Ring of Genorya - ???