Free Web NovelChapter 21: Battling the Wolf Alpha
Intense danger.
This was what Lucien felt the moment he moved to harvest the life of the third shadow wolf. The warning slammed into his senses like a blade pressed against his throat; cold, absolute, and immediate.
It was either he took the life of the third shadow wolf and bore the brunt of the danger that could cause his death, or he abandoned killing the third wolf and faced the danger head-on.
Lucien didn’t think twice. His instincts overrode everything else. His figure stepped into the shadows, dissolving into the darkness as if he had never been there. He reappeared more than five meters away from his original location, his heart pounding in his chest.
Shadow Stride.
He had used the skill to escape. His heart tensed, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps. Never before had Lucien felt death so close; so suffocating, so real.
He turned, his eyes scanning the dark forest, searching for the source of the threat.
And he found it.
His attacks had been dealt with, freeing the shadow wolves. But then a shadow wolf stepped forward, its presence pressing against the air like a collapsing sky. It stood a head taller than the others, its body lean and corded with dense muscle beneath black, smoldering fur. Wisps of dark smoke curled from its hide.
Its eyes were not molten gold like the others. They were pitch-black voids with two pinpricks of crimson burning at their centers, pulsing with a cold, ancient hunger.
Its claws were longer, jagged like obsidian blades. Jagged spines of dark bone rose along its back like a crown, tipped with a faint crimson glow. A thick, scarred hide covered its body, proof of countless battles survived.
Its jaws hung open, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth dripping with black, viscous saliva that sizzled on the ground.
It moved in silence, each step measured and predatory. Its gaze locked onto Lucien with an intelligence far beyond the others.
Damn, how could I forget? Lucien thought upon seeing the appearance of the Shadow Wolf.
For every pack of wolves, there must be an Alpha. And this was the one he was looking at.
He felt danger from the Alpha, the scent of death clung to it, unmistakable and suffocating.
From the aura of the Alpha, he sensed it was at the peak of the Origin Realm, or perhaps even at the Spirit Realm, or teetering on its edge.
Neither possibility was favorable to him. His current strength couldn’t easily handle the Alpha Wolf.
Even if he emerged victorious, there was no way that victory wouldn’t come at a heavy price.
And his mission was to survive.
Without further thought, Lucien bolted, leaving the scene behind.
His life was more important.
He darted through the forest with all of his agility. But as he ran, the sense of danger never disappeared.
He heard the sound of wind behind him, a sharp, tearing rush that sent a jolt of ice through his spine. His instinct screamed intensely, a primal warning that flooded every nerve in his body.
Before he could make any move, his vision turned upside down as he was sent flying.
He crashed into a tree with a sickening thud, his eyes going dizzy for a moment as he tasted something metallic and warm.
Lucien felt his back full of pain, letting out a sharp grunt. He had been sent crashing into the tree by the Alpha’s attack.
He got hold of himself and stood up, spitting out the blood from his mouth.
He looked before him as he sensed the aura of the Alpha, who was standing before him with arrogance.
"It seems I can’t escape without a fight." Lucien let out a dark chuckle.
He circulated his Originat and gripped the hilt of the Abyss Carver tighter. This time, he took the initiative to attack.
His figure blurred as he charged forward, the fallen leaves stirred by the force behind his speed.
He closed the distance in an instant, the Abyss Carver swinging in a wide arc aimed at the Alpha’s neck.
CLANG!
The Alpha’s claw met the blade, deflecting it with contemptuous ease. Sparks exploded from the collision, the impact sending a shockwave rippling through the air. Lucien felt the force travel up his arm, numbing his fingers, vibrating through his wrist and into his shoulder.
The Alpha didn’t even flinch.
Before Lucien could recover, a massive claw swept toward his side. He twisted his body, the wind from the attack grazing his ribs, tearing through his clothes. He rolled, coming up in a crouch, his eyes locked on the volkoid.
It was faster, stronger, more experienced than him.
The Alpha lunged again, its claws slashing in a blur of motion, a rapid succession of strikes aimed at his throat, his chest, his stomach. Lucien parried the first, ducked under the second, and weaved away from the third. Each movement kept him just a hair’s breadth away from death. The clash of blade against claw rang through the forest, a brutal, relentless symphony of metal and bone.
He swung upward, aiming for the Alpha’s jaw. The beast tilted its head, the blade whistling past its ear by a fraction of an inch. In return, a claw raked across his shoulder, tearing through his clothes and drawing blood. The claws dug deep, leaving three parallel gashes that burned like fire.
Lucien hissed, staggering back. A warm trickle ran down his arm, staining his sleeve. His breath came faster now, his muscles screaming in protest. Pain lanced through his shoulder with every movement, white-hot and unrelenting.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus through the agony. This was the worst injury he had suffered since arriving in this world.
His body responded, but slowly. The wound began to close, not instantly, but in agonizing increments. Each pulse of healing brought a fresh wave of pain, the flesh knitting itself back together with agonizing slowness. He could feel every fiber, every nerve, every thread of muscle pulling itself back into place.
The Alpha stood there, its crimson eyes gleaming with predatory amusement as it watched this.
It was toying with him. Playing with its food.
Lucien could feel it, and it made his blood boil.
His grip tightened on the Abyss Carver. His knuckles were white, the leather wrapping creaking under the pressure. His mind raced, analyzing the Alpha’s movements, searching for an opening, a weakness, anything he could exploit.
Think. There has to be a way.
His eyes traced the beast’s form, the thick scarred hide, the jagged spines along its back, the way it shifted its weight. Every movement was fluid, controlled. But nothing was perfect. There had to be a gap, a moment of imbalance.
Its weight shifts to the left when it attacks. The right flank is exposed for a fraction of a second. If I can time it...
He lunged again, this time feinting high. The Abyss Carver rose in a wide arc, aiming for the Alpha’s throat. The beast reacted instantly, raising its claws to block. But Lucien had already changed his trajectory.
He dropped low, the Abyss Carver slicing toward the Alpha’s front leg. The blade cut through the air, aimed at the joint behind its knee, a weak point.
The beast saw the attack coming. Its eyes flickered, and it leaped back with an unnatural grace, its body twisting mid-air to avoid the strike. The blade whistled past its leg, missing by a breath.
But Lucien had anticipated it.
He pivoted, his feet digging into the earth as he drove his shoulder into the Alpha’s side with all of his weight. The impact was solid, a heavy thud that reverberated through his bones. He pushed forward, using his momentum to unbalance the beast.
The Alpha staggered. Its claws scraped against the ground as it fought to regain its footing. For a fraction of a second, its body shifted, its flank exposed.
A moment of vulnerability.
The Abyss Carver was already in motion. Flames erupted along its edge, feeding on the Originat Lucien channeled into it. His killing intent poured out like a flood, and to his surprise, the Abyss Carver absorbed it, drinking in the dark energy like a starving beast.
The blade blazed brighter.
Lucien raised the Abyss Carver high, both hands gripping the hilt. He brought it down in a two-handed strike, all of his weight and strength behind the blow. The blade tore through the air, leaving a trail of golden fire in its wake.
It connected.
The blade bit into the Alpha’s flank, cutting through its thick, scarred hide. A shallow wound opened across its side, dark, smoking blood seeping from the gash. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air.
The Alpha howled, a deep, guttural sound that shook the very ground beneath them. The forest seemed to tremble in response, leaves falling from the trees as the sound echoed through the darkness.
And then it turned.
Its crimson eyes burned brighter, no longer gleaming with amusement. The predatory calm was gone, replaced by something far more dangerous, raw, unfiltered fury.
Now, it was angry.
Lucien had managed to anger it, and now it wanted to take care of the trash.
Its amusement had died. All that filled it was killing intent.
