Chapter 15: Slaying Wolves Like Slaughtering Dogs
Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Slaying Wolves Like Slaughtering Dogs
Fresh meat, a loud noise, a clumsy imitation of a howl.
Yes, Jon was "taunting."
This was a required lesson for him as a team’s tank.
On this continent, whether it was a wild beast or a human, a Beastman or an Elf, or even a mindless golem—if he wanted to, he could always find a way to make his opponent focus all their fire on him, creating an opening for his teammates.
’A mere wolf? Heh!’
’Just a slight move from me is more than this beast can handle!’
Sure enough, in the face of Jon’s antics, the low-lying bushes shook violently, sending snow rustling to the ground.
"AWOOOO—!"
Accompanied by a low snarl—thoroughly enraged and filled with hunger and greed—a gray shadow shot out like an arrow loosed from a bow!
It was a full-grown gray wolf, nearly one-and-a-half meters long!
It was gaunt, its fur somewhat matted. Its eyes were sunken, and its ribs were faintly visible—a clear sign of prolonged starvation.
Its murky, yellowish-brown eyes were locked on the deer carcass on the rock, a threatening growl rumbling in its throat.
It didn’t seem to view the young human before it as a real threat. Its charge was aimed directly at the prey on the ground!
’That charging posture... how similar it is to the lone wolf that ambushed my predecessor in those fragmented memories.’
The moment the gray wolf leaped, Jon’s chest and abdomen swelled, and he unleashed his Skills with a shout!
"Right on time—!!!"
Frightening Roar!
An invisible force slammed squarely into the pouncing wolf!
Its charging form visibly faltered. The ferocious greed in its eyes was instantly replaced by a fear originating from its very life instinct, and its low growl turned into a pathetic whimper!
Its movements became stiff and distorted, its speed plummeting!
Frightened state!
Jon seized the opportunity, taking a step forward and activating Regain Stance!
An abundant, cool Power surged from his lower abdomen, washing over his body, which had grown slightly sluggish from the full-throated roar. The portion of stamina he had just consumed was instantly replenished, and his muscles tensed anew like a fully drawn bowstring!
Without the slightest pause, he unleashed Swift Strike!
At the same time, he activated the weapon enhancement from Magic Mastery!
The Power stored within his body surged into the saber like a bursting floodgate!
The blade hummed and trembled, its edge taking on a faint, ethereal blue glow!
With a casual stride, he brought the saber down with one hand!
"SWISH—!"
The blade sliced precisely into the side of the wolf’s neck, which was unable to effectively dodge due to the "Frightened" state.
[-287 (Critical Hit!) -20 (Magic Bonus Damage)]
"CRUNCH—!!"
Jon’s strike had carved through half the gray wolf’s neck without any resistance!
Gushing blood splattered across the rocks and melting slush, steam rising from it in the cold, a shockingly stark sight!
The beast toppled to the ground, its four legs kicking as it tried to stand. But the fatal wound left it only able to twitch helplessly, bloody foam frothing from its mouth as its Life rapidly drained away.
Jon advanced again, his expression unchanged. Swift Strike was already a fast, transitional-type Skill, and coupled with his deliberate control over his stamina consumption, the interval before his follow-up attack was naturally even shorter.
The Saber of Balance in his hand traced a cold arc, and he swung it down again, aiming for the gash in the wolf’s neck!
SQUELCH!
The sharp tip of the curved blade cut through the vertebrae and remaining muscle and sinew as if slicing through a block of congealed fat.
[-42! (Fatal Blow!)]
The wolf’s head rolled to the side, the last light of life in its eyes extinguishing completely.
The former "Jon" could only fight a lone wolf with his life on the line. The current Jon, however, could kill a wolf as easily as killing a chicken!
[Killed a higher-level monster. Gained 150 (100 base Experience Points × 1.5 reward multiplier) combat Experience Points]
The pleasant notification chime for the experience gain sounded right on cue, but the young man paid it no mind.
He flicked the wolf’s blood from his blade and remarked softly.
"This saber... it handles so well... And with the Magic Power enhancement, the feel is just incredible!"
It was smooth and fit his hand perfectly, swinging effortlessly. It was a million times better than that crappy old Mountain-Cutting Saber!
But now was not the time to marvel at the old blacksmith’s superb craftsmanship or the utility of Magic Power enhancements.
The young Hunter wiped the saber clean, hung it back at his waist, and shouldered the deer carcass once more. Then, with the wolf’s head in one hand and dragging its body with the other, he strode down the mountain.
With his Power at 7 points, he was already on par with an ordinary strong man. This much weight was not yet a burden to him.
What truly made him uneasy was the unusual behavior of the wolves.
This wolf’s extreme state of starvation and the location of its appearance were both abnormal.
Wolf packs were known to be extremely territorial and rarely left their core hunting grounds where prey was plentiful. It was even rarer for a lone wolf to so brazenly attempt to plunder near a human settlement.
As a player, one might not be too concerned about such things, treating it as just a regional event for rewards and experience.
But for the inhabitants of this world, a large-scale wolf pack was the most terrifying of disasters—a "Wolf Calamity"!
Jon quickened his pace, pondering to himself.
’Could there have been a struggle within the pack? A change in the position of the high-level Demon Beast Wolf King, causing chaos among the lower-ranking wolves?’
’Or... was something even more troublesome driving them out?’
’Whatever the reason... I have to inform Old Sutton... The villagers need to take this seriously and prepare early...’
He, Jon, was no saint, but he wasn’t an ungrateful person either.
He could certainly ignore the fates of those troublesome villagers, but nothing could happen to Old Sutton, who had been genuinely kind to him!
However, just as his cabin came into distant view, Jon’s steps suddenly slowed, and his eyes narrowed.
’Those two... are they the troublemakers who came looking for a fight yesterday?’
Under two short trees not far from his house, two shifty-looking figures were crouched. Their appearance and clothes were somewhat familiar. One of them had to be the bald man who had led the insults yesterday.
It wasn’t that Jon’s eyesight was sharp enough to make out every detail from nearly a thousand meters away, but that bald head, gleaming under the sun, was just too conspicuous.
What was even more ridiculous was that the two had some awareness of "setting an ambush," but their execution was utterly pathetic!
What kind of person planning a crime would try to hide behind a snowdrift?
Below two short trees, there were snowdrifts half a person tall. Even a fool could see that something was wrong!
Jon adjusted his grip on his kill and sneered.
’Hmph... They’re really asking for it...’
Whatever their reasons, showing up outside his house meant they were definitely up to no good!
Whether it was for revenge or just to start more trouble, he, Jon, was ready for them!
He shifted his path slightly, found a large snowdrift to bury the deer carcass in, freeing up his hands for the fight to come.
Then, drawing on the flanking techniques he had honed in *Yino*, he carried the wolf’s carcass and head and began to slowly approach the two from their side and rear.
’I’d like to see what kind of trouble you two have cooked up for me...’