10 A Dark Night... Fierce Encounter!

This night was a dark one; it carried with it a bloody scent that wafted beyond the mountain range, as it stirred the noses of many creatures who adopted the standard of nocturnal hunting. Some of these beasts were already ferocious enough, but once given a stimulus; their manner would amplify by many folds.

Roar! Awuuu!

The cries of rabid bears, sinister wolves, and sly foxes, echoing across the night-time scene, filling all unlucky travelers and 'thrillseekers' with a wave of dread.

At this time, the scene at the location of the middle-aged man's party had died down. If one looked closely, they would only see a variety of corpses strewed about on the open ground. Their blood dyed the earth red, sending off waves of alarm amongst the wild animals of the mountain range.

Yet, what remained odd was that in a single moment, the corpses had vanished. If anyone was here and could peer through the dark, they see the familiar but uncanny scene of a mysterious black substance swallowing all traces of their existence.

Not long after, black substance vanished as if it was contained into something, followed by the appearance of the man with the glasses. His fingers were stained with a few hints of blood, which he eagerly licked off as if savoring the most delicious thing.

"Oh... I can't help myself. So wonderful..." The man said in ecstasy as he grabbed his shoulder and shivered due to his excitement.

However, as he lost himself in his excitement, he was soon awakened by his cell phone. Hearing the ring tone of a popular trending song, the man knew that Alan was the person who was calling.

He promptly picked up the phone and answered, "Agent Ralph, reporting, sir."

"Ralph, what have you guys been doing? I've been trying to reach Harry since yesterday, where are you now? What of the mission I gave you two?" Alan said in a tone filled with anger.

Ralph smiled as he spoke in a hesitant tone, "Ah… that... sir..."

Alan was growing impatient, he yelled, "Ralph, get on with it. What of the mission I've given you? Where are Agent Harry and that kid Evan?"

Ralph's smile grew wider as he made a loud gulping sound before he spoke, "Sir Alan, we've done the mission as you've asked and followed the boy called Evan. However, never did we think he would choose to enter the Skyrise Mountain Range. Agent Harry told me to stay at the base of the mountain to set up a temporary camp; he's gone ahead to trail after that boy and find out what he's keeping a secret. I've tried contacting him, but ever since he went inside, there's been some interference."

Alan was shocked but he soon cursed in anger, "What? What are you doing in that mountain range? Do you two know just how dangerous that mountain is?"

"Eh? Is there something that I should know about this mountain?" Ralph asked in a baffled tone.

When Alan heard this, his mind couldn't help but recall the information he gathered from his recent encounter. The lists of the three most dangerous awakening points. As he remembered seeing the Death's Fissure on the list, Alan couldn't help but grow even angrier at the two agents.

"You better find Harry and get your asses back here now, also, find that brat and get him out of the mountain range!" Alan said in a huff.

"Eh... ah, I-I will do as the leader suggest!" Ralph said in a flustered tone before hanging up the phone.

The moment he did this, the flustered look faded as he showed a thoughtful expression as he pondered, "Hmm, is there something the higher-ups weren't telling me about this mountain range? That's impossible; if there is something here, then I would know it. Hmm, maybe once I capture that brat and have him spit the details, I'll have found something to aid in my promotion."

Ralphs's face changed to one of excitement when he thought to here; he looked towards the dark surroundings hearing the various roars as he licked his lips and ponder with a sly smile, "Hehe, brat. You're so unlucky, with the mountains this riled up, even if your skilled, there is no place you'll be able to hide from me. Oh dear... this should be quite a fun hunt..."

***

At a location far within the mountains, Evan was currently standing at the top of a large branch. His expression was solemn as he looked below him, focusing his sites onto a small pack of vaguely visible gray wolves. He currently had a strange set of contact lens, which almost made him seem to have green pupils.

These lenses were specialized night vision lens that Evan had bought on his trip shopping with Fatty Joe and Emilia. Although they were curious, they didn't suspect him as it was a common item used by those with a bit of money that loved to do night-time camping.

From a glance, Evan could tell that there were around three wolves in total, a somewhat manageable number if faced by the standard special elite fighter, but what was different about these wolves were their size and fur.

They were each about 93 cm tall and 2.4 meters in length, with thick fur flowing fur covering their bodies as if double the standard amounts. Looking at their tails, one would notice that it had grown to almost half in size as its color began to turn to that of an ordinary metal.

Evan frowned as he contemplated, "Creatures eroded by the nearby rift, these wolves are just one step away from turning into the Level 1 Monster, Iron Tail Gray Wolf. I need to find a way around them, or it will be a troublesome scuffle..."

As he spoke, he was about to try and move, but it was at this time each of the mutated gray wolves howled. They lifted their head, staring at the tree trunk on which he stood as their eyes shone in baleful red lights.

"Damn! Their bloodlust... it's so active that even their senses have sharped beyond the normal standard. Why? Why are they so excited?" Evan cursed under his breath as he laid down flat on the branch, not daring to move an inch.

After thinking, he sniffed the air but smelled nothing. However, he knew that even if he didn't smell it, the wolves certainly would as he had yet to awaken and heighten his senses.

Evan tried to use another method; he focused his mind sending his Battle Will outwards by a tiny bit. As this happened, he began to feel the same sickening feeling he did earlier.

"This feeling... I'm certain of it. Although I can't smell it, there is a rich amount of blood lingering in the air. How many did they kill? Could it be that bastard?" Evan thought as he withdrew his Battle Will, as he did this, the feeling soon after disappeared.

"Darn, if it is that bastard, then his strength is certainly nothing to scorn. I can't keep wasting time here, for if he comes looking for me again, I'll fall into trouble. I must risk it and awaken as fast as I can." When Evan said this, his eyes grew firm as he promptly sat himself op on the branch, perching like a tiger waiting to pounce on its prey. The instant he did this, ears of the gray wolves twitched, as their scarlet eyes flashed.

"Awuuuuu!" The wolves furiously howled as they pressed their hind legs into the ground, forcing away the dirt and crushing small rocks due to their sheer force.

It seemed as if these wolves were planning on lunging to the top of the trees, an improbable act by standard wolves.

Evan's face grew grave, he quickly reached for two large knives, being longer than a ruler, and two inches wide, with jagged edges.

By the time he gripped them into a reverse grip, the wolves had already pushed off the ground in unison. They 'whooshed' through the air like stones propelled by a siege machine, as furry hair on their bodies flowed wildly due to their airborne assault.

"Now!" Evan shouted in his mind as he jumped off the branch in a backward manner. His body made a graceful arc as he spread his arms wide to his sides like a bird soaring through the air.

Seeing their prey backflip above them, the wolves had an expression that almost made them seem like they were sneering. The closest one was the first to act as it struck its paws to grab hold of Evan while opening its jaws, revealing a set of savage-looking teeth.

Although Evan had his back turned, with his Battle Will, he would feel the positions of his attackers, or, more precisely, the bloodlust from their bodies.

"Want to bite me? You're dreaming!" Evan said inwardly as his body did the incredible. He pushed his physical fitness to the very limits of his capabilities, using his core strength to pull his legs upwards, allowing for his knee to reach his head quickly. Evan used this momentum to finish his backflip at a faster rate allowing for him to respond to the first wolf's attack.

His figure then swiftly made a graceful twirl as he narrowly avoided the first wolf's paws and jaws, Evan then swung the daggers carrying the force of his revolving motion.

Swing! Pu-chi! Soon, the sound of blades cutting flesh sounded as the deep wound could now be seen on the neck of the first wolf. Its body fell from the air with its blood spewing out nonstop.

Having done this act, Evan's figure, which was spinning veered off to the side due to this motion, allowing him to avoid the other two wolves jumping charge narrowly.

Swoosh-swoosh! The two parties arrived at opposing ends, as two surviving wolves landed on top of their nimble front legs while Evan landed on the ground with one knee down and one palm touching the green earth.

The blood from both of his knives flowing down their edge as it stained the grass beneath his feet. As for the poorly fated first wolf, it had fallen to the ground lifelessly resting in a pool of its blood.

The two other wolves were upset at this, the looks they gave Evan turned darker and more dreadful. The air around him began to change as their hair fluttered slightly vaguely.

As Evan saw this, he thought with a dark look on his face, "It's as I've thought, truly one step from Level 1. It's a good thing they have yet to gather energy, or I wouldn't have survived that charge..."

Although Evan was careful and quite skillful, he still couldn't entirely avoid their attacks. His two arms had claw marks that were dripping with blood. However, now wasn't the time to dress his injuries or worry about the pain.

Both man and wolfpack faced each other in a classic standoff, as the night wind rustled their hair and furs. The lights from the brilliant stars and the hanging moon illuminated their figures

"Awuuuu!" The wolves which had been gathering momentum in their hind legs once more charged forwards, moving even more swift and faster than they did previously.

Evan smirked at this scene, as a hidden battle lust that rested at his core showed. He licked his lips and darted forwards even faster than a professional sprinter, and stretched his arms wide, spinning his knives while shouting in his mind, "Come at me!"

The silhouettes of man and wolves, crossing each other in only an instant of time as they each prepared for a swift conclusion.

***

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