Battle of flames

Awoo! Awoo!

The wolves' eerie howls echoed, welcoming their apparent leader amidst a dramatic rise in temperature. From the woods emerged a flaming wolf, its reddish-orange flames illuminating the distance, its piercing gaze felt by Cristian even from afar.

"How is this even possible?" Anna exclaimed, trembling at the sight of the flames engulfing the majestic creature, causing her golden eyes to widen in shock.

Gasps rippled through the air, fear palpable among the soldiers. Sheila spotted it instantly. "Cristian, can you handle the fire wolf?" Her tone tinged with concern, her hopeful gaze fixed on him for a reassuring response.

"What level?" Cristian ground his teeth, causing blood to surge from his wound, yet his focus remained fixed on Sheila.

In that moment, the battle's thrill coursed through Cristian's veins, driving his excitement and focus. His mind prepared for the confrontation against the fiery beast, disregarding Sheila's presence as he solely focused on conquering this challenge.

Yet, his sudden transformation left Sheila stunned. The man she had perceived as a mere playboy was revealing a deeper layer.

Her eyes widened as she examined the beast. "Level 32," she gasped. Beasts inherently held greater strength than humans, and despite the five-level disparity, their stats showed minimal difference.

"Damn it! I'm nowhere near that level." At this juncture, Cristian saw little point in concealing his abilities, especially when no one among them surpassed his strength, except for Sheila when there was distance between them.

"Don't joke, Cristian. Stop it before it causes havoc, and I'll create a platform to hinder its speed."

After Anna tended to his injuries, she retreated to the safety of the walls, leaving Cristian to approach Sheila.

As he neared her, Sheila's heartbeat quickened, and she involuntarily shivered. "A platform? Why does this feel like—"

"It is!" Sheila's emotions spiraled out of control as she blurted out, her cheeks flushed as she attempted to regain composure. Cristian, puzzled, took a step closer, unaware of the emotional disturbance he had caused.

He gently patted her shoulder, prompting her to snap out of her reverie. "Sheila, listen…" His words were interrupted as the Dark Lord sent the fire wolf charging toward them.

"I need your focus now. Our survival hinges on this. Trust me, I'm new to this, and I always believed you were better." A deliberate challenge. He refrained from utilizing his hypnosis skill, especially in a situation involving someone he sought to impress.

"Go!" With a firm push on his coat, Sheila propelled Cristian backward by two steps. The runes etched on her body glowed brighter, accompanied by a diagram emerging in her eyes. Yet, Sheila sensed it still wasn't enough.

Focusing her energies, she concentrated her power into her index finger, the tip emitting a bright blue glow as it traced through the air, gradually forming a diagram.

"It's my turn then," Cristian mused, observing the ethereal beauty whose feet gradually lifted from the ground.

Channeling all his free stats points into strength, Cristian's number surged to an astounding 86— a considerable leap for his level. He pushed his agility to its extreme, darting forward at a speed seven times faster than an average human.

Flickering across the battlefield, he left a trail of wolf corpses while the fire wolf left behind scorched human remains. Ten meters away from the inevitable clash, Sheila completed the spell, casting a sky blue diagram across the plain field, uttering two words: "Sky Fall!"

A resounding boom echoed as many wolves and soldiers were forced to the ground by an invisible force pressing down upon them. Though Cristian's knees trembled, the power of Burning Fury fortified him significantly, granting an additional 35+ strength, a substantial upgrade.

This was the same skill Sheila had used previously, albeit in a miniature form, layered with a mana stone long before Cristian's arrival. It showcased her exceptional vigilance, utilizing even a low-grade mana stone.

Sheila's focus remained on the fire wolf, visible strain evident in her strong facade. The spell was draining her, nearing its dissipation.

Digging his great sword into the soil, Cristian took purposeful strides, each step resonating with the powerful beat of his heart. He tightened his grip around the hilt of Burning Fury as the incoming heat made his fur coat ripple, eyes dilating in response.

As the distance closed between them, Cristian increased his speed. When they drew close enough, he changed his stance, bolting forward and leaping high. Flames adorned the blade mid-air as he slashed down.

The fire wolf, taken aback by Cristian's unexpected move, couldn't fully evade, resulting in a massive gash across its face during their initial clash. Enraged, the beast spewed flames from its jaws, causing intense heat that made Cristian sweat and dried it up just as quickly.

The wolf's increased fury intensified the battle, forcing Cristian to rely on his meager dodging skills. Despite swinging his sword whenever an opportunity presented itself, the wolf elegantly dodged his attempts, showcasing its agility in contrast to his desperate evasion.

Graa!

Fwoosh! 

The grass ignited, enveloping the surroundings in a zone of flames that rapidly spread. Cristian tilted his head, eyes following the gleaming claws of the violent beast that narrowly missed his cheeks. In a swift motion, he spun, carving a deep gash across the wolf's muscular foreleg.

Awoo! The beast howled in agony, crashing into Cristian and launching him into the air. His rough landing ignited his coat, flames licking wildly at the fur. "So much for a Common ranked item," Cristian grumbled, rising to his feet and swiftly decapitating a dire wolf.

His white top was now soaked in blood, but he paid it no mind, focused solely on survival.

Suddenly, two figures cloaked in black emerged from the flames, lunging with daggers. They underestimated his agility, assuming clumsiness due to his use of a greatsword—an error that would cost them dearly.

Cristian held his sword close, deflecting the right assailant's attack before delivering a lethal kick to the left, snapping bones with a sickening crunch. Without pause, he endured a punch from the right assailant, retaliating with a swift horizontal slash that severed the man's head.

The grim sight unsettled him momentarily, just as the fire wolf concealed within the flames emerged.

[A/N: Support, comment, and enjoy!]