11 Wolves and Magic

Ozul dragged the alpha's head to the tunnel and began his morbid feast. The rest of the wolves cautiously observed the fissure, avoiding the same fate as their leader. Half of the pack was still hunting, leaving twelve wolves of varying levels in the cavern.

"This is disgusting," thought Ozul as he bit into the head. The skull fractured with each gut-wrenching bite, leaving him with a viscous mixture of bones and brain. He closed his eyes and gulped large mouthfuls of the foul substance. Finishing, he thought "I can't wait around, I need to lure more wolves into the trap, but first..." Ozul peered down and appraised himself to see his stats and replenished HP.

Species: Disturbed Umbra

Level: 5

Experience to next level: 97/100

Health: 41/100

Strength: 23

Dexterity: 43

Wisdom: 20

Intelligence: 182

Points to Assign: 3

Species Advantages: Darkness Immunity

Skills: Strong Bite level 3, Night Vision level 1, Appraisal max level, Shadow Spear level 1,

Titles: Blessed Reincarnation

Curses: Your race was cursed by a god and will forever be extremely vulnerable to light.

Ozul was thrilled with his increased stats and placed the assignable points into dexterity. He had gained 98/100 experience towards an additional level up and eleven HP from devouring the alpha's head. Ozul glanced through the rest of his stats and noticed a new ability. "Shadow Spear, what is that?" The skill did not have a description, but it filled him with excitement. Ozul decided to test a recent theory of his, if it was possible to appraise the information in an appraisal window. He focused on the words, "Shadow Spear" and employed appraise. To his somewhat surprise and delight a description box appeared.

Shadow Spear: A magical skill that summons spears of dark energy. The larger the spear the greater the mana requirement. Acquired by reaching level five and fulfilling certain conditions.

"A magical skill!" Ozul joyfully thought. He recalled the powerful wizards in fantasy novels from earth and hoped it was the same concept. Ozul was curious on what conditions he had completed to acquire the skill but came to no conclusions. He instead concentrated on understating and testing his new ability. Rereading the description, Ozul recognized the word "mana" from the water pools in the cavern but was unsure of its meaning. He appraised it and an additional window appeared.

Mana: One of the primary sources of all magical power. The amount of mana in an individual is determined by their wisdom.

Ozul's wisdom stat was only twenty, and he mentally scorned himself for not investing his recent points into it. His new skill gave him the ability to naturally feel mana course throughout his body. It was subtle, but it felt like a warm swirling pool of water in his chest. The feeling was both refreshing and suffocating, like a condensed pressure waiting to be released. Ozul practiced his ability and summoned several small spears only a few inches tall. "I need to see how many I can create and how destructive they are." In reaction to using the skill, he felt his whirlpool of mana increase in speed and become smaller. It was difficult to judge how much mana he spent or had remaining. Ozul was about to use shadow spear again when the hunting party of wolves returned to the cavern.

"I spent too long on my new skill and now I have more monsters to fight," Ozul frustratedly thought. Furious howls joined the melody of anguished whines as the wolves arrived and saw their dead alpha and cub. The pack communicated by barks and growls that the fissure was unsafe to the hunting party. However, one of the level 6 wolves ignored the warning and leapt at the crevice, wiggling itself into the opening. Ozul quickly impaled the wolf with a spike and sent its body tumbling to the ground.

The further enraged pack employed their physical enhancement abilities and began assaulting the fissure. The more cautious wolves stayed at the rear and attempted to stop the attack, but with no success. Without an alpha most of the pack was in disarray and were only concerned with the murderous intruder. Only one wolf could fit into the entrance at a time, giving Ozul a distinct advantage. One by one the wolves jumped into the crevice, and like a carnage filled conveyor belt met their death. Ozul sent a spike down on each invading wolf, killing them before removing and storing their heads at the back of the tunnel.

Seeing the massacre, the wolves ceased the assault after the fourth headless body fell to the boulder below. Ozul retreated back to the tunnel and ate the heads of the fallen wolves, regenerating HP. The larger heads gave him ten health points and the others seven or eight. In total, Ozul gained thirty-nine HP giving him 80/100. He felt rejuvenated as his bones healed and his wisp form grew. The physical pain that haunted him since the Umbras' betrayal was finally gone.

"The wolves aren't coming anymore." Ozul thought as he watched them from the opening. There were still sixteen left, but Ozul was unafraid. His overwhelming victory had fortified his resolve and fed his growing bestial nature. Ozul stared at the wolves' decapitated bodies and a grotesque sense of accomplishment grew in him. "I can feel my mana grow, I've gained multiple levels from this fight, but there're still a lot of them left."

A demented smile slowly formed on Ozul's face as he conceived a wicked idea. He summoned all his mana and thought, "shadow spear." A dark lance immediately sprung from the boulder and impaled three of the wolf carcasses raising them several feet into the air. The spear was pitch black with an almost metallic glimmer. It had a large base that grew gradually thinner towards the point. Ozul felt the warmth in his chest plummet as the spear depleted his reserved mana. A flood of nausea overwhelmed him, but he kept focus. The spear disappeared and the provoked wolves once again leaped into the fissure.