King Wolves

"You're planning on battling a King Wolf today?" Lily asked. Her eyes shimmered with excitement as she stared at her heroic big brother. Unlike his previous malnourished self, Arthur had now gained some muscle.

It had been a week since Arthur returned to the past, and things were going smoothly. He'd grown considerably and planned on unlocking mana once he bought a longsword.

After going through a cycle of killing wolves and selling their carcasses repeatedly, Arthur saved up 70 bronze coins. Each King Wolf was worth 10 bronze coins, which meant Arthur would amass a grand total of one silver coin once he killed three of them.

Using the silver coin, he planned on buying a longsword and giving the rest to his family.

"A King Wolf?" asked Anna. Her face paled, but Arthur quickly pulled her in for a hug.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," he consoled his mother. It seemed incoherent that a son was consoling his mother, but it was simply the way things were.

"I hope so," replied Anna before sighing. She then kissed Arthur on the cheek and wished him good luck. "Be back in time for dinner. Your father already left before dawn, apparently. Lily, go get ready for school."

"Aww," complained Lily before running off in frustration. Arthur smiled as he watched her go.

"Father left before dawn?" Arthur asked. "He never gets up before noon. Did he finally find a job?"

"Hopefully," replied Anna. "I saw the note on the couch where he slept."

Arthur paled, realizing she'd actually made Magnus sleep on the couch. His fear of his mother only grew, and the urge to refrain from angering or worrying her exceeded what he'd expected. He feared his mother too much.

Even the Demons and Angels didn't perturb him so much.

"Anyway, have a good day," said Anna. "Do not get hurt."

"You say it like I can control that," replied Arthur before exiting his home. He closed the door behind him before heading to the hunting field.

*

'Who's that?' Arthur thought as he stepped onto the field. A seemingly lanky man was in a tough battle with a few wolves that bared their fangs at him. Blood seeped from his wounds and clothes, but numerous cuts were visible on the wolves, too.

It was a close battle. A battle of endurance, one might say, considering no fatal blows had been dealt yet.

'Doesn't concern me,' decided Arthur as he attempted to locate Wolf Kings.

King Wolves were a breed derived from regular wolves, but with a tiny infusion of mana. Since the commoners of the planet didn't have access or knowledge of mana, they simply named the beasts 'Kings' to display their superiority.

In reality, the King Wolves were simply a tougher version of dire wolves.

Their skin was tougher, while their thick fur caused the illusion that they were massive. In reality, it was all through the grace of mana usage.

After searching for a few minutes, Arthur located a pack of three King Wolves.

'Perfect number,' he thought as he observed the wolves from afar. With thick, grey fur, they seemed like the epitome of evil. However, under the masquerade, they were simply mana-using wolves.

Although powerful, they didn't match the description of the villagers, which regarded them as bloodthirsty monsters that no human could match.

'Our village is quite old-fashioned,' Arthur suddenly realized. The difference between his village and the Heaven's Spire was like that of heaven and earth. Even basic knowledge was twisted to a certain extent.

They believed mana was the energy of the Gods. However, it was, in reality, the energy that constructed existence. Anyone could unlock it by smoothening their mana circulation channels. Anyone could manipulate it.

Arthur unsheathed his dagger. He'd polished it the other day, resulting in its current smooth, shiny blade.

Immediately, the King Wolves sensed movement through their pitiful use of mana. They raised their heads before simultaneously baring their fangs at the unexpected foe. Quickly, just like the wolves, they formed a strategy.

Arthur assumed a stance. He'd always wished to use his ability, [Sin Toll]. Finally, a worthy candidate had appeared.

He burst from his position, charging towards the King Wolves as they rushed towards him. King Wolf One pounced on Arthur, but was quickly impaled by the man's dagger. Immediately, Arthur used [Sin Toll].

[Sin Toll has been used.]

[The Sins and Virtues of the target are being examined.]

[Target has 98% Sin and 2% Virtue.]

[Massive debuffs are being applied.]

[Sin Toll] was an ability that shaped Arthur into the Lord of Sins. It was a skill capable of examining a target–someone Arthur touched–before producing results of the sins and virtues of their life.

Using the result, [Sin Toll] used debuffs in proportion to Arthur's strength. Even those with a high percentage of Virtue would debuffed, which was why a 50:50 result was best. It would not produce a debuff.

Wolf King One suddenly grew weaker. Its movements turned sluggish, forcing its anger to alleviate.

Although Arthur was weaker than the target, the astronomical Sin percentage caused a massive debuff, causing Wolf King One to lose practically all its strength. Arthur simply dug into the beast's torso.

At that moment, the other Wolf Kings pounced on Arthur, and the man released his dagger. Performing a complex maneuver, he quickly touched the other two Wolf Kings.

[Sin Toll has been used.]

[The Sins and Virtues of the target are being examined.]

[Target has 98% Sin and 2% Virtue.]

[Massive debuffs are being applied.]

Once both beasts were weakened, Arthur retrieved his dagger before impaling them both in an instant. Unlike his battle with the wolves, this time, he had much more strength and his most overpowered skill.

Most of all, [Sin Toll] grew in proportion to the user.

Once Arthur had killed the three King Wolves, he collected the carcasses. At that moment, he felt a watchful gaze on him. It was much weaker than the one he'd felt while crossing the alley, and it couldn't escape his senses.

"Yes?"

The lanky man who was previously fighting the wolves had approached him.