The wolves' encirclement

Awooooo" a lone wolf repeated its howl in the darkness among the trees. Suddenly, nine more wolves appeared in various positions, surrounding the group. "Grrrrr," they all growled, displaying angry and menacing expressions.

"Oh, crap!" exclaimed Ana, staring at the situation with wide eyes. She locked eyes with the enraged wolves encircling them as tension in the air escalated.

Nolan and Ana began to tremble, haunted by the distressing thought that this might be the end. The prospect of imminent death infiltrated their minds, and in their daze, they struggled to formulate a plan for escape. It was the first time Lucca witnessed such a profound expression on Nolan's face, revealing the depth of fear that enveloped them..

However, for Lucca, his heart felt like it was about to leap out of his mouth as he kept thinking, 'I was reborn to die here? There's still so much to see and discover in this world; I need to find a way out. I can't just die here!'

Ivy, on the other hand, showed no signs of trembling or nervousness. Despite enjoying a challenge and being fond of combat regardless of the setting, she wasn't pleased with the current situation, wearing a concerned expression.

Alice, on the other hand, remained composed. Aware that if she succumbed to the same emotional state as her colleagues, the situation would become even more challenging. As a leader, she spoke firmly, "Listen, we've all faced challenges before, and this won't be an exception. Now, more than ever, we need to stay calm. I see fear in your eyes, but we're stronger together. Remember our training. Stay calm and focused," she responded with authority, raising her voice to be heard.

Hearing this, everyone in the group took a deep breath and quieted down, trying to focus on the challenge ahead. Seeing her group calming down, Alice continued, "Now, we have two options! The first is to try to endure as much as possible and engage in a battle of attrition. The second is to try to break the siege by facing one of the wolves. What will be the group's decision?"

Expressing his opinion, Lucca commented, "In my view, to go for the second option, we need to have our abilities ready for use; otherwise, it won't work, and it's not worth attempting!" He spoke more calmly, now able to analyze the situation clearly.

Upon hearing Lucca's analysis, Alice began to consider the feasibility of the second option. Amidst this thought, she asked, "What is the highest level of the wolves?"

Ana replied hastily, "38," as time was running out before the wolves started their attack..

"Lucca doesn't deal enough damage! At most, we can take half of their health with the quick attack I was thinking!" revealed Alice, wearing a concerned expression as the wolves were closing in.

Upon hearing Alice, Nolan asked, "How many minutes until your abilities' cooldowns are over? Mine has already finished!" In a normal conversation, without being surrounded by wolves, they might have been surprised since Nolan spoke more than 3 words in a sentence.

"Three minutes," answered Ana. Immediately after, Ivy said, "Ten minutes." Alice was the next to speak, stating, "Eight minutes!" Lucca was the next to respond, saying, "My ability is already back!"

"Grrrrr," the wolves continued to growl, escalating the threat and filling the air with even more tension.

Listening to the responses from her group, Alice reevaluated the situation and questioned, "How are we going to endure ten minutes?"

"We'll have to stick to your initial plan, a battle of attrition for 10 minutes! After that, we'll attack whoever has less HP to try and take them down!" replied Lucca.

"We'll have to stick to your initial plan, a battle of attrition for 10 minutes! After that, we'll attack whoever has more HP to try and take them down!" replied Lucca.

"It seems we don't have another alternative," commented Ana about the situation they were in.

And so the battle began, with a wolf leaping at Ivy, who retaliated with an axe to the wolf's face. Upon realizing the battle had started, Lucca began casting fireballs towards the two wolves that would be his opponents

Both fireballs hit the wolves, but they continued advancing towards Lucca. Lucca cast another fireball, hitting one and delaying its approach, but the other managed to reach him. Drawing on his aura training with his father, Lucca reinforced his staff against the wolf's bite. While he successfully protected himself, the impact knocked him to the ground. He wasn't the only one; Ana was also knocked down by a wolf.

Seeing her colleagues on the ground, Alice realized this could be a problem. She changed the strategy and said, "Ivy, Ana, and Nolan, form a triangle! Stay in the front line, both of you in the center of the triangle, and try to delay as many attacks as possible!" She looked at the fallen duo, shouting and commanding the group to follow her instructions..

Hearing that, the group followed Alice's orders. Nolan was initially displeased with the decision since he wasn't accustomed to being on the front line. However, over time, he realized that this was indeed the best formation. Still, he emphasized, saying, "You have to prioritize me! I'm not used to being here!" He looked at Lucca and Ana.

Both nodded in agreement, acknowledging that what Nolan was saying was true. Any opening could result in the end for everyone, so they stood back to back, each covering a 180-degree radius.

The battle became intense, especially for Alice, Ivy, and Nolan. They began to lose HP, a 25% decrease, and started showing scratches on their arms and legs. In the midst of it all, Ivy exclaimed with a smile, "My ability is back!" eagerly anticipating finally breaking free from the wolves' encirclement.

With this, Alice commanded, "Then, let's attack! Spare no effort!" The group advanced towards one of the wolves, attempting to break free from the encirclement.