Chapter 2

After a few moments, the wolves finally spotted me and stopped in their tracks, growling in a threatening manner.

"Tch, I was hoping they wouldn't notice me, but I guess I should have known better," I muttered to myself, a sigh escaping my lips. "I've never been a lucky person."

As the wolves glared at me, their instincts on high alert, I knew I had to be cautious. My encounter with them was not part of my plan, and I could sense that they were injured and scared, making them more unpredictable.

I took a step back, trying not to show any signs of aggression. "Easy there; I don't mean you any harm," I said, my voice calm and steady. "I understand you're injured and afraid. I just want to pass through peacefully."

The wolves continued to growl, and their eyes locked on me with wariness. I could feel their tension, and I knew that any sudden movements could provoke an attack.

"Damn, am I crazy for talking to stupid wolves?" I muttered under my breath, frustration evident in my tone.

I knew that, due to the influence of mana, some animals possessed a certain intelligence and could even understand human language and communicate. However, this unique trait was reserved for the strong and special creatures of the wild, and the wolves in front of me were neither. They were just ordinary wolves, driven by their instincts and survival instincts.

But now I needed to be realistic. These were regular wolves, and expecting them to comprehend my words or intentions was nothing short of wishful thinking. The notion of talking to them, hoping for some form of understanding, seemed almost comical now.

With this realization, I decided to change my approach. Instead of attempting to communicate with the wolves, I focused on assessing the situation more practically.

As I backed away from the wolves, I observed their body language and behavior closely. Their growls became less threatening as I distanced myself, but they remained on alert, wary of my presence.

"It seems like they just want to run away from here," I thought.

I tried to step away from their path, hoping they could continue running without attacking me. However, before I could do that, I noticed the wolves' ears twitching, and their eyes widened as if they were in a state of horror.

"Can ordinary wolves feel fear like that?" I pondered, surprised by their apparent agitation.

As I observed the wolves, their demeanor suddenly changed, and they turned around, looking behind their backs as if something had spooked them. I instinctively tried to see what had caught their attention, but to my surprise, there was nothing visible to my eyes.

I couldn't help but be intrigued by the wolves' behavior. It was evident that something had spooked them, but I couldn't perceive what it was. Perhaps it was a scent carried by the wind, a distant sound beyond my hearing, or even a presence that eluded my senses.

As an uneasy feeling settled in, my mind began to race with possibilities. "No," I thought, "could it be that whoever injured them is coming this way? Maybe they're coming to finish the job."

My heart pounded in my chest as I considered the implications. The forest had its share of dangers, and I knew that there were those who would not hesitate to harm both creatures and humans alike. It could be a person, a rogue mage, or even a monstrous creature lurking in the shadows.

"Shit," I muttered, my instincts urging me to be cautious. "I don't know if the person or monster coming here will be hostile."

I weighed my options. I could attempt to hide and wait for them to pass, hoping they wouldn't notice my presence. Alternatively, I could take a defensive stance, prepared to confront whatever or whoever approached.

With a deep breath, I decided to find cover, positioning myself behind a cluster of thick trees. From this vantage point, I could observe without being immediately visible.

But before I could do that, the wolves suddenly spun around and attacked me with wild, ferocious eyes, their gaze filled with intensity and saliva dropping from their jaws.

"Damn it! Why are you attacking me, you stupid beasts?" I yelled in frustration.

The sudden turn of events caught me off guard. I had expected the wolves to continue their escape, but instead, they seemed driven by an uncontrollable frenzy. Their behavior was far from what I had encountered before with ordinary wolves.

Their eyes locked onto me, and I realized that something had driven them into this aggressive state. Whether it was fear, anger, or some other influence, I couldn't be certain, but the danger was very real.

With the wolves lunging towards me, I had no choice but to react. My heart pounded in my chest as I swiftly drew my sword, my hand gripping the hilt tightly. With all the strength I could muster in my right leg, I leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding their deadly claws and snapping jaws.

The adrenaline coursed through my veins, sharpening my senses and heightening my focus. The wolves' attack was relentless, and I knew I had to stay one step ahead of them if I wanted to survive.

As I landed on the ground, my mind raced to analyze the situation. The wolves were relentless, driven by their own primal instincts. There was no reasoning with them now; it was a fight for survival.

I quickly assessed my surroundings, seeking any advantage that could aid me in this perilous situation. The cluster of trees behind which I had taken cover was now my ally. I circled around them, putting the thick trunks between me and the charging wolves, creating a temporary barrier to stall their advance.

"Damn it! If only I could use mana, I wouldn't be in this trouble," I cursed under my breath. The memory of my earlier escape resurfaced—a desperate bid for survival that had drained my entire mana pool. There had been no time to rest and recover, leaving me vulnerable in this new confrontation.

The wolves continued to circle, their eyes gleaming with predatory intensity. My heart pounded in my chest as I weighed my limited options. Without mana at my disposal, I had to rely solely on my wit, skill, and physical prowess to outmaneuver them.

"Should I climb the tree?" The idea crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. Aside from being cornered, I knew my injured leg would slow me down, and I couldn't risk being attacked by the wolves while trying to climb.

As I continued to keep a close eye on every single one of them, my left hand instinctively reached for my dagger. I knew it was a desperate move, but I had to do something.

"Ah, this is going to hurt," I whispered to myself, steeling my resolve. With a deep breath, I drew on every ounce of mana I had left. My body felt like it was on fire as I pushed myself to the limit.

The pain surged through me, threatening to overwhelm my senses, but I couldn't afford to falter. I needed to act swiftly and with precision. I gripped my dagger tightly, focusing my remaining mana into its blade.

But due to my insufficient mana reserves, the dagger's coating was slow—much slower than I had hoped for. Each second felt like an eternity as I watched the faint glimmer of mana envelop the weapon. The process was slow, taking precious moments that I didn't have.

The wolves were closing in, and I could feel their relentless aggression. Before the dagger could be fully coated, one of them lunged at me, its jaws snapping dangerously close.

With a surge of adrenaline, I managed to dodge the attack, my instincts keeping me just out of reach. Fortunately, the place I am in is full of trees that narrow their path to attack, but there was no time to waste. I needed to complete the enchantment on the dagger, or I wouldn't stand a chance against the pack.

The delay in fully coating the dagger left me vulnerable, and I knew I couldn't afford to be reckless. I gritted my teeth, pushing through the pain and exhaustion. I focused harder, trying to channel whatever remaining mana I had into the weapon. The dagger glowed faintly as more mana infused its surface, but it wasn't enough for a decisive strike.

With the wolves closing in, I had no choice but to improvise. As one of the wolves lunged at me, I managed to dodge its attack and swiftly swung the dagger towards its eye. The blade connected, and the wolf released a pained whimper, momentarily stunned by the blow.

But I didn't have the luxury of time to celebrate the hit. Another wolf seized the opportunity and lunged at me from the side. I quickly shifted my weight, narrowly evading its claws as I stumbled backward.

"Damn it, it's not dead yet!" I thought in frustration, my heart pounding in my chest.

I had hoped that my previous strike would have been enough to finish off the wounded wolf, but its resilience was proving to be more than I had anticipated.

"Shit, I lost my dagger," I cursed under my breath. With the sudden attack, I had no choice but to release my grip on the dagger, leaving it still lodged in the wolf's eye.

I could only rely on my sword now. It's not that I couldn't use a sword, but its longer blade meant I wouldn't be able to coat it with as much mana as I could with the smaller dagger.

The situation had become even more precarious. With my primary weapon embedded in the wolf's eye, I knew I couldn't retrieve it without putting myself at risk. And with my mana reserves already depleted, using magic to enhance my sword was out of the question.

The wolves were relentless, pressing their advantage while I was still recovering from the previous attack. My heart raced as I struggled to regain my footing, trying to keep the vicious predators at bay.

"Shit, why doesn't this blind wolf just run away?" I thought of it in frustration. I noticed that the wolf I had attacked earlier didn't retreat like I had hoped but instead exhibited an unusual determination to stay in the fray.

Even though there was a dagger stuck in its eye, which I found somewhat funny, the blind wolf remained undeterred. Its remaining eye fixed on me with a mix of desperation and aggression, as if nothing could stand in its way.

"Fuhh, fine, it looks like I can't get out of this situation without taking a little risk."

I really wanted to avoid the fight because it would leave me without any strength, and it's not like I'd gain anything from it.

It's true that fighting in life-threatening situations can make you stronger faster, but I'm not the type of person to take risks when they're too high. Any fight where I have less than a 40% chance of winning, I tend to avoid—well, at least if the fight won't get me anything. However, if the rewards are tempting enough, I may risk my life for them.

It's not like I'm being greedy, but a hesitant person can't be truly successful. Sometimes, you have to take calculated risks and push your limits to achieve greatness. However, in this particular situation, it seemed like a senseless fight that wouldn't lead to anything meaningful.

"If only my leg was not injured, I would have been able to run away—no, I would have been able to get rid of them," I thought with frustration.

As if mocking my thoughts, another wolf lunged at me, its claws scraping against the tree trunk that supported me. I quickly shifted my weight, narrowly avoiding the attack.

My injured leg throbbed with pain, and the wolves' relentless pursuit seemed to intensify. They were determined to catch their wounded prey, and I knew that I couldn't afford any more missteps.

"Well, fuck it!"

Fed up with their constant attacks, I tightly gripped the hilt of my sword and swung it at the least threatening wolf and the most wounded one—the wolf with one of its front legs chopped off. Whether it was due to its injury or simply not expecting me to attack, it was unable to react in time, and it couldn't dodge my strike. My sword hit it squarely in the neck, causing a splash of blood to spatter over my face.

The wolf let out a pained yelp, stumbling back in shock and agony. Despite my injuries, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction at finally landing a decisive blow.

But my triumph was short-lived as one wolf suddenly lunged at me, its jaw wide open, and my heart skipped a beat. My sword was still in motion from the previous strike, leaving me unable to swing it at the approaching threat. In that split second, my instincts took over, and without conscious thought, I positioned my sword horizontally in front of me.

The wolf's jaws snapped shut on my sword, mere inches from my face, and I could feel its hot, foul-smelling breath on my skin. It pushed against me, its strength surprising, as it attempted to force me against a nearby tree with the sword still firmly lodged in its mouth.

"Ugh, you should really wash your mouth a little. It's nasty and it stinks," I managed to quip, despite the tense situation and saliva pouring onto my face.

My heart raced as I struggled to keep the wolf at bay, the weight of its body bearing down on me. I knew that I couldn't hold it off for long, and I needed to find a way to escape this dangerous predicament.

But before I could think of anything, the remaining two wolves lunged at me from the left and right sides.

"Damnit."

I pushed the wolf in front of me back a little, then I used the tree behind me as a springboard, propelling myself into a front flip. As I somersaulted over the lunging wolves, they collided with each other, missing me by a hair's breadth.

While still in mid-air, I twisted my body and sword, mustering all the strength I could, and aimed for the head of the wolf that was holding my sword captive.

The blade sliced through the air, and with a satisfying thud, it found its mark. The wolf's head rolled to the ground, and its grip on my sword was released.

I landed, or at least I tried to land gracefully, but my tired body betrayed me, and I ended up falling on my back. A pained groan escaped my mouth, but I quickly forced myself to stand up. This was neither the time nor the place to take a rest.