Hope before the storm

"It seems I can give you a name. Do you want one? Or do you want to pick one for yourself?" Vincent slowly dropped on his knee. Then he gently petted the smooth and soft new fur.

[Give me a name, my mate.]

The white wolf said while she licked Vincent's face once more. Strangely the saliva didn't stink. As if it changed or became new.

Vincent pondered for a while, then thought of a great name.

"How about Lupa? It means wolf, and it's easy to say." Vincent decided that an easy name would be best. It was easy to remember and say in the upcoming battle for survival.

*Woooooo

[I like the new name. What's your name, my mate?]

The white wolf let an excited howl. She liked and accepted the name Lupa.

"My name is Vincent. Let me use my ability to see if you are as healthy as you look." Vincent focused his eyes while a gleam of green light appeared.

.

[Name] Lupa

[Condition] Healthy, Energetic

[Soul Synch] 5%

.

'Hmm, Lupa has a new stat called Soul Synch. I wonder what it means?'

Vincent shook his head to stop thinking any further. Next, he wanted to check if Lupa received a mark on her tongue since she felt pain.

"Could you show me your tongue? I want to see if you have the mark of a retainer." Vicent asked with a warm tone. To him, Lupa felt like the dog Betty, the pet Kevin's family once owned.

Lupa opened her sharp jaws and extended her tongue forward. On it was the same mark Vincent has. But only the first symbol instead of all the four.

"You have a mark like mine." Vincent ruffled the fur on her head and stood up. Then his gaze lowered to the Soul Domain Watch.

"Hmm... we have one more minute. " Vincent said while his heart started to race from the anticipation of what was coming soon.

"Lupa, you hide and only rush to attack when I south "Ambush." " Vincent repeated the instructions to confirm if Lupa understood.

[Yes, my mate. I will hurry as if I have never rushed before. I feel so much energy. I don't know what to do.]

Lupa joyfully circled Vincent, while from time to time, she nudged his leg with her snout.

"Blessed retainer test end." Vincent wanted the test to end. He said what he thought would be the ending command. Luckily it worked.

The darkness started disappearing, and their bodies fade. Soon, Vincent could see his body stuck in mid-fall while Lupa was glowing green.

Vincent turned his gaze at the fly. He could see it quickly regain its normal speed as its wings starting to flap.

*Thud

Vincent fell on the floor, but Lupa was still floating in mid-air. It was as if Lupa needed to rego the transformation once again.

"What's happening to the white wolf? Is it awakening to a dangerous great white wolf?" Ester trembled at the mysterious sight of the white wolf floating and glowing green. She never saw a magical beast awaken, so she thought Lupa was awakening and the danger increasing.

"No need to worry. The white wolf became my retainer. I called her Lupa." Vincent excitedly said as the white wolf brought hope with it.

"Her?" Ester kept staring at Lupa while her shining body gradually floated down.

*Woof

Lupa let out a quiet and excited bark. Then she leaped on Vincent, knocked him down, and resumed to lick his face joyfully.

Lupa currently felt a feeling she had forgotten, a feeling she felt three years ago before her parents were killed. Not to feel constant pain from injuries, breath without being sick, and not feel deep hunger or thirst.

[This is not a dream, right? Now I feel strong enough to take my revenge.]

Lupa continued to joyfully lick Vincent's face while Ester stared at the two with a bewildered expression.

"I can still hear you talk in my mind. Wonderful, we can still communicate." Vincent petted Lupa's soft silky fur then continued, "Ester come here. Come and see how soft Lupa is."

Ester didn't see a scene of a man and a wolf fighting for survival. Instead, it was a scene of a man and his pet. She gulped while she cautiously approached the two in denial of this miracle.

From a dangerous foe to a strong ally in five seconds, Ester could only call it that.

Step by step, the previous vicious white wolf kept swinging her tail in happiness while licking Vincent. She suddenly changed to a tame white wolf.

[Who is this human? Is she your mate or an enemy?]

Lupa halted her joyous licking. Raised her ear's to full awareness and assertively listened to Ester approaching. After a few steps, Lupa turned her gaze and her full attention at Ester, wary of who this human was.

"Ester is my... friend. We need to work together to survive, so play nice. " Vincent patted Lupa's head, then stood up.

[Lupa is a good girl.]

Lupa raised her head up and down as if she was signaling Ester to approach.

Ester gulped while she turned her gaze at Vincent, but his response was a few nods with a smile. Her trembling hand slowly approached Lupa's white fur. When it landed, Ester raised a smile.

"So soft and smooth. How is this white wolf, I mean Lupa like this?" Ester asked with a pair of curious crimson eyes. She kept petting Lupa as if her hand didn't want to stop.

[This human can be the spare mate, ok? She is a good human.]

Lupa insisted, making Vincent feel uncomfortable by these words.

"Lupa, let's talk about that later." Vincent had to plan on what to do next. A new fighter entered their group, and with this, many options became available since the plan to fight for survival started with Lupa joining them.

"Can you hear Lupa speak?" Ester felt surprised by how Vincent was addressing Lupa. As if the ordinary white wolf became intelligent.

"With the retainer bond, we can communicate telepathically, even if Lupa isn't capable human language. " Vincent explained, then the idea of Lupa becoming capable of understanding made him continue, "Lupa became extremely intelligent. Probably like a human."

Ester stared deeply at Lupa while she kept touching its soft white fur. She seemed to have something on her mind.

"I've heard some rumors in the village. It takes many years and multiple awakenings for a magical beast to acquire sufficient intelligence to communicate with humans." Ester felt this situation was weird since the retainer bond skipped all this.

'Does that mean I can travel to a forest and gain an army of animals? Wait! Is that how the second summoner hero controlled all his summoned monsters?' Vincent pondered at this new revelation but soon was cut short.

*Awoooooo

A loud howl rooted the three in place with the feeling of the intense murderous aura it carried with it.

[The leader must know I haven't come out yet. That damn pervert.]

Lupa said, feeling angry yet disgusted by the Great Gray Wolf.

"What do you mean by that?" Vincent asked while he steeled his will for a dreadful answer to as to why the Great Gray Wolf was a pervert.

[The leader likes to play with its prey and torture the prey until the last breath.]

[The leader is cunning and uses weak wolves like how I was forced to act as bait and trick the humans.]

[I've lost several friends that way.]

[Not only that, but after the leader decides the fun was over, it would join in what it calls the joy of life and kill all prey.]

[The female wolves that injure themselves to hide their heat aren't allowed to eat humans. We could only feed on the horses or starve.]

[I was the last female wolf remaining since we never gave those bastards the satisfaction nor increased the size of the pack. Now they have none because I'm yours.]

Lupa said with telepathy while a murderous glare was igniting within its golden eyes. Lupa was ready to pay back the three years in hell.

Vincent felt a chill rushing down his spine as he heard these words. The great gray wolf was more cunning than an average wolf. More cunning than what Vincent planned to face.

"Ester, can you loosen the ribbon on my sword hand. We need to do plan B immediately!" Vincent raised his right hand to have the ribbon removed.

"Plan B?" Ester asked while she removed the ribbon with her trembling hands. She was still terrified and not fit to fight.

Vincent was also trembling, but he had to fight for his life. If he didn't fight for his life, then who would? Lupa couldn't do much by herself.

"Ester, bring all the sharp knives here." Vincent wanted to use his free right hand to throw knives as well. Anything to survive the night.

Ester nodded, quickly stood up, and went to the kitchen to bring knives.

Vincent turned his gaze on Lupa. Then with his right free hand, gently touched her throat.

"Lupa, listen carefully. Now that you can understand me, I shall teach you the weak spots of a wolf. First is the throat. Rip the throat of the enemy and protect yours." Vincent started instructing Lupa to keep it as alive as possible. Without Lupa, it was a foregone conclusion that all of them would die.

"Next is the stomach. It's a little hard to reach, but it's a vulnerable spot as well." Vincent touched Lupa's stomach, brushing her soft fur.

"Then, there are the legs. If you bite or rip them from the middle, a wolf will get crippled or would be unable to stand. Like humans, the knee is a dangerous weak spot." Vincent touched Lupa's rear legs and showed the critical areas.

[You know so much about us. Were you once a wolf?]

Lupa felt curious. She didn't quite comprehend what "I came from another world" meant.

"Let's just say, I know. If you are being attacked, then use your shoulder. It will give you a chance to counter bite." Vincent instructed on the best way to minimize damage by taking a bite in a non-vital area.

"The nose and eyes are also weak spots, but you might get bitten if you aim for those places. " Vincent reminded her of the last spots to be wary of when attacking.

*Bam

The door was suddenly ramed once, then it stopped. It was a little bit stronger than Lupa's previous raming. It indicated that a normal gray wolf did this instead of the Great Gray Wolf.

[I understand. I will use my shoulder to protect myself.]

Lupa gave Vincent a nod showing she was ready to begin.

Ester shortly returned with a few knives, both long and short, in her hands.

"Could you tie the ribbon ends? One end at my wrist while the other at the hilt of the short sword." Vincent approached his arm to have the short sword attached to his body. If the short sword fell, he would be able to pick it up with fewer problems. The ability to throw knives from a sword free hand would become available as well.

Ester nodded with a puzzled frown. Then she proceeded by doing as he asked. At first, she thought it was weird, but soon she understood it was ingenious.

"Take these with you. Remember to let one gray wolf enter and close the door." Vincent picked up the two longest knives and handed them to Ester.

Ester nodded, slowly stood up, inserted the two knives in her pants, and went for the door.

Lupa also understood it was time for action. She swiftly went to hide in the kitchen and hid its presence well.

Vincent was surprised by how expertly Lupa could hide her presence. He wouldn't be able to tell that a white wolf was hiding if he didn't see for himself.

Vincent inserted all the knives in-between his belt and in his pockets. Then he swung his arm upwards, and the short sword quickly followed.

Vincent grabbed the short sword's hilt tightly and went to the middle of the cabin.

Vincent took a deep breath then gently exhaled. He steeled himself for what was about to happen next. The first tutorial fight against death was about to begin.