Shadow Wolves, Again??!

Lucas crouched behind a bush, scanning an area within central Metropolis City with his eyes. He let his fear of the unknown activate his threat detection ability- a skill that allowed him to sense the presence and direction of any hostile creatures within a certain distance. He felt a tingling sensation at the back of his neck and saw a familiar silhouette of large canines in his mind's eye.

He focused on the location of the canines and saw that it was coming from three different sources. They were moving fast, zigzagging through the trees.

They were shadow wolves, he was sure of it.

He checked his watch. It was almost noon. The sun was high in the sky, but the Shadow Wolves which were usually nocturnal and lived in caves were oddly not afraid of the daylight this time. They were also hunting in packs which was also unusual. Shadow wolves were known to be solitary and normally didn't form packs.

But all this was par for the course. A lot of strange things had been happening lately since the Dungeon Break six months ago.

Following the appearance of an S-Class dungeon, reports thus far have indicated that only low-level monsters (D-rank and below) have successfully breached the dungeon gate, gaining access to the human world.

Lucas reached into a sack and pulled out a large object. It was a stuffed deer, made of synthetic fur and foam and sprayed with deer blood.

He dragged the deer to a clearing near the east gate of Central Park and left it.

He dragged the deer's limp body to the middle of the clearing, arranging its legs and head to mimic a grazing posture. He hoped the predators would fall for his bait and not notice the bloodstains on the grass. He reached for his backpack and pulled out a spray bottle filled with a concoction of herbs and animal urine. He doused himself with the liquid, trying not to gag at the stench. He crept back to his hiding spot behind a large tree, where he had set up his rifle and binoculars. He scanned the clearing with his eyes, waiting for his prey to show up.

Soon, he heard their growls and sniffs, getting closer and closer. He saw them emerge from the trees, their eyes fixed on the deer. They looked hungry and eager.

As the sun reached its zenith indicating noon, three shadow wolves darted through the middle of Central Park, their paws barely making a sound on the pavement. Their nostrils flared as they picked up the scent of their quarry, a tantalizing aroma that made their mouths water. They had been chasing it for hours, and their stomachs growled with hunger.

They reached a clearing where a large deer lay motionless on the grass, its fur matted with blood. The lead wolf snarled and the others circled around it, ready to pounce. The lead wolf sniffed the air, detecting something odd, but his hunger overrode his suspicion.

He lunged at the deer, expecting to feel its flesh give way under his fangs. But instead, he bit into a soft and tasteless substance that sprayed white foam in his mouth. He spat it out and realized too late that the deer was a fake.

Without warning, the clearing erupted into a death trap. Nets dropped from the branches, tangling the wolves in their meshes. Snares tightened around their paws, cutting off their blood flow. Spikes jutted out from the ground, impaling their flesh. Icy arrows whizzed from the bushes, piercing their hearts.

Two of the wolves fell limp, their eyes glazed and their mouths open. They were dead. Ash's face remained expressionless as she aimed her bow at the third one, the only one who had escaped the traps. She let loose a volley of arrows, hoping to finish the job.

But the wolf was not ready to give up. It dodged the arrows with incredible agility.

Lucas dashed out from behind a tree, swinging his iron axe at the wolf. The wolf dodged his attack but felt the wind of the blade brush past its fur. It growled and leapt at Lucas, aiming for his throat. Lucas barely managed to block the wolf with his axe, pushing it back. He was in trouble.

But then, he heard a voice. A voice that was sweet and soothing, like a lullaby. A voice that filled his ears and his mind, drowning out everything else. It was Bard, using his siren's song ability to confuse the wolf.

The wolf heard the voice too. It stopped attacking Lucas and looked around, puzzled. It couldn't see or smell anything clearly. It felt dizzy and disoriented. It ran in circles, trying to find the source of the voice, but it was everywhere and nowhere. It was trapped in a maze of sound.

Annie flicked her wrist and muttered a dark incantation, summoning a burst of black flames towards the wolf. The wolf dodged the flames but felt a searing pain on its side. It snarled and bared its teeth, its eyes glowing with rage. It charged at Annie, faster and fiercer than before.

Mumu raised her hand and uttered a word of power, sending a stream of purple light towards the remaining shadow wolf. The wolf yelped as the light wrapped around it, sapping its mana and vitality. It stumbled and fell, its fur losing its lustre and its eyes dimming. Lucas seized the opportunity and swung his axe, slicing through the wolf's neck with a single blow.

Bard collapsed into a heap breathing a sigh of relief. "We suck," he said.

Noone argued.