Chapter 32 Into The Predator's Lair Part 9

Staring at the circling wolves, Abrafo grabbed U-ri's hand. "Back-to-back," he instructed, his voice grim. "We have a better chance of prolonging this fight as long as possible until the others come to our rescue."

U-ri scoffed, his face pale. "They've been gone for half a day. I don't know if they'll come back to see us before we die."

"Focus on what's in front of you now, don't think about it," Abrafo snapped. He watched as the wolves completed their encirclement. "U-ri, your back must be close to mine at all times. Don't chase them." He gripped his knife tightly.

U-ri tightened his hold on Michio's spear, his gaze fixed on the snarling wolves before him. "I may be old," he muttered, a flicker of defiance in his eyes, "but I don't go down easily without a fight."

Ten wolves now surrounded Abrafo and U-ri. One wolf rushed U-ri, while two wolves simultaneously lunged at Abrafo. The wolves clearly understood the need to work as a coordinated team to take down Abrafo, recognizing him as the stronger of the two.

The first wolf pounced on Abrafo from his right side, and the second wolf attacked from his left at the same instant. Abrafo knew that no matter what happened next, one of the wolves was going to injure him. He focused his defense on where his right hand held the knife, prioritizing a clean strike.

"Since you're fine, we have to rush back to U-ri," Hajime said to Yul. "He's in danger, and Michio went down to help him first."

Hajime grabbed his wooden black panther figure and tossed it into the air. The black panther, now larger than life, stared intently at Hajime.

"Go down and help Michio and U-ri," Hajime commanded. With a powerful leap, his black panther rushed down the mountain.

Hajime and Yul then sped down the hillside on the back of the swift gray wolf. Yul handed the black, crystal-like stone, which resembled a man-made flower, to Hajime. "Here, here's what I found at the bottom of that pond," he said, resting his head wearily on Hajime's shoulder.

Hajime took the black lotus stone and examined it carefully. "That's what was on that old map," he mused, a frown creasing his brow. "How did you know to find it?"

"Before Chun tried to kill me," Yul explained, his voice low, "she told me that if we want to enter No Man's Land, we must have five keys to open a gate called the Gate of Reality. Even if we reach the Gate of Reality but don't have the keys, we'll never be able to open the gate and step into No Man's Land."

"Who is Chun?" Hajime asked, momentarily confused.

"The half-snake, half-woman," Yul clarified.

"Oh, that Chun," Hajime said, a flicker of understanding. He paused for a moment. "And you believe her?"

"She talked about the special mages who helped the Tenth King," Yul continued, his conviction unwavering. "She was able to connect the dots."

Hajime frowned, still skeptical. "She may have lied to you. Why take risks based on other people's words?"

"I took the risk because we had no other leads," Yul replied, his voice firm despite his exhaustion. "This was the first lead we got. It was the most reliable source at that moment. I don't want to lose any chance we get. Every risk I take, it's one step closer to the White Dragon Tail... so, I'm willing to take the risk."

"Do you think this map will lead us to find the keys, and then it will lead us to No Man's Land?" Hajime asked, looking at the black lotus stone.

"Mmm…" Yul murmured, a sound of deep fatigue.

Hajime heard Yul's exhaustion and suddenly worried that Yul might be suffering from decompression sickness, or something worse from his underwater ordeal. He quickly asked, "Hey, what's the matter with you?"

Yul touched his left waist. He looked at the palm of his left hand; it was already stained red with blood. He looked down at his left side and saw that his blood had dyed the wolf's white fur red. "I think I'm bleeding," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

Hajime abruptly stopped the wolf. "You think?" he demanded, his voice sharp with alarm. He quickly turned to face Yul. "Where are you hurt?" He reached for the source of Yul's bleeding.

"Left side," Yul replied, wincing. "I think I got hurt in the fight with Chun."

"Take off your robe and let me check it," Hajime commanded, reaching out to untie Yul's outer garment.

Yul grabbed Hajime's hands, stopping him. "No, I can hold on, but U-ri can't."

"Michio has already gone down to help him," Hajime insisted.

"You saw what those things can do," Yul said, his gaze meaningful.

"I don't care what they can or can't do right now," Hajime retorted, his concern overriding his patience. "Now, you don't need to worry about other people's safety. You only need to worry about your own safety. Besides, look at you now, you are in no condition to help anyone."

"I can't help them, but you can," Yul countered, a stubborn light in his eyes. "We haven't found Abrafo yet, and I don't want to lose another member." Hajime's fingers brushed against a twig embedded in Yul's left side, and Yul grunted in pain. "Never mind it," Yul quickly added, forcing a stronger tone. "I can still hold on."

"Alright," Hajime conceded, though his expression remained grim. "But when we get there, you stay put on this wolf's back."

Yul gave a weak grunt of acknowledgment. "Mmm…"

"Hold me tightly," Hajime urged, his voice softening.

Yul chuckled weakly. "I survived three arrows and suffered more injuries than this. I didn't die then, and I won't die here."

"Probably because those wounds weren't near the arteries, so you survived," Hajime countered, his tone serious. "Did you ever hear that a little poke in the right place can kill you instantly?"

Yul smiled faintly. "No…" he lied, not wanting Hajime to worry. Of course, he had heard of those places. Before he became a palace guard, the first lesson was to study the human nervous system. "Don't worry… If I were the kind of person who is easy to get killed, His Highness would never allow me to embark on this journey."

"Speaking of which," Hajime mused, "you must get extra pay when you come back. You and the others deserve it."

Yul felt his vision darken, probably due to blood loss. He closed his eyes and rested his head heavily on Hajime's back. "You talk as if you're not going back with us," he murmured.

"I have no intention of returning to your kingdom," Hajime stated simply, looking straight ahead.

Yul sighed, his voice growing fainter. "Hajime, you have to find U-ri quickly… I think I'm going to pass out soon."

Hajime grabbed onto Yul's hands; his voice laced with renewed worry. "Hang on…"

Abrafo turned quickly to his left, stabbing the second wolf on the side of its head while the first wolf bit into his left ankle. As he fought, the third wolf leaped forward, pinning Abrafo to the ground. U-ri saw Abrafo fall. He turned, and with a desperate thrust, stabbed the first wolf with his spear. But his thrust was too deep, and the spear penetrated completely through the wolf's belly. U-ri pulled twice, but he couldn't free the spear from the wolf's body. As he struggled, the fourth wolf jumped up, aiming its fangs directly at U-ri's neck.

Abrafo, still trying to fight off two wolves, saw the wolf launch itself at U-ri. "U-ri, get down!" he screamed.

Suddenly, Michio's spear flew forward, striking the wolf that was pouncing on U-ri squarely in the middle of its belly. The spear continued its flight, disappearing into the dense woods beyond.

The Alpha wolf's eyes followed the flying spear into the dense woods. Moments later, Michio burst out of the trees on the back of the large gray wolf, confirming his arrival. Michio immediately threw his spear at the third wolf on top of Abrafo, then quickly jumped off the gray wolf's back and swung his three-section staff at the other attacking wolves.

The gray wolf, now a towering presence, quickly attacked the other two wolves. Its sheer size caused the remaining, slightly injured wolves to retreat slowly, their confidence wavering. The gray wolf then jumped in front of Abrafo, its flaming red eyes fixed on the remaining wolves, a clear challenge.

The alpha wolf walked forward slowly, its voice a low, gravelly growl. "Just because you know a little magic, do you think you can get out of here alive? Anyone who enters this land will never get out." He shook his head, then turned his head to the left, towards the forest beyond. "That's what the villagers thought when they decided to build a village there." He sniffed the air, a predatory hunger in his nostrils. "They think they can walk into this land and claim it for themselves, but little do they know that they are walking into a sacrificial ground where men have no chance of survival against the fiercest predators lurking in this forest."

Suddenly, a black shadow passed swiftly over the back of a wolf, and a wolf whimpered from behind the dense trees. Just as the whimpering sound died down, another shadow passed by the wolves, and there was another whimper. The alpha wolf sent a head signal to one of the wounded wolves. The wolf walked slowly into the dense woods, and suddenly, the sounds of growling and roaring erupted.

When the sounds of the attack died down, a black panther emerged from the side of the road, a dead wolf clutched in its mouth. The black panther threw the dead wolf on the ground and stared fiercely at the alpha wolf with its piercing yellow-green eyes.

The alpha wolf grinned, a chilling display of fangs. "It's impressive," he admitted. "I've never seen a predator obey a mortal's command. But it takes more than a black panther to break through this thousand-year-old ritual circle."