Chapter 32 Into The Predators’ Layers Part 9

Staring at the wolves, Abrafo grabbed U-ri's hand and said, "Back-to-back, we have a better chance of prolonging this fight as long as possible until the others come to our rescue."

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

Abrafo said, "Focus on what's in front of you now, don't think about it." He saw that the wolves had surrounded them. "U-ri, your back must be close to mine at all times. Don't chase them." He held the knife tightly.

U-ri held Michio's spear tightly and looked at the wolves in front of him. "I may be old, but I don't go down easily without a fight," he said.

Ten wolves circled Abrafo and U-ri, one wolf rushed to U-ri, and two wolves rushed to Abrafo. Because the wolves know they must work together as a doubles team to take down Abrafo because he is the stronger of the two.

The first wolf pounced on Abrafo from the right side, and the second wolf pounced on Abrafo from the left at the same time. Abrafo knew that no matter what happened next, one of the wolves was going to hurt him, so he focused on where his right hand held the knife.

Hajime said, " Since you are fine, we have to rush back to U-ri, he is in danger, so Michio went down to help him first."

Hajime grabbed his wooded black panther figure and tossed it in the air. The black panther is staring at Hajime.

Hajime said, "Go down and help Michio and U-ri." His black panther rushed down the mountain.

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

Hajime took the black lotus stone and looked at it carefully. "That's what was on that old map. How did you know to find it?" he asked.

Yul said, "Before Chun tried to kill me, 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."

Hajime asked, "Who is Chun?"

Yul said, "The half snake, half woman."

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

Yul said, "She talked about the special mages who helped the Tenth King. She was able to connect the dots."

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

Yul said, "I took the risk because we had no other leads. This was the first lead we got. It's 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."

Hajime asked, "Do you think this map will lead us to find the keys, and then it will lead us to No Man's land?"

Yul said, "Mmm…"

Hajime hears Yul's exhaustion, and he suddenly worries that Yul might have decompression sickness. He hurriedly said, "Hey, what's the matter with you?"

Yul touched his left waist with his hand. 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 stained the wolf's white hair red. "I think I'm bleeding," he said.

Hajime stopped the wolf suddenly. He hurriedly asked, "You think?" He turned quickly to face Yul. "Where did you hurt?" He reaches for where Yul is bleeding.

Yul said, "Left. I think I got hurt in the fight with Chun."

Hajime said, "Take off your robe and let me check it." He reached out and untied Yul's robe.

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

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

Yul said, "You see what those things can do."

Hajime said, "I don't care what they can or can't do. Now, you don't need to worry about other people's safety. You only need to worry about your own safety. Also, look at you now, you are under no condition to help anyone."

Yul said, "I can't help them, but you can. We haven't found Abrafo yet, and I don't want to lose another member." Hajime touched the twig on Yul's left side, and he grunted. "Never mind it. I can still hold on."

Hajime said, "Alright, but when we get there, you stay put on this wolf's back."

Yul grunted, "Mmm…"

Hajime said, "Hold me tightly."

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

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

Yul smiled lowly, "No..." He didn't want 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 am the kind of person who is easy to get killed, His Highness will never allow me to embark on this journey."

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

Yul felt that his vision had become darker, probably due to blood loss. He closed his eyes and rested his head on Hajime's back. He said, "You talk as if you're not going back with us."

Hajime said, "I have no intention of returning to your kingdom."

Yul sighed and said, "Hajime, you have to find U-ri quickly...I think I'm going to pass out soon."

Hajime grabbed onto Yul's hands. He said worriedly, "Hang on…"

Abrafo turned quickly to the left and stabbed the second wolf on the side of the head while the first wolf bit his left ankle. The third wolf leaps forward and pins Abrafo to the ground. U-ri saw Abrafo fall to the ground, turned, and stabbed the first wolf with his spear, but the thrust was too deep, and the spear penetrated through the wolf's belly. U-ri pulled twice, but he couldn't free the spear from the wolf's belly. The fourth wolf jumped up and aimed his fangs at U-ri's neck.

Abrafo, who was trying to fight off two wolves, saw the wolf jump at U-ri. He screamed, "U-ri, get down."

Michio's spear suddenly flew forward, hitting the middle of the belly of the wolf that was pounced on U-ri, and continued to fly into the dense wood.

The Alpha wolf's eyes followed the flying spear into the dense woods, and it was Michio who rushed out of the woods on the gray wolf's back. Michio 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 wolves.

The gray wolf quickly attacked the other two wolves. Due to the size of the gray wolf, the other slightly injured wolves retreated slowly, while the gray wolf jumped in front of Abrafo, looking at the remaining wolves with flaming red eyes.

The alpha wolf walked forward slowly and said, "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 and turned his head to the left. "That's what the villagers thought when they decided to build a village there." He sniffed into the air. "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 over the back of the wolf, and a wolf whimpered behind the dense trees. Just as the whimpering sound fell, another shadow passed by the wolves, and there was another whimper. The alpha wolf sends a head signal to one of the wounded wolves. The wolf walked slowly into the dense woods, and suddenly, they began to hear growling and the sound of roaring.

When the sound of the attack dies down, a black panther comes out from the side of the road with the dead wolf in its mouth. The black panther threw the dead wolf on the ground and stared fiercely at the alpha wolf with its yellow-green eyes.

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