Treacherous Wolf

"I've found my prey."

Currently, standing in front of Arden was a 5-meter-tall grey wolf. Its eyes shone with a menacing silver light as it growled. The wolf's fur, thick and matted, had a mix of dark and light grey hues, giving it a ghostly appearance. Its ears, pointed and alert, twitched slightly as it assessed its surroundings.

The wolf had sharp claws that looked capable of slicing through anything, and its teeth were equally menacing, protruding slightly from its maw as it snarled. Each claw was as long as a dagger, and its fangs glistened with saliva, ready to tear into flesh. Its powerful limbs were covered in taut muscles, and its back legs were bent, poised to spring at any moment.

As a true beast, it growled while starting to walk towards Arden, its eyes fixated on him, almost as if it had also found its prey. Though the wolf's grey fur was beautiful, its claws and teeth made it anything but admirable. It was here to kill, so there was no need to admire it.

Suddenly, the system screen popped up for the first time today, with words written on it:

[This forest has lots of beasts in it, but wolves are more common]

"I see..." This could only mean that he would encounter more wolves as he ventured further.

Putting that aside, Arden focused on the wolf that was now standing not too far from him. Its hind legs were bent, making it clear that it was preparing to leap. From the corner of his eye, Arden noticed the system screen appearing once again, this time displaying information about the wolf in front of him:

[Race: Beast]

[Name: Treacherous Wolf]

[Rank: First Step Rank 1 Beast]

[Skills: Slash, Leap]

"It's at the lowest rank," Arden muttered, though that didn't mean he would let his guard down. He remembered reading about Treacherous Wolves once, though there wasn't much information available.

"As expected, it doesn't have strong skills, but if it's higher-ranked, it'll have stronger abilities."

Despite the wolf's modest skills, Arden knew they were still dangerous, especially if one let their guard down. It was now time for battle.

Arden didn't rush or attack. Instead, he continued observing the wolf, whose hind legs were still slightly bent. Judging by its posture, it was clear the wolf was prepared for anything.

The wolf kept its eyes on Arden as it moved around, and Arden did the same, not wanting to miss a single detail. He knew that losing sight of the wolf for even a second could be disastrous.

'It'll eventually give up,' Arden thought as he stared at the wolf.

And yes, he was right, because...

"Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!"

The wolf couldn't take it anymore and launched itself toward Arden with a giant leap, instantly closing the distance.

Arden, having kept his eyes on the wolf, was able to follow its movement.

*WHOOSH*

In mid-air, the wolf stretched out its right claws, aiming for Arden's face.

*CLANG*

Before the wolf's claws could reach his face, Arden raised his dagger, blocking the attack, creating a clanging sound, and causing sparks to fly.

The wolf landed on the ground and instantly regained its footing, but Arden had already attacked.

*WHOOSH*

In a swift motion, he swung his dagger towards the wolf's head, but the wolf was quick enough to block it.

*CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*

Clanging sounds echoed through the forest as sparks flew. Arden kept swinging his dagger, and the wolf kept blocking it with its claws.

"Die."

Arden swung his dagger again, but this time, the wolf leaped back, creating distance between itself and Arden. They both stared at each other for a few seconds, neither wanting to attack just yet.

"I can face it with just my normal combat power alone... That's good," Arden muttered, relieved that he could fight this beast without relying on his Lightning Spear Skill or his equipment.

Instantly, Arden crouched a little, observing the wolf's movements. 'I know its attack pattern... It'll surely use it again.'

And just as he thought, the wolf suddenly dashed towards Arden, running in a zigzag manner to confuse him.

"Pretty smart..."

Despite its tactic, Arden could still follow the wolf's movement. As soon as it got within a certain range, the wolf leaped up again, claws outstretched, ready to strike.

Just like before, Arden blocked the claws with his dagger. But this time, as the wolf fell back to the ground, Arden instantly grabbed its left hind leg and...

*BOOM*

He smashed the wolf onto the ground, causing debris to rise and a dust cloud to appear.

"Grr... grr..." The wolf groaned in pain.

As the dust cloud settled, the wolf's body came into full view. It lay on the ground, breathing heavily. Though there were little to no scars on its body, it was still in pain.

Not wasting the opportunity, Arden gripped his dagger and stabbed the wolf's head, killing it instantly. The wolf died so swiftly that its cry wasn't even heard.

As if to confirm the kill, the system screen appeared in front of Arden:

[Congratulations, you have successfully killed a beast for the first time]

[You have killed the First Step Rank 1 Treacherous Wolf]

"Yes, my combat power is enough to kill First Step Rank 1 Beasts."

Arden stared at the wolf's lifeless body on the ground. He had killed a beast for the first time, something he never thought he would be able to do.

Well, it was now possible.

'This is just the beginning...'

With that in mind, there was something very important he had to retrieve.

The Beast Core.