Chapter 31 - Wolf's Den (3)

Slash. The fifth wolf crumpled to the ground, its scaly fur matted with dirt and blood.

The air was thick with the stench of death and decay, the sound of labored breathing and snarling the only soundtrack to this gruesome battle.

Ryuk stood tall, his eyes scanning the remaining pack with a mixture of disdain and boredom.

"Is that all you got?" he taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. His gaze locked onto the alpha, a peak level 1 wolf with a twisted, nightmarish visage.

The alpha snarled, its jaws open wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp, poisonous fangs.

Ryuk rubbed his shoulder, a gesture of nonchalance, before launching himself into the fray.

The first wolf leapt at him, its fangs bared, but Ryuk sidestepped the attack with ease. His sword flashed in the sunlight, slicing through the wolf's neck with a sickening crunch.

The wolf's head rolled to the ground, its eyes frozen in a permanent snarl.

The second wolf attempted to attack from behind, but Ryuk was prepared. He raised a hand, and a blast of flames erupted from his palm, engulfing the wolf and its companions.

The sound of their screams was like music to Ryuk's ears, the smell of charred flesh and fur filling the air.

The alpha, enraged by the loss of its pack, launched itself at Ryuk with a ferocious snarl.

Ryuk twisted his body, avoiding the alpha's deadly bite by a hair's breadth. In the same motion, he conjured a fire lance, its flames burning bright and hot.

With a swift, deadly motion, he launched the lance at the alpha. Boom. The alpha exploded, its body reduced to a pile of smoldering ash.

The sound of the explosion echoed through the landscape, a stark reminder of Ryuk's power.

The remaining pack, realizing they were outmatched, turned tail and fled in terror. Ryuk watched them go, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

It had been a good fight, but ultimately, it was just a warm-up.

Ryuk let out a deep sigh, his breath escaping his lips in a slow, measured pace.

"Haaa." The sound was almost melancholic, a reflection of his frustration. He gazed down at the lifeless bodies of the wolves, his eyes lingering on their still forms.

'If only Soul Absorption could work on them', he thought, his mind wandering to the possibilities.

But alas, that was not the case. Ryuk had learned the hard way that Soul Absorption was exclusive to humans and humanoid beings with intellect.

The monsters, driven solely by instinct, were immune to its effects.

He recalled the first chimera-like wolf he had killed, and how his attempt to use Soul Absorption had ended in failure. The memory still lingered, a reminder of the limitations of his abilities.

With a resigned shrug, Ryuk turned his attention to gathering crystals.

He pulled out his knife, the blade glinting in the sunlight as he tore open the chest of the wolves.

A faint scent of blood and viscera wafted up, mingling with the acrid smell of burnt fur.

Ryuk's eyes scanned the cavity, his gaze searching for the telltale glint of crystal. But there was nothing.

"Tsk." He clicked his tongue in annoyance, his frustration palpable. This was not the first time he had encountered a monster without a crystal.

In fact, it was a slightly rare occurrence for monsters to possess crystals at all.

The rarity of crystals was what made them so valuable. They were the lifeblood of the explorer's association, sought after by many but possessed by few.

The only portals where crystals were guaranteed were the elusive white-grade portals.

But those were the stuff of legend, harboring Level 9s, Sovereigns, and even demi-gods. White-grade portals were the ultimate test of courage and strength, a proving ground for those brave enough to dare the unknown.

Ryuk's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his own muttering. "This one doesn't have a crystal either, huh?"

He shook his head, his eyes scanning the surrounding area.

His hands then moved with precision, his knife slicing through the flesh of the wolves with ease.

He tore open their chests, revealing the inner workings of their bodies. The sound of ripping flesh and crunching bone filled the air, accompanied by the metallic tang of blood.

As he searched the wolves' bodies, Ryuk's eyes scanned for the telltale glint of crystal.

His search was rewarded when he found five black crystals nestled among the wolves' organs.

The crystals seemed to absorb the light around them, their dark facets glinting with an otherworldly energy.

With the crystals safely in hand, Ryuk turned his attention to harvesting the wolves' bodies.

He carefully extracted their fangs, claws, and bones, setting them aside for storage.

The sound of scraping bone and tearing flesh filled the air, accompanied by the faint scent of decay.

Ryuk's storage ring, a simple-looking band of silver on his finger, glowed with a soft, blue light as he activated it.

The ring was adorned with intricate runes, etched into its surface by the skilled hands of elven craftsmen.

The runes pulsed with a gentle, magical energy, as Ryuk began to store the wolves' body parts within the ring.

The storage ring was a marvel of dwarven engineering, made possible by the collaboration between the dwarves and the elves.

The elves, with their innate affinity for runes, had worked alongside the dwarves to create these incredible artifacts.

The rings utilized the power of runes to create a pocket dimension, allowing users to store a vast array of items within a seemingly infinite space.

As Ryuk finished storing the wolves' body parts, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

The storage ring was an invaluable tool, one that was sure to prove itself in his adventures.

Infact the only reason he didn't store his things he took from the palace with him in his storage ring was to prevent it from being stolen.

With the crystals and body parts safely stored, Ryuk decided to continue his journey inside his first portal.