Chapter 15: The Evolved Wolves

Chapter 15: The Evolved Wolves

Seraphina's Office...

A firm knock echoed through the office.

Seraphina didn't look up immediately. She remained at her desk, posture straight, hands resting on reports she had yet to finish. Duty first. Always.

"Enter," she said, voice cool, composed.

"Captain," Lyra said, approaching the desk with a sealed envelope in hand. "A letter has arrived from the guild for you." The emblem of the Adventurer's Guild was imprinted on the wax seal—official, urgent.

Seraphina's silver eyebrows furrowed as she reached for the letter. "A letter from the guild?" she mused, breaking the seal with a flick of her gloved fingers. "Why would they contact us?"

"Don't know, Captain. But if they went through the trouble of sending a message directly to you, it must be urgent." Lyra shifted slightly, her stance firm but expectant.

Seraphina unfolded the parchment and scanned the contents. The words were precise but held an underlying tension. As she read, her piercing blue eyes darkened, a flicker of unease crossing her usually impassive face.

After a long moment, she exhaled sharply and set the letter down.

"What happened, Captain?" Lyra asked, stepping closer. "Is something wrong?"

Seraphina's fingers drummed lightly against the desk. "The Guild Master reports that a dungeon has begun to act strangely. Something is disrupting the mana flow within its depths. He warned us to be prepared—he suspects that something dangerous is brewing."

"A disturbance in a dungeon…" Lyra's expression hardened. "That's serious. Do you think it's a major threat?"

"It could be. Until we know more, we must be ready for anything." Seraphina's gaze flickered toward the window, her thoughts momentarily elsewhere. "For now, we wait. If the guild requests aid, we will send our knights. Until then, we remain on standby."

"Understood, Captain." Lyra nodded, but she didn't immediately turn to leave. Her amber eyes studied Seraphina, noticing the faintest crease in her brow, the way her fingers tightened around the edge of the desk. Lyra had served under her long enough to recognize the signs—Seraphina had a bad feeling.

"Tch. What?" Seraphina snapped.

"Nothing, Captain."

"Then stop staring. It's annoying."

Lyra smirked but said nothing. She bowed slightly and turned toward the door. "I'll relay your orders."

Seraphina barely acknowledged her. Her thoughts were elsewhere.

—

After Lyra left, Seraphina stared at the letter.

A dungeon disturbance.

So what?

What did that have to do with her?

…Damn it.

Her fingers twitched slightly.

That idiot—he's in an adventuring party now, isn't he? Did they take quests, or did they actually go into the dungeon?

Her jaw clenched. She should've asked. No—she shouldn't care. He was just a weak, reckless adventurer. He wouldn't be anywhere near a dangerous dungeon. Right?

Right.

"Stupid," she muttered, shaking her head.

It wasn't her problem. He wasn't her problem.

But…

"If he's in that dungeon and something happens…" Her grip tightened on the desk.

No. No, no, no. That was ridiculous. There was no way.

Still… Still.

She bit her lip. Then scoffed.

"Whatever. If he dies, it's his own fault."

Then she looked away.

"I hope he did."

…

She frowned.

Her fingers twitched again.

Damn it. Should I check on him? No. Absolutely not.

No one in town knew about us. The guild didn't know. That secret had to stay buried. I had too much at stake.

And yet—

Her hands clenched into fists.

"He deserves to die for his arrogance," she muttered, scowling at the wall. "Who told him to become an adventurer? He should've just opened a shop or something! Just die already and save me the trouble!"

She stood abruptly, glaring at the door like it had personally offended her.

"I am never going. Never."

A long pause.

Then she grabbed her sword.

---

—Floor 11—

The air shifted the moment they stepped onto the 11th floor. Unlike the previous floors, which were dimly lit with stone corridors and moss-covered walls, this place was different. The atmosphere was heavier, the walls darker, almost pulsing with an eerie glow. A thin mist curled along the floor, making it difficult to see too far ahead.

Kael, as always, stayed at the back, adjusting the bags on his shoulders while keeping a silent watch.

Mira stretched her arms lazily. "Well, here we are again. Another day, another dungeon floor."

Leon's gaze swept over the area, sharp and calculating. "Stay cautious. From this point on, it's nothing like the previous floors. The first ten were just practice."

Arthur gulped. "R-Right… The guild said monsters get a lot stronger here."

Elara nodded, her expression calm but focused. "That's why we need to move carefully."

The party advanced with slow, measured steps, the sound of their boots echoing against the cavern walls. The eerie silence was unsettling. There was no distant growling, no chittering sounds of small monsters—just an oppressive quiet.

Then, suddenly—

Howl.

A low, guttural sound rumbled from the shadows. Red eyes gleamed in the darkness, appearing one by one, until nearly a dozen pairs surrounded them. The air grew thick with tension as the creatures emerged into view.

A pack of wolves emerged from the shadows ahead, their forms barely visible under the dim dungeon light. Their fur was an unnatural shade—black streaked with white, their eyes glowing red like embers. Their low growls echoed against the damp stone walls, filling the air with an eerie tension.

Leon's grip tightened around his sword, his muscles tensing. "Pack monsters. Annoying."

Mira flicked her wrist, summoning a small ember that danced at her fingertips. "Something's off about them, though. They look different from the usual dungeon wolves."

Arthur gulped, shifting slightly behind Leon. "They could be evolved versions. If that's the case, they're stronger, faster… and probably smarter."

Leon narrowed his eyes, scanning the pack. "Maybe. But we're an A-Rank party. We can handle them. Get ready."

The wolves didn't give them time to prepare. The largest one—likely the alpha—let out a sharp snarl, and in an instant, the pack lunged.

Leon moved first, stepping forward with a burst of speed, his sword gleaming in the dim light.

Slash!

His blade cut through the first wolf, slicing it cleanly in two. Blood sprayed, but before he could recover, another wolf pounced from the side. He barely had time to raise his sword, blocking with a harsh clang as claws raked against the steel. The impact sent a jolt through his arms.

Arthur reacted fast. "Frost Chains!"

A surge of icy blue mana erupted from his hands, thick chains of ice shooting up from the ground and coiling around several wolves. They howled, struggling against their frozen binds as frost spread across their fur.

"Nice work, Arthur!" Mira smirked before raising her hand. "Let's heat things up. Blazing Lance!"

A spear of fire materialized in her palm. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled it forward. The burning projectile struck one of the restrained wolves, igniting its fur in a burst of flames. It let out a high-pitched yelp, writhing in agony before collapsing.

But the wolves weren't backing down.

Three of them managed to avoid Arthur's spell and charged toward the spellcasters.

"Elara, get ready!" Arthur warned, stepping back.

Elara pressed a hand to her chest, murmuring, "Sanctuary Shield."

A golden light flared to life around her just as the wolves lunged. Their fangs snapped against the shimmering barrier, unable to break through.

Mira wasn't about to let them get a second chance. "Fire Burst!"

Flames exploded outward from her palm, forcing the wolves back with seared fur and painful yelps. One rolled frantically, trying to extinguish the fire.

Leon dashed in, blade flashing. He drove his sword through the burning wolf, ending its suffering in an instant. Another lunged at him from behind. He twisted just in time, raising his sword to parry, but the beast was heavier than expected. The force nearly knocked him off balance.

"Damn it… These things are strong."

Arthur sent another wave of ice magic, coating the dungeon floor in frost. One of the wolves lost its footing, skidding across the ice.

Mira seized the opportunity. "Blazing Strike!"

A concentrated burst of fire shot from her hand, engulfing the wolf mid-slide. It let out one final, agonized howl before falling still.

Only a few wolves remained now, circling cautiously.

Then, one of them—desperate and feral—set its glowing red eyes on Kael.

The wolf lunged.

---

(Chapter Ended)