Chapter:13-Black Wolf

Edwin's breath came shallow and uneven as he stared into the dense undergrowth before him. His fingers trembled slightly, gripping the handle of his sword, though the cool steel did little to comfort his fraying nerves.

The bushes rustled again. A slow, deliberate movement. Something was watching him.

Three eyes. Three gleaming, blood-red orbs glowed from the darkness, unblinking, unyielding, and utterly unreadable. His heartbeat quickened. What was it? Was it something he could fight? Or was it something that would kill him before he even realized he was dead?

His mind screamed for action. He reached into his inventory—a shimmering menu of blue pixels opened before him—and with a swift motion, he pulled out his blade. The sword materialized in a shower of glowing data, its black, single-edged surface absorbing the light around it like a gaping void. Edwin tightened his grip.

If it was hostile, he'd have to kill it.

The tension in the air thickened. He swallowed dryly.

And then… from the shadows of the undergrowth, it emerged.

A fox.

A small fox, its white fur shimmering with golden stripes that caught the faint sunlight filtering through the trees. Its three ruby-colored eyes blinked up at him, its head tilting as if confused by his tense stance. Calmly, almost lazily, the tiny creature licked its paw and dragged it over its ear, its posture completely at ease.

Edwin blinked.

His breath hitched in his throat, and before he could stop himself, a weak chuckle slipped from his lips.

"…You scared me half to death," he muttered, crouching down.

His fingers brushed against the fox's soft fur. It didn't flinch. Instead, it merely stared at him with those large, unreadable eyes. Then, just as quietly as it had appeared, it turned and trotted off into the deeper parts of the forest, vanishing into the undergrowth like a whisper in theblood!.

"Hm...soft."

Edwin exhaled sharply. His heartbeat was still racing, but now, it was out of sheer relief.

He shook his head. No time to dwell on that. The Adventurer's Test wasn't over yet.

The forest was alive with movement. Shadows danced between towering trees, the underbrush teeming with life. Edwin moved cautiously, sword in hand, every step measured and deliberate. He encountered various creatures—gnarled goblins with rusted knives, oversized spiders lurking in the canopies, and horned boars that charged without warning.

None of them were a challenge.

His blade cut them down with ease, reducing them to fading embers of light before they vanished into his system's EXP counter.

Then, the roar came.

A deep, bone-rattling snarl that reverberated through the air like an earthquake.

"What was that?"

The very earth beneath Edwin's feet trembled. A flock of birds erupted from the trees, their terrified cries piercing the night.

Edwin froze.

A coppery scent filled his nose.

Blood.

His heart dropped into his stomach.

"Human blood!"

Somewhere ahead, past the thick tangle of trees, something had slaughtered someone.

He swallowed thickly.

"Another adventurer? The test was dangerous, sure, but this… this is just wrong."

This wasn't supposed to happen.

He wasn't supposed to be here. He had been fooled.

His stomach churned violently. He turned on his heel, his instincts screaming at him to run.

Then—

[Quest Received: Defeat the Black Hound]

A notification blinked before his eyes.

His blood turned to ice.

No. No, no, no!

He didn't want to die again.

His fingers twitched at his sides. His breathing turned ragged. His vision blurred at the edges.

"If I refuse the quest, I will die instantly..."

There was no way out.

No way but forward.

A trembling breath left his lips as he accepted the quest. His feet moved—one step, then another, then another—dragging him deeper into the abyss of the forest.

And there it stood.

A monstrous wolf, its sheer size dwarfing any creature he had faced before.

As large as an ogre.

Its black fur was matted with wet, glistening blood—human blood. Its massive jaws hung slightly open, thick crimson strands dripping from its fangs. Its breath came slow and heavy, like the ominous sound of rolling thunder before a storm.

Edwin couldn't breathe.

His fingers gripped his sword, but it felt useless.

The beast lifted its head.

And in an instant, it moved.

A black blur.

Fangs sank into his throat before he could even lift his sword.

Pain exploded.

His body tore apart like wet paper.

[You Died]

Edwin gasped.

His body jolted upright. His lungs burned. His skin crawled.

He wasn't in the forest anymore.

His hands clutched at the sheets beneath him—soft sheets. A bed.

The inn.

He was back at the inn.

His head snapped up. His breaths came sharp and erratic. His throat ached, the memory of fangs tearing through it still fresh in his mind.

The Black Wolf.

The Black Wolf killed him in an instant.

His fists clenched. His jaw tightened.

That wasn't a test.

That was slaughter.

Something was wrong.

Something was very, very wrong.

"I need to dig up some information"

The town's library was dimly lit, the scent of old parchment and candle wax thick in the air. Edwin sat hunched over a desk, a thick, dust-covered book splayed open before him. His eyes scanned the pages, devouring every detail.

The Black Wolf.

A High-Level monster.

At least Iron Rank adventurers were required to even stand a chance against one.

So why was it in a recruitment test?

His fingers curled around the page, his nails digging into the fragile parchment.

If he reported it, he could get into trouble. Maybe even worse than that.

"Tch." He clicked his tongue in frustration.

But then—

His eyes landed on something.

A weakness.

Holy Water and Holy Symbols.

A spark of hope ignited in his chest.

That was it.

That was his answer.

He pushed back from the desk, chair scraping against the wooden floor as he stood. Without hesitation, he made his way to the nearest church.

There, he gave his best impression of a devout pilgrim on a holy journey.

It worked.

Holy Water and a Holy Symbol acquired.

This time, things would be different.

The Second Attempt

Edwin entered the forest once more.

The tiny fox was there, waiting.

He smiled at it. "Run away."

He didn't expect it to understand.

But it did.

Then, he marched forward.

And when he saw the wolf, he coated his blade in holy water.

The moment its jaws lunged for him—

He struck.

He had wounded the beast.

"This might be easier than I thought.". He says.

As the wolfs blood leaks from it's jaw it lights up.

"What th-". Before he could register it the wolf burned him to a crisp.

[You Died]

He woke back up.

How?.

How?!!.

"Breathing fire is an ability not found in black wolves..!,so,the hell is going on!".

End of Chapter