Chapter 6 - The Battle Against the Disaster Wolf

Leon spoke cautiously:

"Can we trust you?"

Oran replied confidently:

"Do not worry; we will speak later. For now, we must attend to this wolf. Can I count on you to support me? Draw your weapons so I can gauge your strength."

Both Ren and Leon unsheathed their swords, and Oran glanced at their numbers to assess their power. Leon's sword was inscribed with 1000, while Ren's sword bore the number 600.

Oran shook his head and said,

"Alright, we can work together to defeat this demon."

Oran described the giant wolf as "the demon" before drawing his spear, which was marked with 9000. He had spent the last week roaming the Western Desert, hunting wolves to increase his power.

Shock appeared on Ren and Leon's faces; the difference between their strength and Oran's was as vast as heaven and earth.

At that moment, the Disaster Lightning Wolf began its rampage, heading toward the green plains and altering the terrain. It was capable of demolishing mountains with a single strike of its sharp claws, as if using swords that sliced through butter.

Oran shouted,

"Let's move! Can you fly?"

Ren answered in surprise,

"We cannot; we did not know such an ability existed. Is it because we killed a certain number of wolves?"

Oran explained,

"It seems you are beginners. You can acquire all the abilities that these demonic beasts possess... Did you not absorb the blood of the wolves you killed?"

Ren and Leon's eyes widened in astonishment. Leon replied,

"Indeed, we did, but we did not know how these abilities worked."

Oran smiled and said,

"It's simple—just think of the ability you want to use, and you will find yourself mastering it."

Ren and Leon closed their eyes for a moment, and when they opened them, they found themselves hovering in the air.

Oran laughed,

"See? No need to worry; you'll get used to it quickly."

But their moment of astonishment did not last long, for they were on the path of the Disaster Lightning Wolf, which was advancing toward them with devastating speed.

Oran shouted,

"We must drive it away from here! Aren't there people in the cave who need protection? The battle in this area could destroy everything—including the cave!"

Ren and Leon quickly grasped his words, and Oran dashed like an arrow toward the wolf, while the two rushed to support him despite their difficulty in flying.

---

At the moment Oran approached, the Disaster Lightning Wolf turned its gaze toward him, then charged directly with its giant, lightning-charged horn, racing through the sky like a furious storm wind.

Seeing this, Oran wrapped his spear in flames embodied in the form of a phoenix, then spun in the air, gripping it with both hands as he attempted to deliver a fatal blow to the wolf's head.

But the wolf did not retreat; it continued its advance with its energy-charged horn.

At that moment, Ren and Leon heard a tremendous collision followed by a massive explosion that generated a huge gust of wind. They looked up to see Oran's spear stuck to the giant wolf's horn, while a small ball of energy formed between them.

Boom!

The collision caused a tremendous explosion in the sky, leaving Ren and Leon stunned.

While Oran recoiled from the blast, the wolf remained steadfast in its place, not moving an inch.

The difference in power was clear.

---

Ren and Leon finally reached Oran's side, and Ren asked anxiously,

"Are you alright?"

Oran panted heavily,

"Don't worry... I'm fine... Let's continue the fight!"

The three split up, surrounding the wolf from every side. Oran engaged the wolf in brutal physical combat while Ren and Leon provided support.

But suddenly, the wolf swung its enormous tail like a whip, sending Ren crashing into the ground and forming a large crater. Blood began to flow from his left hand, and he tried to rise by leaning on his sword with his right hand, but he coughed up blood while his bones were revealed through his torn skin.

Leon was stunned by the wolf's strength, but Oran's cry brought him back to reality:

"Watch the battle!"

But it was too late—the wolf attacked Leon with its claws; Leon defended himself too late, and the force of the attack left a bloody gash on his chest.

Both Ren and Leon retreated, while Oran remained in combat with the wolf.

---

At that moment, Oran's spear was marked 9000, while the Disaster Lightning Wolf boasted a strength of 10000. This disparity was the result of their differing strategies—Oran attacked with cunning while the Disaster Wolf continued its instinctive assault, a kind of intelligence that no human mind could match.

Oran thought,

"I cannot rely on Ren and Leon now... I must settle this battle quickly!"

Although he managed to inflict minor wounds on the wolf, they did little to affect it.

At that moment, both Celine and Thiron arrived on the battlefield.

Oran looked at them, and his attention was distracted for a fatal moment.

Seizing the opportunity, the wolf leaped forward with lightning speed, delivering a decisive blow toward Oran.

Swoosh!

Oran slammed into the ground, forming a huge crater.

Celine screamed and ran toward him, but the wolf shouted,

"Don't come any closer! Hide immediately! This wolf is not like the others; it can kill us all!"

Despite his injuries, Oran ignored the pain and charged toward the wolf, enraged that he could not protect them. He had made a vow—he could not fall now.

The battle intensified, and Oran finally managed to drive his spear into the wolf's left eye.

Leon shouted joyfully,

"Perhaps we can kill it!"

But the joy soon turned to shock...

The wolf raised its head toward the sky, unleashing a terrifying howl, and soon packs of wolves began to pour in from within the gateway.

The sight was like that of a raging sea.

Oran commanded Ren and Leon,

"Protect Celine and Thiron!"

---

At that moment, hordes of wolves surrounded Leon, Ren, Celine, and Thiron.

Leon stood behind them, while Ren took the lead, his sword charged with lightning and ready for battle.

But when they looked up at the sky, they saw Oran in a dire state.

He was trapped, struggling to continue, then...

Boom!

Oran fell to the ground, losing consciousness.

Celine rushed toward him, but the wolf ignored her and headed directly toward the cave where Lina and Mona were watching the battle.

Ren and Leon looked on in shock; Ren tried desperately to follow as they saw the wolf unleash a beam from its giant horn, transforming the cave into rubble and pebbles.

The Fateful Battle

Everyone witnessed the scene—a corpse of Leon on the ground while Ren still stood, clutching his sword, with veins bulging all over his body. His eyes streamed with blood, and his teeth grinded in anger. Then he leaped like an arrow toward the Disaster Wolf.

He charged at it instinctively, as if he were flying without hesitation—so much so that he forgot for a moment that he had become like a bird in the sky, launching his relentless assault without pause.

Oran, who had regained consciousness due to the cave explosion, had no time to attack the Disaster Wolf because he was busy protecting both Thiron and Celine. As for Leon, he remained kneeling.

Yet Ren did not cease his assault; he was like raging fire in hell—delivering successive attacks without pause, and he did not grant the Disaster Wolf any opportunity to counterattack. He enveloped his body in lightning, which increased his speed to the point where the Disaster Wolf could not track his strikes.

However, Ren's condition was dire. Blood began to flow from every opening—his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears. Even the sound of his muscles tearing became audible to both Oran and Leon, as if fabric were being ripped apart. And yet, he did not stop!

He instinctively dodged the Disaster Wolf's attacks, and his hatred for these creatures drove him to push himself even further. "I must exert more effort... I must exterminate these creatures... Keep going, Ren... Do not breathe... Do not lose consciousness... Avenge all who have died... Do not stop... Do not stop..."

Oran observed the increasing ferocity of Ren's attacks and said,

"It seems he is fighting solely on instinct; he has become like a beast!"

Leon heard this and grasped his sword, rising as he watched the battle in the sky. Then thoughts assailed him:

"What are you doing, Leon? Will you give up? Is this the limit of your strength? Everyone we know has died... Are we destined to remain like this? Was my talk of killing these creatures mere nonsense when I once possessed strength? Is the truth painful?"

Then he saw Ren rise, attempting to kill the Disaster Wolf with all his might. "Am I to remain a mere bystander? Must I not act? As long as Ren can do it, so can I!"

At that moment, Leon shouted while clutching his sword and thrust it into his thigh, ignoring the pain. Blood flowed from him, and everyone turned at the sound of his cry, though there was no time to be stunned amid the wolves' relentless assault.

Leon enveloped himself in lightning and joined Ren in the battle. He no longer thought or even breathed—his sole focus was on the continuous assault, surpassing the limits of his body and enduring the pain. There was no thought of defense or strategy; the fight was between three monsters—driven solely by instinct to attack and compelled to dodge counterattacks.

The Disaster Wolf began to retreat, but it was not given the chance, as both Ren and Leon continued their relentless assault.

Oran looked up at the sky and saw three monsters battling for the title of the strongest. "It seems that anger has spurred them to continue their attacks... If only I could join them, we would have killed it already, but I must protect Thiron and Celine..."

Both Ren and Leon were drenched in their own blood, and the limits of the human body became evident on them, yet the ferocity of their attacks did not wane.

Then the Disaster Wolf roared in anger, unleashing a wave of lightning that pushed them both back. Their continuous assault came to an abrupt halt, and they fell to the ground, their vision blurred and on the brink of unconsciousness. Their bodies had almost dried up from the blood... If they continued fighting like this, they would surely die!

But at that moment, the Calamity Wolf appeared directly behind Rin and drove its giant sword-like claws into his back, piercing through his body until they emerged from his stomach!

Leon and Oran opened their eyes wide, while Ren began coughing blood, looking at Leon with a farewell gaze and saying,

"I have failed..."

Leon stood there, watching Ren dying... helpless to do anything. "Why is this world so cruel?"

When Ren was on the verge of succumbing to the wolf's claws, he heard a soft voice echoing in his head,

"Let's exchange..."

His sword trembled suddenly, yet he continued its descent toward the wolf's claws.

Leon cried out in despair, rushing toward him,

"Ren! Ren! Wake up!"

At the moment when the Disaster Wolf was about to tear off Ren's limbs with its claws, his body pulsed with energy, and the world began to change!

Clouds and winds gathered... Thunder roared throughout the green plains...

Every living creature on the battlefield froze in place, and an overwhelming pressure forced them to bow to the ground.

Ren... rose!

Clutching the sharp claws of the Disaster Wolf, with blood streaming from his hands, while the wolf struggled in vain to retract its claws. His black hair covered his eyes, and a cunning smile played on his lips.

Both Oran and Leon, their bodies bowed under the immense pressure and shock, asked in unison,

"What is happening to Ren?!"

"I don't know... he was on the brink of death just moments ago...!"

And suddenly...

Crack!

Ren shattered the Disaster Wolf's claws!!!

The wolf recoiled, frightened for the first time. It felt the immense pressure unleashed by Ren and tried to flee, but Ren held his sword and declared,

"I will never allow you to escape..."

All the other wolves froze in place, terrified.

Ren and the Disaster Wolf faced each other in the sky...

Then Ren began laughing loudly—a strange, sinister laugh that echoed throughout the region—saying,

"I will finish you with one strike..."

Ren gripped his sword with both hands, surrounded by violet lightning, then raised it above his head and swung it toward the wolf.

Slash!!!

The Disaster Wolf was split in half!

Violet lightning still enveloped its corpse, but suddenly...

Boom!!!

The corpse exploded, evaporating into the air!

At that moment, the smile vanished from Ren's face, and he closed his eyes, falling from the sky... until someone caught him.

The pressure emanating from Ren vanished, allowing Leon to jump toward his falling form in an attempt to catch him.

Leon shouted,

"Ren! Ren! Wake up!"

All the wounds Ren had sustained from the Disaster Wolf's attacks disappeared, enabling the wolves to seize the opportunity and flee hastily toward the gateway.

At that moment, Oran and his group rushed toward Leon.

Oran asked,

"Is Leon awake?"

Leon replied,

"He's still breathing but unconscious... I don't know what happened to him."

Oran said,

"That was not him... Ah, how do I explain? But that attack— it was famed by the former hero in most of the seven regions, known as (Violet Lightning Particle). When the sword strikes with that attack, the surrounding lightning particles gather around the corpse, forming an explosion—and that is what happened just a moment ago."

Leon asked,

"But what is Ren's connection to the former hero?"

Oran replied,

"We can ask him when he wakes up. In any case, what will you do now?"

As soon as he said that, Leon dashed toward the cave, searching among the rubble for Mona's and Lina's bodies. However, he stopped in shock when Oran approached him and asked,

"What are you shocked by?"

Leon was staring at Mona and Lina inside a transparent bubble, both unconscious, with a swirling book inside—the pages open. But suddenly, the bubble vanished immediately as Leon tried to approach them among the rubble.

Mona and Lina awoke, and Leon embraced them, tears streaming down his face.

Mona asked,

"What is happening, Leon?"

Leon replied,

"I was so worried about you both. Are you alright?"

Lina said,

"We're fine, brother. Do not worry. In any case, what happened to you all?"

Leon answered,

"Our battle ended abruptly; we fell to the ground awaiting our fate, and suddenly, Ren's special book glowed. We do not know what happened next—the cave was completely destroyed!"

Mona said,

"We don't know either. We fell to the ground, waiting for our fate, and suddenly, Ren's book glowed. We don't know what happened after that."

Lina asked,

"Anyway, where is Ren?"

Leon replied,

"He's over there, unconscious. We fought an extremely tough battle."

Oran then said,

"Let me take a look at that book, Leon."

Leon responded,

"Here, take it. Ren and I could not read it."

Oran studied the book for a moment before saying,

"Hmm... I can read it. It appears to recount the legends and glories of the former hero. It is an ancient book with a special composition that cannot be destroyed or burned."

He then directed his fiery spear toward the book, but it caused no damage.

Leon said,

"This explains why Mona and Lina were unharmed. It seems they were within its protective range... It all makes sense now."

At that moment, the entire group moved toward Ren, while Mona and Lina looked at him with concern.

And suddenly... Ren woke up!

Ren said,

"What happened to me...?"

But he quickly forgot his confusion when he saw Mona and Lina; he embraced them fiercely and said,

"I was so worried about you both!"

Oran asked,

"Do you remember what happened to you when you were injured?"

Ren replied,

"I recall that when I was dying, I heard a soft voice from my sword say, 'Let's exchange.' After that, I don't remember anything... but I am still alive. Did something happen while I was unconscious?"

Oran said,

"Don't try to think about that now. In any case, what do you plan to do?"

Leon said,

"We were about to head to the Western Desert for an investigation—where the

demonic gateway first appeared—but when what happened occurred, we were delayed."

Oran said,

"Then let's head there tomorrow. We, too, came here to investigate, but it seems there is nothing worth searching for."

Leon nodded in agreement, then said,

"In any case, let's find a place to rest; we can continue tomorrow."