CHAPTER 29: HUNTER AND BEAST

{Star Winged Wolf}

{Mutant Level: 4}

The entire camp fell silent as a massive wolf stepped out from the horde of beasts.

The creatures around it instinctively parted, bowing low or moving aside as though welcoming their master.

With its arrival, the horde seemed to regain its confidence.

Their snarls grew louder.

The beasts began to advance again, following the winged wolf’s lead.

Akhil’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the creature in the distance.

His brows furrowed

’One of the twelve... this is bad,’ he thought grimly.

There wasn’t much time left.

{4000 MUT coins used!}

{Gene Stabilizer (x8) has been bought!}

Akhil immediately turned to Nibo and raised his hand.

Nibo looked at him and, without needing an explanation, lifted his hand to meet Akhil’s.

As their palms touched, a system notification rang in both their ears.

{Transfer 8 Gene Stabilizers?}

’Yes.’

{Request completed.}

Items from the system’s market didn’t have physical forms. Instead, they were transferred directly, the system altering their genes to apply the item’s effect.

That was also what made the stabilizer serum excruciatingly painful.

It was like going through the Transmission a second time—except this time, you stayed awake to feel every bit of it.

"I’ve given you all eight," Akhil said quickly, his tone sharp with urgency. "The first seven people who come forward—give them the stabilizer. Aria and I will hold the beasts off."

The Star Winged Wolf wasn’t just another enemy. It was one of the twelve generals of the horde—monsters known to wipe out entire factions in the game.

But thankfully, Akhil had killed it once before.

Only, that time, he had been level 20.

Now he was barely level 5.

The difference in strength was terrifying. And with the wolf’s mutant level sitting at four, this one was nearly as strong as the original general from the game itself.

Giving Nibo the stabilizers would be the only way to stand a chance.

Akhil turned his gaze back toward the beast.

The wolf was already moving—slow at first, then faster, its muscles tightening, claws tearing through the ground as it sprinted straight for the camp.

"Let’s go," Akhil said, his tone calm but commanding. "Kill as many of the smaller ones as you can. I’ll handle the boss."

Aria gave a firm nod. She leapt over the ditch, her blade drawn, landing lightly on the other side before darting off in another direction—keeping distance from the Star Winged Wolf to focus on thinning out the horde.

But just as she landed, the wolf slowed. Its glowing eyes turned toward her.

It vanished.

Aria froze, her instincts screaming.

’Where—?’

The killing intent hit her before the sound did—cold, suffocating, and heavy enough to make her body tremble.

From the corner of her eye, she saw something glint—razor-sharp claws slicing down toward her neck.

She tried to dodge, but before she could move, another voice cut through the chaos.

"Keep going. Don’t stop."

Akhil’s voice.

A dark green hand shot past her shoulder, catching the wolf’s claws in midair. The impact sent a sharp crack echoing through the air.

Aria stumbled forward, then quickly regained her footing. Relief surged through her as she sprinted off again, slashing through smaller beasts that lunged her way.

The Star Winged Wolf snarled in fury, its teeth bared as it leapt back, landing a meter away. Its wings flared, scattering dust and ash.

It had missed its target.

While it was still midair, the wolf caught sight of another figure to the side — the one who had saved Aria.

It reappeared at its previous spot and now saw the figure that had stopped it. The beast locked its gaze on Akhil, its massive maw growling aggressively.

Akhil stood with his skin hardened like rock.

’The Star Winged Wolf attacks lightning-fast and moves as though carried by the wind,’ he thought.

He remembered the difficulty of fighting the beast even when he had been level 20. Not only was it strong, but it had originally been a level 50 monster. From that level upward, beasts began to show signs of intelligence — a small but meaningful ability to think. The higher the level, the smarter the creature. Facing that with his current level would be brutal.

Still, Akhil noted that because the wolf was presently a level 4 mutant, it couldn’t manifest roughly twenty percent of its true power. In effect, a level-50 in its diminished state felt closer to level 40 — a small advantage for Akhil.

The wolf studied him for a moment, assessing. It probably sensed something off about him, but it was still furious that it had lost its kill because of Akhil.

In an instant the beast moved again — even faster than before. Thanks to Akhil’s perception of air-waves, he sensed it in time and turned, raising his dagger to block.

When the razor claws struck steel, the force shoved him several metres backward. The Star Winged Wolf didn’t pause; it vanished from its original position and reappeared behind him. Akhil feigned surprise and reacted as best he could. The beast struck, aiming to shred him, but its claws only sank a short distance in — his skin had hardened like stone.

Akhil smiled and slashed at the wolf, trying to exploit its brief confusion. But before his blade could land, the beast blinked out and reappeared at a distance, watching him with a strange look — as if puzzled that its claws hadn’t finished him.

’This thing is too fast,’ Akhil thought. ’I hoped to use my hardened skin to bait an opening and steal an attack.’

Despite the wolf’s confusion, one swipe had left a deep gash across Akhil’s back. Blood seeped through his torn tunic. The animal’s eyes still held bafflement that it hadn’t been able to kill him outright.

’I must make sure it never learns my head is the weak spot,’ Akhil told himself, steadying his breath. Both opponent and hunter reassessed each other — calculating, probing, waiting.

Each planned their next move: Akhil to strike while the wolf searched for openings; the wolf to discover how to overcome this stubborn prey.

Now the question was simple and deadly: who would land the first hit?