CHAPTER 73: HUNT (II)

’Damn it... what to do now.’

Behind them about a dozen Smikewolves closed in. In front of them stood a Boneworm with its eyeless maw fixed on the three human snacks.

There was no way out.

"Run diagonally" The frail guy screamed, already turning.

"No... don’t run." Ishiki ordered, feeling the movements of the Smikewolves, they were splitting with coordinated precision.

He gritted his teeth, understanding what it meant. ’Curse it... they are intelligent.’

They were pack hunters, and they knew exactly what they were doing.

"Take formation! We need to fight!" Bern shouted, gripping his conjured hammer so tightly his knuckles were white. But it was useless. There was no formation that could hold against this.

They tried. For a single, chaotic moment, they attempted to stand back-to-back, a tiny island of humanity in a sea of monsters. But it failed spectacularly as three of the beasts lunged at the frail looking guy from the shadows, three other lunged at Bern from the other side.

Ishiki was in the worst situation... three came from behind and two from the sides. The Boneworm lunged too, without making any noise.

Clenching his jaw, Ishiki ran in any direction hoping to buy himself some time, and create some distance. He successfully evaded the attack of first three Smikewolves and the two others hesitated, because they saw the Boneworm coming straight for the prey.

Jumping back and weaving around a massive, gnarled tree, Ishiki threw the Boneworm into a state of momentary confusion. But his evasion put him directly in the path of a Smikewolf that had circled around.

’Screw it... there are just too many of them.

’

The beast was a perversion of a normal wolf... just somewhat bigger with glistering three red eyes and their bodies were covered in solidified fur that jutted out like steel needles—thousands of them creating natural armor that looked painful just by existing.

The eyes on its head arranged in triangle formation. And their maws.

... A nightmare made flesh.

The teeth were as long as a human forearm, filling a mouth that was anatomically impossible, they were too large for its skull. Black ichor dripped from its jaws, mixed with the golden blood of the massive beast they had been devouring.

The Boneworm, meanwhile, had given up on him and changed its pursuit to Bern, who was roaring and swinging his hammer in wide arcs.

Even the giant worm seemed cautious of eating the spiky bastards.

’Shit... this is worse than worst.’

Ishiki corrected himself. No, it wasn’t yet. The worst would be all three of them becoming the next course for this monstrous banquet. And given their current situation, that outcome was not just a possibility; it was a rapidly approaching certainty.

However, he had no time to contemplate such things. The Smikewolf in front of him coiled its powerful legs and jumped, its maw opened wide enough to swallow his head.

Ishiki used [Ghost Blade] with as much efficiency as he could.

His presence shifted and became less defined. The Beasts’ eyes lost focus for a moment, confusion rippling through its charge as the target became something it couldn’t quite perceive.

That moment was enough.

Ishiki sidestepped the first Beast’s lunge and brought [Curved Bone] around in vicious arc, the pale blade struck the spine like fur and felt some resistance. Meanwhile, the other Smikewolf, lunged to tear him apart, closing the distance in seconds.

Ishiki didn’t hesitate, he focused and put more force behind his strike and finally the blade cut opened its throat. Golden blood sprayed in a wide arc. The creature went down thrashing, claws scoring deep gouges in the earth.

[You have Slain a Rank 3, Infested Smikewolf]

[You have received 300 Data Fragments]

One beast down, but it was not over yet. The second Beast was already on him before the first hit the ground. Claws raking toward his face.

Ishiki met the attack with his pale sword, the impact a jarring shock that traveled up his arm and into his shoulder. He felt the force transfer through his body and into the ground beneath his feet.

Then, without wasting a single breath, he pushed off and ran backward, deeper into the oppressive darkness of the trees.

The Smikewolf stood confused for a moment, its senses unable to lock onto him... but its primal instincts soon took over. It lowered its head and charged after the fleeing prey.

It was fast. It was a wolf, after all... a horrifying, corrupted version of one. How could a human hope to match its speed?

It jumped, Ishiki turned around mid run and placed Curved Bone between him and the beast, but he lost balance and fell backwards. Feeling uneasy... the beast tried to jump back but Ishiki took that moment.

Lying on his back, he drove his blade up through the creature’s jaw, the tip pierced straight through its skull. It died with a wet, gurgling sound of its own ichor filling its throat.

As the beast’s body toppled over him, Ishiki felt the sharp sting of its solidified fur scraping across his shoulder, sharp enough to draw blood through his clothing. He immediately rolled sideways, before the spikes tore holes through his body.

[You have Slain a Rank 3, Infested Smikewolf]

[You have received 300 Data Fragments]

Letting out a suppressed breath, he pushed himself up. He was still not safe. Suddenly a snarl tore through the silence of the forest. A reminder that the Boneworm was still out there.

But, he had no time to focus on that... three Smikewolves still circled around him.

They were learning and adapting constantly. Coming at him from different angles simultaneously to compensate for [Ghost Blade]’s disorienting effect.

He clenched the Blade’s grip tighter. ’Smart bastards... come on.’

Ishiki was not just being overconfident right now. Just sometime ago, when he killed the third beast since entering the forest, he felt a strange sensation inside his body. It was like a switch being flipped.

His arms were already burning from exertion. His breathing came harsh and ragged. These weren’t weak creatures. Each one required everything he had just to survive the encounter.

One of the beast feinted left, then lunged right with speed that left faint afterimages.

Ishiki barely got [Curved Bone] up in time to block. The impact jarred his arms hard enough to make his grip slip. He Couldn’t hold the position. The Beast’s momentum carried it forward, slamming into him with the force of a battering ram.

He slid a few steps back. The beast in front was gone again, while one from his left attacked. He dodged by sidestepping and hit a tree.

’What is wrong with my body?’

Actually, nothing was wrong with his body. Instead, the way he perceived the world had changed.

It had become sharper, more visceral and overwhelming. Every single change happening around him—the rustle of a leaf, the shift of a shadow, the minute twitch of a beast’s muscle—was flooding his senses, making his focus waver.

[Ghost Blade] had evolved.

The Beast attacked again, and took the chance while Ishiki was not focused. Two of them attacked simultaneously from both sides.

Ishiki gritted his teeth and brought his sword up to block one attack... the world was, moving slower than before?

’No... i can perceive things faster now.’

It wasn’t a clean, heroic power-up. It was a deluge. A cacophony of sensory data his brain wasn’t equipped to handle.

He slammed a kick into the face of the beast on his right. A spike of its fur pierced his leg, sending a jolt of pain up to his hip. He immediately retracted the kick with a wince.

While the beast he had stopped was thrashing wildly trying to reach him. Its maw gaped in front of him, those impossible teeth descending toward his face—close enough that he could smell the rot on its breath.

’Get away from me, nasty bitch.’

He twisted his blade, parrying its attack, and slashed upward in a motion that felt impossibly fast. Even he was shocked by the fluidity of it.

The point punched through the roof of its mouth and into the a brain. The Beast spasmed violently and thrashed, then went limp.

[You have Slain a Rank 3, Infested Smikewolf]

[You have Received 300 Data Fragments]

Ishiki smiled palely... but the expression soon turned into a mask of horror.

Two more beasts were still circling him, their red eyes glowing with cold hunger.

And the forest was now filled with the ugly, desperate screams of a dying human.