Korkan was definitely a leader-worthy wolf. It wasn’t just the patterns but its strength and agility far outstripped the average wolf’s stats.
But thanks to the stats he had allocated before coming here, it wasn’t fast enough to lose him or strong enough to overwhelm him. If anything, Yuda felt he had the upper hand.
The one problem was his longsword’s durability hitting its limit. When he blocked Korkan’s charge with the flat of the blade earlier, a red warning had flashed in his vision. Checking it during a lull showed a durability warning: only 2/10 left.
Sharpening with a whetstone kept the edge keen, not the durability up. After nearly four days of cutting down over a hundred black wolves, it made sense it’d reached its breaking point.
Roar!
Korkan gave him no breather. It darted low to his left and leapt. Tracking its move, Yuda spun right and swung his sword.
Pshht!
Blood sprayed from both at once. Yuda’s longsword sliced Korkan’s right shoulder, while its claws tore into its thigh. The leather pants offered no protection, ripping apart with chunks of flesh.
Roar!
Letting out a small groan, he stepped back to steady himself. It didn’t feel deep, but the pain was annoying. Blood gushed through the torn leather, dripping down his leg like he had pissed himself, souring his mood. The fresh blood scent must’ve riled up the nearby wolves as they were sniffing the air.
Grr, grrk!
Same went for his opponent, Korkan. It was wounded too, but lightly. Maybe that’s why it seemed to think it had the upper hand, baring teeth and gums in a smug grin. Its movements oozed confidence.
The thing had definitely been cut, but whether the wound was shallow or it was just used to this level of pain, it showed no sign of slowing down as it came at Yuda again. This was bad. Korkan kept targeting only Yuda’s injured left thigh. Damn thing was too smart.
Damn bastard!
It was tough, but not the worst. As Korkan charged again, Yuda unleashed a sword technique he’d held back.
─Shadow Swordsmanship
──Form 2: Slash!
The blade trembled at its limit as darkness wrapped around it. It slashed through the air with a force that could cut anything, leaving a black trail under the moonlight. Korkan’s eyes gleamed as it swung its front paw, red energy swirling from its claws to meet the attack.
"What the hell!?"
Just before sword and claw collided, Yuda shouted in surprise. At the moment of impact, a harsh clang! rang out, and sparks scattered as both were thrown back, unable to withstand the recoil. Korkan, after briefly retreating, used its hind legs and tail to regain its balance, then fixed its glare on Yuda, who was still struggling to steady himself.
He swallowed the urge to yell, "What’re you staring at?" Then Korkan rammed its head at Yuda's stomach. The jarring impact shook him, but he clenched his teeth and held it together.
But before Yuda could fully recover, his body flung into the air and rolled across the dirt. Reflexively, Yuda used the breakfall technique from training to spring back up. Dirt must have gotten in, as one eye stung sharply. Blinking rapidly a few times, tears streamed down, but his vision didn’t clear. Focusing with the other eye, he kept Korkan in sight. It smirked like he was pathetic.
A named mob, not even a boss, counters my skill?
He was pissed enough to swear, but honestly, it was impressive. Lips curled, Korkan grinned and charged again. If that massive body of his crushed him, there was no coming back. Yuda blocked Korkan's swinging foreleg once more with his longsword, but after holding out for so long, the durability finally gave out completely.
Clang!
The dreaded moment hit. The sword snapped with a crack. The broken blade spun like a boomerang and stabbed into the ground nearby. He hastily blocked the next attack with his left arm. But it was a bad call.
He should’ve dodged. Or at least drawn his dagger, even if it was a second too late, to block it. The bastard’s claws sank halfway into his forearm before ripping free, tearing out a chunk of flesh. Thankfully, nothing was broken, but judging by the blood pouring out, it was a serious wound.
In the original world, the excruciating pain and heavy bleeding would’ve left him barely conscious. But things were different here. Thanks to his drastically enhanced physical abilities, the pain was bearable and the bleeding while it was serious, seemed stable for now likely due to his relatively high regeneration. If left untreated, it would definitely get worse, but it wasn’t bad enough for him to collapse and admit defeat just yet.
Awoooo!
He let out a light howl, as if certain of its victory, baring its fangs with smug satisfaction. It’s something that always gets under Yuda's skin. Just how irritating it is that a damn wolf knows how to sneer.
Its furrowed brow whcih was tense all fight was now relaxed. But it was natural since Yuda was standing with his wounded arm, leg and a broken sword.
He barely blocked the onslaught with the broken sword, breathing hard. Warm breath puffed into the cold night air, vanishing quick.
If this doesn’t work, I’ll come back later and kill you for sure!
Eyes burning with venom, Yuda swung at the air as it approached. Korkan flinched at the sudden move. Thinking it a desperate flail or embarrassed by its own reaction, it roared and leapt, jaws wide, flashing teeth it hadn’t shown before.
─Shadow Swordsmanship
──Form 4: Phantom Blade!
Black smoke rose, forming a shadowy figure of Yuda. At the same time, he sprang back. The phantom in his old spot mimicked his swing exactly.
It swung through the air. More precisely, it was aiming straight at the approaching Korkan.
Kyahk!
Korkan, thinking it a cheap trick, snarled in rage and swatted the blade aside with a paw, then lunged for the phantom’s neck. One strike was enough to shatter the illusion, dissolving like mist. It lacked power, but that wasn’t the point.
It was just a feint for a counter or dodge. Later, as a 〈Spirit Sword Bearer〉, he could make real doppelgangers with identical presence and moves to confuse foes, but for now, this was his limit. Still, the phantom did its job.
"Take this, you mutt!"
As Korkan landed from its attack, Yuda rushed in close, swinging the broken half-sword.
─Shadow Swordsmanship
──Form 3: Slash!
A black line cut the air. It sliced across the wolf’s startled face—but misjudging its fall, it hit the ears, not the head.
Both its ears and fur flew.
Howling in pain with a kraang, Korkan stumbled forward, sliding to Yuda’s feet. No missing this. He tossed the half-sword, yanked a dagger from his waist, gripped it reverse-hand, and stabbed down hard. Right then, that dagger felt as good as any legendary blade.
Crunch!
The blade sank straight into Korkan’s skull. It shattered the forehead and scrambled the brain. Korkan twitched like it was seizing, then went limp. Dead. The thrill of victory barely hit before the surrounding wolves all stood up.
-!
Tia, who was silent and still until now, tensed and rose, wary of the wolves’ movements. A heavy presence loomed with a swish. The black wolf leader, 〈Requiem〉, sprawled belly-down on a massive rock like some ancient totem and stood up.
Requiem’s gaze lingered on Korkan’s body. Then, like dust in the wind, the corpse vanished completely.
The body disappeared?
Before he could question it, messages scrolled up fast.
[Level up!]
[Sudden quest successfully completed!]
[Black wolves won’t attack you while crossing the Black Forest back to Serenia Castle. But if you strike first, well, who knows if they’ll just sit and watch.]
[Reward: Right to duel head wolf 〈Requiem〉, +1 to highest non-special stat.]
[Black wolf leader 〈Requiem〉 has remembered you. To the black wolves, you’re recognized as a skilled warrior. Agility increases by 1.]
The rewards were solid. But with Requiem still looming overhead and countless wolves encircling them, he couldn’t focus on that. The quest said they wouldn’t attack, but the vibe… didn’t match.
──────────────────────────────
「Status Window」
[Name: Yuda Arshe]
[Title: None]
[Level: 16]
[Class: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman(Hidden_A)]
[Revival Count: 1]
[Strength: 40(C) / Potential A]
[Stamina: 38(D) / Potential S]
[Agility: 41(C) / Potential SS]
[Mana: 41(C) / Potential B]
[Mana Resistance: 52(C) / Potential S]
[Knowledge: 17(F) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Luck: 84(A) / Potential S] ◀ Special
[Remaining Points: 1]
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***Author’s Note***
Poke, poke…
I poked it with a stick, but no reaction.
Looks dead.
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