There was no doubt about it. He had never heard it before, but this powerful howl was undoubtedly〈Requiem〉’s. The torch flickered as if it might go out in the wind, but Yuda relied on its light, racing toward the sound at a terrifying speed. He nearly collided with overgrown branches and tripped over protruding roots, yet he didn’t slow down. Minutes into his full sprint, a sweet taste rose in his mouth.
Woof!
Perhaps sensing they were being chased, the black wolves running ahead glanced back.Their glowing eyes shone vividly in the dark. Faint moonlight filtering through dense leaves illuminated the wolves veering toward him.
It didn’t take long to deal with the two wolves that lunged at him. He just had to do what he had always done. But having withdrawn the code from his bastard sword, the cutting sensation wasn’t the same. The fight flared and ended in an instant. Yuda glanced at the blood dripping along the blade, then turned back. A single light approached from afar.
“Yuda!”
It was kain? The distance closed gradually. Holding a torch, a halo of light swirled around him, piercing the darkness. It was almost too bright, making him stand out. Perhaps the forest’s all-encompassing darkness amplified it.
“Yuda—!”
He heard it clearly. But Yuda only breathed, neither responding nor acting. Watching Kain approach, he sank into thought.
“…”
What is he following for? Out of worry?
If he had chased a single light into the darkness after him, Yuda almost wanted to applaud. He felt his insides twist. Damn it, the more he thought, the more his head spun and emotions surged. It was a trivial issue, yet he couldn’t understand why it gnawed at him. Turning away, he plunged back into the darkness, ignoring the calls behind.
The wolves ahead seemed unconcerned with Yuda’s pursuit. He activated <Shadow Sorcery - Form 1: Shadow Spread>. The torch’s flickering light cast irregular shadows, which extended outward. The skill only needed minimal light to activate. Spreading shadows wide under faint moonlight was effortless.
The expanding shadows relayed information to Yuda, faintly revealing distant black wolf tracks. Red dots flickered on and off on the〈Map〉. He couldn’t afford to slow down. Because the wolves kept changing direction. He thought he had fully mapped the eastern forest, but they were heading into uncharted territory.
Soon, countless red dots started appearing on the map. What an overwhelming number. It looked like every remaining black wolf had gathered there. Still, he didn’t slow down. In the distance, the edge of the forest came into view. He could sense the black wolves on the plains watching him, as if they knew he was coming. Without hesitation, Yuda burst out of the forest and whistled amidst the flood of enemies.
“You guys are surely great at finding those kinds of plains. I’ve roamed the forest for years, and I’ve hardly ever come across a plain like this.”
Grrrrrr!
If it were just one or two, maybe he could shrug it off but hundreds of stares sent chills through his body. The disgust he had felt when looking at Kain was now drowned out by the wolves’ murderous intent. Yes, this was much better. Feeling the raw tension of life and death was far preferable to being consumed by foul emotions.
Death loomed just behind. Of course, it was only temporary.
Knowing this, knowing that he could revive, it allowed such reckless actions without any hesitation.
The wolves advanced a step toward Yuda, and he took a step toward them. A smile curled his lips. Anyone seeing this would call him mad. They wouldn’t be wrong. However, it didn’t matter. Because even he thought he was crazy.
Although the wolves didn’t charge yet, their bared gums and silent glares warned they wouldn’t stay idle if he advanced further. Yuda, however, had no interest in the wolves before him.
There was only one thing he wanted, the 〈Requiem〉, a uniquely massive presence standing at the center of those hundreds of wolves. Perhaps his actions piqued its curiosity, as Requiem’s gaze turned toward him. Its presence exuded a pressure stronger than the hundreds of wolves’ combined killing intent.
…….
Requiem merely stared, unchanging from the overwhelming presence Yuda felt two years ago when he defeated Korkan. Though a mere beast, Requiem carried an air of nobility and dignity.
“That’s right, I came to meet you, Requiem.”
Bathed in moonlight, Requiem’s entire body was covered in scars. Its tightly closed maw conveyed weight, and its impassive eyes held charisma. This was the leader of the black wolf pack Requiem, the king who had fought white wolves in the southern forest.
Seeing Kain selflessly save others, unlike himself, Yuda was plagued by self-loathing. Others could die and it didn’t matter. As long as Tia, his deep bond, and Jeanne, his future companion, lived, nothing else did. When had he started thinking this way? Even as someone died in front of his eyes, he always hesitated, fearing his hidden trump card would be exposed to Kain. He hesitated. To gain an edge against Kain who would one day become his enemy.
But Kain didn’t hide his abilities. He saved others without hesitation.
Seeing that, guilt washed over him. Even if Kain might become an enemy one day, that time hadn’t come yet. So what had he been so afraid of?
Anger surged without reason. He needed an outlet. Black wolves nearby were perfect. He swung his bastard sword, cutting down snarling beasts, and hurled daggers forged from shadow sorcery. But the gnawing discomfort didn’t go away. That was when he met Kain’s eyes. Both of them blood-soaked, both burning with the same intensity.
Then, Requiem’s howl rang out. Never heard before, but the moment it reached his ears, he knew that it was Requiem’s voice. He felt compelled to chase the retreating wolves.
He believed that facing Requiem would resolve the discomfort within him. That hope drove him through the dark forest. Running, he couldn’t hide his smile. Emerging from the forest to the plain, seeing Requiem amidst the pack, his heart raced.
It was the right call.
The moment he saw Requiem, the baseless anger and loathing in his heart vanished.
“I wanted to meet you again, one day.”
Since meeting Korkan, he had never encountered Requiem again. Only the vivid memory of it gazing from a rock remained, and its traces were unfindable. Until today. Yuda giggled like a madman.
Honestly, the self-loathing from seeing Kain wasn’t a big deal. Humans are selfish and it's natural to think that way. But in that moment, he couldn’t accept it. He needed an emotion strong enough to smother the discomfort. He wanted to feel a chilling, death-adjacent tension.
It was reckless and foolish, but he didn’t regret it. If he died here, he would return, and next time, he would think and act more rationally. Even if the wolves tore him apart now, it would be fine. His only gripe would be achieving nothing with Requiem after finally meeting it, but erasing his boiling emotions meant his initial goal was met. Of course, next time… he would think twice before such recklessness.
…….
Requiem still remained unresponsive, only staring. Under the moonlight, countless black wolves awaited its command. Thus, none charged or bared teeth at Yuda as he advanced step by step.
“You remember me, don’t you?”
…….
There was a reply. He didn’t even expect one. But it surely understood.
Black wolves were intelligent. They just didn’t speak, their intellect was high. For their leader, Requiem, it went without saying.
“Yuda!”
Just then, a voice called his name, Kain, most likely, having followed him here. When he turned around, he saw Kain clad in his paladin armor, panting heavily from the chase.
Stupid Kain, pathetic Kain, foolish Kain.
He had come all the way here in the end. Why had he followed? For what purpose? If it were Kaseun, Spirit Sword Bearer, maybe, but what could Kain do alone? Did he think they could do anything together?
His recklessness and courage were astonishing. He could die. Yuda could be reckless knowing he would regress, but Kain knew no such thing nor had no such power. Death here would end him in this timeline. There was no going back, no revival. Yet he followed.
Was he unafraid of death?
If he came relying solely on Gabriel’s blessing as her sword, Yuda wanted to curse his stupidity. If he came with naive “it’ll work out” thoughts, he wanted to call him an idiot. Feeling strange thoughts swirl whenever he saw Kain, Yuda turned back to Requiem.
Fortunately, the wolves didn’t charge Kain or Yuda. They awaited their king’s command. Staring at Requiem, Yuda spoke without hesitation.
“Requiem! I challenge you to a duel!”
Among the rewards for defeating Korkan was the right to duel Requiem. It was not an item, but a quest reward—this declaration had to work. And it did.
…….
And then for the first time, Requiem, who had remained silent until now, bared its gums in what looked almost like a grin. It let out a short, powerful bark ‘Keng!’ At the sound, the black wolves split to either side of Yuda like the sea before Moses, forming a clear path toward Requiem. As if telling him to walk through, they closed their eyes and lowered their heads. Even the low, threatening growls that had rumbled moments earlier fell completely silent.
Just as Kain was about to summon his courage, raise his sword, and charge in to help Yuda take down the wolves, the words he heard left him speechless. What followed stunned him even more. With a shocked expression, he could only stare like a fool at Yuda’s back as he walked calmly down the path the wolves had opened.
“What the, what’s all this?”
A duel… Kain muttered in disbelief. But shocked or not, Yuda’s steps didn’t hesitate and walked toward Requiem.
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