NOVEL WEB Chapter 8: They’re smarter than I thought
Arthur moved swiftly, activating his Camouflage talent to blend in as if he were one with the forest leaves. He glided through the greenery like a whisper of green.
"Eee-oo—"
A crisp, clear call of a deer rang from somewhere ahead. Arthur's eyes lit up immediately.
It was the sound of a moose—a large herbivore that could provide a hefty chunk of evolution points. Taking one down would be a huge benefit for Arthur's own growth.
Moose usually didn't wander alone; they traveled in herds through the forest. If you found one, the others wouldn't be far—attracting plenty of predators eager for a bite.
Sure enough, the moment Arthur reached the vicinity of that moose, he spotted seven or eight giant wolves hunkered down in the grass nearby. Each one was as big as a full-grown bull, powerfully built, and surrounding a grazing group of moose, clearly waiting for the right moment to strike.
Arthur didn't rush in. Instead, he perched on a tree branch, quietly watching the hunt unfold below.
He didn't have to hang around long. All of a sudden, the lead wolf charged forward, without so much as a growl, and the rest followed suit, lunging at the biggest, strongest member of the herd. It looked like their target was the alpha moose—a tall bull that turned around to meet the wolves head-on instead of fleeing.
Meanwhile, the other moose scattered in all directions, and half the wolf pack peeled off to chase them. In moments, ten wolves had pinned down the bull, tearing a gaping hole in its neck where scarlet blood gushed like a fountain. Within seconds, that massive moose lay dead.
Surprisingly, the wolves didn't stop to devour it. They took off right away, presumably to back up their packmates, leaving just one wolf on guard.
This sentinel wolf licked blood off its fur, looking utterly casual and unafraid—clearly convinced that no other predator in this region dared mess with their pack.
But they'd guessed wrong.
Still cloaked in invisibility, Arthur crept forward. Once he was close enough, he snapped his jaws open, launching a fireball about the size of a baseball straight at the giant wolf. The wolf, though, was alert; the instant Arthur opened his mouth, it sensed danger, dodged the fireball, and sprang toward where Arthur was lurking.
Arthur jumped in surprise. He hadn't expected the wolf to see through his Camouflage and go directly for his throat. The creature really was every bit the apex predator he'd assumed.
Acting fast, Arthur spun and whipped out his tail like a living bullwhip. It struck the wolf's flank with a sharp crack, sending it flying.
Now that Arthur was leopard-sized at least, his tail was thicker than an adult's arm—a single strike had enough force to leave the wolf critically wounded.
Moments before dying, the wolf threw back its head and let out a shrill howl. Instantly, a chaotic rumble echoed all around as the wolves that had scattered to chase the other moose raced back.
Arthur's eyes darted around. Suddenly, he was surrounded by dozens of glowing green wolf eyes. His heart sank—he'd never faced so many opponents at once.
He realized too late that the dying wolf's howl had summoned the entire pack. The situation grew dangerous in a heartbeat. The lead wolf trotted forward, saw its dead companion, threw its head back, and let out a sorrowful cry like a trumpet blast.
Then, the rest of the pack lunged at Arthur.
His pupils went narrow, and his thick tail flashed left and right. In a few swipes, he cleared a bit of space around him. Too many targets, though—his strikes mostly spread out the damage, and none of the wolves dropped dead outright. Still, some were badly injured.
With a bit of breathing room, Arthur leaned back and spat out a fireball, aiming for the alpha wolf cowering behind its underlings. Taking out the alpha was priority.
But the alpha had guards. One giant wolf threw itself in the way, and flames rapidly consumed its body. Within seconds, that poor beast was a charred husk on the forest floor.
All this happened in barely ten seconds. The alpha's expression grew wary. It stepped forward, then hesitated, held back by its own protectors. More wolves blocked its front, even abandoning their flank attack to shield it. They knew the massive gecko before them was serious trouble.
Arthur was equally startled by how powerful his Dragon Flame had become. Glancing at his status, he realized it had somehow advanced to E-rank—a jump from F to E in no time at all. The skill was growing faster than he'd expected.
Narrowing his eyes, he took a breath and hurled another basketball-sized orb of flame. Another wolf was struck, and the unlucky wolf beside it tried to help, only to get caught in the blaze. Both went up in flames like living torches.
Arthur tried to spit out a third and a fourth—and then realized he was tapped. After that fourth blast, he was suddenly overwhelmed by weakness, almost collapsing on the spot. The satiety he'd topped off earlier had plummeted to zero.
"So Dragon Flame isn't something I can use indefinitely; it drains my satiety when I fire it off," he thought, both frustrated and a little relieved to know the limits.
By now, twenty-some wolves had closed in from all sides, and thankfully it seemed there weren't any more joining them. The moment Arthur took a step forward, they swarmed him again. This time, they avoided his tail's reach, charging from the front.
"Damn, they're smarter than I thought. This is bad—my only real killing moves are my tail and the Dragon Flame."
Resigning himself to the inevitable scrap, Arthur activated Stone Skin. A moment later, his body was coated in a layer of rough rock armor, boosting his defense. Wolves raked and snapped at the stony shell, scoring deep gouges, but it still held…for the most part.
Some of the bigger wolves managed to cut through the outer rock, slicing into Arthur's flesh and drawing blood. Arthur snarled, swung around, and in the instant they tried to scatter, his tail whipped the air with a terrifying crack, sending seven or eight giant wolves flying.
Two of them landed at impossible angles, spine clearly snapped. Others hit the ground, bleeding from the mouth and nose. One poor creature came down head-first and snapped its neck on impact.
Seeing the pack suffer even more losses, the alpha finally sprang into action. It came from behind the group soundlessly, like a drifting cloud, bearing down on Arthur's throat.