NOVEL WEB Chapter 7: The Hunt begins
We continued southeast, and I could feel the predators adjusting their position to match our movement. They were smart, patient, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
That moment came when we reached a small clearing with a stream running through it. It was a natural chokepoint, surrounded by dense forest on three sides with the stream blocking easy retreat. Perfect for an ambush.
The attack came without warning.
The largest Crimson Wolf, nearly the size of a horse with fur the color of dried blood, burst from the treeline directly in front of us. Two more emerged from the left, another two from the right, and the sixth dropped from an overhanging branch behind us.
The students screamed and scattered, their formation dissolving instantly. Derek tried to shout orders, but his voice was lost in the chaos.
Lisa stumbled and fell, with one of the wolves bearing down on her. Tom attempted to create an earth barrier but panic made his magic unstable. The other students were drawing weapons or preparing spells, but they were moving too slowly, their training failing them in the face of real danger.
In the original timeline, this was where three students died in the first thirty seconds of the attack.
But I wasn't following the original timeline.
[Combat Mode Activated]
[Threat Assessment Complete]
[Initiating optimal engagement protocols]
I drew my sword and moved faster than any normal student should have been able to. Enhanced by magic and perfect technique, I crossed the clearing in a blur of motion.
The wolf targeting Lisa never saw me coming. My blade caught it in the side, the practice sword somehow cutting deep enough to drop the creature instantly. The other students stared in shock as the massive predator collapsed.
"Form a circle!" I shouted, my voice carrying the authority that came with my Combat Leadership skill. "Backs to the center, weapons out!"
Something in my tone cut through their panic. The students moved without thinking, falling into a defensive formation that would let them support each other.
The remaining five wolves circled us, snarling and snapping but no longer confident in their advantage. They'd expected easy prey, not organized resistance.
"Tom, earth barriers on my mark," I called out. "Lisa, you have fire magic, right? Get ready to create a distraction. Derek, take the one on the left when I engage the alpha."
"How do you know which one is the alpha?" Derek asked, but he was already moving into position.
"Because it's the biggest one and it's staring at me like it wants to tear my throat out," I replied.
The alpha wolf was indeed focused on me, its red eyes filled with a malevolent intelligence that seemed almost human. These weren't ordinary Crimson Wolves. They'd been enhanced somehow, made stronger and more aggressive.
[System Analysis: Enhanced Crimson Wolves]
[Modification Type: Dark Magic Enhancement]
[Origin: Hostile Academy Forces]
[Note: This attack was deliberately planned, not a random encounter]
So someone was definitely behind this attack, just like in the original story. But knowing that didn't change what I had to do right now.
The alpha wolf lunged at me with speed that would have overwhelmed any normal student. But I wasn't normal anymore. I sidestepped its attack and brought my sword down across its back, opening a deep wound that sprayed crimson blood across the clearing.
The wolf howled in pain and rage, spinning to face me again. Around us, the other students were engaging the remaining wolves with more confidence now that they'd seen one of the beasts could be hurt.
"Now, Tom!" I shouted.
Earth barriers erupted from the ground, separating two of the wolves from the main fight. Lisa's fire magic created a wall of flame that forced another wolf to retreat. Derek managed to score a hit on his target, his sword work much improved by desperation and adrenaline.
But the alpha wasn't finished. It feinted left then darted right, trying to get around my guard. I matched its movement, staying between it and the other students.
"You're protecting them," I said to the wolf, as if it could understand me. "That's noble. But you picked the wrong prey today."
I launched into a complex attack sequence, my enhanced swordsmanship creating a pattern of strikes that the wolf couldn't match. My blade found its mark again and again, each cut precise and deliberate.
The alpha wolf collapsed, its enhanced strength finally failing. Around the clearing, the other students had managed to drive off or wound the remaining wolves, which retreated into the forest with their pack leader dead.
For a moment, the clearing was silent except for the sound of heavy breathing and the gurgle of the stream.
"Is everyone alright?" I asked, sheathing my sword.
"How did you do that?" Lisa whispered, staring at me with wide eyes.
"Do what?"
"You moved like... like a hero from the stories. And you knew exactly what to do, like you'd fought monsters before."
"Training," I said simply. "Lots of training."
Derek was looking at the dead alpha wolf, his expression troubled. "These weren't normal Crimson Wolves. They were too organized, too aggressive. And that one was huge."
"Enhanced," I agreed. "Someone wanted us dead."
"Who would do that?" Tom asked.
Before I could answer, we heard shouts from deeper in the forest. Other student groups were under attack too.
"We need to help them," Derek said, but I could hear the uncertainty in his voice.
"No," I said firmly. "We need to get back to the academy and report what happened. Let the professors handle the rescue operations."
"But people might be dying out there," Lisa protested.
I looked at her, this fictional character who was supposed to be dead right now, and felt something twist in my chest. In the original timeline, she'd died screaming as a Crimson Wolf tore out her throat. Now she was alive, worried about other people, ready to risk herself to help strangers.
Maybe changing the story wasn't such a bad thing after all.
"System," I subvocalized, "show me the locations of other student groups under attack."
[Map Display Activated]
[Student Groups in Distress: 4 locations identified]
[Estimated casualties if no intervention: 15-20 students]
[Note: Host intervention could save significant lives]
I looked at the map overlay in my vision, seeing the locations where other students were fighting for their lives. Ace would be dealing with one group, probably saving most of them and establishing his heroic reputation. But the others...
"Change of plan," I said. "We're going to help."