Sword Art Online: Moonlight Swordman.

Swish!

The tall grass, rising above his head, suddenly rustled.

It wasn't the wind.

Ren barely had time to sense a chilling, razor-sharp killing intent sweeping in from the left. He whipped his head around, eyes widening, heart clenching in his chest.

A dark shadow burst out from the underbrush.

No growl. No warning.

Only a pair of crimson eyes, flickering like twin flames, reflecting the pale moonlight.

Ren instinctively took a step back...too late.

The gray blur lunged at him like a lightning bolt, so fast he couldn't even take a breath.

Dire Wolf.

A fully grown beast, its thick gray fur rippling over solid, corded muscles with each movement.

Its sharp fangs gleamed, catching the dim light, longer than a finger joint, deadly.

In the blink of an eye, it was upon him.

Its jaws aimed straight for his throat.

I won't dodge in time...!

Ren clenched his core, summoning every ounce of strength in his legs, and kicked off hard.

Swish!

He threw himself backward, feeling the murderous intent brush past his face, carried by the scorching breath of the beast.

A hollow snap echoed.

The sound of teeth biting down on nothing but air.

The sheer force of the bite made the air itself tremble. If he had been a second slower, his head would have been crushed between those monstrous fangs.

But there was no time for fear.

Ren surged forward, fingers tightening around his sword's hilt.

A horizontal slash.

Clang!

The blade sang through the silent night, slicing through the darkness like a silver bolt of lightning.

Slash!

The strike landed.

Sinking deep into the wolf's side.

A stream of crimson pixelated blood burst out, dissolving into the air like drifting petals caught in the wind.

The Dire Wolf's health bar instantly dropped by a quarter from the unexpected counterattack.

It let out a pained snarl, its entire body convulsing.

But.

It didn't retreat.

The moment its paws hit the ground, it lunged again.

Its bloodied jaws aimed straight at Ren.

Ren stepped back, his feet sliding slightly on the grass as he struggled to keep his balance.

In front of him, the Dire Wolf crouched low, claws digging into the earth, preparing to pounce once more.

Ren's chest rose and fell, his heartbeat pounding in his ears like a war drum before the battle truly began.

For the first time.

He was facing a Dire Wolf… alone.

No Klein. No Issin or Dynamm.

Only him and the bloodthirsty beast before him.

Ren gripped his sword tighter, feeling the cold steel press against his calloused palm. He drew a deep breath, forcing every stray thought from his mind.

No panic.

The Dire Wolf lowered its head, crimson eyes locking onto him with the unblinking focus of a predator locking onto its prey.

And then....

Fwip!

It lunged, a blur of gray fur and gleaming fangs, tearing through the grass.

Ren reacted purely on instinct.

He raised his sword.

Clang!

The clash of metal rang out, sharp and deafening.

The Dire Wolf's powerful jaws clamped down on the blade.

The crushing force sent a violent tremor through Ren's arms, making his hands shake from the sheer weight pressing against his sword.

He gritted his teeth, muscles burning from the strain.

I can't just let it hold me like this!

With a sharp twist of his wrist, he angled the sword downward.

And wrenched the beast's head away.

Swish!

The Dire Wolf was flung to the side, skidding across the ground, its claws carving deep furrows into the grass.

But it wasn't finished.

It raised its head, ears pricked, jaws parting wide in a snarl, ready to pounce again.

Its glowing red eyes burned like embers, feral and unyielding.

Ren didn't give it the chance.

He dashed forward.

Fast. Decisive.

His footsteps barely made a sound against the dirt, gliding like a wildcat merging into the night.

In the blink of an eye.

He was in front of the beast.

"Stap!"

The steel sword in his grip flared to life.

A pale blue light igniting along its edge, energy rippling down his arm.

Keng!

In an instant.

Ren lunged, his entire body like an arrow piercing through the thick, suffocating night air.

The tip of his sword traced a luminous blue arc through the darkness.

The blade carved through the Dire Wolf's body from its left flank down to its chest, the cut impossibly smooth.

Grr...!

The wolf froze.

Its entire form stiffened for a brief, fleeting moment before collapsing.

Less than a second later.

Crackle…

The beast's body disintegrated into hundreds of shimmering pixel fragments, rising into the night and vanishing.

On the system screen:

[You have defeated Dire Wolf]

+12 EXP

+15 Cor

+1 Wolf Hide

Ren stood motionless, staring at the empty patch of grass where the beast had been.

His heartbeat still thundered in his chest.

But...

He had done it.

For the first time… he had hunted a monster without anyone's help.

'If I add the sale of materials like wolf hide or fangs, I can only earn about 21-23 Cor per wolf… I need to push harder.'

Ren opened his inventory, fingers swiping swiftly through the list.

1 Wolf Hide.

0 Wolf Fangs.

If he was lucky, he could sell the hide for 5-7 Cor apiece.

But with just that.

It still wasn't enough.

Ren took a deep breath, his gaze lifting.

In the darkness, across the wild grasslands, faint crimson glows flickered behind the distant bushes.

More Dire Wolves were lurking.

If he wanted to reach his goal.

He couldn't stop here.

The ground beneath his feet still carried the lingering scent of artificial blood, a stark reminder that this was a real hunt, not a training exercise within the safety of the city.

He gripped the sword tightly, the cold steel hilt seeping through his gloves. The muscles in his arm tensed slightly, as if signaling that the battle was far from over.

The night wind swept across the grasslands, carrying the low growls that echoed from the dark corners. Shadows began to shift, slowly, but without hesitation.

They were watching him.

Ren didn't back down.

He narrowed his eyes. If the wolves were waiting…

Then he would strike first.

"Nine down… still not enough."

Ren leaned against the trunk of a large tree at the forest's edge, his chest rising and falling with each ragged breath.

His entire body ached, but he refused to relax. Nine Dire Wolves had fallen beneath his blade, one by one.

And yet… it wasn't enough.

He needed more.

The pale moonlight bathed the barren grasslands in a cold silver glow.

Ren wondered… Was the moon and sun in this world even real?

The stars that had nearly vanished beneath the city lights now burned bright against the vast, mysterious sky of this world.

The night wind whispered through the trees, but Ren no longer felt the chill.

Heat radiated from his body, mixing with the adrenaline surging through his veins.

Before he realized it, he had moved closer to the forest's edge.

"It's fine… I'm only at the outskirts."

He reassured himself.

Ren wiped the sweat from his forehead, his breathing just beginning to steady when...

Rustle.

A faint sound came from the tall grass ahead.

Ren froze.

Rustle…

Slowly, he lifted his head, fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword. His breath caught in his throat.

In the distance, the underbrush trembled, the tall grass bending as something moved through it.

Heavy. Slow. But unhurried.

Each step pressed deep into the damp earth, steady and deliberate, like a predator.

A large shadow emerged.

The moonlight gleamed off its pitch-black fur, casting faint reflections across its thick coat.

A pair of crimson eyes opened in the darkness.

Locking onto Ren.

A chill raced down his spine, sharp and piercing, like death itself had just brushed past him.

His legs stiffened, his back pressing against the tree trunk, heart pounding wildly against his ribs.

Then, a name flickered in his mind, sending another shiver down his spine.

Elite Dire Wolf.

Ren gritted his teeth.

What the hell…?

An Elite Dire Wolf… but weren't they supposed to stay within their designated hunting grounds?

His breath turned shallow. Sweat dampened his grip on the sword's hilt.

This time…

There was no one here to help him.

Ren didn't dare move.

The air itself felt like it had frozen.

The Elite Dire Wolf remained still, silently watching him.

Its crimson eyes burned like smoldering embers showing no rush to attack. But that was what made it terrifying.

It was assessing its prey.

Ren's throat was dry. He swallowed hard, his grip tightening until his knuckles turned white.

Run? Impossible.

He had seen how Dire Wolves hunted their prey.

If Ren turned his back now, the Elite Dire Wolf would lunge in an instant, tearing out his throat with a single fatal strike.

He had only one option.

Fight.

Ren took a slow, deep breath, shifting his weight onto both legs. A defensive stance.

His heart pounded like a war drum, tension coiling through his muscles, but he kept his sword steady.

The Elite Dire Wolf let out a low growl.

The deep, rumbling sound resonated from within its massive chest, sending subtle vibrations through the air.

The grass around them trembled slightly as a breeze swept through, but Ren knew…

That wasn't the wind.

Every hair on his body stood on end.

Boom!

With an explosive burst of movement, the Elite Dire Wolf slammed its paws into the ground, lunging forward at terrifying speed.

Ren didn't have time to think, his body moved on instinct!

The sword gleamed blue, cutting a sharp arc through the air.

"Stap!"

A lightning-fast strike!

The blade traced a streak of blue light, aimed straight for the monster's throat.

But...

Swish!

The Elite Dire Wolf twisted its body at the last second, dodging with impossible speed.

Ren's eyes widened...too fast!

He barely had time to adjust his footing before.

Boom!

A clawed paw slammed into his side, striking him full force!

No time to block!

Ren was sent flying, tumbling across the ground.

-136 HP!

His breath was knocked from his lungs.

His vision blurred for a moment from the impact. But before he could recover.

Rustle…

The sound of approaching footsteps.

The Elite Dire Wolf… wasn't giving him a chance to stand.