Before leaving for the mission, Kael and Julian equipped themselves with the standard armor provided by the academy.
It consisted of a white leather tunic reinforced with red accents, along with leather arm guards and shin guards. Despite being made of leather, the equipment was still Grade C+, capable of withstanding multiple normal slashes and even a single D-grade magic spell while remaining extremely light and flexible. A small academy emblem was printed on the right side of the chest, positioned close to where the heart rested.
According to the mission report, Dark Wolves were nocturnal predators. They usually began hunting once the sun had fully set.
So the three of them waited...
When evening approached, Kael and Julian followed behind Dorian's massive figure into the forest bordering the village. The deeper they walked, the darker the woods became.
Then suddenly....
The atmosphere changed.
Both Kael and Julian noticed it instantly.
The forest had grown unnaturally quiet.
The wind slowed. Even the insects had stopped making noise.
It felt as if something…
Was watching them.
Julian glanced toward Kael.
Kael glanced toward Dorian.
And immediately they noticed something strange. Dorian's entire presence had changed. The warm and friendly aura he carried earlier had vanished. In its place was something sharp.
Focused.
Predatory.
His eyes were locked onto a patch of darkness between the trees.
He didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Just stared.
Julian slowly raised his hand, about to tap Kael's shoulder,
Then suddenly,
A figure exploded out of the shadows.
A Dark Wolf.
Its fur was as black as the night itself, blending perfectly with the darkness. With terrifying leg power, it leapt between shadows as if teleporting from one patch of darkness to another.
Kael reacted instantly.
His sword flashed from its sheath.
He was about to strike,
But before he could.
CRACK.
A massive axe split the wolf clean in half.
Blood splashed across the forest floor.
Kael blinked.
It was Dorian.
He now wielded two enormous single-headed axes. Though the handles were short, the blades themselves were as large as battle axes. Dorian stood tall, his eyes fierce and focused.
"Stay sharp, boys."
His voice had lost all warmth.
"The night has fallen…"
"And the wolves have risen."
Kael smiled slightly.
Then nodded.
Without another word..
He dashed forward.
From the surrounding bushes, more wolves burst out.
Their glowing eyes flickered through the darkness.
Kael moved smoothly between them.
He dodged their lunges with precise footwork, focusing on a single target.
Mana flowed through his body.
He infused it into his blade.
A faint silver glow appeared along the edge.
A wolf leapt toward him, jaws wide open, aiming straight for his jugular.
Kael didn't panic.
Instead,
He smiled.
He ducked beneath the wolf at the last moment, waiting until its body passed above him.
That instant..
Was the opening.
"|Rising Wyvern|."
His blade shot upward like a wyvern ascending into the sky.
The sword pierced through the wolf's ribcage.
Straight into its heart.
The wolf died instantly.
Kael ripped the blade out while the corpse was still midair.
Then he pivoted.
Another wolf lunged from the side.
"|Flying Wyvern|."
His sword flashed again.
Making a sharp whistling sound like a wyvern's wings slicing through air the blade pierced through the wolf's neck, dropping it instantly.
Two wolves down.
Meanwhile—
Julian sighed.
"Man… Kael always rushes ahead."
Then a wild grin spread across his face.
"Well… guess it's my turn."
Julian reached toward the rectangular box strapped to his lower back.
The box looked like a stone slab, roughly the size of a sword case.
A chain protruded from its sides.
Julian grabbed it,
And pulled.
Out slid his custom weapon.
A chain made from the infamous 'black iron', specially designed to reduce drag while swinging.
Attached to both ends were two blade-shaped mana stones. These stones had been sharpened into deadly edges. They were formed from rare mana ores found deep inside mana-dense caves, where ordinary metals transformed under immense magical pressure. The black metal chain shimmered faintly silver, tiny star-like reflections dancing across its surface.
Julian swung it once.
Then threw it forward.
The blade shot through the air,
And pierced directly through a wolf's forehead.
The beast dropped instantly.
Using the wolf's body as an anchor, Julian spun the chain in a wide arc.
The heavy weapon slammed into two other wolves, knocking them violently toward Dorian.
Standing beneath the moonlight, Julian stepped on the wolf he had just killed.
He pulled the blade out of its skull with a sharp tug.
The chain rattled softly.
At the same time,
Dorian was not idle either.
Mana surged through his massive body.
He infused it into his axes.
A faint blue glow spread across the blades.
Rune patterns etched into the metal began to shine.
Then....
Dorian moved.
"|Chain Slash|."
His attack flowed like a rhythm.
One strike.
Then another.
Then another.
Each swing flowed seamlessly into the next.
His axes carved through the wolves from every direction.
Left.
Right.
Down.
Up.
The wolves were turned into shredded meat before they could even react. It looked as though his attacks would never stop.
But something was wrong...
Kael noticed it first.
Then Julian.
Then Dorian.
According to the mission report, there were only ten Dark Wolves in this area.
But they had already killed more than fifteen.
And yet,
More wolves kept appearing.
Their numbers weren't decreasing.
If anything,
They were increasing.
Kael's eyes sharpened.
He looked toward the forest shadows.
Then suddenly—
He jumped into the darkness.
Julian saw him and immediately followed.
"Hey! Wait up!"
With a crazy grin, he sprinted after him and leapt in as well.
Dorian sighed and frowned while chopping another wolf in half.
"…Kids."
With a sigh, he followed them.
Without hesitation,
He also jumped into the shadows.
When Dorian emerged on the other side,
He froze.
Before them was a massive opening in the earth.
A dark cavern pulsed with faint purple energy.
Broken stones surrounded the entrance with claw marks etched into the stones near the surface.
Mana leaked from the depths like poisonous fog.
Dorian's eyes widened slightly.
"…A dungeon."
The wolves weren't coming from the forest.
They were coming from here.