Something watched me. The feeling had lingered for days now, an itch between my shoulder blades that wouldn't go away. I scanned the treeline for the hundredth time, my ears swiveling to catch any sound out of place.
Nothing. Just leaves rustling in the wind and birds calling overhead.
[Danger Sense activated]
My muscles tensed. Ice gathered at my claws, ready to form spears at a moment's notice. The warning pulsed at the edge of my awareness - not immediate danger, but... something.
I spun around, scanning the branches above. A squirrel darted away, but that wasn't what had triggered my skill. This presence felt different. Calculating. Intelligent.
"Show yourself!" My voice echoed through the trees.
Silence answered. Even the birds had gone quiet.
I pressed my belly low to the ground, creeping toward a dense patch of undergrowth. The watching sensation intensified. Whatever stalked me was close - I could feel its gaze like a physical weight.
[Danger Sense activated]
My fur stood on end. I whirled left, then right, ice crystals forming in the air around me. Still nothing. Just shadows between the trees and that maddening sense of being observed.
Each hunt became an exercise in paranoia. I'd catch glimpses of movement from the corner of my eye, only to find empty air when I turned. My Danger Sense would flare without warning, leaving me crouched and bristling at phantoms.
Sleep grew difficult. I'd jolt awake at the slightest sound, certain I'd caught my stalker in the act. But the cave entrance always stood empty, the forest beyond still and dark.
I knew better than to ignore my instincts. Something was out there, watching, waiting. I just couldn't figure out what - or why.
It was another day as I was roaming the forest.
The forest had grown too quiet. My paws froze mid-step as that familiar chill raced down my spine.
[Danger Sense activated]
I dropped into a defensive crouch, ice crystals forming around me. The shadows between the trees shifted, and yellow eyes blazed through the darkness. One pair, then three, then seven—materializing in a circle around me.
Wind Wolves. Their blue-gray fur rippled as they emerged, muscles coiled tight beneath their pelts. These weren't random wolves—the hatred in their eyes told me everything. The mate, the pack members of the one I'd killed days ago.
"So you've come for revenge." Ice gathered at my claws as I tracked their movements.
A massive female, likely the alpha, bared her fangs. The scar across her muzzle twisted as she snarled. The pack tightened their circle, cutting off any escape route. Eight against one—and these wolves looked stronger than the one I'd faced before.
My heart hammered against my ribs. I'd gotten cocky, wandered too far from my cave. The alpha's eyes held more than animal fury—there was calculation there, intelligence. They'd planned this, herded me exactly where they wanted me.
"You killed my mate." The alpha's voice rasped like wind through dead leaves. "Now you'll pay the price."
I hadn't known they could speak. The revelation sent ice through my veins that had nothing to do with my magic. These weren't mindless beasts—they were Rank 2 Mana Beasts with human-level intelligence.
The pack tensed in unison, preparing to strike. I gathered my mana, knowing I'd need every drop to survive what came next.
I analyzed the pack through narrowed eyes, my Danger Sense screaming warnings. The Alpha's presence dominated the clearing, her mana signature blazing like a bonfire compared to the others. Three more wolves radiated similar but weaker energy - Rank 1 threats. The remaining six... my whiskers twitched. No mana cores, just muscle and teeth.
"Analyze." I focused on the Alpha first.
[Wind Wolf Alpha - Level 25
Rank: 2
HP: 450/450
Skills: Wind Blade, Pack Leader, Wind Rush]
My blood ran cold. Those stats doubled mine. The Rank 1s wouldn't be much weaker.
[Wind Wolf Warrior - Level 18
Rank: 1
HP: 250/250
Skills: Wind Blade, Pack Hunter]
The unranked wolves circled closer, their yellow eyes fixed on my throat. Basic beasts, but still deadly in numbers. One bite could cripple me.
"Take her." The Alpha's command crackled through the air.
The pack surged forward as one, a wave of gray fur and gleaming fangs. No time left for analysis. I'd need every scrap of skill and mana to survive this fight.
Ice gathered at my claws as I tracked their movements. The unranked wolves led the charge - cannon fodder to wear me down before the stronger ones struck. Smart. The Rank 1s spread out, wind magic swirling around their paws. And behind them all, the Alpha watched, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Ten against one. The odds seemed impossible, but I refused to die here. Not after coming so far. My blood pulsed through my veins as I prepared to meet their charge.
The unranked wolves lunged forward, their teeth flashing in the dim forest light. I channeled mana through my claws, coating them in razor-sharp ice.
"Ice Spike!" The crystals shot outward, impaling the first wolf through its chest. Before its body hit the ground, I spun to meet the next attacker.
Two wolves snapped at my flanks. I dropped and rolled, my ice-coated claws opening the throat of one while my back legs caught the other in the ribs. Blood sprayed across my white fur as I pushed off the ground, launching into a third wolf that thought it had an opening.
"Too slow." My fangs found its spine, crushing through bone and tissue.
The remaining three circled more cautiously, but their basic instincts betrayed them. When one darted in, I met it with an Ice Spear through its skull. The other two attacked together - a smarter move, but too late. I caught one with my claws while an Ice Spike burst from the ground, skewering the last.
Six corpses lay scattered around me, their blood staining the forest floor. My breath came in short pants - the quick burst of fighting had drained more mana than I'd planned. The real battle hadn't even started yet.
The Alpha's eyes narrowed as she assessed my performance. The three Rank 1 wolves tensed, wind magic swirling around their forms. I could feel their power building, preparing for something far more dangerous than simple tooth and claw.
The Rank 1 wolves stepped forward in perfect formation, their movements fluid and coordinated. My muscles tensed as wind magic crackled around their forms.
"Wind Blade!" Three voices called out in unison.
I leaped back, barely avoiding the crescents of compressed air that sliced through where I'd stood. Trees cracked behind me, their trunks split clean through.
"Ice Spear!" I launched a volley of crystalline projectiles, but they moved like smoke between them. Not a single hit landed.
One wolf darted left while another circled right. The third rushed straight at me, forcing me to commit to a direction. I chose left, using Dash to create distance.
A mistake. The wolf on the right had anticipated this, its claws raking across my flank. Pain blazed through my side as blood matted my fur.
"Predictable," one of them growled.
I threw up an Ice Wall just as another Wind Blade carved through the air. The barrier shattered, but bought me enough time to dodge.
My breath came in ragged gasps. These wolves moved nothing like the unranked ones - each step calculated, each attack flowing into the next. When I focused on one, the others struck from my blind spots.
Wind magic howled around me as they pressed their advantage. I spun and twisted, but couldn't avoid everything. Claws caught my shoulder. Teeth grazed my leg. Small wounds, but they added up.
"Ice Wall!" I created a circular barrier, buying seconds to think.
They circled my shield, their paws moving in perfect rhythm. Wind magic gathered around them, building for something bigger.
My sides heaved as blood dripped onto the forest floor. The wounds weren't serious yet, but they stung. Each dodge cost more energy, each spell drained more mana. And behind the Rank 1 wolves, the Alpha still waited, watching with those calculating eyes.
I needed a new strategy. Fast, or else I might really die here.