Chapter 34 Dungeon (5)
After a few uneventful hours, the blizzard finally passed, revealing a massive mountain range illuminated solely by the moonlight.
I could hear the distant howling of Winter Wolves, causing me to tighten my grip on the Katana\'s handle. Under normal circumstances, I would have retreated to the safety of sleep, but within the dungeon, I had no such luxury.
The possibility of a monster lurking in the shadows, waiting for me to let my guard down, was too great to ignore.
"I\'m freezing..."
I muttered, rubbing my hands together for warmth. I dared not create a fire, for fear that it might attract unwanted attention. The smoke rising in the sky of night would be like a beacon, revealing my presence to the monsters.
Crunch...
As I munched on the biscuit I had taken out from my Spatial Ring, I slowly rose to my feet and began moving towards the entrance of the cavern.
It had already served its purpose and staying here any longer was sure to bring trouble.
"..."
My injured hand, wounded by the Yeti, throbbed with pain as I leaned on it to stand up, but thanks to my Awakener constitution, my regenerative properties were above average, and my injury was already halfway healed. A normal person would have been disabled for months, but I could recover in just half a day.
As I emerged from the shelter\'s cover, I couldn\'t help but feel a sense of unease. My instincts were immediately on high alert as I sensed dozens of yellow eyes fixed upon me, and I knew without a doubt that I was in danger.
The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. An entire pack of Winter Wolves was waiting for me, their sharp teeth bared in an intimidating display of aggression.
"..."
Wasn\'t I a bit too unlucky?
Sure, getting caught in a blizzard was bad enough, but being faced with an entire pack of wolves seemed like someone trying to mess with me on purpose.
Drawing my Katana, I lowered my body, as the first wolf pounced at me, aiming to bite into my neck.
Swish...
With a swift and precise flick of my wrist, my Katana slit the wolf\'s throat not even giving the monster a chance to wince as its lifeless body fell to the ground.
The wolf didn\'t even try to avoid my blade or rather, it didn\'t seem to notice it, thanks to my Weapon Style. Still, I couldn\'t help but feel surprised at how easily the monster had died.
I had expected the wolf to put up more of a fight, but the creature slumped to the ground like a bag of potatoes without even trying to resist. It was almost too easy.
At the last moment, I caught a glimpse of hesitation in the wolf\'s eyes, but it was too late.
Howl...
The sound of a mournful howl echoed through the air as the other wolves watched their brother fall.
"Shit..."
I muttered under my breath, seeing a wave of white approaching me at a rapid pace. I quickly swung my sword, forcing a few of the monsters to evade it, while kicking another in the chest so hard that its chest caved in.
But even as I fought, one of the creatures managed to slip past my attacks and sink its teeth into my shoulder, causing me to cry out in pain.
Despite the searing agony, my mind remained clear and focused. I blocked another wolf\'s attempt to go for my throat before driving my katana into the wolf that had bitten my shoulder.
I knew that if I let my pain take over and mindlessly tried to kill the first wolf, the second wolf would have had a clear shot at my throat.
Click...
Another wolf attempted to ambush me from behind, but I managed to avoid it by stepping to the side and slashing its back open as it went past.
As the fight wore on, I found myself growing weaker, my swings becoming less powerful. The mana that had been enveloping my body was beginning to flicker, threatening to disperse entirely.
Fear crept into my mind, but I bit down hard on my tongue, using the pain to drive the fear away. I knew that if I tried to run, I wouldn\'t make it even a few dozen feet before the wolves caught up to me.
Thud...
I stumbled as one of the wolves managed to grab onto my calf, its teeth sinking into my flesh.
Grrrr...
It was me this time, who growled as I drove the tip of my katana into its forehead, piercing through the monster\'s skull and silencing its snarls.
"I hav... to leave."
My injuries were taking a massive toll on my body, and there were still around half of the pack left.
The wolves\' yellow eyes glimmered with madness and hunger as they slowly approached me, their dead brethren lying behind them. I could feel their hunger for my flesh.
"These fuckers!"
I yelled in frustration, seeing the glee in the front wolf\'s gaze. These G-Rank monsters were treating me like prey!
With a groan, I strained my injured body, channeling all the mana I could muster into my katana. There were still around 14 monsters left, and my chances of survival were close to none.
It\'s funny how I planned to go Yeti hunting, but I ended up being the one hunted by a pack of G-Rank monsters. I thought they would be easy to get rid of, but boy, was I wrong.
In my defense, this pack was massive. Winter Wolves typically roam in groups of 5 or 6 individuals, but this one had around 30 at the start.
I tried to keep my cool and think of a way out, but they were too fast and too coordinated for me to handle alone.
"I should\'ve chosen a fire dungeon instead..."