“All right, everyone. Let’s go.” After Irina said that, the other three entered the dungeon making their way into there.
Following them, I also entered the dungeon while signaling the instructor overseeing us. He nodded and let me in as well, though I could see a small bitter smile on his face.
As I stepped through the gate, I found myself in a vast, open natural field, surrounded by tall trees that seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky. The air was filled with the scent of earth and foliage, and the distant sounds of chirping birds added to the ambiance.
‘To think I would witness this scene in real life.’
In the game, that was the second time we would be combating monsters, and one of the dungeon tropes was this. Seeing it in real life with such eyes made me feel weird.
Natural Forest Field.
The field was bathed in warm sunlight, casting dappled shadows on the ground. It was a serene and tranquil setting, but I knew better than to let our guard down. This was still a dungeon, and danger lurked behind the beauty of nature.
Even though the monsters in this place were created by the academy, that didn’t mean they were weak either.
*DING*
At that moment, a sound of ringing came to my ears.
‘It must be the coordinates.’ I thought, and looking at my smartwatch, I confirmed.
“The coordinates are here,” Irina said, looking at her smartwatch.
“The monster we’re expected to hunt is a Rank 3 creature known as the Galewind Wolf,” Irina announced, her voice laced with excitement. She was a bloodthirsty girl, and she was going to get the action she wanted.
“Its coordinates are at the heart of the forest, beyond the clearing,” Irina continued, pointing in the direction we needed to head.
“Let’s go; I am going to burn it alive.”
With a proud tone, she declared, making her way toward the coordinates.
*SWOOSH*
Immediately dashing forwards, she started running while the others also followed her movements.
“Gregor, you will be facing the wolf while Nora will deal with restricting its movements. Galewind Wolves are known to be herd-type monsters, so they will probably call reinforcements, or they may not even be alone. But, if it calls other monsters, this is better for us since I can deal with all of them at once.”
They were talking while walking toward the coordinates, but their speed was so fast that I had a hard time catching up, and soon the distance was immediately opened wide, as I could no longer hear what they were saying.
‘Galewind Wolves, huh?’
It was a type of enemy I knew from the game. A wolf that evolved as the mana came and gained the wind attribute. It was a Rank 3 monster.
Monster rankings were not that hard to deal with. A rank-three monster meant a person with average stats three could beat the monster in one on one, in theory at least….
At least, the estimated stats of the monster would be averaged three, but most of the time, it was not advised to go against a monster of an equal rank one-on-one.
And that was especially dangerous when the monster was a herd type one.
‘In the game, it would call Lesser Galewind Wolves, a rank two monster.’
Remembering the game, these wolves were one of the cringiest monster types. They were fast, agile, and they hunted in hordes, making them hard to deal with unless you had a crowd control skill.
‘In any case, I should still at least watch how they fight. There is a high chance that I can learn something from them. I also don’t want to get a disciplinary punishment, as well.’
With that thought, I kept running at the fastest pace I could without tiring myself. If, after getting there, I was going to be tired enough not to lift my arms, then there was no need to get there to endanger myself.
As I ran through the vast forest field, I kept my eyes peeled for any signs of their whereabouts while also observing the small signs that would give me information about the number of monsters.
The ground was covered in soft soil and fallen leaves, but I could still make out faint traces of footprints that led in a specific direction. From the depths of the marks and the small differences between paws, I could see that there were at least ten different wolves and one boss since that one had a rather deep mark. 𝞸𝒱xt.𝐂𝒪
‘This is their territory.’ And not long after, I reached a field filled with trees, and there were some marks on them, indicating this was the nest of monsters.
Following the tracks, I pushed myself to run faster, not wanting to lose sight of them. I kept my senses sharp, listening for any sounds that might indicate their location. The forest was alive with the sounds of birds and rustling leaves, but I focused on filtering out the background noise.
This was how dungeons operated. Somehow the natural life would also be there coexisting with the monsters, and it was a weird feeling…..
*CLANK* *CLANK*
As I continued to follow the tracks, the distant sounds of battle gradually reached my ears. The faint clashing of metal, the growls of wolves, and the whooshing of wind filled the air. I knew I was getting closer as the pressure of the battle also enveloped me. I saw the traces of them first.
*BOOM* *BOOM* *CLANK*
The deep pit on the ground by human feet indicated one thing.
‘Nora was the first one to strike; she must have used her dash skill.’ Imagining the scene on my hand and playing it, I thought.
‘Then, she must have been followed by George. He must have blocked the following attack of Galewind Wolf, and while all of them were happening, Irina must have been waiting for the wolf to call help.’
Focusing my senses, I activated my skill [Keen Eye], my vision sharpened, and I could spot even the tiniest movements from a distance.
Through the thick foliage, I spotted a blur of red hair— I knew it was Irina. She was moving with incredible speed, dodging and attacking with precision.
‘As expected….She thought the wolf couldn’t sense her, so she attacked first.’ I thought.
Since the trees showed signs of burning and it was obvious that Irina attacked without waiting, it matched her personality as well.
Nora was right beside her, her sword technique elegant and powerful. Gregor, the Earth Guardian, held his ground as he defended the others with his massive axe.
And there, amidst the flurry of combat, I caught a glimpse of the Galewind Wolf. It looked like a majestic creature, but I knew quite a lot of intimidating and majestic figures from the game. The Mistwraith alone excluded ten times of pressure, though he was weak at that time.
Still, the wolf’s silver fur glinted in the sunlight as it moved with agility and grace. Its large, luminous yellow eyes glared at the three with fierce intensity.
The Lesser Galewind Wolves circled around their alpha, snarling and lunging at any opportunity. Irina, Nora, and Gregor fought back relentlessly; their teamwork was shabby, but they at least tried to coordinate their attacks and defenses.
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
At a rapid speed, Nora swung her sword as she deflected the attacks of the two Lesser Galewind Wolves.
*SLASH* *SPURT*
Following that, her blade passed through the wolf at a rapid speed dividing it into two pieces.
Observing the way she had used her sword, I started taking notes of how she imbued her mana with her sword.
Her stats should not be that overwhelming against Lesser Galewind Wolves, but the blade still cut through fast. It was because of the way she moved her mana while moving. It must have been related to her sword art, but that didn’t matter to me.
I just observed her movements and tried to understand the essence behind it.
‘Hmm…. That seems to be a better way of using mana.’ I thought. Putting it into words was weirdly a bit hard, but thanks to my trait [Perceptive Insight] letting me understand the essence of the things I have seen faster, I somehow understood a way to improve the mana imbued on my daggers.
‘As expected, it works.’
It worked, but I was still a newbie, so it didn’t increase much.
‘Anyway, Nora and George will deal with the Lesser Wolves; let’s watch the main fight.’ I thought, turning my attention to the Irina.
SWOOSH! SWIRL!
Irina’s battle with the Galewind Wolf was a dance of fire and wind. She moved with incredible speed, her flaming red hair flowing like a wild inferno as she dodged the wolf’s attacks and retaliated with precise strikes.
“This is too much fun!” She was smiling ear to ear as she sent fire against fire to the wolf. Thanks to the enhanced boots underneath her, her speed was fast, not expected from a mage.
“Now take this!”
She unleashed a burst of fiery mana, scorching the air and leaving trails of flames in her wake. The wolf tried to counter her attacks with its wind-based abilities, but Irina’s increased agility allowed her to evade them effortlessly.
Her mana control was also incredibly perfect, as she almost ate the mana alive. Even though there were small amounts of mana being wasted, it was still close to the level of professional hunters, and she was just a freshman cadet right now. This alone showed how much potential she had.
Their battle was fierce and intense, and I could see the feeling of happiness in Irina’s eyes as she faced off against the powerful monster. Despite its ferocity and strength, she showed no signs of fear or hesitation. She was a hunter, a warrior, and this was what she was born to do.
SWOOSH! BOOM!
With a burst of speed, she darted in and delivered a series of precise punches, each one infused with fiery mana. The wolf tried to counter, but Irina was too quick, too unpredictable. She dodged and weaved, leaving the monster frustrated and confused.
“You’re going to have to be faster than that!” she laughed, her eyes gleaming with excitement. The Galewind Wolf snarled in response, but it was no match for Irina’s relentless assault.
But at that moment, a chilly sensation welled inside me….
——————————A/N—————————–
Hope you liked the chapter.
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