Chapter 35 Issues

Some blood splattered onto my face as I swung my blade in a fierce arc, severing one of the beast's limbs in a single, swift strike.

Howl...

The wolf howled in pain, but I didn't give it a chance to recover. Without hesitation, I infused my Katana with Mana and brought it down in a swift, deadly arc, severing the monster's neck in one clean strike.

I barely had time to register the lifeless body of the wolf as it fell to the snow, before another one lunged at me, sinking its teeth into my shin.

"These cunning shitheads!"

I slashed the monster with my blade, however, this wolf was not like its late brother and had learned from its mistakes. It quickly jumped back, just in time to avoid the invisible edge of my Katana.

Its yellow eyes scanned my face, now fully covered in blood. My own golden eyes shone brighter than the moonlight as I stared back at the creature, waiting for its next move.

Even though I attempted to look as tough as possible, I was barely standing. The wolves had attacked and bitten my legs countless times, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I lost consciousness.

Crunch...

I heard the snow being walked on and quickly fell on my knees, hissing in pain, but also avoiding the sneaky wolf, trying to attack me from behind.

From the entire pack of over 30 wolves, only two of them were alive and yet, I felt that the chances of me losing were the highest now.

My left hand hung limply by my side, utterly useless. The savage wolves had torn away half of my shoulder, leaving a gaping wound that was bleeding profusely. The bandage hiding a jagged cut on my forearm was also ripped off, a testament to my tenacity in battle.

I was barely able to move my fingers as I used my other hand to fend off the relentless onslaught. There was no longer any glee in the wolves' eyes, only pure hatred and malice.

I had killed nearly the entire pack, wiping out their entire family. Even the most primitive beasts would surely feel something after witnessing such carnage.

Pluck...

A sudden pain ripped through my gut, as one of the wolves impaled me on the horn protruding from its forehead.

I felt my consciousness slipping away and the world around me grew dimmer, the pain receding as darkness threatened to overtake me.

Swish...

My arms trembled as I raised my katana with all my might and slashed at the wolf's neck.

As the monster fell to the ground, I collapsed onto my knees, gasping for air. With great effort, I pulled the horn out of my gut.

With emotionless golden eyes, I watched as the last wolf lunged towards me, but I was too weak to defend myself.

"..."

I really didn't want to die.

***

"Cryokinesis: Icy Spear!"

A massive spear of ice materialized before a woman and hurtled through the air, piercing a Yeti that had been trying to sneak up on her from behind.

The creature's green eyes widened in shock as it failed to register the incoming projectile, and it fell to the ground, its blood staining the pristine snow a vivid shade of crimson.

Rose approached the fallen Yeti and rubbed her hands together, bracing herself for the gruesome task ahead. Carefully wielding a dagger, she sliced into the creature's chest, intending to extract its core.

Although her parents had been hesitant to allow her into the dungeon without any protection, Rose had managed to convince them to grant her permission. As a princess, she had always been treated with utmost care and protection, but she was also beginning to feel constrained.

This was one of Rose's first outings without the watchful eye of her parents' guards. Despite their care and concern for her well-being, she yearned for some freedom and independence as she began to enter adulthood.

Like any other teenage girl, Rose longed to chat with her classmates, make friends, and go shopping. However, her status as a princess made it difficult to enjoy these simple pleasures of life.

Fortunately, Rose had her friend Tess, with whom she spent most of her time. Together, they enjoyed the typical activities of teenage girls, and Rose was grateful to experience these cherished moments surrounded by the warmth of friendship.

"I need to cut here... and here..."

Rose deftly sliced through the muscular chest of the monster, deftly extracting a glowing orb and stowing it away in her inventory.

This was already the fifth Yeti she had taken down today, and she planned to hunt many more before she was forced to return to the Mage Academy.

She had come to this dungeon to train her Magic Art and gain experience in real combat, but so far, she had yet to encounter any significant challenges.

Rumble...

Without warning, the ground beneath Rose began to shake violently, causing her to stumble. However, she quickly regained her footing, demonstrating her impressive agility.

Despite her delicate appearance, Rose was far from frail. She had pushed her body and combat abilities to their limits, which had helped her secure the opportunity to enter the dungeon.

As the Princess of the entire Elven Kingdom, Rose knew that her position demanded great power and strength. Although she had come to terms with the fact that her family would love her regardless, she was determined to continue growing stronger and honing her abilities.

Rose gazed up towards the mountain peak with her bright azure eyes and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that there was no avalanche cascading down towards her.

Roar...

An echo of a powerful roar resounded throughout the mountain range, prompting Rose to snap her head in the direction towards the mountain with a structure that was supposed to contain the boss monster.

"..."

Where was the building?

Rose frantically shifted her eyes, wondering if she had been looking at the wrong mountain.

"It's gone..."

She only spotted a group of twisted, steel pillars jutting up from the ground. It appeared as if the building they had once supported had been violently torn away, leaving only ruins in its wake.

Howl...