Chapter 40: Claws and Fury

Chapter 40: Claws and Fury



Alister's wounds steamed as they healed, but the pain still lingered. He glanced at Cinder, who watched him intently.

"We need to keep moving," Alister said.

"There are more wolves out there."

Cinder nodded, her massive body shifting slightly as she prepared for the next wave. They moved forward, making their way through the debris of fallen buildings scattered throughout the wilderness. Each step Cinder made seemed to make the very earth quake. As they did, Alister was breathing out steam from his mouth softly, his yellow eyes glowing intensely, making him look like some sort of monster.

The next wave of wolves came swiftly. They emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing and teeth bared. Alister tightened his grip on his gauntlets, his mind focused.

"Come on, let's get this over with."

The first wolf lunged at him, and Alister leaped forward, sidestepping with his claws slashing through its side. Blood sprayed, and the wolf fell, but there were more behind it, though they were starting to become hesitant.

The death of their pack members was starting to get to them, and the massive dragon a few feet behind added to their sense of dread. They began to yelp as they ran away.

"Cowards," Alister muttered.

"Alright, Cinder, incinerate them."

Cinder's flames sprung forward, incinerating the retreating group of wolves that had tried to flank them. The heat melted the surrounding debris, creating pools of molten metal and stone. But there were always those who dared to test their courage, and they would unfortunately meet the same fate.

Finally, the last wolf fell, its body reduced to nothing on the ground.

[Notice! Quest completed! Monsters eliminated 50/50!]

[Mini-Quest: An overlord finishes what he starts. Quest details: you just eliminated a pack of silver wolves; all that is left is to take out their alpha! Reward: Sand draconic summoning conduit.]

Alister stood in the carnage as he gazed at the system window, his chest heaving and his body radiating steam as his wounds slowly healed. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes scanning the area for any remaining threats.

'Summoning conduit? For summoning a dragon? Another one?'

The wolf swung its massive paw at him, and Alister ducked, feeling the rush of air above his head. He countered with a quick slash to the wolf's underbelly, but the Alpha twisted, its body moving sprinly fast and nimbly.

The next moment, its teeth were snapping at Alister's arm. He pulled back just in time, the wolf's jaws closing inches from his skin.

'This thing is faster and stronger than any of the others,' Alister thought, his mind racing. 'I need to be quicker, more precise.'

His glowing reptilian eyes focused even further.

The Alpha attacked again, and Alister leaped to the side, using the debris around him to his advantage. He pushed off a fallen building, launching himself at the wolf's back. His claws dug in, and he dragged them down its spine, but the Alpha jumped, throwing him off. Alister hit the ground and rolled, coming up on his feet just as the Alpha charged. He jumped, landing on a crumbling wall and using it to gain height. The wolf slammed into the wall, shattering it, but Alister was already moving, his gauntlets glowing as he gathered his

strength.

The Alpha whirled, its eyes locked onto him. Alister grinned, his confidence growing despite the odds. He dashed forward, ducking under the wolf's swipe and slashing at its legs. The claws cut deep, and the Alpha howled in pain, stumbling slightly.

'Got you.'

But the victory was short-lived. The Alpha recovered quickly, its eyes blazing with anger. It lunged, and Alister barely managed to block with his gauntlets.

It's massive paw connected with Alister abdomen with massive force, causing him to cough

up blood.

The force of the impact sent him skidding back, his feet digging trenches into the ground. The wolf didn't stop. It was on him in an instant, snapping and slashing with its claws as fast

as it could.

Alister dodged and counterd what he could, his movements growing more desperate as he tried to find an opening. He felt a claw rake across his back, tearing through his flesh. As he made a backflip in an attempt to gain some distance.

[Notice: Blood Healing activated.]

[Notice: Blood Manipulation activated.]

Steam rose from the wound as it healed, but the pain and fatigue were beginning to wear on him. 'I can't keep this up forever,' he thought, gritting his teeth. 'I need to finish this.'Fôllôw new stories at novelhall.com