Chapter 20: Chapter 20: LAST ONE STANDING

An agonizing scream ripped from David's throat. His hand – once a weapon – was now a gruesome mess, hanging limp at his side. His body throbbed with a symphony of pain, yet his mind remained a fortress of iron. He refused to succumb, not when his fangs were still bared for a fight. With a surge of raw determination, David lurched to his feet.

His vision swam, but he locked eyes with the wolf, its amber gaze narrowed with predatory intent. "Not done yet, mutt," he rasped, a defiant glint sparking to life in his now icy blue and white orbs. The Celestial Wheel pulsed within, a beacon of power fueled by desperation. He pushed his limits, ignoring the mana drain that threatened to leave him hollow. Muscle, he knew, had failed him.

Time for a different kind of fight. "Come and get me, pup!" he taunted, his voice hoarse but laced with a twisted amusement. The wolf, enraged by David's audacity, howled a challenge at the moon. Black shadows writhed around its form, a veil obscuring its movements. It vanished into the inky darkness. Silence, thick and heavy, hung in the air.

David's enhanced vision, courtesy of the Celestial Wheel, searched desperately. He could see wisps of darkness flitting through the periphery, a fleeting glimpse of the predator's approach. With this stolen knowledge, he braced himself for the inevitable attack. Suddenly, a blur of white erupted from the shadows, the wolf's maw snapping at him. David roared, a primal sound born of pain and fury.

He flung himself to the side, barely escaping the razor-sharp teeth. But the beast was relentless. It lunged again and again, a whirlwind of fur and fury. David, a battered warrior, could only muster desperate dodges as the wolf snapped its jaws, hot breath singeing his skin. With a surge of primal instinct, he lunged forward, one good arm managing to snag the beast's neck in a bone-crushing grip.

The other arm, a mangled mess, was used to complete the strangulation wrap. A silent struggle ensued, a dance of death beneath the pale, watchful gaze of the moon. Muscles strained, and growls turned into choked gasps as air supply dwindled. Finally, with a last, desperate push, David squeezed. The wolf, starved of oxygen, let out a strangled yelp before going limp.

David collapsed on top of his fallen foe, gasping for breath. His body, broken and bloodied, ached with every shallow inhale. He had won but at a terrible cost. The predator lay still, a victim of its own aggression and David's unexpected resilience. Just as the light in David's eyes threatened to flicker out, a digital window materialized before him, a cruel mockery of its cheery blue hue.

"[You have defeated a lesser Fenrir]," it blared, a hollow victory announcement in the face of his near demise. Another window popped up, a meager consolation prize: "[You have leveled up]." But the celebration was short-lived. Another window appeared, boasting "[You have received two bonus rewards for your astonishing achievement]".

Astonishing, David scoffed internally, his breath ragged gasps in the chilling air. Finally, the grand finale, the final window that solidified his bizarre reality: "[Skill activated: Eternal Gluttony]," it pronounced, followed by the chilling "[YOU HAVE DEVOURED A SKILL!]". A cold wave washed over him, a sensation not unlike dipping into a freezing river. Yet, it wasn't pain. It was…renewal.

He felt his mangled arm knit itself back together, the pulsing agony replaced by a gentle hum of regeneration. His cracked ribs realigned, the tightness in his chest easing into a comforting ache. He took a shaky breath, the air tasting oddly sweet. Sitting up, David flexed his healed arm, marveling at the restored flesh and bone.

"That was damn close!" He muttered, his voice hoarse but laced with a sliver of newfound strength. He felt lighter, a peculiar energy coursing through his veins. But the reprieve was fleeting. As his mana reserves refilled, an unsettling truth dawned. He activated the Celestial Wheel, his eyes igniting with their otherworldly glow.

The grin that formed wasn't one of triumph, but a twisted, predatory smile. "Well, well," he rasped, a low growl echoing in his voice. "Looks like your pack decided to join the party." His inhuman gaze pierced the shadows, catching fleeting glimpses of movement dancing at the edges of his vision. He rose slowly, his posture a coiled spring.

His body might be bruised and battered, but with this strange new power coursing through him, David was far from finished. He braced himself, a lone figure bathed in the sickly moonlight, ready to face whatever horrors lurked in the darkness. The game had taken a grotesque turn, and David, fueled by survival and a touch of newfound hunger, was ready to play by his own rules.

No time for wallowing in victory. David slammed his mental fist against the status menu, a digital portal flashing open before him. A manic grin stretched across his face as he scanned the spoils of his near-death experience. Suddenly, in a flourish of shimmering light, a pair of blades materialized in his grasp. Twin daggers, they curved with the predatory grace of a falcon's wing.

Cold moonlight glinted off their polished surfaces, a promise of swift demise for any foolhardy enough to cross his path. The hilts, cradled between the blades, were a paradox – a fusion of sleek technology and ancient artistry. Intricate patterns, their meaning lost to the ages yet potent with a forgotten power, snaked their way around the grips.

The weapons felt like extensions of himself, perfectly balanced and symmetrical. From the front, they resembled a grim smile carved into metal, teeth bared in a permanent snarl. From the side, their arcs echoed the sweeping horns of some mythical beast, a reminder of the savage strength David now possessed. "Alright, you shadowy bastards," he growled, the words laced with a newfound hunger.

"Let's dance." He shifted into a low crouch, blades held high, the Predator reborn and ready for the hunt.

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