Some districts were small settlements, towns with only a handful of portals, numbering between one and ten.
Others had grown into full cities, their boundaries expanding to accommodate dozens or even hundreds.
Each district was assigned a letter from the English alphabet based on when it was established.
The alphabet had progressed through Section M so far, with new portal districts still being developed.
District D was a town, a modest settlement built around a limited number of portals scattered throughout in no particular order.
Each portal was a shimmering vertical oval of distorted space, like looking through a heat haze that stretched from floor to ceiling.
Blue light pulsed around their edges in steady rhythms.
Through each surface, Boran could glimpse fragments of the worlds beyond: desert sands, frozen tundra, dense jungle canopy.
Each gateway led somewhere different, somewhere dangerous.
The air smelled of ozone and something else, something metallic and sharp that he couldn’t quite identify.
Hundreds of adventurers moved through the sprawling chamber complex, some entering portals, others gathering in nervous clusters before their assigned gates.
Boran’s party moved through the crowd, following the glowing markers in their interfaces toward Portal 9-D, the ninth portal in District D.
The marker pulsed steadily in the corner of his vision, a blue arrow pointing the way through the maze of people and scattered portals.
“There,” Sude said, pointing ahead.
Portal 9-D stood before them, identical in size and structure to all the others, but the world visible through its shimmering surface was distinctly different.
Dense forest.
Thick underbrush.
Shadows pooling between ancient trees whose trunks were wider than a man was tall.
A sign mounted beside the portal displayed information in glowing blue text:
[PORTAL 9-D: ASHWOOD THICKET]
Recommended Level: 1-5
Environment: Forest / Moderate Visibility / Multiple Threats
Active Missions: 3
Kerem stopped a few paces from the portal, staring at it.
“So we just…
walk through?”
“That’s the idea,” Deniz said, though his voice carried an edge of uncertainty.
Boran watched another party step through the portal ahead of them, five adventurers moving in formation, weapons drawn.
They passed through the shimmering surface as if it were water, their forms distorting briefly before vanishing completely.
The portal rippled, then settled back into its steady shimmer.
“Everyone ready?” Boran asked, looking at his companions.
Sude adjusted her staff.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Kerem rolled his shoulders, loosening up.
“Let’s do this before I talk myself out of it.”
Deniz checked his gun one more time, then nodded.
“Ready.”
“Wait,” Sude said, holding up a hand.
“We should discuss our formation before we go in.
Once we’re through that portal, we need to know exactly what we’re doing.”
Boran nodded.
“You’re right.
I’ll take point with my shield.
Anything that comes at us hits me first.”
“I’ll stay back,” Sude said.
“Mages need distance to cast effectively.
I’ll cover from the rear and call out threats.”
Kerem twirled one of his daggers.
“I’ll stay close to Boran, slightly behind and to the left.
Rogues work best when we can flank, so I need to be mobile.”
“That puts me on the right side,” Deniz said, checking his gun’s magazine.
“I can provide ranged support from mid-range and cover our flank.”
Boran considered the arrangement.
“So, me at the front, Kerem behind me on the left, Deniz on the right, Sude at the back center.
Everyone calls out what they see.
If something attacks, I’ll hold its attention while you three take it down.”
“What about your Taunt ability?” Sude asked.
“You can force enemies to focus on you, right?”
“For ten seconds,” Boran confirmed.
“It costs mana, so I can’t spam it, but if things get chaotic, I can use it to keep threats off you.”
“And if we get surrounded?” Kerem asked.
“We don’t,” Boran said firmly.
“We keep moving, watch our backs, and never let anything get behind us.”
“And if things go really south,” Sude added, “remember the emergency exit button in the lower right of your interface.
It teleports you directly outside the portal instantly.”
“But it voids the mission and deletes all your loot,” Kerem said, frowning.
“You keep the XP, but everything else is gone.”
“It’s a last resort,” Boran said.
“Only use it if you’re about to die.
Better to lose some loot than lose your life.”
Deniz nodded slowly.
“Sounds like a plan.
Let’s do this.”
“Everyone clear on the formation?” Boran asked one more time.
“Clear,” they said in unison.
Boran stepped forward first, shield raised, and walked into the portal.
The sensation was immediate and disorienting.
Reality twisted around him.
Not painfully, but wrong.
His stomach lurched as if he’d stepped off a cliff, and for a single stretched moment he existed nowhere, suspended in a space between worlds where up and down had no meaning.
Then his foot came down on solid ground, and the forest materialized around him.
The transition was instant.
One moment he’d been in the portal chamber.
The next, he stood in deep shadow beneath a canopy so thick that only scattered beams of green-filtered sunlight reached the forest floor.
The air was humid, heavy with the smell of earth and rotting vegetation.
Insects buzzed in the underbrush.
In the distance, a bird called.
A harsh, unfamiliar sound.
Behind him, the portal shimmered.
A vertical slice of distorted space cutting through the forest like a wound in reality.
Kerem stepped through next, immediately moving to Boran’s left as planned.
“That was…” He stopped, looking around.
“Holy shit.
We’re actually here.”
Sude came through third, her staff raised defensively.
She took position at the center back, her eyes sweeping the forest.
“Stay close.
We don’t know what’s out here.”
Deniz was last, his gun already in his hands.
He moved to Boran’s right, covering that angle.
“Anyone else notice how quiet it is?”
Boran had noticed.
The forest wasn’t silent.
Insects buzzed, leaves rustled in a faint breeze, but there was an absence of larger sounds.
Just the whisper of wind through ancient trees and the steady rhythm of their own breathing.
A notification appeared in his vision:
[MISSION ZONE ENTERED: ASHWOOD THICKET]
[OBJECTIVE: Eliminate 8 Corrupted Wolves]
[PROGRESS: 0/8]
[TIME REMAINING: 47:59:23]
Behind them, the portal flickered and vanished.
The vertical slice of distorted reality collapsed, leaving only solid forest where the gateway had been.
They had expected this.
Portals closed once all party members passed through, sealing them inside until they completed the mission or used the emergency exit.
They moved forward slowly.
The ground was uneven.
Roots crossed the path like grasping fingers, forcing them to watch their footing.
Ferns and low bushes pressed in from both sides, limiting visibility to maybe ten meters.
Above them, the canopy filtered sunlight into a murky green twilight that made it impossible to judge the time of day.
Boran’s grip tightened on his shield.
Every shadow could hide a threat.
Every rustling leaf could signal movement.
“Movement,” Deniz hissed.
“Right side, twenty meters.”
Everyone froze.
Boran turned his head slowly, trying to see what Deniz had spotted.
There, between two massive tree trunks, something low and dark shifted through the undergrowth.
Too large to be a deer.
Too deliberate to be harmless.
The wolf emerged from the shadows.
It was larger than any natural wolf Boran had ever seen, easily the size of a large dog, maybe bigger.
Its fur was matted and dark, but what caught his attention were the veins of sickly purple light pulsing beneath its skin.
Corruption.
The creature’s eyes glowed with the same purple luminescence, and when it opened its mouth, drool dripped from fangs that seemed too long, too sharp.
Above its head, blue text appeared:
[Corrupted Wolf – Level 3]
[HP: 45/45]
“We’ve got four people,” Boran said, keeping his voice steady.
“It’s alone.
We can take it.”
The wolf’s head turned toward them, nostrils flaring.
It had caught their scent.
For a long moment, predator and prey stared at each other across ten meters of forest floor.
Then the wolf charged.
It moved with terrifying speed, closing the distance in seconds.
“Boran!” Kerem shouted.
Boran stepped forward, planting his feet and raising his shield.
The wolf leaped, jaws open, and slammed into the wooden barrier with bone-jarring force.
The impact drove him back a step, his boots scraping against the forest floor.
Pain shot through his arm where the shield took the hit.
His health bar appeared in the corner of his vision, dropping from 75 to 68
[HP: 68/75]
Seven damage from a single hit.
The wolf landed, circled, then lunged again, this time low, trying to get under the shield.
Boran twisted, bringing the shield down, but the creature was fast.
Teeth scraped against wood as it dodged back.
[Wooden Shield Durability: 19/20]
“Fortify!” Boran called out, activating his defensive ability.
Energy surged through him.
His body hardened, his defenses strengthening.
The wooden shield felt more solid, more reliable.
His stance became immovable, rooted to the ground.
[Mana: 5/10]
[Defense +5 for 15 seconds]
“Hit it now!” Boran shouted.
Deniz’s gun barked twice, sharp cracks echoing through the forest.
Both shots hit, punching into the wolf’s side.
Blood sprayed, and the creature’s health bar dropped.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 35/45]
The wolf snarled and lunged at Boran again.
He braced himself and activated Shield Slam.
The wooden shield suddenly felt heavier, more solid, as if the System had reinforced it.
Boran drove forward, slamming the shield’s edge into the wolf’s skull mid-leap.
The impact was satisfying.
A solid crack followed by a pained yelp.
The wolf tumbled backward, momentarily stunned, its health dropping further.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 26/45]
[Mana: 3/10]
Kerem appeared from the side, daggers flashing.
He moved with the enhanced agility of his Rogue class, darting in while the wolf was stunned and slashing twice across its exposed flank.
Deep cuts opened, and the wolf’s howl was almost human.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 8/45]
Sude’s voice rang out, clear and commanding: “Flame Bolt!”
A sphere of fire flared into existence before her staff and shot forward, streaking through the air like a comet.
It missed its mark.
The stun had worn off, but the creature was too damaged to fight back.
It tried to retreat, limping toward the underbrush.
“Don’t let it escape!” Deniz shouted, firing again.
The shot hit the wolf’s rear leg, and it collapsed.
Kerem was on it instantly, driving both daggers into its spine.
The creature shuddered once, then went still.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 0/45]
[CORRUPTED WOLF DEFEATED]
[+25 XP]
[PROGRESS: 1/8]
Silence fell over the clearing, broken only by their heavy breathing.
Boran stared at the wolf’s corpse.
Purple light pulsed faintly beneath its skin, then faded completely, leaving only a dead animal on the forest floor.
Something tightened in his chest.
He felt bad for a second.
It had been a monster, corrupted and dangerous, but it had also been a living animal once.
“We did it,” Kerem said, his voice shaking slightly.
“We actually killed it.”
“One down,” Sude said, lowering her staff.
“Seven to go.”
Boran checked his health bar, 68 out of 75.
Not terrible, but one wolf had taken seven points.
If they faced multiple wolves at once…
He pushed down the discomfort.
This was survival.
They hadn’t had a choice.
“Everyone alright?” he asked, his voice quieter than intended.
“I’m good,” Deniz said, reloading his gun.
“Used three bullets.
Got plenty more.”
“I’m fine,” Kerem said, wiping blood off his daggers.
“That was easier than I thought.”
“And it still almost got Boran twice.
We need to be more careful.”
She was right.
They’d won, but it had been messy.
Uncoordinated.
If the wolf had been faster, or if there had been two…
“I panicked and used my Fortify ability without thinking… I guess I’m a little too tense.”
“It was our first fight—don’t overthink it,” Kerem said.
A notification appeared:
[CORRUPTED WOLF REMAINS AVAILABLE FOR LOOTING]
Kerem blinked.
“We can loot it?”
“Apparently,” Sude said, stepping closer to the corpse.
She reached out, and as her hand touched the wolf’s body, a small interface appeared, a loot window showing available items.
[LOOT: Corrupted Wolf Fang x2, Corrupted Wolf Pelt x1, Wolf Meat x1]
Sude selected everything, and the items vanished from the corpse, transferred directly into her inventory.
“These might be valuable,” she said.
“Alchemists use monster parts for potions.”
“We’ll split everything at the end,” Boran said.
“For now, let’s keep moving.
Seven more wolves.
And we’ve got,” he checked the timer “,forty five hours left.”
They pressed deeper into Ashwood Thicket.
The forest pressed in tighter as they moved forward.
Every shadow felt alive, every rustle a potential threat.
But the team’s confidence had grown with their first kill.
They moved with more purpose now, less hesitation.
“Movement ahead,” Deniz called out, his voice steady.
“Two of them this time.”
Boran’s pulse quickened, but he kept his breathing even.
Two wolves.
They’d handled one, two shouldn’t be much different.
“Same formation.
Let them come to us.”
The corrupted wolves emerged from opposite sides of the path, their purple-veined bodies moving in eerie synchronization.
The System identified them instantly:
[Corrupted Wolf – Level 3] [HP: 45/45]
[Corrupted Wolf – Level 3] [HP: 45/45]
“Kerem, take the left one when I engage,” Boran ordered.
“Deniz, focus on the right.
Sude, wait for an opening.”
The wolves charged.
Boran stepped forward to meet the right wolf, shield raised.
The creature leaped, and he caught it mid,air with a perfectly timed Shield Slam.
It crashed to the ground, stunned, its health dropping.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 43/45]
[Mana: 1/10]
Deniz seized the moment.
Three shots rang out.
Crack, crack, crack.
All finding their mark.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 23/45]
Meanwhile, Kerem intercepted the left wolf with supernatural agility.
His Rogue reflexes let him sidestep the lunge, and his daggers flashed across its exposed throat.
Blood sprayed.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 31/45]
“Flame Bolt!” Sude’s voice cut through the chaos.
Fire streaked toward Boran’s wolf, still recovering from the stun.
It struck the creature’s head, flames engulfing its face.
The wolf staggered back, and Deniz fired a single shot through its heart.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 0/45]
Kerem was already finishing off the second wolf, his daggers working with brutal efficiency.
The creature tried to snap at him, but he was too fast, dancing around its attacks and opening wound after wound.
Deniz added two more shots, and the wolf collapsed.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 0/45]
[PROGRESS: 3/8]
“That was clean,” Deniz said, pride in his voice.
“We’re getting better,” Kerem agreed, looting the nearest corpse.
Sude nodded, but her expression remained focused.
“Don’t get cocky.
We’ve still got five more, and they might not come in pairs next time.”
“She’s right,” Boran said.
“We’re doing well, but we stay sharp.
Let’s loot and keep moving.”
They collected the materials quickly: more fangs, pelts, and meat.
Then they pressed deeper into the thicket.
The forest grew darker, but so did their confidence.
“My mana’s depleted,” Boran said.
“I can’t use Shield Slam until it regenerates.”
“When does it regenerate?” Sude asked.
“One point per hour,” Boran replied.
“So I’ll have one mana back in about an hour.”
“We should take a break then,” Kerem suggested.
“Eat something.
No point pushing forward without Shield Slam.”
“Good idea,” Deniz agreed, already reaching into his inventory.
“I’m starving anyway.”
They found a clear spot off the path and settled down.
Each pulled out their rations: simple bread and water.
Nothing fancy, but after the adrenaline of combat, it tasted better than expected.
Boran took a bite and chewed slowly, his mind replaying the fights.
Three wolves down, five to go.
They were making good progress, but Sude was right, they couldn’t get overconfident.
“We’ve got plenty of time,” Sude said.
“Yeah,” Kerem said.
“I’d rather fight with a full tank than rush in half-empty.”
They ate in comfortable silence, the forest sounds a constant reminder of where they were.
After about an hour, Boran felt the tingle of mana regeneration.
[Mana: 2/10]
“Alright,” Boran said, standing and brushing crumbs off his shirt.
“Let’s finish this.”
They moved forward cautiously, weapons ready and senses alert.
The forest path sloped upward, the ground growing rockier beneath their feet.
After thirty minutes of careful navigation, they reached the crest of a small hill.
“Wait,” Deniz whispered, holding up his hand.
“Look down there.”
They crouched low and peered over the edge.
Below them, in a natural clearing surrounded by twisted trees, was the pack.
Seven corrupted wolves moved through the space, their purple-veined bodies glowing faintly in the dim forest light.
Some paced restlessly.
Others lay near what appeared to be a den entrance, a dark opening at the base of a massive oak tree.
[Corrupted Wolf – Level 3] [HP: 45/45] x7
“Seven of them,” Kerem breathed.
“All in one place.”
“This is bad,” Sude said quietly.
“If we go down there and they all attack at once, we’re dead.”
Boran studied the clearing carefully, his mind racing.
Seven wolves.
They’d handled one easily, two with good coordination.
But seven?
That was different.
“We can’t fight them all at once,” Boran said.
“We need to split them up somehow.”
“How?” Deniz asked.
“They’re all grouped together down there.”
“We need bait,” Kerem suggested.
“Someone draws a few away while the rest of us take them down.
Then we repeat.”
“That’s risky,” Sude said.
“Whoever’s bait could get surrounded and killed before we can help.”
“What if I use my rifle to get their attention?” Deniz offered.
“I can shoot from up here, wound one, and hopefully draw a few away from the pack.
They chase me, I lead them toward you guys, and we ambush them.”
Boran considered it.
“That might work.
But we’d need to set up the ambush point carefully.
Somewhere between here and the clearing where we have good positioning.”
“There.” Sude pointed to a narrow passage between two large rocks about halfway down the slope.
“If Deniz leads them through there, we can hit them from both sides.
They’ll be funneled.
They can’t surround us.”
“I like it,” Kerem said.
“Deniz takes the shot, runs back up here, and leads however many follow him through that choke point.
We hit them hard and fast.”
“What if they all follow him?” Sude asked.
“Then we’re screwed,” Deniz said bluntly.
“But I don’t think they will.
Animals don’t usually chase as a full pack—they hunt as a pack.
Some will stay behind to guard the den.”
Boran weighed their options.
It was risky, but fighting all seven at once was suicide.
This at least gave them a chance.
“Alright,” he decided.
“Sude and Kerem, position yourselves on either side of that choke point.
I’ll stand in the middle with my shield ready.
Deniz, you take the shot, then run.
Lead them to us.
Once they’re in the passage, we hit them with everything we’ve got.”
“And if more than three or four follow?” Kerem asked.
“Then we adapt,” Boran said.
“But this is our best shot.
Everyone agreed?”
They looked at each other, then nodded.
“Let’s do this,” Sude said.
They moved into position quickly.
Sude and Kerem took their places on either side of the rocky passage, hidden from view.
Boran stood in the center, shield raised, ready to intercept whatever came through.
Deniz remained on the hill, his rifle trained on the clearing below.
“Ready?” Deniz called down quietly.
“Ready,” Boran confirmed.
Deniz took a deep breath, aimed carefully at the largest wolf near the den entrance, and fired.
Crack.
The shot echoed through the forest.
The wolf yelped as the bullet tore through its shoulder.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 35/45]
The entire pack erupted into motion.
Four wolves immediately charged toward the sound of the gunshot, their corrupted eyes fixed on Deniz.
The other three remained near the den, growling and pacing but not pursuing.
“Four incoming!” Deniz shouted, already sprinting down the slope.
“Get ready!”
Boran’s heart pounded.
Four was manageable.
They could do this.
The corrupted wolves burst through the forest, closing the distance fast.
Deniz ran full speed toward the choke point, the wolves following, their snarls echoing through the trees.
“Here they come!” Boran shouted.
Deniz dove through the passage, rolling to the side as the first wolf lunged after him.
The creature skidded into the choke point, straight into Boran’s waiting shield.
“Shield Slam!”
[Mana: 0/10]
The impact sent the lead wolf sprawling backward, its body crashing into the second wolf behind it.
Both creatures tumbled in a tangle of limbs and snarls.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 30/45]
The third and fourth wolves tried to squeeze through the narrow passage simultaneously, snapping and clawing.
Kerem struck from the right, his daggers flashing as he drove both blades deep into the third wolf’s flank.
“Flame Bolt!” Sude’s voice rang out from the left.
The sphere of fire streaked across the choke point and slammed into the fourth wolf’s face.
The creature recoiled, flames spreading across its muzzle as it howled.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 32/45]
[BURNING: 1 damage per second for 3 seconds]
Deniz recovered from his roll and brought his rifle up.
He fired twice in quick succession.
Both shots hitting the stunned wolf.
The creature’s body jerked with each impact.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 18/45]
“Focus fire on the stunned one!” Boran shouted, bringing his shield down in a heavy overhead slam.
His shield hit the wolf’s shoulder.
The creature’s stun wore off just as Kerem appeared beside him, driving a dagger straight through its eye.
[CORRUPTED WOLF DEFEATED]
“One down!” Kerem called out.
“Three more!”
But the remaining wolves had learned.
Instead of charging blindly through the choke point, they spread out, searching for angles of attack.
The burning wolf shook its head violently, the flames dying down.
All three creatures began circling, probing for weaknesses.
“They’re adapting,” Sude warned.
“Don’t let them flank us!”
The second wolf, the one knocked down with the first,suddenly lunged at Boran from the left.
He barely got his shield up in time.
The impact drove him back a step, the wolf’s claws scraping against the wood, searching for flesh.
[Wooden Shield Durability: 18/20]
[HP: 61/75]
Before Boran could counter, the third wolf darted in from the right, going low and fast.
Its jaws clamped down on his calf.
Pain shot through his leg.
[HP: 54/75]
“Shit!” Boran gritted his teeth and slammed his wooden shield into the wolf’s snout.
It released him and backed off, blood dripping from the wound.
Deniz fired at the wolf attacking Boran’s shield, the shot punching through its shoulder.
The creature snarled and released Boran’s shield, turning toward Deniz.
It started to charge, but Kerem intercepted, his daggers a blur as he opened a series of cuts along its side.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 21/45]
Meanwhile, the burned wolf lunged at Sude.
She backpedaled quickly, raising her hand.
“Flame Bolt!”
Nothing happened.
Her eyes widened in panic.
“I’m out of mana!” she shouted.
The wolf was on her in an instant.
Its jaws snapped at her arm, catching her sleeve and tearing through fabric and skin.
[Sude HP: 16/25]
Sude screamed and stumbled backward, falling hard on the rocky ground.
The wolf loomed over her, preparing for another strike.
“Sude!” Boran roared.
He couldn’t reach her in time.
The wolf that had bitten his leg was still in his way, and the choke point made it impossible to move quickly.
But Deniz was faster.
He sprinted forward, dropping his rifle and drawing a combat knife from his belt.
As the wolf lunged down at Sude, Deniz threw himself between them, driving the knife upward into the creature’s throat.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 15/45]
The wolf thrashed, its claws raking across Deniz’s chest.
[Deniz HP: 26/35]
“Get off him!” Sude scrambled to her feet, grabbed a rock from the ground, and smashed it into the wolf’s skull with both hands.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 8/45]
The creature staggered.
Deniz twisted the knife, driving it deeper.
The wolf shuddered once and collapsed.
[CORRUPTED WOLF DEFEATED]
“Two left!” Kerem shouted, still dueling with one of the remaining wolves.
Boran turned his attention to the wolf he’d wounded earlier.
It was limping now, favoring its injured snout, but still dangerous.
He advanced with his shield raised, forcing it back toward the rocky wall.
“Deniz, when you’re ready, take the shot!” Boran called out.
Deniz, breathing hard and clutching his bleeding chest, grabbed his rifle from where he’d dropped it.
He took aim and fired.
Crack.
The bullet struck the limping wolf square in the chest.
[Corrupted Wolf HP: 10/45]
Boran didn’t waste the opening.
He charged forward and bashed his wooden shield into the creature’s head with full force.
He followed up immediately, slamming the shield’s edge down onto the wolf’s skull with both hands, crushing it.
[CORRUPTED WOLF DEFEATED]
Only one wolf remained,the one Kerem had been fighting.
It was badly wounded, bleeding from multiple cuts, but still fighting with desperate ferocity.
It lunged at Kerem, who sidestepped and slashed across its hind leg.
The wolf buckled.
Kerem moved in for the kill.
Both daggers plunged into the creature’s neck, and it went still.
[CORRUPTED WOLF DEFEATED]
[PROGRESS: 7/8]
Silence fell over the choke point, broken only by their ragged breathing.
Four corrupted wolves lay dead around them, their bodies already dissolving into dark mist.
“Everyone okay?” Boran asked, leaning heavily on his shield.
His leg throbbed where the wolf had bitten him.
“I’m bleeding pretty bad,” Deniz admitted, pressing his hand against the claw marks on his chest.
“But I’ll live.”
“Same here,” Sude said, cradling her injured arm.
“My mana’s completely empty though.
Won’t regenerate for a while.”
“My health is down to fifty,four,” Boran said, checking his status.
“We took a beating, but we survived.”
“Four down in one fight,” Kerem said, wiping blood from his daggers.
“That went better than I expected, honestly.”
“Better?” Sude looked at him incredulously.
“We almost died!
If Deniz hadn’t saved me,”
“But he did,” Kerem interrupted gently.
“And we’re all still standing.
That’s what matters.”
Boran nodded, but his jaw tightened.
“He’s right.
We took damage, but we controlled the fight.
The choke point worked.” He paused, then turned to Sude, his expression troubled.
“I should have protected you better.
I left you exposed back there.
I’m sorry.”
Sude looked surprised, then shook her head.
“Boran, you were fighting off two wolves at once.
You couldn’t,”
“I should have positioned myself better,” he insisted.
“I can’t let that happen again.”
“Three more in the clearing,” Deniz said, looking back toward the den.
“And they know we’re here now.
They’ll be ready for us.”
“Then we rest first,” Boran decided.
“Loot these wolves, eat something, and wait for Sude’s mana to regenerate,at least partially.
We’re not rushing into the last fight wounded and depleted.
And I’ll make sure our formation is tighter this time.”
They quickly looted the four wolves, collecting more fangs, pelts, and corrupted meat.
The materials would be valuable for crafting later,assuming they survived to use them.
Boran sat down heavily on a flat rock, his leg still aching.
He pulled out a piece of bread from his inventory and forced himself to eat, even though adrenaline made his stomach queasy.
The image of that wolf lunging at Sude kept replaying in his mind.
“That was intense,” he said after a moment.
“Yeah,” Deniz agreed, sitting beside him and pulling out his own rations.
“But we’re getting better.
Learning how to work together.”
“We’re going to need it,” Sude said quietly, examining her wounded arm.
“If four wolves were that hard, I don’t want to think about what higher,level monsters will be like.”
“One step at a time,” Boran said.
“Right now, we focus on finishing this quest.
Three more wolves, then we’re done.”
“Wait,” Kerem said, checking his quest status.
“Actually, we only need one more kill to complete the quest.
We’re at seven out of eight.”
Boran paused, then shook his head firmly.
“I know.
But trying to lure just one wolf away from the other two will be nearly impossible.
They’ll stick together, especially now that they know we’re here.” He looked at each of them in turn.
“We took down four wolves in that last fight.
We can handle three more.
Plus, three more wolves means more XP and more loot we can sell or use for crafting.”
Deniz nodded slowly.
“Makes sense.
Better to control the fight on our terms than risk getting overwhelmed trying to separate them.”
“Agreed,” Sude said, though her voice was tired.
“Let’s just make sure I have enough mana back before we go in.”
They rested in silence, listening to the forest sounds around them.
Somewhere in the distance, they could hear the remaining wolves growling near their den.
After a few minutes of catching their breath, Deniz broke the silence.
“I just realized,I don’t actually know much about any of you.
We’ve been fighting for our lives together, but we’re basically strangers.”
Sude looked up from wrapping her injured arm with a strip of cloth torn from her sleeve.
“You’re right.
We’re trusting each other with our lives, but we barely know each other’s names.”
“Well, I’m Kerem,” Kerem said with a slight smile, leaning back against a rock.
“Twenty,four years old.
I was studying computer engineering at İTÜ before all this happened.
Third year.
Or I was supposed to be.”
“What made you choose the Rogue class?” Boran asked.
Kerem shrugged.
“I’ve always liked games, especially stealth games.
And honestly, I’m not strong enough to be a tank like you.
I can shoot, but guns seemed like it would put too much pressure on accuracy under stress.
Magic was tempting, but…” He glanced at Sude.
“I figured being able to move fast and strike quickly would keep me alive longer.”
“Smart thinking,” Deniz said.
“I’m Deniz.”
“Wait, are we introducing ourselves again?” Boran joked with a slight smile.
Deniz laughed.
“I’m twenty,six.
I’d already completed my six,month mandatory military service and was working at my uncle’s auto repair shop.
Nothing exciting, but it was honest work.
Then I learned that being an adventurer paid significantly more.
I volunteered to complete the remaining eighteen months to earn my Gate pass.”
“That rifle training definitely shows,” Boran said.
“Your shots have been precise.
You probably saved all our lives back there.”
Deniz looked uncomfortable with the praise.
“Just doing what needs to be done.
We all are.” He turned to Sude.
“What about you?”
Sude finished tying off her makeshift bandage.
“I’m Sude.
Twenty,three.
I was studying literature at Boğaziçi before the attacks,I wanted to be a teacher.” She paused, her expression darkening.
“But after the portals opened, I realized that studying literature wasn’t going to help me survive in this new world.
So I came here.”
“Why Mage?” Kerem asked.
“Because I was terrified,” Sude admitted quietly.
“I thought if I could attack from a distance, I’d be safer.
I wouldn’t have to get close to those things.
Magic felt like the better option.” She gestured toward the dead wolves.
“Turns out that plan has some serious flaws.”
“You did great though,” Deniz said firmly.
“Those Flame Bolts were devastating.
Without you, we’d have been overwhelmed.”
“Until I ran out of mana and almost got killed,” Sude said.
“But you didn’t,” Boran said.
“You adapted.
You grabbed that rock and fought back.
That takes courage.”
“Yeah, that was hardcore,” Deniz said, shaking his head with a slight grin despite the tension.
Sude smiled slightly, then turned to Boran.
“What about you?
You seem like you’ve done this kind of thing before.”
Boran shook his head.
“Not really.
I’m twenty-two.
I studied at…,” he paused, “for two years, but after the attacks, I dropped out.
Like everyone else, I went into military service.
After that, I came here.”
Deniz gave him a quick once-over, eyebrows lifting.
“You’re a big guy, you know that?
Kind of built.
Makes sense you ended up as the Tank.”
Boran snorted, a little embarrassed.
“Yeah… I guess.
I also worked construction in my free time.
Part-time jobs on different sites.
It kept me in shape.”
“So why did you choose tank?” Sude asked.
He paused.
“I chose the Tank class because…” He paused again.
“Because someone has to take the hits so others don’t have to.”
He didn’t want to admit that it was the only class he could choose.
“That’s very noble,” Kerem said.
“But also kind of insane.
You’re basically choosing to get hurt.”
“I’m big enough and tough enough to handle it better than most.
At least, that’s what I tell myself.” He looked at his injured leg.
“Though I’m starting to wonder if I’m as tough as I thought.”
They sat in silence for a moment.
“Do any of you have family?” Deniz asked quietly.
“In the Old World, I mean?”
Kerem answered first.
“My parents are still in Istanbul.
Dad works at a bank, Mom’s a nurse.
They wanted me to finish university, get a stable job,the usual parent stuff.” He smiled sadly.
“They weren’t exactly thrilled when I told them I was becoming an adventurer.”
“Mine either,” Sude said.
“My mom practically begged me not to come here.
She wanted me to stay safe, finish my degree.
But…” She trailed off, looking at her hands.
“After everything that happened, I couldn’t just sit in a classroom pretending the world hadn’t changed.”
Deniz nodded.
“I get that.
My uncle tried to convince me to stay at the shop.
Said there would always be work there, that it was safe.
But safe doesn’t pay enough anymore.
Not in this new world.” He paused.
“I send money back to my family when I can.
My sister’s still in school.
Someone has to help pay for that.”
They all looked at Boran, waiting.
He was quiet for a long moment.
“My parents…
we haven’t talked in a long time.
I have a younger sister,she’s seventeen now.” His voice was flat, distant.
He didn’t elaborate.
Boran shook his head.
“We all have our reasons for being here.” He stood up, testing his injured leg.
“And right now, we have a job to finish.
How’s your mana, Sude?”
She checked her status.
“About forty percent.
Not great, but better than nothing.”
“It’ll have to do,” Boran said.
“We rest any longer and we’ll lose our momentum.” He looked at each of them.
“Three more wolves.
We stick to the plan, watch each other’s backs, and we’ll get through this.
Together.”
The others nodded, standing and preparing their weapons.
They moved carefully back toward the den, weapons ready.
The clearing ahead opened up before them, and through the gaps in the foliage, they could see the three remaining wolves pacing near the cave entrance.
These wolves looked agitated now, aware that something had happened to their packmates.
“Same strategy,” Boran whispered, positioning himself at the narrow path entrance.
“Deniz, get their attention.
Draw them to us.”
Deniz nodded, taking aim at the nearest wolf.
His rifle cracked through the forest, and the bullet struck true, hitting one of the wolves in the shoulder.
The creature howled in pain and fury.
All three wolves turned toward them instantly, their eyes glowing with rage.
They charged as one, racing toward the narrow path.
“Here they come!” Kerem shouted.
The first wolf slammed into Boran’s shield with tremendous force, nearly knocking him back.
But he’d braced himself this time, his boots digging into the dirt.
He pushed back against the wolf’s weight, holding his ground.
The second wolf tried to push past him, but Kerem was ready.
His daggers flashed in quick succession, striking at the wolf’s exposed flank.
The creature yelped and turned on him, snapping its jaws.
“Flame Bolt!” Sude’s voice rang out as fire erupted from her hands.
The spell hit the third wolf square in the face, and the creature stumbled back, howling.
Deniz fired again, his bullet catching the wounded wolf in the side.
It collapsed with a final whimper.
“One down!” he called out.
Boran bashed his shield into the wolf he’d been fighting.
Kerem darted in, his daggers finding the creature’s throat.
The wolf went limp and collapsed.
But Kerem was already moving toward the last one.
He darted in low, his daggers finding vital points with practiced precision.
The wolf tried to turn on him, but Sude’s second Flame Bolt caught it in the flank, and Deniz’s follow,up shot finished it.
The last wolf dropped to the ground, and suddenly the forest was quiet except for their heavy breathing.
“That’s it,” Boran said, lowering his shield.
“All down.”
“Quest complete,” Kerem said, checking his status with a grin spreading across his face.
“We actually did it.”
“Hell yeah, we did!” Deniz said, slinging his rifle over his shoulder.
“That was intense, but we worked together perfectly that time.”
Sude laughed,a sound of pure relief and disbelief.
Boran felt a smile tugging at his lips despite the pain in his leg.
“Everyone played their part.” He looked at each of them.
“You all did great.”
They quickly looted the final three wolves, their inventories now heavy with corrupted meat, wolf fangs, and pelts.
“So what now?” Kerem asked, wiping his daggers clean.
“Now we head back to town,” Boran said.
“Turn in the quest, collect our reward, and figure out what comes next.”
“And maybe get a real meal,” Deniz added.
“I’m starving.”
“And some healing,” Sude said, looking at her bandaged arm and Boran’s injured leg.
“Definitely some healing.”
Maybe they could actually do this.
Maybe they could survive in this new, dangerous world after all.
The forest fell silent.
The birds stopped mid,song.
The insects ceased their chirping.
Even the wind seemed to hold its breath, as if the world itself had paused to listen.
Boran felt it first as a vibration beneath his feet.
Subtle at first, barely noticeable.
Then stronger.
The ground trembled, sending small pebbles skittering across the dirt path.
“What,” Kerem started to say.
A sound cut him off.
Deep.
Primal.
A howl that came from somewhere far below the register of normal wolves,so low it resonated in Boran’s chest cavity, making his ribs vibrate.
It rolled through the forest like thunder, echoing off trees and rocks, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
The den.
The sound was coming from inside the wolf den.
“Everyone back!” Boran shouted, raising his shield instinctively.
“Get back from the entrance!”
The howl came again, louder this time, accompanied by a rumbling that made the earth beneath them shudder.
Dirt cascaded down from the den entrance.
Small rocks tumbled free.
The opening itself seemed to widen as something massive moved within.
“Oh God,” Sude whispered, her face pale.
“Oh God, what is that?”
Then it appeared.
First came the eyes,burning yellow orbs that glowed with an unnatural light, each one the size of Boran’s fist.
They emerged from the darkness of the den like twin suns rising over a black horizon.
Then the head.
Massive.
Impossibly massive.
A wolf’s skull stretched to grotesque proportions, easily twice the size of any of the pack members they’d fought.
Its muzzle alone was longer than Boran’s arm.
Teeth like daggers gleamed in the dappled forest light,each one easily capable of tearing through armor and flesh with equal ease.
The creature had to crouch to fit through the den entrance, and even then, rocks crumbled away as its shoulders scraped the sides.
Dust billowed.
The ground shook with each movement.
And then it stood.
The Alpha Wolf rose to its full height, and Boran’s mind struggled to process what he was seeing.
It stood at least four meters tall at the shoulder,taller than any natural wolf had any right to be, taller than some of the trees in the clearing.
Its fur was midnight black, but threaded through with streaks of silver that seemed to pulse with their own inner light.
Scars crisscrossed its hide,old wounds from battles that would have killed lesser creatures.
Its muscles rippled beneath its fur with each breath, each slight movement suggesting power that defied comprehension.
This wasn’t just a larger version of the wolves they’d fought.
This was something else entirely.
Something that evolution had never intended.
Something that the laws of nature should have forbidden.
The wolf’s gaze swept across them, intelligent and calculating.
Not the simple predatory focus of an animal, but something more.
Something that seemed to recognize them as threats.
As prey.
As insects to be crushed.
And then, in Boran’s vision, text appeared.
Not the familiar blue of the System interface he’d grown accustomed to.
This was different.
This was red,harsh, urgent red that pulsed with warning.
[SYSTEM ALERT: CLOSED BETA CONTENT DETECTED]
[WARNING: You have encountered an untested Boss Entity]
[Entity: Alpha Wolf – Corrupted Variant]
[Threat Assessment: UNKNOWN]
[Combat Balance: NOT FINALIZED]
[This entity has not completed playtesting protocols.
Difficulty scaling may not match your current party level.
Exercise extreme caution.]
The words hung in his vision, and Boran felt ice water flood through his veins.
The System didn’t know how strong this thing was.
Didn’t know if they could even hurt it.
Didn’t know if it would kill them in one hit or if they stood any chance at all.
“Boran?” Deniz’s voice was tight with barely controlled panic.
“What the hell is that thing?”
Before Boran could answer, the Alpha Wolf threw its head back and howled again.
The sound was deafening, overwhelming, a physical force that pressed against them like a wall.
The trees around the clearing swayed.
Leaves shook loose and spiraled through the air.
The very ground beneath their feet seemed to crack and groan under the weight of that terrible sound.
When the howl finally ended, the silence that followed was somehow worse.
The Alpha Wolf lowered its massive head, lips pulling back from fangs that gleamed like polished steel.
Its eyes fixed on Boran,the one standing at the front, the one with the shield.
In that moment, staring into those burning yellow eyes, feeling the weight of that predatory gaze settle on him like a physical thing, Boran understood something with perfect clarity:
He was prey facing an apex predator.
Death was staring him in the face, and primal terror flooded every cell of his being.