The Alpha Wolf moved.
One moment the creature stood at the den entrance, twenty meters away. The next, it was there, its massive paw already mid-swing.
"Move!" Boran screamed, but the word was still forming on his lips when the Alpha's paw connected.
The impact was catastrophic.
Boran saw it happen almost too clearly. The paw was bigger than Deniz's chest. The claws hit him before he could move. There was no time to dodge, no time to raise a weapon. Deniz's eyes went wide with shock, his mouth opening in a cry that never came.
Then he was flying.
His body ragdolled through the air, arms and legs flailing uselessly, the rifle spinning away into the underbrush. He crashed into a tree trunk ten meters away with a sickening crack that Boran felt in his bones. The impact left a visible dent in the bark. Deniz crumpled to the ground and didn't move.
[Deniz HP: 6/35]
"DENIZ!" Sude's scream cut through the chaos.
But the Alpha Wolf wasn't done.
It spun with terrifying agility for something so massive, its tail whipping around like a battering ram. Kerem tried to dodge, his Rogue reflexes kicking in, but he was too slow. The tail caught him across the ribs and sent him tumbling across the clearing like a kicked ball.
He hit the ground hard, rolled three times, and came to rest against a boulder. Blood trickled from his mouth.
[Kerem HP: 20/45]
Two strikes. Less than three seconds. Two of their party members reduced to near death.
The Alpha Wolf's burning yellow eyes fixed on Sude next.
"No!" Boran roared, hurling himself between them. He raised his shield and planted his feet firmly on the ground.
The Alpha Wolf's paw came down.
The impact drove Boran's shield into his chest with bone-crushing force. He heard something crack. Maybe the shield. Maybe his ribs. Pain exploded through his torso, white-hot and overwhelming. His knees buckled. Blood filled his mouth.
[Wooden Shield Durability: 15/20]
[HP: 36/75]
But he held his ground. Barely.
The Alpha Wolf's other paw lashed out in a blur, claws extended like curved blades. They caught the strap of Boran's pack and tore through it like paper. The whole bag tore open. Water flask, rope sleeping bag, everything flew across the clearing. The shredded remains arced across the clearing and disappeared into the darkness of the den entrance, swallowed by the depths of the Alpha Wolf's lair.
Behind him, he heard Sude's panicked breathing. She was casting, he realized. Trying to buy them time.
"Flame Bolt!" Her voice cracked with terror.
The sphere of fire streaked toward the Alpha Wolf's face. For a moment, Boran dared to hope. The spell had hurt the smaller wolves. Maybe it would work here too.
The Alpha Wolf didn't even flinch.
The Flame Bolt struck its muzzle and simply... dissipated. Flames washed over the creature's fur and faded like water on hot stone, leaving no mark, no damage, nothing. The Alpha's health bar didn't even flicker.
[Alpha Wolf HP: ???]
"It didn't work," Sude whispered, horror dawning in her voice. "It didn't even hurt it."
The Alpha Wolf's lips pulled back in what could only be described as a smile. It was enjoying this. Playing with them.
It lunged forward again, and this time Boran wasn't the target. The creature's massive jaws opened wide and snapped toward Sude, who stood frozen in shock.
Boran moved on instinct. He threw himself sideways, slamming his shoulder into Sude and knocking her out of the way. The Alpha's jaws closed on empty air where she'd been standing, teeth clashing together with a sound like swords striking.
But Boran's momentum carried him directly into the creature's path.
The Alpha Wolf's head swung around. Suddenly Boran was staring into its open mouth. Rows of fangs filled his vision. Hot breath washed over him, reeking of blood and corruption.
Time seemed to slow.
The jaws began to close.
Boran raised his shield in desperation, wedging it between the creature's upper and lower jaw. For one impossible moment, the wooden shield held. The fangs pressed against the wood, splintering it, cracking it.
Then the Alpha Wolf bit down harder.
[Wooden Shield Durability: 0/20]
The shield exploded into splinters.
Fragments of wood sprayed outward. Boran felt the creature's teeth scrape against his arm. They did not close fully, not yet, but the edges still cut his skin.
[HP: 18/75]
[CRITICAL CONDITION]
He was going to die. Right here, right now, crushed between jaws that could snap him like a twig.
The Alpha Wolf shook its head violently, and Boran was thrown. He tumbled through the air, the world spinning in a nauseating blur of green and brown and sky. He hit the ground hard, all the air driven from his lungs. His vision went black at the edges.
When he could see again, he found himself on his back, staring up at the canopy. Everything hurt. His ribs screamed with each breath. His arm was bleeding freely. His entire body felt like one massive bruise.
But he was alive.
Boran forced himself to roll onto his side, every movement agony. Through blurred vision, he could see the clearing.
Deniz lay motionless against the tree, unconscious or worse.
Kerem was trying to push himself up, blood streaming from his nose and mouth, but his arms kept giving out.
Sude was backing away slowly, her staff raised in trembling hands, her face white with terror.
And the Alpha Wolf stood in the center of the clearing, completely unharmed.
It turned its burning yellow gaze on each of them in turn, as if deciding which one to kill first.
This was no fight. This was an execution.
The chaos was absolute. The forest that had seemed manageable minutes ago now felt like a deathtrap.
Boran tried to stand, but his legs wouldn't cooperate. His body had reached its limit. Critical condition meant exactly that—one more hit and he was done.
"Emergency exit," he gasped, tasting copper. "Everyone... use your emergency exit..."
But Sude was already moving. She pressed the holographic button in front of her. The emergency exit.
Nothing happened.
Her eyes went wide with confusion, then horror. A notification flickered in her vision:
[Emergency Exit Failed]
"What?" Sude's voice cracked. "No, no, no..."
She pressed the button again, focusing harder, desperation making her hands shake. The same message appeared. No explanation. The system simply wouldn't let them leave.
The Alpha Wolf took a step toward Deniz's motionless form. Its intentions were clear.
"It's not working!" Sude screamed, her voice breaking with panic. "The exit isn't working!"
She frantically pressed the emergency exit button again and again, but each time the same cruel message appeared. Then she noticed something above Boran's party icon. A small yellow exclamation mark was blinking.
Understanding crashed over her like ice water.
Her eyes met his across the blood-soaked clearing, and she saw the exact moment he understood too.
"No," Boran whispered, his voice barely audible over the Alpha Wolf's growl.
The Alpha Wolf was almost at Deniz now. Its massive paw raised, ready to crush the unconscious man's skull.
Sude's hands trembled as she opened the party interface. Tears blurred her vision as her fingers hovered over Boran's name.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed, her voice breaking. "Boran, I'm so sorry..."
[You have been removed from the party]
The notification appeared in Boran's vision with cold finality. In that same instant, Sude's expression changed from anguish to determination.
She pressed the emergency exit button again.
The effect was immediate.
Deniz's broken body began to dissolve into particles of light, fading like mist in sunlight. Kerem vanished mid-gasp, still trying to push himself upright. Sude looked at Boran one last time. She looked guilty. Afraid. Relieved. Then she was gone.
Boran stared at the empty space where his party had been, his mind refusing to accept the sudden silence.
Then desperation took over.
He opened his own interface and pressed the emergency exit button.
Nothing happened.
He pressed it again.
[Emergency Exit Failed]
Again.
[Emergency Exit Failed]
Again.
[Emergency Exit Failed]
Now it was just Boran.
And the Alpha Wolf.
The creature stood where Deniz had been seconds ago, its paw hanging in empty air. It turned its massive head slowly, yellow eyes fixing on Boran with something that looked disturbingly like curiosity.
Boran tried to laugh, but it came out as a wet cough that sent fresh waves of agony through his chest. Of course. Of course it ended like this.
So this was it. He did his job.
Except he hadn't even done that right, had he?
Deniz, nearly killed in one hit. Kerem, sent flying like a ragdoll. And what had he done?
Sude had made the only choice that made sense. The right choice. The choice that saved three lives at the cost of one. He wasn’t mad at her.
The Alpha Wolf walked toward him slowly. It was not in a hurry. It knew he couldn't run. Couldn't fight.
Boran's hand scrabbled weakly at the dirt, searching for something, anything, he could use as a weapon. His fingers closed around a rock the size of his fist. Pathetic. But it was all he had.
"Come on then," he rasped, forcing himself up onto one elbow despite the screaming protest of his broken ribs. Blood dripped from his chin, spattering on the ground. "Let's... let's finish this."
The Alpha Wolf stopped three meters away. Its head tilted, as if considering something.
Then it sat.
Boran stared, his pain-fogged mind struggling to process what he was seeing. The creature that had just torn through their entire party without breaking stride, the monster that had thrown them around like nothing, was just... sitting there. Watching him.
Waiting.
For what?
The silence stretched. Boran's vision was starting to fade at the edges, darkness creeping in. Blood loss. Internal damage.
The Alpha Wolf's behavior shifted in an instant.
Its massive head lowered, and then its tongue slipped out between those huge teeth. The tail that had been still as stone began to wag. Slowly at first, then with increasing enthusiasm, sweeping back and forth like some enormous, deadly metronome.
It looked... playful.
"You've got to be kidding me," Boran wheezed, his voice a ragged whisper.
The creature that had nearly killed them all, that had torn through their defenses like they were made of paper, was now regarding him like a puppy with a new toy.
[HP: 10/75]
[Condition: Bleeding]
But Boran was beyond caring about the absurdity of it. Beyond fear, beyond reason. He was dying. If this was the end, he wanted to at least do something.
With a grunt of pure agony, he forced himself to his knees. The rock was still clutched in his trembling hand. He hurled it with what little strength remained.
The Alpha Wolf dodged effortlessly, head tilting to the side. The rock sailed past harmlessly. The creature's tail wagged faster.
"Come on!" Boran snarled, grabbing a broken branch. He swung it wildly, the movement sending lightning bolts of pain through his shattered ribs.
The Alpha Wolf danced backward, avoiding the clumsy attack with contemptuous ease. It circled him, movements fluid and graceful, yellow eyes bright with what could only be amusement.
Boran attacked again. And again. Each swing weaker than the last. Each movement driving him closer to unconsciousness. But he refused to stop. Refused to just lie down and accept death.
The branch connected once—a glancing blow against the Alpha Wolf's shoulder. The creature barely seemed to notice. It spun away, then bounded back, tongue still lolling, as if this were all some wonderful game.
"Just kill me!" Boran shouted, voice breaking. He swung again, missed entirely, and nearly collapsed from the effort. "Stop playing and just—"
The explosion cut him off.
It came from somewhere deep in the forest—a thunderous boom that shook the trees and sent birds scattering into the sky. The sound rolled across the landscape like a physical wave, followed by a flash of brilliant orange light visible even through the dense canopy.
The Alpha Wolf's transformation was instant.
The playful demeanor vanished. Its ears snapped forward, rigid and alert. The tail stopped mid-wag, going perfectly still. Every muscle in its massive body tensed, coiling like a spring.
For a second, the creature stood frozen, head turned toward the source of the explosion. Its yellow eyes narrowed to slits.
Then it moved.
It moved with the same impossible speed it had used against Deniz. One moment the Alpha Wolf was there, three meters away. The next, it was gone, leaving only a disturbance in the air and scattered leaves marking its passage.
Boran watched it disappear into the forest, moving like black lightning between the trees. Within seconds, even the sound of its passage had faded, swallowed by distance and vegetation.
Boran stood there, swaying, the broken branch still clutched in his hand. His mind struggled to process what had just happened. The Alpha Wolf could have killed him whenever it wanted. Instead, it just left.
Something else had drawn its attention
"What..." he started to say, but the word came out as barely a whisper.
The branch slipped from his nerveless fingers.
His legs gave out.
Boran hit the ground hard, but he barely felt it. The pain was distant now, muffled, as if happening to someone else. His vision was going dark, the edges of the world fuzzing into static.
[HP: 4/75]
[CRITICAL CONDITION - SEVERE]
He could see the notifications, but they seemed unimportant now. Abstract. Just numbers and words floating in a void that was growing darker by the second.
Boran's cheek pressed against the cool earth. Leaves and dirt filled his fading vision. Somewhere far away, he could still hear the echoes of that explosion, or maybe it was just his imagination.
I'm sorry I didn't call, he thought, the words he should have spoken finally forming in the silence of his fading consciousness.
Then the darkness rushed in, and he lost consciousness.
Consciousness returned slowly.
The first thing Boran felt was pain. A dull ache spread through his whole body. His ribs throbbed with each breath. His head felt like someone had taken a hammer to it.
The second thing he became aware of was that he was still alive.
That realization brought a confusion so profound that for several long moments, he simply lay there, trying to understand how that was possible. The Alpha Wolf had been right there. He'd been bleeding out, barely conscious, completely defenseless. By all rights, he should be dead.
But he wasn't.
Boran forced his eyes open. The world swam into focus slowly, blurry at first, then gradually sharpening. Above him, the forest canopy was barely visible through the darkness. Night had fallen. Stars were visible through gaps in the leaves, cold and distant and utterly indifferent to his suffering.
How long had he been unconscious? Hours, certainly. Long enough for the sun to set completely.
He tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. Pain lanced through his chest, sharp enough to make him gasp. His ribs—at least one was definitely cracked, maybe more. Every movement was agony, but he had to move.
With tremendous effort, Boran managed to prop himself up on one elbow.
The clearing was empty.
The Alpha Wolf was gone. The den entrance gaped like a dark mouth in the hillside, but nothing emerged from it.
Boran's hand went to his interface instinctively, calling up his status with a thought.
[HP: 18/75]
[Health Regeneration Active: +1 HP per hour]
Eighteen health points. He'd been at four when he passed out. That meant... fourteen hours? Had he really been unconscious for over half a day? The thought was terrifying. Anything could have happened to him in that time. The Alpha Wolf could have finished him off with a casual swipe of its paw. Other creatures could have found him. He could have simply bled out.
But he hadn't.
Why?
His first instinct was to use the emergency exit. Get out of this nightmare. Return to safety. His fingers moved to the interface almost automatically, finding the glowing button in the lower right corner of his vision.
He pressed it.
[Emergency Exit Failed]
[Cannot exit portal zone while Boss Entity remains active]
[Requirement: Defeat Boss Entity OR wait for mission timer expiration]
He was trapped.
The Alpha Wolf was still alive—somewhere in this forest, perhaps hunting whatever had caused that explosion, perhaps sleeping in some other den. But it was alive, and as long as it lived, the System wouldn't let him leave. The Closed Beta content had different rules, apparently. Rules that meant he was stuck here until the original mission timer ran out.
Boran checked the mission timer almost reflexively.
[TIME REMAINING: 31:58:23]
Almost thirty-two hours. If he could survive until the mission timer expired, the portal would close automatically and he'd be forcibly ejected.
The hopelessness of it threatened to crush him. He wanted to laugh, but the sound that came out was more like a strangled sob.
He couldn't just wait here. The clearing was exposed. Open. If the Alpha Wolf returned, he'd see it coming, but he'd also have nowhere to hide, nowhere to run. And in his current condition he wouldn't last two seconds.
He needed shelter. Somewhere defensible. Somewhere the Alpha Wolf's massive bulk couldn't easily reach.
He remembered something else Sude had mentioned during their planning. Mission zones were designed with certain considerations in mind. Safe zones, technically—though "safe" was relative. Places where monsters typically didn't spawn. Usually near water sources or geographical features that made sense from a game design perspective.
Boran forced himself to his feet. The movement sent fresh waves of agony through his broken ribs, and his injured leg nearly buckled under his weight. But he was standing. That was something.
But where could he go?
The night was deep and dark around him, the forest transformed into something even more alien and threatening than it had been during the day. Every shadow could hide danger. Every sound could be a predator. But staying here was suicide. At least if he moved, he had a chance.
Boran looked up at the stars visible through the canopy, trying to orient himself. They'd come from the north when they'd entered the forest—he remembered that much. The den was roughly south of where they'd first spawned. If he headed east or west, perpendicular to their original path, he might find something. A stream, maybe. A rocky outcropping he could shelter against.
Anything was better than waiting here.
He took a step, then another. Each movement was torture, but he forced himself forward. Limping slowly away from the clearing.
The forest at night was a different world. The sounds of daytime were replaced by deeper, more ominous noises. Distant howls that made his blood run cold. Rustling in the underbrush that could be wind or could be something stalking him. The creak of tree branches overhead that sounded almost like growls.
He walked for what felt like hours, each step a battle against pain and exhaustion. His health continued its slow climb but it wasn't nearly fast enough. At one health point per hour, it would take him two and a half days to recover fully.
The trees began to thin slightly, and Boran felt a flicker of hope. Thinning trees meant he was approaching something—a clearing, a stream, maybe even the edge of the mission zone.
And then he heard it.
Water.
Relief flooded through him so intensely it almost brought him to his knees. Water meant he could clean his wounds, could drink, could potentially find a more defensible position near the bank. It was the first piece of genuine good luck he'd had since the Alpha Wolf had appeared.
Boran emerged from the trees onto a rocky bank. The stream was perhaps five meters wide, flowing swift and dark under the starlight. On the far side, the bank rose steeply—almost a cliff face, maybe four or five meters tall. And there, about halfway up, partially hidden by an overhang of rock and roots, was what looked like a small cave. Or at least an alcove deep enough to provide shelter.
It wasn't much. Barely large enough for one person to lie down in, probably. But it was elevated, protected, and most importantly, the Alpha Wolf's massive bulk would never fit through an opening that small.
Getting there would be the problem.
Boran assessed his options. The stream wasn't deep but crossing it in his condition would be dangerous. One slip and he could drown, or smash his head on a rock, or simply lack the strength to pull himself out. And even if he made it across, he'd still have to climb that bank.
But what choice did he have? Stay down here, exposed and vulnerable? Keep wandering through the forest until something found him?
No. The cave was his best option. His only option, really.
He started down the bank toward the water, moving carefully on the loose rocks. He couldn't afford to fall.
The water was shockingly cold when he stepped into it, immediately soaking through his boots and trousers. The current was stronger than it looked, pulling at his legs, trying to sweep his feet out from under him. He braced himself and inched forward one cautious step at a time.
Halfway across, his injured leg gave out.
Boran pitched forward with a startled cry, his hands flailing to break his fall. He hit the water face-first, the cold shocking the breath from his lungs. The current immediately grabbed him, pulling him downstream. His broken ribs screamed in agony as he thrashed, trying to find purchase on the slippery rocks.
His hand closed around something—a larger rock, firmly embedded in the streambed. He clung to it desperately, pulling his head above water and gasping for air. The current tugged at his legs, trying to drag him away, but he held on with everything he had left.
For several long seconds, he just breathed, his muscles trembling with effort. Then, slowly, agonizingly, he pulled himself forward. Found another handhold. Another. Inch by painful inch, he dragged himself toward the far bank.
When his hands finally touched dry land, he could have wept with relief. He hauled himself out of the water like a drowning man reaching shore, collapsing on the rocky bank and just breathing for several long minutes.
After he'd caught his breath, Boran looked up at the cave. It was even higher than he'd thought from the other side—a good five meters up the steep bank. The rock face was rough, with plenty of handholds and footholds, but in his condition, it might as well have been a sheer cliff.
He started climbing anyway.
Every movement was torture. His fingers scraped against rock, searching for grip. His boots slipped on wet stone. His ribs protested with sharp stabs of pain every time he pulled himself upward. But he kept going, because the alternative was giving up, and he'd come too far to give up now.
Twice he nearly fell. Once, his injured leg simply refused to support his weight and he had to hang by his arms until he could find a better foothold. Another time, a handhold crumbled under his grip and he slid back nearly a meter before catching himself.
But finally his hand closed around the edge of the cave entrance. With one last desperate effort, he pulled himself up and into the small space, collapsing immediately on the cold stone floor.
He'd made it.
The cave was exactly what he'd hoped for—small, protected, and mercifully dry. It was barely large enough for him to lie down in, maybe two meters deep and a meter and a half wide. The entrance was narrow, hidden partially by the overhang and thick roots that had grown down from above. From below, it would be almost invisible in the darkness. And nothing larger than a human could possibly fit through that opening.
It wasn't safe. Not really. But it was safer than anywhere else he'd been since the Alpha Wolf had emerged from the den.
Boran pulled himself fully into the cave and sat with his back against the rear wall, finally allowing himself to just stop. To rest. To process everything that had happened.
Boran checked his status again, more out of habit than hope.
[HP: 21/75]
[TIME REMAINING: 28:58:23]
He had no weapons. No way to defend himself if something found him. His only advantage was this cave—this tiny pocket of relative safety in a hostile world.
It would have to be enough.
Boran pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them, and stared out at the dark forest beyond the cave entrance.
His stomach twisted painfully, reminding him that survival meant more than hiding. He opened his inventory with a thought, half-expecting to find nothing useful.
One item remained.
[Starting Rations (Bread, Water)]
He materialized it in his hand. Hard bread and a small water portion. It was a miserable meal by any normal standard.
Right now, it felt like a miracle.
He ate slowly, forcing himself not to devour it all at once.
So he sat in his cave, wet and cold and in pain, and watched the darkness. And he waited for morning, knowing that even morning wouldn't bring safety—only slightly better visibility to see death approaching.
But it was all he could do.
So he waited.
Ten minutes later, exhaustion finally claimed him.
Boran's eyes grew heavy despite his best efforts to stay alert. The adrenaline that had kept him moving, kept him fighting, had finally burned away, leaving only bone-deep weariness in its wake. His body, pushed far beyond its limits, simply shut down.
His head drooped forward onto his knees. His breathing slowed, deepened. And then, sitting upright against the cold stone wall of his tiny cave, Boran fell asleep.
Boran woke to the sound of breathing.
Not his.
His eyes opened to darkness so thick it felt pressed against his face. For second, he thought he was still asleep. Then warm air rolled over him, damp and rotten, carrying the stink of blood and wet fur.
Something was at the entrance.
He did not move. His back was already against the stone wall, but he pushed harder anyway, scraping his spine against the rock as if he could force himself through it.
Then two yellow eyes opened in the dark.
The Alpha Wolf was there.
Its head filled the entrance, too large to fit, yet somehow squeezing closer inch by inch. Fur scraped stone. Rock cracked under the pressure. Boran heard it. Felt it through the cave floor. This was not a dream. It couldn't be. His ribs hurt. His throat was dry. His palms were slick with sweat. Everything was too sharp, too cold, too real.
The wolf exhaled.
Hot breath washed across his face.
Boran tasted rot on his tongue.
Its muzzle pushed deeper into the cave. Saliva stretched from its teeth in thick strings, dripping onto the stone between his boots. Its eyes never left him.
It knew.
It knew he was trapped. It knew the cave ended behind him.
Boran tried to lift his hands, to crawl away, to do anything, but his body refused. Terror pinned him harder than claws ever could.
The wolf's lips peeled back.
Teeth filled the dark.
Its jaws opened slowly, deliberately, wide enough to take his head.
Boran finally found his voice.
He screamed.
Morning light struck his face.
His scream was still echoing off the cave walls. His throat burned raw. His clothes clung to him, soaked with cold sweat. His hands were bleeding where his nails had dug into his palms.
The cave entrance was empty. No wolf.
Boran stared at the opening, chest heaving, unable to understand why the teeth were gone. His body still believed they were there. His skin still felt the heat of that breath. His tongue still tasted rot.
Finally, with trembling hands, he checked his status.
[HP: 29/75]
[TIME REMAINING: 20:58:23]
Eight hours had passed. Twenty-one hours until the portal collapsed. Twenty-one hours until he could escape this nightmare.
But Boran knew, with sick certainty, that even if he survived this place, he would carry those eyes out with him.
He would never stop seeing them.
Boran tried to swallow. His throat was dry, but not dangerously so. He knew he could endure without drinking for a while longer.
Still, his skin felt sticky with dried sweat and fear. His face was crusted with dirt and blood.
The stream. If nothing else, he needed to reach it and wash himself clean.
Boran forced himself forward, inch by agonizing inch, until he reached the cave entrance. The morning air hit his face, cool and fresh, carrying the scent of pine and earth. Below, maybe four or five meters down, the stream continued its cheerful babbling, indifferent to his suffering.
The cliff face wasn't completely vertical—it sloped at maybe eight degrees, studded with rocks and exposed roots.
Boran began his descent, moving with painful slowness. Each handhold had to be tested. Each foothold verified. One wrong move, one slip, and he'd tumble down onto the rocks below, probably breaking something else in the process.
But he descended.
When his feet finally touched flat ground beside the stream, Boran almost collapsed with relief. Almost.
The stream looked perfect. Beautiful, even. The water caught the morning light, sparkling like liquid diamonds.
Boran knelt beside it, his reflection staring back at him from the surface—a stranger's face, haggard and pale, marked with bruises and cuts, eyes sunken with exhaustion.
He reached for the water, then stopped.
The lessons from his dungeon preparation courses came flooding back. Instructor Eren’s voice echoed in his memory: "Clear water isn't safe water. Parasites. Bacteria. Contaminants. In dungeon environments, assume everything is hostile until proven otherwise."
Boran stared at the stream. How many creatures had walked through it? Drunk from it? Died in it? The wolves surely used it. What else lived in these woods?
Under normal circumstances, he'd boil it first. Build a fire, sterilize the water, wait for it to cool. Standard, safe procedure.
But he had no way to start a fire. No container to boil water in.
He was thirsty, but not desperate enough to risk drinking from it. Not yet.
Boran cupped his hands, plunged them into the stream, and brought the water to his face instead.
The cold shock made him gasp.
He splashed again, scrubbing at the dried blood and dirt, washing away the crust of sweat and fear. The water ran down his neck, soaking into his collar, and he didn't care. It felt like washing away some of the nightmare, some of the terror.
Again. And again. Until finally, Boran paused, water dripping from his face, his breathing steadier than it had been since he'd woken screaming.
He sat there beside the stream, letting the morning sun warm his face, feeling almost human again.