The familiar streets of Magnolia stretched before me as I made my way toward Fairy Tail.
A few days had slipped by in much the same way.
Wake up before sunrise.
Exercise until my muscles burned.
Eat breakfast.
Head to the guild.
Accept a few D-Rank requests.
Return home before evening.
Train a little more, eat dinner, then sleep.
It was a simple routine, almost mundane.
…Yet, strangely enough, I didn’t dislike it.
Compared to the uncertainty of my previous life, this peaceful rhythm felt comforting.
Every completed request earned me a little more money, a little more experience, and another step toward becoming the mage I wanted to be.
Tomorrow, Mother and Father would finally return from their trip.
A small smile crept onto my face at the thought.
It had been quieter than usual without them.
While I appreciated the freedom, I couldn’t deny that the empty dining table and silent evenings felt…
lonely.
I miss them.
Maybe I should accomplish something worthwhile today.
Something I could proudly tell them over dinner tomorrow.
“I completed my first C-Rank mission.”
Now that would certainly earn a surprised reaction.
The peaceful noise of Fairy Tail greeted me the moment I pushed open the heavy wooden doors.
The guild was as quiet in the morning as ever.
Just another ordinary morning at Fairy Tail.
I made my way to the counter.
“The usual?”
Dalia smiled knowingly before I could even order.
“The usual.”
A moment later, a chilled glass of orange juice was placed in front of me.
The sweet citrus aroma drifted upward as droplets of condensation rolled down the glass.
Taking a sip, I leaned casually against the counter.
“So… anything interesting happen after I was gone yesterday?”
Dalia rested her chin on one hand as she thought for a moment.
“Not really. It’s been pretty quiet.”
“I see.”
Nothing unusual.
No troublesome mages.
No emergencies.
No monsters wandering too close to the city.
Honestly, that was probably for the best.
Not that it mattered.
I finished the last of my juice, thanked Dalia, and headed toward the request board.
Rows upon rows of completed and unclaimed requests covered the large wooden board, fluttering gently whenever someone tore one free.
My eyes swept over the familiar D-Rank jobs.
Herb gathering.
Lost pets.
Fence repairs.
Deliveries.
Nothing new until one particular request caught my attention.
I reached out and pulled the paper free.
C-Rank Request
Investigation – Grey Wolf Pack
“…Grey wolves?”
I read the details twice.
Apparently, the wolf population on the eastern side of Magnolia had increased dramatically over the past several weeks.
Travelers had reported frequent sightings, livestock had begun disappearing, and several caravans had been forced to take longer routes to avoid the area.
“Huh…”
Come to think of it…
During my herb-gathering trips over the past few days, I had noticed far more tracks than usual.
I had even mentioned it to the Guild Master after returning from one of my requests.
Looks like my observation wasn’t wrong after all.
Still…
“It’s only C-Rank.”
That meant the Guild judged the situation to be manageable.
Dangerous, yes, but nowhere near catastrophic.
Even so…
This would be my first mission above D-Rank.
No matter how weak the wolves were individually, a pack was a completely different story.
One mistake, one moment of carelessness, and I could easily find myself surrounded.
“I’ll take it.”
I removed the request from the board.
However, instead of rushing out immediately like some overly confident rookie, I turned around and headed deeper into the guild.
Preparation came first.
I approached several veteran mages lounging around nearby tables.
“Have any of you dealt with these Grey Wolves before?”
That single question opened the floodgates.
One mage warned me never to let them surround me.
Another explained that the alpha usually stayed behind the pack until it necessary.
Someone else recommended climbing onto higher ground whenever possible.
A spear user advised aiming for their legs if I wanted to slow them down.
Another laughed and told me never to underestimate a cornered beast.
One conversation led to another.
Before I knew it, the better part of the morning had passed.
Some might call it excessive.
Researching a mere C-Rank mission for hours?
Maybe.
But asking questions cost nothing.
Besides, they were my guildmates.
Talking with them wasn’t just gathering information, it was also part of becoming one of them.
If experience could be borrowed through someone else’s advice, I’d gladly take it.
Better to spend a few hours listening than spend a lifetime regretting my arrogance.
Armed with everything I had learned, I stopped by the local pharmacy before heading home.
The small shop smelled strongly of dried herbs, medicinal roots, and freshly brewed remedies.
Shelves lined every wall, neatly stocked with bottles of varying colors and sizes.
I purchased several healing salves, disinfectant, bandages, pain relievers, and a couple of low-grade recovery potions.
When the pharmacist told me the total…
“…Ouch.”
I stared at the coins disappearing from my pouch with a pained expression.
The ingredients for most of these medicines were common enough that I could probably gather many of them myself.
Yet once they were processed into proper medicine, their prices skyrocketed.
I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.
“I guess no matter what world you’re in medicine is worth its weight in gold.”
I returned home just to prepare everything Inside my room, I carefully laid everything out across the bed.
My staff.
Throwing knives.
Rope.
Flint and tinder.
Food rations. This story is hosted at g.com.
Water.
Bandages.
Medicine.
Recovery potions.
Spare clothes.
I inspected each item one by one, making sure nothing had been forgotten.
When I finally stepped back to look at the neatly organized pile…
“…Did I overdo it?”
It certainly looked that way.
A normal C-Rank mission probably didn’t require this much preparation.
But after a brief moment of consideration, I simply nodded to myself.
“No.”
I’d rather come home carrying supplies I never used than fail to come home because of something I forgot.
After all, Better safe than sorry.
After making one last inspection of my equipment, I gave a small nod of satisfaction.
My binoculars were secured inside my space bag.
My notebook and charcoal pencil rested neatly in an outer pouch.
My equipment are inside my storage bag, nothing is missing.
“Everything’s ready.”
Without wasting another second, I accepted the quest and left Magnolia behind.
The sun still hung high overhead.
It was barely noon, leaving me with several hours before sunset.
More than enough time…
if everything went according to plan.
I intended to finish this investigation before evening.
Because once darkness blanketed the forest the grey wolves would begin their hunt.
Even experienced adventurers avoided provoking them at night.
Fighting creatures that knew every inch of the forest in complete darkness was practically asking to become prey yourself.
Fortunately, this wasn’t my first time entering these woods.
The countless D-Rank herb gathering requests I’d completed over the past days had taught me far more than where medicinal plants grew.
Every trip had slowly carved a map of the eastern forest into my memory; animal trails, streams, rocky hills.
Those seemingly boring gathering quests were finally paying off.
“I remember seeing wolf tracks around here…”
Using my memory as a guide, I entered the eastern forest of Magnolia.
The deeper I walked beneath the towering trees, the quieter the world became.
Sunlight filtered through countless leaves, scattering patches of gold across the forest floor.
The scent of damp soil and moss filled the air, while distant birds occasionally broke the silence.
Eventually I found them.
Faint paw prints.
Fresh enough that the edges hadn’t yet been softened by the wind.
Not far away were claw marks carved into the bark of a tree, several broken bushes, and tufts of coarse gray fur caught on thorny branches.
“They passed through recently.”
Rather than rushing ahead, I slowed my breathing and carefully followed every sign they had left behind.
Several minutes later, movement finally caught my eye.
A group of grey wolves.
There were only five of them, casually moving through the trees.
Instinct immediately urged me to attack while their numbers were low.
…
No.
I forced myself to suppress the thought.
If these were merely scouts or hunters separated from the main pack, killing even one would almost certainly alert the rest.
This wasn’t an extermination mission.
It was an investigation.
Keeping my distance, I climbed onto a thick branch overlooking their path and quietly retrieved my binoculars.
Through the polished lenses, every detail became clear.
Their coats were rough.
Several bore fresh scars.
Their ears remained alert as they constantly scanned their surroundings.
“They’re nervous…”
Not wandering.
Searching.
Interesting, I continued shadowing them from a safe distance, making sure the wind carried my scent away from them.
Several minutes later…
The forest suddenly opened into a clearing.
And there they were the entire pack.
“…Twenty.”
At least twenty fully grown grey wolves gathered together.
Seeing them all in one place sent a chill down my spine.
Good thing I hadn’t attacked earlier.
Even with magic, fighting twenty coordinated predators wasn’t bravery.
It was suicide.
I’d certainly kill several…
But they’d tear me apart long before I escaped.
The Guild hadn’t assigned me to eliminate them anyway.
The request simply read:
Investigate the unusually aggressive grey wolf pack near Magnolia.
Which meant There had to be a reason they had abandoned their usual territory.
So I waited.
Observing became my weapon.
Minutes turned into nearly an hour.
The more I watched, the stranger things became.
“…No cubs.”
Not a single young wolf.
No mothers.
No elderly members.
Every wolf present was large, muscular, and battle-scarred.
This wasn’t their family.
This was a hunting party.
Which raised another question.
“What exactly are they hunting…?”
I searched my memory.
Mother had taught me quite a bit about monster ecology.
One particular lesson resurfaced almost immediately.
Grey wolves are fiercely territorial.
Once they establish a hunting ground, they defend it relentlessly.
If another powerful monster invades their territory…
they will continue attacking until one side is completely driven away.
“…Territorial and extremely vengeful.”
If that was true…
Then perhaps they weren’t hunting prey at all.
Perhaps they were fighting an invader.
It was only a hypothesis.
Still, guessing wasn’t enough.
I needed proof.
Silently climbing higher into the trees, I pressed my hand against the trunk.
A glowing rune slowly formed beneath my fingertips.
“Rune Magic: Silence.”
The inscription shimmered once before fading into the bark.
The surrounding mana wrapped gently around my body, suppressing the sound of every movement I made.
Perfect.
Now all I had to do was wait.
Another hour passed.
The wolves became increasingly restless.
More began arriving from different directions.
Twenty…
Twenty-four…
Twenty-seven…
Thirty.
Every newcomer was just as large as the others.
No weak individuals.
Only experienced fighters.
“So my theory was right…”
This wasn’t an ordinary pack.
It was a war party.
Without warning, A single howl echoed through the forest.
Every wolf immediately sprang into motion.
“They’re moving!”
I leaped from branch to branch, using the dense canopy to conceal myself as I pursued them overhead.
The chase continued for several minutes until the trees suddenly gave way to a rocky cliffside.
There.
A massive cave.
“So that’s their den…”
I quickly reached for my notebook.
Knowing the location of their nest alone was valuable information for the Guild.
But before I could write anything.
BOOM!
Two grey wolves were violently launched out of the cave entrance.
One slammed against a boulder with enough force to crack it.
The other landed nearby, Its neck twisted at an impossible angle.
Dead.
I slowly lowered my notebook.
“They weren’t returning home, They’re attacking someone else’s.”
Remaining hidden, I carefully surveyed the surroundings.
The ground was littered with enormous bones.
Half-devoured carcasses.
Some belonged to deer.
Others, much larger.
Something powerful lived here.
Deep claw marks covered the stone walls surrounding the cave.
Judging from the spacing alone, whatever made them stood at least seven feet tall.
“…Wonderful, If that’s what’s inside, I definitely don’t want to fight it.”
Even if I won the injuries alone would probably force me into the Guild’s infirmary for weeks.
Several more minutes passed.
Dead wolves continued piling up outside the cave.
One.
Five.
Eight.
Twelve.
“…Twelve dead already.”
Which meant, Only around eighteen remained.
The creature inside had already slaughtered nearly half the pack.
Should I intervene now?
…
No.
Not yet.
Gather more information first.
Then, A roar exploded from within the cave.
The sound shook the trees.
Birds scattered into the sky.
Even from dozens of meters away, I instinctively tensed.
Cold sweat trickled down my neck.
Then…
It emerged.
A massive white tiger.
Its snow-white fur was stained crimson with blood.
Several deep wounds covered its body, yet despite the injuries, it stood proudly before the remaining wolves without taking a single step backward.
Its golden eyes blazed with murderous intent.
“…So that’s what they’ve been fighting.”
Even wounded, It had already killed over a dozen grey wolves.
An incredible monster.
But even monsters had limits.
Thirty wolves had become eighteen.
Soon, those eighteen would eventually overwhelm it through sheer numbers.
I tightened my grip on my staff.
“My mission is the wolves If they kill the tiger first, I’ll have to deal with whatever survives afterward. And it seems the others are alerted with my presence too.”
Neither outcome sounded pleasant.
The tiger, despite its strength, looked exhausted.
Breathing heavily and Bleeding.
If the wolves were eliminated I might still be able to escape before the tiger turned its attention toward me.
“…Maybe.”
Not exactly a comforting plan.
Still, I wasn’t reckless enough to charge in unprepared.
I knelt behind the tree branch and began tracing glowing inscriptions across both leather gloves.
‘Rune Magic — Barrier.’
One layer wasn’t enough.
So I prepared two.
If the tiger decided I looked like dessert afterward…
I’d at least survive the first strike.
Satisfied, I picked up my staff.
Mana quietly flowed through my body.
“Rune Magic: Enhancement.”
Warm energy surged through my limbs, strengthening every muscle.
Then I activated the spell I had been saving for emergencies.
“My trump card…”
“Rune Magic: Astral Stride.”
Silver runes spread beneath my feet before disappearing into my legs.
My body suddenly felt impossibly light, as though gravity itself had loosened its grip.
.
.
.
.
<I have read some comments asking if this story is an AI one, no its not.
I mean, I did use an AI for the grammar, but other than that no, i also fix the prompt on it, usually i just put, “fix grammar on this:” then copy paste the story, page by page, but i guess the AI change some things on it.
But thank you for the comments and the remarks, also the opinion where i should fix things, it helps me be a better writer.
i guess, maybe, i don’t know hahaha.
Anyways, i hope you enjoy the story and Have a nice day!
thank you, really!>