Thors screamed, immediately backing away several steps, his remaining arm wrapping around the bloody stump where his other arm had once been.
Pain exploded through his entire body.
But even after this, the attacks did not stop.
Claws flashed toward him from high above.
Thors’ eyes widened.
Despite the agony tearing through his body, he was forced to evade each attack as best as he could.
One mistake or opening.
That was all the beast needed to kill him.
The first two attacks were easily avoidable as the monster cleaved toward his head, the obvious target for any predator trying to bring down its prey.
Then, after those attacks failed, it changed its approach.
The Grey Wolf clawed toward his knees.
Then his guts.
It was trying to slow him down.
Thors realized this immediately and did his best to not allow it to.
He was able to sidestep and avoid some of the blows, but wasn’t able to completely evade all of them.
Claws grazed across his body.
Some left shallow wounds.
Others dug deep.
Blood poured from his injuries, flowing down his body like an open tap.
The Grey Wolf was clearly trying its best to cripple his movements before landing the finishing blow.
’So my earlier attacks did have more effect on it than I thought.’
The first lightning attack had clearly thrown the monstrosity out of balance.
And getting accustomed to having only one eye while pain flooded through its brain was not easy.
But this only seemed to level the playing field.
Thors was just as injured.
Both of them were bleeding.
Both of them were desperate.
And neither could afford to make another mistake.
Thors continued dodging the incoming attacks, each one passing by him by the barest margin.
But he could feel it.
His body was starting to slow down.
His wounds were becoming heavier.
His breathing growing rougher.
This battle...
If it stretched out any longer, it would not favor him. Not in the slightest.
Thors gritted his teeth.
Then, a dumb idea formed in his mind.
Instead of retreating from the unforgiving claws of the Grey Wolf, he suddenly dove forward.
Directly into the trajectory of its claws.
As though he were begging for death.
’Most smart beings would react to a sudden change in battle style... Counting on the wolf that can speak ancient dialect it shouldn’t be much different...’
The Grey Wolf saw this and it Thors hope its one good eye widened and for a brief moment, the beast faltered.
It was as though its senses were deceiving it.
Its prey was supposed to retreat.
It was supposed to run.
Yet Thors was doing the exact opposite.
And that moment of hesitation was all Thors needed.
He slipped beneath the beast.
His hand and bloody stump reached forward, grabbing onto the monster’s throat as he shoved himself beneath its massive body.
Then, with every ounce of strength he possessed, he pressed down against the thick fur around its neck, attempting to choke the beast.
The Grey Wolf thrashed violently.
Its claws tore through the air and landed deeply into Thors ribcage and gut putting him in an hell of pain.
But Thors held on.
Then—
White lightning erupted from his body.
Surges of electricity pulsated from his hands and around the Grey Wolf’s neck.
The lightning burned through fur.
Then skin.
Then flesh.
The smell of charred meat filled the tunnel.
The Grey Wolf’s body violently convulsed.
Blood exploded outward as lightning tore through its neck, destroying flesh and shattering bone.
A horrid gurgling sound escaped the mouth of the beast.
Its upper neck and head slumped down onto Thors’ shoulder, no longer supported by a functioning neck.
The beast’s body convulsed several more times.
Blood poured from the ruined remains of its neck, flowing endlessly down onto Thors’ body and bathing him in the creature’s warmth.
Yet Thors dared not close his eyes.
He couldn’t... Not here and definitely not yet.
Even as blood flooded down his face, he remained alert.
His teeth were clenched tightly as he grunted beneath the weight of the massive monstrosity.
Slowly...
The Grey Wolf grew cold.
And when it was finally limp, Thors shoved the massive corpse away with his one good hand.
Then he collapsed to the ground soon after.
"Haah..."
Painful heaves of air escaped his mouth, his entire body trembling in unimaginable pain.
He had won.
Somehow...
He had actually won.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! You have cleared the tutorial half of the dungeon.]
[The Unknown is surprised by your creativity.]
[Lineage Core: 5/100]
[Your Core grows stronger.]
Thors heaved out a sigh of relief, reading through the notifications with gratitude.
He had survived.
But more importantly...
He had grown stronger.
[Ding!]
[You have been blessed with a new Ability.]
[Golden Lightning.]
Thors’ gaze grew wide in awe.
He reread the notification several times, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing.
A new ability?
Golden Lightning?
His mouth opened as he prepared to ask for more information.
But before he could—
[You will now be returned to the human world.]
The voice of the system boomed through the dungeon.
Thors’ vision immediately blurred.
His entire being went numb.
Then, in the blink of an eye, he felt himself being pulled away from the dungeon.
The darkness swallowed him.
And just like that...
Thors was sent back to the human world.