Koda slid on the frozen floor as the Nightmare Creature lunged at Bram.
It flew into him like an avalanche.
One moment, the butcher was charging through the forest, chasing Koda with blind fury… And in the next, something massive crashed through the darkness.
Koda only caught a glimpse of it before diving behind a boulder to catch his breath.
A mountain of black fur, too many limbs, too many eyes… The impact flattened several trees, the forest shaking from the sheer weight.
Old Bram roared.
The creature roared back.
Koda cautiously lifted his head.
The sight made his stomach tighten.
The creature was utterly massive.
It’s body resembled a wolf, but only barely.
Thick black fur covered a frame larger than any of the houses back in the village, it had six powerful limbs and dozens of pale eyes that stared deep into Old Bram’s.
And somehow, the man didn’t look any less terrifying.
His aspect was fully active now.
Koda had no idea how it worked, but he knew it had something to do with transformation via consumption.
It starts with his mouth becoming larger, then his body.
And with the addition of the parasitic tendrils… he did not look human.
But… was he ever truly human?
Koda shook his head.
The butcher rolled beneath one of the Wolf’s claws before driving his cleaver upward into its chest.
The enchanted blade released a violent burst of force upon Impact, detonating beneath the creatures flesh.
Black blood erupted outward, the creature recoiled.
Then it retaliated immediately.
One of its massive limbs smashed into Bram, the butcher disappeared completely.
Koda lost sight of him as several trees exploded apart beneath the force of the impact.
A second later, Bram exploded out from the wreckage with a roar that shook the very air.
Tendrils writhed from his shoulders and back in constantly shifting masses of black flesh, while new growths continued to emerge from wounds that should’ve been fatal.
It was as if the nightmare creature had completely fused with him.
Making him stronger.
The tendrils exploded forward, dozens of them.
They wrapped around the creatures limbs before violently pulling in opposite directions.
The monster roared, Bram charged.
His cleaver flashed through the darkness.
The enchanted weapon struck one of the creature’s legs.
A tremendous explosion followed.
The limb shattered, causing the Nightmare Creature to stumble.
The creature actually looked somewhat vulnerable, Koda’s eyes widened in horror at the thought of Bram somehow winning this battle and coming after him.
Then, the creature opened its vertical maw.
And screamed.
It was not a roar, but a genuine human scream.
Snow erupted from the ground, trees shook violently.
Even from behind the boulder, Koda felt blood trickle from one of his ears.
Old Bram staggered and the creature seized the opportunity.
It’s remaining claws all descended at once.
One struck the old man’s shoulder, another slammed into his chest and the third slashed his leg open.
The Butcher was lifted entirely off the ground and hurled through the forest like a ragdoll, crashing through tree after tree until he finally disappeared into the darkness.
Silence followed.
And then Bram laughed.
A moment later, the butcher emerged from the wreckage, covered in blood and barely standing.
The Nightmare Creature roared.
Bram roared back.
Both of the monsters charged each other once more.
Koda didn’t wait to see who won, the fight was already far beyond anything he could survive.
Wether Bram killed the creature or the creature killed Bram no longer mattered.
He just needed to run.
The sounds of battle gradually faded behind him as he pushed deeper into the dense forestry, breathing heavily.
The strength gained from devouring Riley still flowed through his body, but exhaustion was beginning to catch up with him.
His muscles burned.
His injuries hurt.
Every movement reminded him of everything he had endured in this cruel nightmare.
But he was still alive.
And now, he was alone.
Or so he thought.
A crunch exhoed nearby.
Koda immediately stopped, his instincts reacting before his thoughts did.
Danger!
He slowly turned around to face a pair of yellow eyes.
Then another pair appeared.
Then another.
Then another.
Until the darkness between the trees seemed filled with them.
Looking closer, Koda’s eyes widened at the sight of numerous wolves.
But these were not ordinary wolves, these were Nightmare Creatures.
He counted seven.
His stomach sank immediately, he could’ve probably managed to kill one of them… but not seven.
The creatures all moved with unsettling coordination as they emerged from the darkness one after another.
Their bodies resembled ordinary wolves at first, but they just felt wrong.
Their limbs were too long.
Their jaws opened far wider than they should have.
Their yellow eyes never blinked.
The largest stepped forward, the others spread out to surround Koda.
The boy clenched his fists, the gauntlets in his hands filling him with atleast some sort of relief.
Then, the wolves rushed him.
Koda was expecting them to move like animals, but they did not.
They moved like actual hunters.
Two lunged from the sides simultaneously, Koda only narrowly spinning away from the first while throwing a punch at the second.
His fist connected and to his horror, nothing happened.
Then, the ability activated.
The resulting explosion obliterated half the wolf’s skull.
The creature spun through the air before crashing lifelessly into the snow.
[You have slain a Dormant Beast, Unhinged Wolf.] Koda’s eyes widened.
This memory was actually ridiculous, to kill a nightmare creature regardless of rank and class with a single blow as an aspirant?
Insane.
For an awakened memory of the first tier to wield so much power, Riley was one hell of a guy.
But that only makes Bram more of a monster.
To withstand the full force of Riley’s power multiple times and survive?
The remaining wolves immediately adjusted, becoming more cautious and wary of Koda’s fists.
They became smarter.
Koda slowly realised the nature of these creatures.
Where they lacked in durability and strength, they made up for it with their agility and wit.
The wolves no longer rushed him directly, as if they were testing him.
One darted forward, then retreated Another attacked from behind, then vanished before Koda could counter.
A third snapped at his leg before immediately jumping away.
They were studying him.
Learning.
Waiting for a mistake.
Koda grit his teeth, no dormant beast should be this intelligent.
Eventually, a mistake did come.
A wolf then lunged from Koda’s blind side, locking its jaws around his forearm.
Pain shot through his arm instantly.
The creature’s biting strength was horrifying.
It’s teeth sank deep, Koda’s dark red blood spilling across the snow.
The boy repeatedly slammed his gauntlet into its skull, but there were no explosions.
No matter how many times he punched, nothing was happening.
The wolf refused to release him.
Another creature immediately charged, then another.
Then the entire pack surged forward.
Koda knew he couldn’t fight them all at once, so he stopped trying.
Instead, he grabbed the wolf attached to his arm with his remaining one.
The creature growled.
Koda growled back.
Then he pulled.
The wolf immediately resisted.
Its jaws clamped harder.
It’s muscles strained.
Koda was once again starving.
His eyes glinted.
Right now, for the first time in his life, his body possessed genuine strength.
The boy growled and bit down on the wolf’s head, his teeth locking in around its eye area.
The wolf’s eyes widened within Koda’s maw.
Koda bit down harder, growling even more as his gaze no longer appeared human.
He could feel the wolf’s skull begin to crack.
Then tear.
Then split.
With a wet crunch, Koda’s vulgar maw clamped down on the creatures head, devouring eyes, skull, flesh and brain.
The wolf collapsed instantly.
Koda staggered backward.
Five remained.
[You have slain a Dormant Beast, Unhinged Wolf.] [You have received an Echo: Unhinged Wolf.] CREATORS’ THOUGHTS Rikud0u what a lucky guy…