The desperate howl of the demonic wolves echoed in the twilight air, an echo of the nightmare that had invaded the stillness of the village. Daniel, his heart beating like a war drum, rushed to meet them, the fury of seeing his home threatened overcoming any hint of fear. The image of Baron Lysander and his disdain paled before the stark reality of these hellish creatures. This was real.
This was personal.
The wolf that had been hit by the Concentrated Mana Pulse staggered, its dark aura flickering like a dying flame. It was a young wolf, like the one he'd seen in the woods, but its aggression was unwavering. The other two, larger and more robust, flanked Daniel with surprising speed, their red eyes fixed on him.
Daniel didn't hesitate. His enhanced Speed allowed him to dodge the first swipe of the wolf on his left, its dark claws slashing through the air where its body had been a moment before. In the same split second, he launched a Mana Projectile straight into the eye of the wolf in front of him. The impact was accurate, and the creature howled, retreating, its face scorched. It was an effective blow, but not a decisive one. They were resilient.
The wolf that had received the initial Pulse recovered, but its movement was erratic. Daniel identified it as the weakest link. He launched himself at it, not with magic, but with the raw Strength Tania had taught him to channel. A blow with his shoulder, mimicking a lunge the warrior had taught him, sent it tumbling to the ground.
Before it could get up, Daniel activated his Concentrated Mana Pulse again, aiming for its head. The pure mana impacted with ethereal force, and the wolf howled in agony that wasn't physical, but spiritual. Its form distorted, its black fur turned translucent for a moment, and then it exploded in a cloud of ash and reddish smoke that dissipated into the air.
Daniel gasped. It was the first Shadowwolf he'd defeated. The victory gave him a morale boost and, more importantly, a burst of EXP.
+60 EXP
Nivel 6 → Nivel 7
[Level: 7 [35/360]
AvailablePoints: 3]
The satisfaction lasted only a moment. The two remaining wolves, far from being cowed, charged with renewed ferocity. They seemed enraged by the disappearance of their companion. The forest, which had previously seemed a place of resources, was now a nest of threats.
The larger of the two, with a scar on its side, leaped at him.
Daniel barely had time to raise his arm to block. The dark claws ripped at him, but his enhanced Stamina, a result of Tania's training, cushioned the blow. Even so, the pain was sharp. He fell backward, rolling on the ground as the second wolf tried to bite his leg.
With a swift movement, Daniel pulled the sharp stone he had stashed from his Basic Inventory.
It wasn't a sword, but in his hands, with his Strength and Speed, it was an improvised weapon. He stood, ducking and twisting, dodging the two wolves' lunges. Every scratch, every stabbing pain, reminded him of the need to be faster, more precise.
As the scarred wolf prepared for another leap, Daniel saw an opportunity. His eyes detected a subtle opening in the wolf's guard, a predictable movement Tania had taught him to look for.
He focused his mana, not on a projectile, but on a new kind of attack he had visualized during his training with Tania, a manifestation of his Skill Creation. He needed something more direct, more penetrating.
With a scream, he extended his hand, and a compact, translucent fist of mana formed around it. It was as if his hand had become an extension of his energy. A punch. A punch of pure mana.
You have developed a new ability through pressure and intent!
New Ability: Mana Fist (D)
Envelops the fist in concentrated mana, drastically increasing physical damage and allowing it to strike the essence of ethereal or shadow creatures.
Mana Cost: 15 per attack.
Cooldown: 1 second.
The new power filled him. The scarred wolf lunged, and Daniel, his hand now transformed into a supernatural weapon, struck with all his might. The Mana Fist impacted the creature's snout. The howl this time was one of pure panic and pain, the pure mana dissolving the corrupted matter. The wolf fell, convulsing, and within seconds, it too vanished into ash.
+70 EXP
Progression to Level 7: 105/360
Only one remained. The remaining demonic wolf, the one Daniel had scorched at the start of the fight, glared at him furiously and warily. It didn't pounce immediately. It was more cunning. It circled around Daniel, looking for an opening.
Daniel felt the strain. His mana was dwindling. His Health had dropped considerably from the claw attacks. This last wolf was the final test. He remembered Elara's words: "Silver burns them." And the sharp stone in his inventory… it was a metallic gray, almost like silver, though it wasn't. But it was the thought that counted.
The wolf lunged, quick as lightning. Daniel, with his increased Speed, barely managed to dodge it, but his shoulder took a painful blow. He fell to his knees, but immediately got up, holding the sharp stone and activating the Mana Fist with his other hand.
The wolf attacked again, this time at his leg. Daniel braced himself on his injured leg, used the other to propel himself, and with a desperate movement, threw the stone directly into the wolf's eyes.
The stone struck the wolf in the face, and although it wasn't pure silver, Daniel's intention and the concentration of his mana around his hand gave him unexpected help. The wolf howled, disoriented. In that instant, Daniel saw it: an opening straight for its neck.
With the Mana Fist active, Daniel lunged, gathering all his strength and the last bit of mana. The blow was devastating. The fist sank into the wolf's neck, and the creature disintegrated in a flare of dark energy and the smell of sulfur.
Daniel fell to the ground, the air escaping from his lungs. His body ached everywhere. His hands trembled. He was alive. He had protected his home.
+80 EXP
[ProgresstoLevel7: 185/360]
When Daniel finally managed to stand, he could barely stay upright. He looked around. The damage to the fence was evident. Pieces of wood were broken, and on the ground, only small patches of ash remained where three creatures from the underworld had once stood.
The door to his house opened slowly. Alicia and Elena came out, their faces pale and their eyes filled with terror and relief at seeing him there, bruised but standing.
"Daniel!" Alicia cried, running to hug him, her tears wetting his dirty clothes. Elena joined the hug, sobbing.
"I'm fine, Mom... Elena..." Daniel murmured, his voice hoarse. The pain in his body was intense, but the warmth of their embrace was the only relief he needed.
They saw the damage around them, the ashes. Alicia could hardly believe what they were seeing.
"You... you did this, son?"
Daniel just nodded, unable to articulate a coherent explanation. He knew they wouldn't fully understand the scope of what he'd done, the system, the abilities, the fight against the darkness. But they knew he had protected them. And that was enough.
As his mother and sister helped him inside, Daniel felt the final notification in his system. He had three points available from his previous level-up, but he wouldn't allocate them now. It had been a harsh lesson, and he needed to process it.
The fight had been a turning point. He'd used everything he'd learned from Thom, from Elara, from Tania. He'd crafted a new skill in the heat of combat, and he'd won. But the cost… the cost was the exhaustion he felt down to his bones, the lingering fear in the back of his mind, and the certainty that this was only the beginning.
The demonic wolf hadn't been an old-timer's tale. It was a real threat. And now, he was his family's first line of defense. The price of power wasn't just what one sacrificed to obtain it, but constant vigilance, endless fighting, and the willingness to face the shadows, no matter how terrifying the darkness. And Daniel, the young village forager, was ready to pay that price.
Daniel's recovery was a slow and painful process, but his Adaptive Body (S) and Basic Healing Skill (F) accelerated each step. His muscles ached, each scratch burning with a constant reminder of the brutality of his recent battle. The image of the demonic wolves, their red eyes, and the trail of ash they left behind remained etched in his mind. He had won, yes, but the victory had come at a high physical and mental cost.
Alicia and Elena cared for him with tireless devotion. They prepared nourishing broths, changed his bandages, and watched him with a mixture of pride and a new, deep anxiety.
The village, seeing the shattered fence and hearing the howls that had pierced the night, was plunged into unrest. Rumors of "dark beasts" and "omens" spread like wildfire, but no one knew the full truth of what Daniel had faced, nor the extent of his growing power. Only old Thom, with a silent visit and a wise look, seemed to grasp the magnitude of what had happened.
One morning, Daniel woke up with the sun on his face, feeling more refreshed than he had in days. He sat up in bed just as Alicia and Elena entered, their faces lit by smiles that contained a mixture of joy and relief.
"Happy birthday, my Daniel!" said Alicia, her eyes soft and full of affection.
Elena, with a rare, sweet smile, handed him a small package wrapped in coarse cloth.
Daniel carefully opened it and discovered a new hunting knife: its polished wooden handle fit perfectly in his hand, and the blade gleamed with an impeccable edge. It was a practical gift, but to Daniel, it meant so much more.
"Happy birthday, brother," Elena murmured, her voice soft.
But what truly moved him was the small cake Alicia was holding: a miniature Earth Pie, beautifully decorated with the wild berries her mother grew and a pair of rustic candles.
The sweet, familiar scent of cinnamon, fruit, and earth filled the room, evoking memories of home, of the struggle for their beginnings, and of the hope for a better future. It was the dessert he himself had helped create, now transformed into a symbol of celebration.
"I know it's not much, but I wanted you to have something special," Alicia said, her voice slightly cracking with emotion. "Nineteen years already. You're a man, Daniel."
Daniel blew out the candles, making a silent wish: that his family would always be safe. When he tasted the cake, he felt a lump in his throat. It was delicious, a taste of home, of hard work, and of the stillness he longed for his family.
As they ate in comfortable silence, a thought took hold in Daniel's mind. With each passing year, the village and his family grew more vulnerable to the growing threats of the forest. His birthday was not only a celebration of his life, but a reminder of the responsibility he now carried.
Nineteen years old. He was no longer a child. The innocence of his youth had faded with every goblin scratch, every demonic howl. The scars on his body were a map of his path, and the skills in his interface, the compass that guided him.
He remembered the incident with Baron Lysander in the capital, the humiliation he had felt. That contempt wasn't just for him, but for everything his village represented. It was a world of contrasts, of light and shadow, of luxury and misery. And he, Daniel, stood right in the middle, a bridge between the two.
The fight against the demon wolves had been a turning point. He had used every ounce of his training with Tania, every bit of Elara's knowledge. He had forged a new skill, the Mana Fist (D), in the heat of battle. He had won, yes, but the certainty that this was only the beginning, the tip of the iceberg of dangers that lurked, was overwhelming.
He needed to be stronger.
Not just to repel the threats, but to eradicate them, to find the source of the corruption spreading through the forest. And he needed to learn to use his abilities more efficiently, to make the most of his Adaptive Body and Skill Creation.
He looked at his mother and Elena, their faces tired but full of love. They were his anchor, his motivation. The price of power was high: sleepless nights, physical pain, constant fear. But the reward—the peace and security of his family—was priceless.
He decided to allocate the three available points he had since his last level-up, focusing on the stability and growth of his magic:
+1 Intelligence
+1 Mana
+1 Stamina
Once again, the familiar tingling ran through his body.
[Attribute System
Name: Daniel
Age: 19
Class: None
Level: 7 [185/360]
Health: 50/50
Mana: 60/60
Strength: 17
Speed: 15
Intelligence: 20
Luck: 11
SpecialAbility: Adaptive Body (S) - Skill Creation (F) [???]
Abilities: Basic Healing (F) - Mana Projectile (E) - Basic Analysis (F) - Sharpened Perception (E) - Basic Inventory (F) - Concentrated Mana Pulse (E) - Mana Fist (D)
AvailablePoints: 0]
Daniel knew he had to return to the Guild in the capital. Not only to seek more information on the growing corruption, but to hone his new skills with Tania's guidance, if she would accept him back. He had promised to protect his family, and to keep that promise, he had to become the sword and shield his home needed. The road would be long, but Daniel, at nineteen, was ready to take it.