Azrael didn't wait.
The moment realization dawned on him, he turned on his heels and bolted deeper into the frozen wilderness, ignoring Lyra's cry behind him.
His breath hitched from the cold. Frost bit at his torn arms. But he didn't care.
She won't chase us. Not unless her pups are threatened.
That single truth was all he needed. He didn't even look back. He knew Lyra would be safe for now.
His mind raced as fast as his feet. The plan was insane, desperate, and borderline suicidal but it was the only shot he had.
Lure a beast. Force a fight. Use the chaos. Finish the quest.
With the new skill, maybe just maybe he could kill the weakened victor. Either the mother wolf or the intruder. It didn't matter. He just needed one opening. One chance.
Snow crunched under his feet as he sprinted between ice-covered trees and jagged rock spires. Branches whipped against his face, his fatigue stat climbing rapidly, warning him he was burning through stamina like a dying flame.
His lungs screamed. His arms throbbed. His body wanted to collapse but he didn't stop.
Then he saw it.
A hulking shape half-buried in the snow, its stony form steaming faintly in the cold. A golem dormant,and sleeping.
Perfect.
Azrael grinned, eyes wild with adrenaline.
He yanked the broken hilt of his dagger from his belt. The blade was gone, but the base remained sharp enough for a single, savage act. With a grunt, he hurled it forward using every bit of strength in his enhanced muscles.
Whunk!
The hilt slammed into the golem's stony hide right between its shoulder joints.
The beast roared awake, a sound like grinding boulders.
Its head swiveled, stone eyes flaring with unnatural light. It spotted Azrael just as he leapt forward and delivered a hard kick to its ribs not to damage, but to provoke.
The golem staggered slightly, more out of surprise than pain. Its expressionless face twisted into something primal.
Good.
Azrael was already sprinting away before the creature fully processed what was happening. His heart pounded like a war drum in his chest.
This is madness.
But it's my kind of madness.
He glanced back just a flicker and saw the golem barreling after him, smashing trees as it pursued.
Perfect.
The gamble had paid off at least for now.
As he neared the familiar ridge that led back toward the cave, he spotted Lyra standing in the snow, her body trembling. She was... crying?
He didn't have time to ask.
Her eyes widened in shock when she saw him return but widened even more when the ground-shaking footsteps of the golem thundered behind him.
She dove out of the way with a panicked leap, blood-thread armor flickering over her arms.
Azrael didn't stop. His legs were fire, his muscles screaming, but he kept going. The cave was in sight now.
And the wolf? She had felt it.
The overwhelming aura of the golem hit her senses like a sledgehammer. Her ears pinned back, lips curling. She snarled and stepped forward.
From her perspective, there was only one threat now a beast heading straight for her children.
Just as Azrael had planned.
As the golem crossed the last ridge, she surged forward with a deafening roar, leaving the den behind for the first time.
She leapt with terrifying grace, intercepting the golem mid-stride. The two collided with earth-shaking force.
Azrael slipped past them.
His boots crunched snow as he darted inside the den,His heart hammering. The pups shrank back from him in confusion, huddling in fear. But they didn't attack. They didn't fight.
And the mother was too busy to notice.
That He was in.
He did it. he thought smiling.
Now all that remained was one last part And that was to Complete the quest.
Azrael stood still for a moment, panting heavily inside the wolf's den. His eyes landed on the huddled pups small, frightened things with trembling limbs and wide, watery eyes. Their fur was streaked with snow and faint traces of dried blood from earlier skirmishes.
A crooked smile tugged at his lips.
Sorry, but this is war.
One of the pups, larger than the rest, stepped forward. It bared its tiny fangs and growled, shaking with fear but driven by instinct.
Azrael raised a brow.
Bold little thing.
Before it could lunge, he moved.
His palm shot out and slammed into the side of its head sharp, fast, merciless.
Crack.
The pup crumpled instantly, body twitching once before falling still.
The den filled with a chorus of mournful howls. Tiny voices cried out in pain and horror.
Outside, the mother wolf's head snapped toward the cave.
She felt it.
The death of her pup struck her like a spear through the heart. Her snarl turned into a choked scream. With her body battered from the clash with the golem, she still tried to push forward.
But the golem didn't allow it.
It slammed its massive fists down, blocking her path.
She howled again this time not in fury, but grief. Her once-burning resolve began to flicker.
Then it cracked.
Then it shattered.
More howls echoed inside the cave hoping for thier mother to help.But none would arrive in time.
The pain of loss drained her strength. Her blows became slower. Her movements, sloppier.
The golem sensed it. It pressed harder, forcing her back step by step.
Azrael watched from inside the den, wiping the blood off his hand on the fur of the dead pup.
That's right. Fall apart. Break.
But something shifted.The wolf's grief turned cold.
It became hatred.
Her eyes, once wild and weeping, narrowed with bloodlust. She wasn't going to run anymore. She didn't care if she lived or died. She just wanted him dead.
To see the corpse of the one who murdered her children.
To tear his throat out, even if it cost her everything.
She darted in, allowing the golem to strike a reckless move.
Its stone arm slammed into her ribs, a sickening crunch echoing through the trees.
But she didn't cry out.
She didn't falter.
Instead, with blood gushing from her side, she twisted mid-air and drove her fangs into the golem's exposed core.
A shattering pulse spread through the air.
Both beasts staggered, locked in mutual death.
From the den's entrance, Azrael froze.
A chill ran down his spine.
What... a cunning creature.
Even in death, the wolf fought like a strategist.
Azrael let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Respect," he whispered. "You were smarter than I gave you credit for."
He turned away.
And plunged his blade into the last pup's heart.Silence fell On the cave only the sound of battle was heard.
Then his system notified him.
________________________________________
[Ding]
[Quest Update: Kill 100 Ice Wolves – Completed]
[Reward Granted: 1 Side Skill unlocks when the condition has been met, 5 Attribute Points, Random Reward Box]
________________________________________
Another chime followed.
________________________________________
[Congratulations on reaching level 10]
[New Skill Acquired]
[Whispers of the Shadows]
The user begins to hear the whispers of the dead, gaining minor insights from lost souls. These whispers grant the ability to anticipate enemy movements, enhancing awareness and reflexes.
[Passive Bonus: Increased combat awareness, agility, and the ability to sense hidden foes.]
________________________________________
Azrael's head swam for a moment. A cold wind seemedto brush past his ears not from the outside, but inside his skull. And in it, faint voices.
Soft murmurs.
Turn left next time.
They always favor their right arm.
Behind you. Always behind you.
His eyes widened. "This... is useful," he muttered, his grin returning.
Outside, the snow began to fall again.
Inside, only corpses remained.
And Azrael?
He was already moving toward the edge of the den,his eyes cold, focused and listening to the dead.
"Bastard system," Azrael spat under his breath, his eyes narrowing at the notification blinking in the corner of his vision.
So this was how it worked.
All that effort killing a hundred wolves, gambling his life with a rampaging golem, slaughtering helpless pups and the only guaranteed reward without being Level 10?
Attribute points and a damn random reward box.
He sneered. "Just like Aleria's bitch-ass version. Different face, same treacherous system," he muttered, venom in every word.
[Ding]
[Condition Updated: Kill the Epic Boss Wolf Mate without being detected to unlock the skill].
Azrael clenched his jaw.His lip curled in disgust.
"Typical bitch. Always putting my life on the line."
He spat on the frozen ground and shook his head. "System bitches… can't trust a single one."
Still, his anger couldn't change the facts. If he wanted that new skill if he wanted any edge in the trials to come he'd have to play the game. And missing this opportunity?
Only God knew what kind of suicidal condition the system would throw at him next.
Reluctantly, he exhaled and turned, scanning his surroundings. His mind drifted back to something someone he had nearly forgotten about.
Lyra.
He hadn't seen her since luring the golem into the den.
Guilt stirred in his chest like an unwanted whisper.
Azrael bolted through the snow-crusted foliage, following the faint trail of trampled branches and discarded scent. He weaved between trees, his shadow long in the fading light, until
There.
She was crouched behind a thicket of frosted roots, hugging her knees to her chest. Her face was buried, her entire body trembling.
Her eyes widened the moment she saw him.
"Azrael!" she cried out and leapt into his arms.
Tears streaked down her cheeks, warm and frantic. She clutched him tightly, as if letting go would tear her soul apart.
"I.....I..... thought you left me to die… I thought you ran away…"
Her voice broke with each word. The fear in it, the helplessness, made Azrael's gut twist.
For a brief moment, his usual coldness cracked.
He gently wrapped his arms around her, patting her trembling back with awkward care. "I'm here," he murmured. "I didn't run. I had to distract the beasts."
Her sobs quieted slightly, but her grip didn't loosen.
"You didn't even look back… I thought"
"I know," he cut in softly. "I know."
The silence that followed was filled only by the soft fall of snow and the dying wind.
Azrael didn't say more.
Because deep down, he knew he hadn't planned to come back for her. Not really.
And that made her tears cut deeper than any blade.
"I can never leave the person who saved me twice."
Azrael's voice was firm, eyes locked on Lyra's tear-streaked face. "You've become a friend… and I always protect my friends. No matter what."
Lyra's lips trembled, but then… she smiled. A small, warm thing. She wiped away her tears, her breath still shaky but steadier now.
"…Idiot," she whispered under her breath with a laugh. "Then protect me properly."
She turned back to the battlefield, her voice shifting to something calmer, more focused like nothing had happened. "So… what now?"
Azrael's eyes narrowed. His tone dropped low, sharp as a blade.
"Leave that to me."
Without waiting for a reply, he leapt from the cliff's edge.
He landed hard but steady, body coiled like a predator. Snow scattered at his boots as he stood tall between Lyra and the field of death.
[Ding: Stat Points Available]
Without hesitation, he opened his interface and dumped the new attribute points:
+2 INT
+2 PER
+1 VIT
Then came the reward box.
Azrael sighed. "Alright, bitch system… don't screw me."
A flash of light formed in front of him as the [Random Reward Box] materialized. It floated for a moment, humming ominously. He opened it cautiously ready for disappointment but kept walking forward, toward the one target that mattered most.
The beast was crawling. Its breath ragged. Its muscles torn. But she kept moving, dragging herself toward the cave to see thier corpses of her children.
She didn't care about the blood trailing behind her.
She didn't care about the stab wounds.
She didn't even flinch as she passed his shadow.
She just wanted to see them one last time.
Azrael followed slowly, dagger drawn. No cruelty in his eyes only cold understanding. Pity, maybe. But no mercy.
The she-wolf finally reached her den.
Then she saw it. The massacre. The shredded remains of her pups, their blood still warm in the snow. Her ears twitched. Her chest shuddered.
And then she howled.
Not in rage. Not in fury.
But in pure, raw despair.
"Awoooooooooooooooooooo…"
Her cry echoed across the frozen plains, one final dirge for the dead.
Azrael approached.
She didn't even turn.
She didn't fight.
She just lay down.
The short sword slipped into her chest with barely any resistance.
She welcomed it.
Her eyes drifted to the corpses.
A tear fell hot, clear.
And then… she was still.
[Ding]
[Quest Update: Conditions Met – Skill Unlocked]
[New Skill Acquired: Shadow Veil]
[Cloak yourself in shadows to reduce visibility and silence your footsteps and it takes thirty seconds to cooldown ]."
Another notification followed immediately:
[Level Up: Lv.11 Reached – All Stats +1]
Azrael exhaled slowly, gripping the hilt of the sword buried in the wolf's chest.
No satisfaction. No joy. Just silence.
The forest was quiet now. No howls. No troubles.