Chapter 5: First Class - Chapter 05

Crack... crack.

The sound of bones crushed by powerful jaws. Sharp fangs tore into the raw flesh of his now-unrecognizable prey. As his mouth continued to chew, his eyes stared blankly ahead.

It had been years since he was first born into this world as a wolf. His once-small body had since grown to the size of a bison. Thick black fur cloaked powerful muscles that rippled beneath the surface.

While eating, his snout caught a scent unfamiliar—one that did not belong in this forest.

A human?

He stopped eating and left the carcass without a second glance, vanishing into the shadows of the dark, dense woods.

His hazy memories led him to avoid humans whenever he came across them in the forest, or when he glimpsed their settlements beyond the trees. He understood that to them, he must appear as a threat.

Unlike dogs, humans had always held a deep-rooted fear of wolves. And he knew this well.

His last encounter with humans had not been a pleasant one. They had hunted him with weapons and magic, shouting with enthusiasm as if the hunt was a form of entertainment.

As his four legs tread the damp grass, small birds chirped, weaving a calming symphony amidst the forest's lurking dread.

After years of exploring these vast woods, he had come to realize many truths. He knew now this world was not the one he faintly remembered.

It was not only the existence of magic, but the presence of terrifying, powerful beasts. Their forms were bizarre in his eyes.

Tiny green creatures like those in old folk tales. Fat, pig-headed monsters that moved in groups with blunt, rusted weapons. Horned rabbits. Deer that cloaked themselves in fire. And many other strange beings.

Lately, he had even begun to suspect that he was not entirely a wolf at all.

He paused, lifting his gaze to the blue sky stretched wide above.

Without the memory of you… I would have given up long ago. I still do not know who you are, but… thank you.

Reaching a shady, broad-canopied beech tree, he lay down atop a mound of earth layered with dried leaves he had arranged like a resting mat.

It was a simple home he had built, rough but comforting. He was certain he had grown strong enough to claim a small territory in the forest. That was why he had no hesitation in marking his domain and building this place of rest.

He began to close his weary eyes. In the hollowness of his heart, he wished only to dream of the woman who lingered like a shadow in his fading memories.

*******

Meanwhile, a group of heavily armed humans had arrived. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they gazed upon the remains left behind.

"This corpse..." one of them, a woman with a tight tunic and a high ponytail framing her lithe figure, narrowed her eyes. "A Varanus Komodo. Its threat level matches that of a small district. It would take at least a gold-ranked adventuring party to bring one down."

The woman turned toward a man with orange hair in a similar uniform, standing not far behind her. "What do you think, Silva?"

Silva clenched his jaw. "It seems the guild underestimated this near-expired request. The monster we're after... it might have evolved into something extremely dangerous. Wouldn't you agree, Anaxa?"

"You’re right," Anaxa murmured. "Monsters in this area don’t leave their prey behind after a hunt. They drag it away and eat in hiding, to avoid attracting other predators. Unless..."

Silva cut in. "Unless the monster thought of this lizard as nothing more than an easy snack."

Gasps rippled through the group, the women covering their mouths.

"What do you say? Are you sure you still want to go through with this mission, my friend Gilbert?" Silva turned to a burly man with a stern face and a massive sword strapped to his back.

"Of course." Gilbert struck his left chest with confidence. Determination gleamed in his dark eyes. "That wolf could become a threat to the nearby settlements. It is our duty to eliminate it."

"You’re sure? Honestly, I’ve got a bad feeling about this. This mission may no longer be gold-ranked. It might be emerald." Silva frowned deeply.

Gilbert patted his shoulder with a confident grin. "Don’t worry, my friend." He then turned to the five companions behind him. "Let’s not forget, we’re also an emerald-ranked party, the strongest in this city. We've faced things like this before."

Silva let out a thin smirk. "Very well. I trust you. And... once you complete this mission, I promise to recommend your team for the Ruby-rank advancement exam."

"Really?" the eyes of the woman behind Gilbert sparkled. She stepped forward and grasped Silva’s hand. "We’re truly grateful, oh troublesome guild inspector."

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"You..." Silva’s brow twitched at the deliberate mockery in her tone.

"Well, now that’s unusual. You being kind for once. Is this a sign the Demon King’s about to rise?" another woman, darker-skinned, teased from behind Gilbert.

"Silence, you troublesome women!"

Laughter rang out across the forest, the mood lightening as a gentle breeze rustled their hair.

"Alright, I’ll leave things here to you. Anaxa and I will return to the guild. Stay safe."

Gilbert nodded.

They exchanged waves in parting.

Gilbert and his five companions—three women and two men—ventured deeper into the forbidden forest. They braced themselves for the hunt of the monster that had become the focus of their mission.

*******

His eyes opened slowly as his ears caught an unusual sound coming from the southern edge of his territory, the place where he had left his hunted prey.

Laughter? Humans? They've come this far? He stood, a sense of foreboding settling over him. I suppose I should go. Confronting them is not a wise option.

He swiftly departed from his territory. If given the choice, he would rather face a massive green creature wearing a crown than engage with humans.

His footsteps echoed in silence, blending into the shadows that veiled the dense forest he had called home for so long.

He sharpened all his senses until he could hear the faintest drop of water in the distance. All of it, just to avoid conflict with humans.

I shouldn’t have crossed paths with them.

After walking for a while, a sudden fog obscured his vision. More than that, all five of his senses seemed to lock shut. He could no longer feel anything.

This isn’t ordinary fog. Magic? Is this from that green creature? He pondered briefly, then shook his head slightly. No. They couldn’t use something like this. Could this be...

The fog suddenly split apart as a large man lunged at him with a massive sword.

He leapt, twisted in midair, then slashed the man’s back with his claws.

“Aaaargh!”

Just as he was about to strike again, the fog erased all trace of the man’s presence. Damn. This fog is a hindrance.

On instinct, he swung his tail, scattering the fog. That was when he realized a group of armed humans had surrounded him.

He immediately took a defensive stance. A low growl escaped his throat. “Grrr!”

There was no use speaking to those who could not understand him. Better to drive them away with force. But still, he tried not to kill them.

“Form up!” the large man commanded his companions.

They quickly formed a circle. Two women dressed like mages stood in the back. Three held the front. Then one more...

Shfft!

As he circled behind them, he lunged at a mage clad in violet robes, claws raised and ready to tear through her flesh.

"I won't let you touch Chloe and Maria!"

Before his claws could strike the woman, the large man had already stepped forward, his massive shield raised high.

"Thank you, Gilbert!"

"This isn't over. Seila, Arya!"

He was pushed back by a combined kick from a dark-skinned woman and a shirtless man who looked like a master martial artist. His large body tumbled several meters across the ground.

As he tried to rise, the assassins from earlier struck again, leaping down from above. A dagger pierced straight through his throat.

"Graaaah!"

Instinctively, he swung his claws, shredding the assassin’s face like paper.

The assassin rolled backward, blood dripping from his ruined face, staining the forest grass.

"We did it! We won!" Chloe shouted in elation, watching the creature writhe helplessly on the ground.

Meanwhile, the assassin was quickly tended to by a girl in priestess robes, apparently named Maria. She murmured a chant, her hands glowing with a gentle green light. Then, she placed her hand upon his mangled face.

But moments later, their eyes widened in disbelief as they saw him rise once more. The wound on his throat had already healed.

"Im-impossible! His regeneration is even stronger than an orc king’s!"

"He’s going to be trouble," murmured the dark-skinned woman.

He stared back at them. His eyes burned crimson in fury over what they had done to him.

You will die.

A raging fire flared within his mind. His thoughts faded, replaced by the raw instinct of a beast desperate to survive.

He charged without hesitation, swinging his claws with all his might.

Gilbert was thrown violently backward. His armor shattered into fragments. Their formation fell apart. Seila quickly fled with Chloe and Maria in tow.

Maria turned around in a panic, struggling until she slipped from Seila’s grip. She ran toward Gilbert, desperately trying to cast a healing spell for the fallen man. But before the spell could be completed—

"Grrr!"

His growl echoed behind her. His massive frame blocked the sunlight that had been shining on Maria.

"Aaaah!"

He stomped on Maria’s tiny body with his front paw. The damp earth smeared the pristine white of her robe. Their faces were so close Maria could feel the warmth of his breath.

"Ch–CHLOE!!" Maria barely managed to cry out her friend’s name before his massive jaws closed around her head.

CRUNCH.

The sound of a skull cracking and flesh being torn thundered like a hammer against steel. Maria’s body collapsed, soaked in blood, headless.

Chloe shrieked in hysteria and collapsed, screaming uncontrollably. Seila, dragging them away, leapt back in terror.

He stood amidst the blood and scattered flesh. His tongue licked the blood from his fangs, but his eyes… looked lost. Unstable. His head spun, as if too many thoughts were forced into it at once.

"...A... aaah...?"

A deep, hoarse voice rumbled from his throat. Slowly, his tongue began to form syllables.

"I… can speak?"

The voice was like stone grating against stone. Gradually, he realized: he could form words, and his thoughts were beginning to align with meaning.

"How… did this happen?"

Yet something unsettled him. From the shadows beneath the trees, someone was watching.

The assassin.

He stood there, half his face torn, blood still dripping from the earlier wound. His breath was ragged, frozen in fear as he saw the beast before him.

"I don’t know... who you are. But... you started this. You tried to kill me." He lowered his gaze, his red eyes locked onto the assassin. "Name?"

The assassin furrowed his brows, then replied, "Zain."

Sirius tilted his head, repeating slowly, "Zain… human."

Zain drew his last remaining dagger, but he did not strike. "If you're going to eat me, do it. But I won't beg without fighting first."

"Leave… before… I change my mind." He glanced at Maria’s headless corpse and Gilbert’s gravely wounded body. "Take them... away... before I eat them."

Zain hesitated, but in the end, he carried the bodies of Maria and Gilbert and walked away from the wolf.

"I won’t thank you for this."

"Do not… disturb… my peace."

"I’ll remember that, black wolf. May I know your name?"

He paused. He had no name, nor had he ever thought of having one since he arrived in this world. There had never been anyone to talk to.

He looked up to a bright star that shone as the sun sank behind the horizon.

"Sirius. That is my name. Remember it, and never disturb me again, human. Or... you will take the consequences."

Zain said nothing, then turned and left him in silence.

Sirius exhaled. The taste of blood still lingered in his mouth. His human self had returned—he was no longer the beast that had lost all reason. Regret began to stir in his heart.

Now, there’s no going back. It seems… meeting her again is no longer possible.

Sirius looked up at the full moon, hanging among the stars. His eyes welled up. His chest ached. A bitter smile curved on his lips.

"Hey… I guess I can’t be forgiven, huh?"

Then, he let out a long howl. A somber symphony resounded, shaking the star-strewn night sky.