Mikeâs legs trembled like jelly, each breath burning in his chest. One more fight and he'd collapse. The interface confirmed what his body screamed:
Stamina: 323 / 2450.
He took a few steps away from the wolfâs corpse and sat on the ground.
He took a few deep breaths trying to relax. His head was swimming from the low mana and he felt a strong desire to lie down and go to sleep.He knew he couldnât afford to let his guard down - who knew what else was lurking in those woods? But he had to recover his stamina a bit. He realized not everything was determined by level and he had a lot of learning to do.
After some moments he began to feel better. His breath calmed down and felt like heâs got his wind back.
Footsteps crunched on the blood-soaked leaves. Multiple sets, moving with the careful rhythm of men who'd learned caution too late. Mike forced himself to stay alert, though every instinct screamed to close his eyes.
Adrian burst into the clearing first, spear raised, then lowered it immediately. "Mike!, what happened here, are you okay?"
"Pack dynamics." Mike accepted Adrian's offered hand, his legs protesting as he stood. The world tilted slightly before settling. "Turns out alphas don't like watching their mates die."
Adrian's eyes swept across the carnageâsix massive wolf corpses, the ground torn up like a battlefield. "You killed all of them? Alone?"
"They insisted on fighting to the death." Mike steadied himself against a tree. "Where are the others?"
Four more men emerged from the trail, including the grizzled leader from before. They stopped short at the scene, hands tightening on weapons.
"Seven hells," the leader breathed. "These aren't just wolves. These are..."
"Territory bosses," Mike finished. "Level 45 alphas and their pack. They mentioned being driven from deeper territories by something worse."
The men exchanged glances that Mike didn't like.
"Lucian," Adrian said to the leader, "we need to find Marcus."
Lucian's jaw tightened. "Adrian, take Garrett and check near those boulders. Watch for stragglers."
As they moved off, Lucian approached Mike. "I'm Clara's husband. Adrian told us what you did at the farm, and now this." He gestured at the alpha corpses. "I've hunted these woods for twenty years. Never seen anyone fight like that."
"Lucky timing." Mike flexed his mauled arm, testing the newly healed tissue. Still tender, but functional.
"That wasn't luck." Lucian studied him with sharp eyes. "You're not from around here. Not from anywhere around here, I'd wager."
Before Mike could respond, Adrian's voice cut through the forest. "Found him!"
The two men emerged from behind the boulders, carrying a limp form between them. Marcus, or what remained of him. The wolves had been thorough.
Silence stretched as they laid the body down. Garrett, barely out of his teens, turned away to vomit in the bushes.
"He was a good man," Lucian said quietly. "Good hunter, better friend. Left two boys and a wife who's with child."
Mike felt the weight of that. He didnât know if these were real people or just NPCâs but they sure seemed real. âIâm sorry, if I had come soonerâ¦â
"You saved five of us." Lucian's voice was firm. "Without you, we'd all be feeding the crows." He turned to the others. "We'll build a carry. Marcus goes home for proper rites."
They worked in efficient silence, fashioning a stretcher from branches and cloaks. Mike helped despite his exhaustion, noting how his enhanced strength made the work trivial. Every reminder of his changed capabilities felt surreal.
As they secured Marcus's body, Lucian spoke quietly. "That thing the wolves mentioned - something worse in the deep forest. We've had signs. Tracks that don't match any creature we know. Trees with claw marks thirty feet up. Whole sections of forest gone silent."
"How long?"
"Two months, maybe three. Started gradual. First the small game vanished, then the deer moved to our valleys. Now the predators are fleeing." Lucian tied off the last knot. "Whatever's in there, it's not natural."
Mike filed that information away. A bigger threat meant higher levels, better experience. But also greater risk. The alpha wolves were not a trivial challenge, and they were running from this thing.
"Ready," Adrian announced.
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They lifted the stretcher, beginning the grim march back. Mike walked alongside, his stamina slowly recovering but mana still pretty low. His interface showed 240 out of 4,850 - long ways from his maximum capacity.
The forest seemed less oppressive heading downhill, though Mike's Enhanced Perception still caught no wildlife sounds. Whatever had moved into the deep woods had created a cascade of displacement, predators becoming prey, fleeing into human lands.
They reached the shrine as dusk painted the sky orange. Three more men waited thereâthe group that had gone toward the logging camp. Their relief at seeing survivors quickly soured when they saw the stretcher.
"Marcus?" one asked.
Lucian shook his head.
More silence. Men who'd faced death together needed few words.
"We found tracks," the logging camp leader reported. "Something big crossed through two days ago. Killed a bear, left most of it. Claw marks suggested it was... playing."
"Playing?" Mike asked.
"Torn apart but not eaten. Like a cat with a mouse." The man shuddered. "We decided not to follow those tracks."
Smart choice. Mike was beginning to understand the scope of the problem. This wasn't just displaced wolves. Something had fundamentally disrupted the forest's ecosystem.
They resumed walking, now nine men carrying one. The shrine fell behind as full dark approached. Mike's night vision, enhanced by his perception, made the darkness less absolute, but the others lit torches.
"You'll stay the night," Lucian said. It wasn't a question. "Clara will insist, and you're in no shape to travel. Besides, we need to discuss what you learned."
Mike nodded, too tired to argue. His mana had crept up to 363, but the bone-deep exhaustion remained.
"Tell me about Millhaven," Mike said, remembering Clara's mention of the nearest town.
"Market town, about two thousand souls. Lord Governor keeps a small garrison there. They've been asking about the wolf attacks, but..." Lucian shrugged. "City folk don't understand. They think we're exaggerating."
"Until wolves show up at their gates."
"Or worse," Lucian agreed grimly.
The forest finally gave way to fields, and Mike saw lights in the distance. The farm looked different in darkness, more fortress than home, with those reinforced windows glowing warm against the night.
Clara must have been watching. The door flew open before they reached the yard, and she ran out, taking in the group, the stretcher, her husband's grave expression.
"Oh, Marcus," she whispered, one hand to her mouth. Then, louder: "Bring him to the barn. I'll prepare him properly." She turned to Mike, noting his torn clothes and bloodstains. "You found them."
"He did more than find us," Lucian said. "Man saved our lives. Killed an entire pack of dark wolves by himself."
Clara's eyes widened, but she was already moving, directing men, gathering supplies. "Hot food in the kitchen. Wash basins by the back door. Anyone who needs tending, speak up now."
The men dispersed to their tasks with practiced efficiency. Mike found himself alone with Adrian by the wash basins. They both stripped off their ruined shirts to wash properly. Adrian was clearly fit, the build of someone who worked hard for a living. Lean muscle from daily labor. But beside Mike, the difference was stark. Mike's transformation had given him the physique of an Olympic athlete crossed with a warrior. Every muscle group defined, movements carrying an unconscious power that made Adrian look almost fragile by comparison. Adrian's eyes widened as he took in Mike's build, his gaze lingering appreciatively on the perfect definition of Mike's torso.
"I've never seen anything like what you did," Adrian said quietly, his eyes still tracing Mike's physique before catching himself. "Those abilities, the way you moved. You're not just some wandering monk."
Mike chose his words carefully. "I'm someone who was in the right place at the right time."
"With the right skills." Adrian dried his hands, studying Mike. "Look, I don't know who you really are or where you came from. But you saved us today. That's what matters."
Lucian came out with a bundle of clothes in his hands. "These should fit," he said, handing them to Mike. "Can't have you walking around in tatters. They're my son's. He's not exactly your build, but heâs large enough.
Mike accepted them gratefully, quickly changing into the simple but sturdy shirt and trousers. They fit well enough, though tight across his shoulders and chest.
They entered the kitchen to find Clara had somehow produced a feast - stew, fresh bread, cheese, dried fruits. The surviving men ate with the focus of those who'd burned through their reserves.
Mike settled at the table's end, fatigue making his movements clumsy. The food helped, each bite seeming to restore a fraction of his depleted resources.
"So," Lucian said once everyone had eaten their fill. "Tell us exactly what those alphas said about being driven out."
Mike hesitated. "Is it... normal for wolves to talk here? The alphas spoke like people."
Lucian gave him an odd look, his brow furrowing. "Of course. Once creatures reach a certain level of power, usually around level 30 or 40, many gain speech. How do you not..." He trailed off, studying Mike with those sharp hunter's eyes.
"Must be different where I'm from," Mike said quickly, then launched into his recounting before anyone could pursue that line of questioning. "The female alpha said they were driven from their ancestral grounds by something that defies nature itself."
"If something's taken over the deep forest territories..." one man started.
"It'll need more food than what's in there," another finished. "Bears, wolves, deer⦠it'll burn through them all."
"Then come for us," Lucian concluded.
Silence settled heavy as that implication sank in. Whatever lurked in the deep forest wouldn't stay there forever.
"We need to warn Millhaven," Clara said. "The Lord Governor needs to know this isn't just wolf attacks anymore."
"I'll go," Mike said, surprising himself. "I was heading that way anyway."
"Not tonight you won't," Clara said firmly. "You can barely sit upright. Tomorrow, after you get proper rest."
Mike wanted to argue but his body betrayed him with a massive yawn. The adrenaline had finally worn off completely, leaving only exhaustion.
"The spare room's ready," Clara continued. "Same one you used earlier. We'll talk more come morning."
He made his way upstairs. The simple room looked like paradise. He collapsed onto the bed fully clothed, asleep before his head hit the pillow.
His last coherent thought was a question: What could terrify Level 45 apex predators?