LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 3: Wolf Pack
It could only be thought of as bad luck.
When Dianelle had wanted to hunt wolves earlier, she couldn't find any. Yet now, barely an hour into their journey east, a large pack of grey wolves surrounded them.
These opportunistic bastards had emerged from their den the moment they noticed three seemingly helpless women minding their own business—unaware that these women were on a path toward world domination.
*'HOWLLLL!'* A large level 15 grey wolf growled as it pounced at Krista, aiming straight for her neck. Krista, however, didn't even flinch. She stood her ground, her cold eyes locking onto the beast, challenging it in the way of the jungle.
The wolf's jaws opened wide, mid-pounce, its razor-sharp teeth gleaming in the moonlight.
*'Spurt!'* A thick black tentacle shot out from the shadows, piercing through the side of the wolf's head. Blood sprayed across the snow as the creature let out a guttural growl of agony, its body writhing before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
The tentacle retracted, disappearing back into Dianelle's cape.
"Mistress, are you all right?" Dianelle asked, her voice calm as she turned her attention to two more wolves leaping at her. With a swift motion, another tentacle lashed out, skewering both wolves in a single strike. Blood gushed from the fresh wounds as their bodies fell limp.
"What would happen to me?" Krista whispered, her voice dripping with disdain. Her sharp eyes scanned the circle of wolves surrounding them. Among the three, only she could see their levels. Most of the wolves ranged from level 10 to 15. But their leader—the largest one, its eyes locked on Krista from the very start—was level 30. A significant jump in power. A strong leader of a weak pack. Was it waiting them out? Testing their strength?
Behind Krista, Fur was locked in her own struggle. Three wolves had singled her out, their teeth bared and claws slashing. Her own sharp claws held one wolf at bay, its snapping jaws inches from her face. She growled, her wild instincts taking over as she dug her claws deeper into the wolf's flesh, forcing it to yelp in pain.
But the other two wolves were relentless. One lunged at her side, its teeth sinking into her arm. Fur hissed, her free hand slashing at the wolf's face, forcing it to release its grip. The third wolf circled behind her, waiting for an opening.
*"Grrr!"* Fur snarled, her wild blue eyes blazing with fury. She kicked the wolf in front of her, sending it tumbling into the snow. But the wolf behind her seized the opportunity, leaping onto her back and knocking her to the ground.
Krista watched from the corner of her eye, her expression unreadable. She made no move to help. This was Fur's fight.
Dianelle, however, was a whirlwind of motion. Her tentacles lashed out like whips, striking down wolves left and right. Blood stained the snow as the pack's numbers dwindled. Yet, for every wolf that fell, another seemed to take its place.
The level 30 wolf leader remained at the edge of the fray, its piercing yellow eyes fixed on Krista. It let out a low, rumbling growl, a signal to its pack. The wolves tightened their circle, their movements more coordinated now.
Krista's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Pathetic," she muttered under her breath. She raised a hand, and the air around her seemed to grow colder.
[Soul Pressure], she whispered silently, hoping to disperse the pack by scaring them. The wolves hesitated as they felt the bone-shaking pressure, their instincts screaming at them to flee. But their leader's growl kept them in place.
"That's a level 30 for you..." She clicked her tongue.
Being 21% human, she had also awakened her own system, enabling her to view the power levels of different creatures—at least those who didn't care about hiding it.
Dianelle's tentacles struck again, impaling two more wolves. She glanced at Krista, her voice steady. "Mistress, should I deal with the leader?" It was clear she wanted to impress Krista, after all, Krista rewarded those who impressed her... generously.
Krista shook her head. "No. Let it watch. Let it understand its mistake. Seeing its pack exterminated before we get to it eventually," she said, her eyes shining with cold light.
Meanwhile, Fur had managed to throw the wolf off her back. She rolled to her feet, her claws slashing wildly. One wolf lunged at her, but she ducked under its attack, her claws slicing through its throat. Blood sprayed as the wolf collapsed.
She was frustrated. There she was, quietly enjoying some wolf meat just an hour ago. And now she had to fight for her life with them? What was the point of coming here? And where was that damn woman taking her? She had no ideas nor time to think.
The second wolf charged, but Fur met it head-on, her claws digging into its chest. With a savage roar, she tore through its flesh, ending its life in an instant. She didn't know it, but around a year ago, one night she had felt a life-threatening pain in her chest. After that, her overall strength had increased exponentially. Her fingers, which could once only help her scavenge carcasses, could now pierce through live monsters.
It was clear, even though she didn't understand it properly, that something had awakened inside her.
The third wolf, the one that had bitten her arm, hesitated. Its ears flattened against its head as it took a step back. But Fur wasn't about to let it escape. She pounced, her claws sinking into its side. The wolf howled in pain, but its cries were cut short as Fur's teeth found its throat. She enjoyed the taste of blood. In this instance, she was like a savage monster herself.
Panting, Fur stood over the lifeless bodies of the wolves, her chest heaving. Blood dripped from her claws and mouth, her wild eyes scanning the battlefield. A wide snarl spread across her face as adrenaline pumped through her veins.
The pack was thinning. Dianelle's tentacles had reduced their numbers to a handful. Dianelle was the only one who hadn't awakened, due to being a pure-blooded vampire. However, being a vampire came with its own perks, and these deadly tentacles were one of them.
The level 30 wolf leader finally stepped forward, its massive frame casting a shadow over the snow. It let out a deafening howl, a final challenge to the intruders. The ground shook as it ran toward the group.
Krista's smirk widened. "Now it dares to show its courage. Too weak, though."
The wolf leader charged, its powerful legs propelling it forward with terrifying speed. Dianelle moved to intercept, but Krista raised a hand, stopping her.
"Leave it," Krista said, her voice calm but commanding. "This one is mine."
[Soul Barrier],she raised her voice as a thick, invisible barrier formed between her and the leader.
The wolf leader leaped at Krista, its jaws wide open. But its speed almost dwindled as it neared her, the barrier putting enormous pressure on its soul. It didn't give up, though. Despite its slowness, it kept pushing forward, its mouth open wide to bite, aimed at Krista's neck. But the barrier gave Krista enough time to respond.
Krista's hand shot out as she drove her arm inside the wolf's open mouth, which it bit immediately. Cold blood seeped from her hand into its mouth. The wolf's momentum came to a sudden halt, its eyes rolling back in its head, the whites of its eyes coming forward.
[Blood Contract], she used another one of her skills. And for the meager amount of blood that she fed it, the wolf had become her slave forever. Black runes grew on its white fur, forming a beautiful pattern. Its body went limp, and she dropped it to the ground, where it lay motionless in the snow.
The remaining wolves, seeing their leader fall, turned and fled into the darkness, their howls fading into the distance.
[Level Up: 75 => 76].
A system notification appeared in her view. She hadn't seen one in a while. Curious, she stretched her hand forward and whispered, "System." Immediately, another translucent window opened in front of her eyes.
[Name: Krista Demise Spilledblood]
[Race: Mix]
[Level: 76 (XP 1/100)]
[MP: 54007 / 70000]
[Class: None]
[Affinity: Blood, Soul]
[Skills: Active (Soul Pressure, Soul Barrier, Blood Contract, Burning Blood, Blood Explosion, Blood Transfusion) | Passive (Regeneration)]
[Health: 69900 / 70000]
[Intelligence: 150]
[Luck: 90]
[Kill Count: 59]
Krista brushed a strand of hair from her face, her expression calm as she scanned the window. Fur and Dianelle could only see her glancing in front of her at nothing.
"Let's keep moving," she said, dismissing the window with a wave, stepping over the bodies of the fallen wolves.
Dianelle nodded, her tentacles retracting back into her cape. Fur, still panting and covered in blood, glared at Krista but said nothing. She fell into step behind them, her claws still dripping with the blood of her enemies. She was injured, which had significantly slowed her speed—good thing she didn't have to walk anymore.
Krista lifted her leg over and swung it around her enslaved wolf. She grabbed the fur of its neck to steady herself, giving Fur a look. Fur understood the command and followed suit, sitting behind her, keeping a certain distance between them. However, she could feel the chill radiating from Krista's body.
"It's almost morning, Dianelle. Get in its shadow." Dianelle, being a vampire, couldn't stand in the sun or she would be burned to ashes immediately. However, she was not an ordinary vampire and had methods of her own. One of them was merging with shadows where no sunlight could reach.
"Understood," she said, looking slightly disappointed at having missed the opportunity to ride along with Krista. But in the next moment, her body shimmered and morphed into a black ink-like substance that was absorbed by the wolf's shadow completely.
The morning broke as the first rays of dawn hit Krista's face, making her red eyes shine like rubies. Being 21% human gave her immunity to the sun.
She was quiet for a while as she enjoyed the beautiful sunrise, save for the crunch of snow beneath their feet. Sunlight flooded the environment, casting light on the evidence of the recent encounter.
The wolves were dead—sprawled in gore and blood, the white snow turned into a hellish graffiti of death.
"Move forward," she commanded her newest slave.