GRRR! GRRR! GRRRRR!
Three more wolves snarled from the shadows, clearly unimpressed with Drake's little display.
Drake turned his head slowly toward them, twin pistols raised, lips curled in that trademark smirk.
"Don't be in a hurry, doggies," he said. "You'll be joining your buddies soon."
CRAACK!
He cracked his neck, eyes flickering with shadow energy.
"It's snack time, boys. Come. Get. Me."
The two wolves on the sides paused—then stepped backward, vanishing into the shadows between the trees.
"Backing down so soon?" Drake frowned. "What are you—cowards?"
He tilted his pistol under his chin, thinking.
"Wait, did I scare them off with my face? Nah. I'm too goofy-looking for that."
(Note: He still hasn't seen his own face.)
"They were totally fight-to-the-death types, but they just dipped?"
He blinked. "Sheesh! Now I just feel stupid for getting hyped up."
DING!
[Shadow Arsenal System]
Warning: Danger Approaches...
The translucent screen pulsed red in front of him.
"Danger?" Drake asked, squinting at the message.
PFFFT — SWWWWSH!
CRACK— CHOMP!
The two "retreating" wolves reappeared behind Drake in a burst of dark mist, their jaws snapping down like bear traps. Their fangs sank deep into his arms.
DING! DING! DING!
[SHADOW ARSENAL SYSTEM]
Alert: Danger! Health depleting rapidly.
HP: 70 / 100
If HP reaches 0, host will die permanently. No chance of revival. Eliminate threat immediately!
Drake flailed, eyes wide.
"If HP reaches zero, I'll die!?"
The wolves clung tighter, their bite pressure rising.
CRACK! CRUNCH!
"Oh God—it hurts like hell!"
[SHADOW ARSENAL SYSTEM]
ALERT: Health dangerously low.
HP: 50 / 100
Terminate hostile contact or face permanent death.
"GET OFF ME!" he screamed. "You're hurting Daddy!"
WSSSH! WSSSH! WSSSH! WSSSH!
He started spinning—twisting himself into a furious shadow-tornado, dragging the wolves along for the ride.
"Round and round we go, boys!"
WHIRL! WHOOSH! WHAM!
Like kids ejected from a malfunctioning rollercoaster, the wolves were flung off, tumbling and skidding into the dirt—dizzy, disoriented, and drooling like idiots.
"Phew!" Drake gasped. "They were sucking the life outta me—literally. Felt like shadow leeches on crack."
GRRR! GRAAH!
The wolves growled again, getting back on their feet.
"Bad doggies! Didn't your trainer tell you not to bite your owner?"
He wagged a finger like a disappointed dad.
"No doggy biscuits for you."
The wolves growled louder. They did not appreciate sarcasm.
"Fine, whatever. You mutts don't even know what real dog treats taste like. You've been chewing on raw meat your whole lives—how barbaric."
GRRRR! GRAAAAH!
Their growls got deeper. Patience: 0%.
Drake cracked his knuckles.
"Well then," he said, "since you won't repent, come catch these hands."
THUD-THUD-THUD!
The wolves bolted forward—like soccer moms sprinting for the last carton of eggs on a 20% discount.
Blood dripped from Drake's bite wounds, but thanks to his massive endurance stat, he could still move. Barely.
"Alright, first one to reach me wins a one-way ticket to death. Get hyped!"
GRRAAAH!
The wolves launched into the air, aiming their jaws at Drake's head.
WSSSSH!
Time slowed. Wind and shadow bent around him.
"Hah!"
With a rush of adrenaline, Drake summoned a dark pulse of mana beneath his feet—and stomped the ground like it insulted his mother.
BOOOOOOM!
CRAACK! WHOOSH!
The ground shattered. Fractures spidered outward as a violent shockwave lifted both wolves sky-high like ragdolls on a trampoline.
"Nice of you to drop in!" Drake shouted, launching himself after them.
GRRR! GRRR!
The wolves spun mid-air, meeting their airborne nemesis.
"What? I take the wrong flight?" he grinned.
"Since when do puppies fly? If gravity won't do its job—"
He raised his twin pistols.
"I will."
"PHANTOM SHOTS!"
TAH! TAH!
Two glowing bullets of compressed shadow mana tore from the barrels, trailing violet wisps of magic and sheer menace.
SWOOOSH!
The bullets curved through the air with perfect tracking.
THUD! BOOOOM!
ARRRR! ARRRRR!
The wolves crashed into the earth like wrecked meteorites. The impact blasted the ground open, dust and debris flying in every direction.
As the smoke settled, glowing text flickered into view:
[Feral Nightfang – HP: 0 | Mana: 0]
PUUUFF!
They disintegrated into shimmering pixels.
THUD!
Loot hit the ground with a satisfying metallic clink.
[SHADOW ARSENAL SYSTEM]
Combat Log:
• 2x Feral Nightfang Wolves – Eliminated
Loot Acquired:
• 2x Shadow Fangs
• 2x Wolf Hides
• 2x Raw Beast Meat
Status Update...
New Skill Acquired: [Parallel]
Skill: Parallel
Type: Shadow Technique
Mana Cost: 200 per clone
Duration: 50 seconds
Cooldown: 2 minutes
Effect:
Create 2–7 identical shadow clones.
Each clone mimics your movements, attacks, and can use your abilities.
Skills cast by clones will drain your mana at full cost.
Clones vanish when the timer ends or when defeated.
Note: Use with caution. Clones share your mana pool—reckless use can leave you dry mid-fight.
Level Up!
Class: Shadow Gunslinger [Lvl 3]
WHOOSH! THUD! THUD!
Drake landed clean, his shirt fluttering as the system screen blinked before his eyes.
"Sweet!" he grinned. "Another level up, more loot—and Parallel?"
He scratched his chin. "That sounds cool, but also terrifying. Like, imagine seven me burning through mana like an all-you-can-eat buffet."
He stared at the new icon glowing in the interface.
"It's awesome, sure—but I better stock up on mana potions before I turn this into a one-man boy band."
He looked down at his arms. The blood had slowed, thanks to his high endurance—but the pain was still there, throbbing like a bad drum solo.
"Still hurts like hell... but I'm alive, I leveled up, and I got paid."
He grinned.
"Not a bad day for a guy who just got bit like a chew toy."
GRRRR! GRAAH!
Another wolf stepped out from the shadows—bigger, meaner, and radiating pure menace. Its growl was deeper, darker. More calculated. Its eyes glowed like dying embers.
Drake blinked. "What—another one?"
This wasn't just another mutt from the pack. This one stood tall, scars stitched across its muscular frame like battle trophies. Its fur was darker, almost black, and faint trails of shadow ember flared off its body like smoke from a dying fire.
Its mere presence screamed "DO NOT APPROACH."
(Not that it literally had those words on its forehead... but it might as well have.)
"Woah…" Drake said, his tone dipping into mock awe. "Judging by your 'I've-seen-some-things' aura, you're the boss. The puppet master. The big puppy pulling the strings."
He gave a theatrical bow.
"How nice of you to finally drop in. Would you like a cup of coffee with your dramatic entrance?"
He smirked like a complete idiot—but behind that smirk, he knew this was no joke. This puppy meant business.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The wolf circled him slowly, growling low, sharp eyes never leaving Drake.
"Huh…" Drake muttered. "Something's off about this one…"
He watched the creature's calculated movement—no blind rage, no wild lunges. Just patience. Control.
"It's like it's studying me. Waiting. Watching. Like it's searching for a weak spot… so it can snap my head clean off."
Just imagining it sent a cold chill down his spine.
"Well," Drake said, shrugging. "I'll just blow this doggie's brains out and level up again. Easy."
He raised his pistols.
GRRR!... GRAAAH!.
The boss wolf growled—not out of rage, but in reaction. It had sensed the shift in his intent. But still… it didn't pounce. It kept watching.
DING! DING!
[SHADOW ARSENAL SYSTEM]
WARNING – ELITE THREAT DETECTED
Designation: Boss of the Pack – Feral Nightfang Alpha
Stats:
• HP: 625
• Mana: 200
• Bite Force: Can snap a full-grown human in two.
Classification: Rank C, Extremely Dangerous
DO NOT engage without preparation.
Bonus Rewards:
• Drops double the loot of a standard Feral Nightfang wolf.
• Increased EXP.
• High chance of Rare Skill Unlock.
Drake chuckled. "Boss, huh? 'Extremely dangerous,' huh?"
He spun his twin pistols with a grin, smoke curling off the barrels like they were itching to be fired.
"Please. Give me a break."
He pointed them forward, eyes gleaming with confidence—and maybe just a dash of insanity.
"I love me an afterparty—especially one that promises new skills, double loot, and a free level up written all over it."
GRAAAH!
The wolf roared, pawing the dirt as it prepared to charge.
Drake's grin widened.
"Let's play, Boss Man."
His eyes locked with the beast's. Twin shadows—one human, one beast—ready to collide.
Dark smoke coiled around his weapons, twitching like snakes eager to strike.