Riley's gaze remained locked on the alpha wolf charging toward him.
His breath slowed, and in that small, sharpened moment—he activated his skill again.
"Stealth."
His body shimmered and vanished once more, just as the wolf closed in within a blink of an eye.
Its jaws snapped open, fangs gleaming with a bloodthirsty hunger, aimed right at where Riley's head had just been.
But Riley wasn't there anymore.
He had already moved to the side, his body tilting at just the right angle.
Snap!
The wolf's jaws closed around empty air with a loud snap, sending a sharp jolt to its brain.
The beast crashed onto the forest floor with a low thud, the weight of its body rustling the grasses and stirring up a cloud of dust.
It growled, furious, and turned immediately—its sharp eyes narrowing as it locked onto Riley's faint shimmering figure.
Then it bolted after him.
Riley didn't stop to fight. With the monster faster and stronger than him, he would stand no chance in a close out fight.
Instead, he took off running, weaving through the forest in a zig-zag motion.
His feet barely touched the ground as he darted between roots and low shrubs, and the monster's growls grew louder behind him.
The wolf's pace became increasingly erratic, enraged by Riley's strange actions.
Every time it thought it had a clean angle to strike, Riley swerved or twisted just out of reach.
The alpha's fury grew, and so did its speed—it crashed through low branches and snapped twigs underfoot, determined to tear Riley apart.
Riley's eyes flicked to the side for just a second.
The wounded wolf—the one he'd crippled with a spike earlier—was still limping nearby, blood matting its hind leg.
It kept rolling on the ground, trying to remove the spike lodged in its leg, but it was futile, since its head couldn't reach it.
Riley didn't waste too much time observing the wounded wolf, not when alpha was closing in behind him.
'It's fast!' He thought, his gaze sharpening. 'I don't have much time before it catches up!'
He turned his head forward, spotting a tall, thick tree just meters ahead—its bark wide and firm, with a smooth trunk that stretched up toward the canopy.
Riley's mind clicked instantly.
'That'll work.'
He dashed toward the tree with everything he had, pushing his legs to the limit. His daggers were quickly sheathed, freeing his hands to aid his momentum.
Behind him, the alpha growled and lunged forward again, claws raking the earth, eyes burning with the desire to kill.
But Riley was already shifting sideways.
The wolf's pounce missed by inches.
He could feel the wind from its leap brushing against his back as he reached the tree.
Then—
He leapt.
His foot struck the bark, and he ran two quick steps up the trunk, using the force of his momentum to carry him higher.
And then he flipped.
His body twisted through the air in a swift backflip, a blur of motion and adrenaline.
Boom!
The wolf lunged at him again— only to crash full force into the thick tree trunk.
Its snout slammed against the bark, the impact echoing through the forest, with a few birds scattering into the sky.
Riley chuckled smugly at this, his lips curling into a slight smirk.
But still, he made sure not to take his eyes away from the wolf, knowing very well how risky that would be.
Grrr!
The alpha shook off the impact with surprising speed, its thick hide absorbing most of the blow.
It snarled in pain—but there was no hesitation. The moment it saw Riley mid-air, it sprang upward in a furious lunge.
Its fangs gleamed, mouth wide open, aiming to take Riley's life before he even landed.
'Bad choice wolf.'
Riley's right hand shot forward.
'Spike shot!'
Swoosh!
A thin, brown spike burst from his palm with a sharp whistle and shot straight into the beast's open maw.
The wolf had no time to react.
The spike tore through its mouth, slicing deep into the back of its throat.
—84! [Critical Hit!]
A bright red notification flashed above its head as the creature's body twitched mid-air.
Blood burst from its mouth as it landed heavily on the ground, its limbs buckling beneath it.
It writhed once.
Then twice.
Its eyes bulged, and it spat out another mouthful of blood, thick and steaming.
The beast let out a choking, wet gurgle, staggering on its front paws.
Its hind legs gave out entirely, and it collapsed to the ground in a heap of blood and muscle, still twitching as more blood poured from its throat.
Its growl faded to a rasp.
Then—silence.
But Riley didn't lower his guard.
He landed softly on the forest floor, boots pressing into the dirt as he rolled with the momentum, immediately reaching for his daggers again.
The alpha wolf was still alive—barely.
Its bloodied mouth opened and closed, trying to snarl, trying to bite, but all that came out were coughs and splatters of blood.
"Good night little wolf." Riley muttered, throwing a dagger at the wolf.
The dagger stabbed into the wolf's head, and its body immediately went still, lying in a pool of its own blood.
[You have killed level 6 Dire Wolf!]
[+60EXP]
[Item Drop: Swift Boots(Uncommon)]
A pair of boots immediately materialised above the wolf's body, landing on the ground with a soft clang.
'Ohh.' Riley thought, walking towards the dead monster, before picking up the boots.
They were dark gray in colour, with a thin white strip running along the sides.
[Swift Boots(Uncommon)]
[Description: A pair of boots formed from an alpha wolf's fur. Grants +10 to Agility.]
[Do you want to Equip 'Swift Boots'?]
[Yes/No]
'Yes.' Riley thought, and the boots immediately vanished into thin air, reappearing on his feet.
The boots fit perfectly, their interior snug against his legs.
He could even feel his agility rise slightly the moment he equipped them, and he smirked in excitement.
Grrr!!!
A loud growl suddenly echoed in the forest, but it didn't come from any beast, but his stomach.
'Argh…' Riley grunted, clutching his abdomen with one hand. 'I'm so hungry… again.'
His gaze drifted down to the body of the alpha wolf, and he licked his lips.