Chapter 102: Fucking Mutt

"Holy fuck—!"

The piercing shriek nearly made Kyle freeze in his tracks. His heart slammed against his chest, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!"

He almost screamed at the top of his lungs, barely managing to suppress his voice. For a moment, he genuinely feared he might shit himself after hearing that terrifying sound coming from somewhere to his right.

"Fuck... I need to get out of here," he muttered under his breath.

Kyle forced himself to move, carefully placing his feet to avoid stepping on dry branches or crunching fallen leaves. Whatever had made that noise, he had no intention of attracting its attention.

*Step.*

*Step.*

*Huff... huff...*

Running on his toes while trying to remain quiet was exhausting. His calves burned, his thighs ached, and his breathing grew increasingly ragged. He had already been walking for hours, yet the forest seemed to have no end.

The System had told him the nearest settlement was approximately six hours away. He had been walking for far longer than expected, and there was still no sign of civilization.

Not a single light, road, or a simple clearing. Just endless amount of the fucking trees.

"Fuck... where the fuck is it?"

After another half hour, Kyle finally stopped. He bent forward, hands resting on his knees, and desperately tried to catch his breath.

He had to be a safe distance from whatever had produced that shriek. At least, that was what he hoped.

Opening his inventory, he retrieved a Basic Energy Drink he had purchased before his journey.

"Thank God I bought this."

He swallowed its contents.

[You have consumed ’Basic Energy Drink’.]

[Following Stats have been changed temporarily.]

[STAMINA: 12 (+3)]

[VITALITY: 8 (+2)]

A surge of energy spread through his body almost immediately. The heaviness in his limbs diminished, and his exhaustion became considerably more manageable.

"Oh yeah, that’s the stuff!"

Kyle straightened, adjusted his headlamp, and resumed running.

He desperately wanted to escape this forest before nightfall completely swallowed it.

Unfortunately, the forest had other plans.

*WHOOSH!*

Something burst out of the darkness.

"Wha—"

Kyle barely had time to turn before a massive creature slammed into him, sending him crashing onto the ground.

"GAH!"

Pain shot through his back. Before he could scramble away, an enormous weight pinned him down. With a hot, foul-smelling breath washed across his face.

Kyle slowly raised his eyes.

A gigantic wolf stared down at him.

Its dark fur blended almost perfectly with the surrounding shadows, while its muscular body was comparable in size to a large tiger. Curved claws dug into the earth beside his torso, and its enormous jaws revealed rows of razor-sharp teeth.

But its eyes were the worst part.

They glowed a sinister blood-red.

"AHHHHH! GET THE FUCK OFF ME!"

Kyle struggled desperately, pushing against the creature’s chest. His efforts accomplished absolutely nothing. The wolf barely seemed to notice him thrashing beneath its weight.

Then it lowered its head.

*Grrrrrrr...*

"Wait! Wait! We can talk about this!"

The beast opened its jaws.

"APPARENTLY NOT!"

Kyle immediately shouted at his System.

"SCAN THIS FUCKING THING!"

[Scanning target...]

[Target identified.]

[Bloodfang Wolf]

[Species: Magical Beast]

[Rank: Low-Level Beast]

[Threat Assessment: Dangerous to ordinary humans.]

[Primary Attributes: Strength, Agility, Bite Force.]

[Abilities: Blood Scent, Enhanced Night Vision.]

[Warning: Target is hostile.]

Kyle stared at the notification.

’Low-level beast?’

"LOW-LEVEL?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

If this was considered a low-level beast, what the hell did the high-level ones look like?

Before he could contemplate that horrifying question, the wolf lunged.

Kyle jerked his head sideways, but its teeth caught his shoulder.

*CRUNCH!*

"AAAAAAAAAGH!"

Pain exploded through his body.

The wolf’s fangs pierced his flesh, tearing through his shirt as warm blood spread across his shoulder. Kyle screamed and hammered his fist against the creature’s head, but the beast refused to release him.

’I’m going to fucking die!’

His mind raced.

He couldn’t overpower it. He couldn’t outrun it while it was on top of him, and he certainly couldn’t reason with a monster that was trying to eat him.

Then he remembered his inventory.

"Mana bomb! NOW!"

A small, dark object materialized in his free hand.

Kyle desperately shoved it toward the wolf’s face, hoping to make it retreat. Instead, the beast snarled and snapped its jaws at him again.

"System! How the fuck do I activate this thing?!"

[Activation requires the infusion of a small amount of mana.]

Kyle’s eyes widened.

’Of course!’

He already knew how to manipulate mana and use his skills. He had practiced them enough to understand their basic applications and limitations. But being pinned beneath a gigantic magical beast while its teeth hovered inches from his face was hardly an ideal situation for calmly casting spells.

"FUCKING HELL!"

The Bloodfang Wolf slammed its head against his chest, knocking the breath out of him.

Kyle’s grip on the mana bomb nearly loosened.

’Fuck this! I’m not dying here!’

He had barely arrived in this world. He hadn’t seen a city, met another human, or even begun exploring what this world had to offer.

He had prepared for this journey, spent thousands of System Points, and left messages for the people waiting for him back home.

There was no fucking way he was dying on his first day within the first few hours.

Clenching his teeth, Kyle focused his mana into his palm. The familiar sensation of energy flowing through his body returned almost immediately.

The mana bomb vibrated as energy flowed into it, and a dim glow spread across its surface.

[Low-Grade Mana Bomb: Activated.]

"Holy shit!"

The wolf raised its head, momentarily distracted by the strange object.

Kyle seized his opportunity.

"EAT THIS, YOU FUCKING MUTT!"

He shoved the bomb against the creature’s shoulder and threw himself sideways.

*BOOOOM!*

A violent explosion tore through the forest.

The blast hurled Kyle across the ground, sending dirt, leaves, and broken vegetation flying in every direction. He slammed against the base of a tree, pain shooting through his back as his ears rang.

For several seconds, he could barely hear anything.

He forced his eyes open.

Smoke drifted through the beam of his fallen headlamp.

Several meters away, the Bloodfang Wolf lay amid the debris. Its fur was singed, and blood stained its side.

’Did I kill it?’

Then the creature moved.

Its legs trembled as it struggled upright, but soon it was standing again, its blood-red eyes fixed on him.

"...You’re still alive?"

[Target condition: Injured.]

[Recommendation: Avoid direct confrontation.]

"NO FUCKING SHIT!"

The Bloodfang Wolf charged again.

Kyle barely had time to react before the beast slammed into him, knocking him onto his back. Its enormous paws pressed against his chest as its jaws snapped dangerously close to his face.

"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"

Kyle thrust both hands against its muzzle, desperately keeping its teeth away from his throat.

The creature’s strength was terrifying. Even with his enhanced stamina, he could barely hold it back.

’Think motherfucker!!’

He wasn’t helpless. He had four skills he could use in combat, and unlike his pathetic attempt to overpower the wolf, those skills actually gave him a chance.

The problem was finding an opportunity to use them.

The wolf struck him with its paw.

Something around his neck flashed.

*CRACK!*

The Amulet of Light shattered instantly.

Tiny fragments scattered across his chest and fell into the dirt. A faint golden shimmer enveloped him for a fraction of a second before disappearing.

[Amulet of Light has been destroyed.]

[Defensive effect: Terminated.]

Kyle stared at the notification in disbelief.

"MY FUCKING AMULET!"

He had spent System Points on that thing specifically to protect himself!

And it had broken after a single attack!

What the fuck was the point of buying it, then?!"

Unfortunately, the wolf wasn’t considerate enough to give him time to mourn his financial loss.

Its jaws snapped again.

Kyle twisted violently, narrowly avoiding the bite. Its teeth caught his sleeve instead, ripping the fabric apart.

He immediately reached into his inventory.

"Healing potion!"

A small bottle appeared in his hand. Kyle yanked out the stopper and swallowed its contents while scrambling away from the creature.

[You have consumed ’Low-Grade Healing Potion’.]

Warmth spread through his wounded shoulder. The bleeding slowed, and the pain eased slightly, though the injury remained far from healed.

At least he could move his arm again.

Kyle scrambled to his feet, putting some distance between himself and the wolf.

The Bloodfang Wolf staggered, its injured forelimb trembling beneath its weight. The mana bomb had clearly hurt it, but not enough to stop it from fighting.

Kyle glanced at his inventory.

Nine mana bombs remained and fourteen healing potions and absolutely no defensive equipment.

"Okay," he muttered, keeping his eyes fixed on the beast.

"Okay, Let’s do this properly."

He had already wasted one mana bomb and nearly gotten himself killed in the process. He wasn’t going to repeat that mistake.

His fingers flexed as mana began circulating through his body.

"Silk Touch. Earth Shield. Mana Missile. Water Prison."

He knew how to use every one of them.