CH 15 Leveling Spree: The Finest Delicacy Known To All.

Ren’s arm stayed steady as he kept the spell aimed at the wolf’s chest. The Terror Wolf bared its teeth, revealing long white fangs, and its eyes locked onto Ren with clear hostility.

For a moment the forest went quiet.

Neither of them attacked.

Both of them stared at each other, waiting for the other side to make the first mistake.

Ren knew exactly how dangerous the situation was. The Terror Wolf was fast. He had already seen enough of its speed earlier to understand that much. If the monster lunged, it would cover the distance between them in less than a second. His spell would need to hit cleanly and immediately. If he missed, even slightly, there would not be time to cast another one before the monster reached him. And judging by the way the Terror Wolf’s eyes kept flicking toward the glowing spell in his hand, the monster seemed to understand the same thing. It was wary. The spell could be dodged, but it was strong enough that a hit could cause a lot of damage.

The Terror Wolf took a slow step forward, its claws pressing quietly into the soil. Ren’s fingers tightened around the spell formation. He was just about to release the Earth Bullet when Freya suddenly jumped between them.

“Stop it! What are you two doing!?”

Her voice cut through the tension like a crack of thunder. Ren’s focus didn’t break, and neither did the wolf’s. Both of them kept staring at each other past Freya’s figure. The situation hadn’t actually changed. The only difference now was that Freya was standing in the middle of it.

“Ren! Luna! Stop!” Freya shouted again, raising her hands as if trying to calm both sides.

Ren’s eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed something strange. The Terror Wolf wasn’t attacking Freya. The monster stood close enough to her that it could kill her in a single motion, yet it made no attempt to harm her. All of its hostility remained directed at him. The realization made Ren frown slightly. Had she somehow befriended the monster? That didn’t make any sense. Freya wasn’t a Beast Master. Even actual Beast Masters couldn’t easily tame a wild monster.

“Ren, Luna won’t attack, so please cancel your skills. She is agitated because of them,” Freya said, trying to sound calm even though there was tension in her voice.

Ren didn’t lower his hands. If anything, he pushed his Mana Zone even further outward, quietly scanning the surrounding forest again. The possibility that another Terror Wolf was hiding nearby was very real. He had no intention of getting ambushed.

As for the monster cooperating with Freya, a human, and listening to her? That idea alone sounded ridiculous. The more realistic explanation was that the wolf was simply using Freya as bait. There was also the possibility—however small—that Freya herself was somehow involved in a trap meant to feed him to the monster. That option seemed unlikely based on what he knew about her so far, but it still made more sense than believing she had actually befriended a monster.

“Ren, please,” Freya said again.

Ren didn’t take his eyes off the monster when he replied, “Look at that thing and tell me if I’m wrong for keeping my skills ready. If I lower my guard for even a second, it will rip me apart before I can react.”

Freya glanced back at the wolf and bit her lip as if realizing he wasn’t entirely wrong. Slowly, she raised her hands and gently held the Terror Wolf’s head. Her fingers sank slightly into the thick fur as she tried to calm the beast.

“Luna, can you please back down? He is my friend. He won’t hurt you. I promise.”

Blue lightning—Mechanic Force—flickered around her arms as she spoke. The Mechanic Force crawled along her skin in thin strands that briefly flashed around her eyes before fading again.

The Terror Wolf growled in response, but instead of continuing to glare at Ren, the monster shifted its attention toward Freya. Ren watched the change carefully. While the wolf was distracted, he took a very small step backward, hoping to create a bit more distance between them.

The Terror Wolf noticed instantly.

Its head snapped back toward Ren and its growl deepened as its body tensed again.

“Ren, why did you do that?” Freya said with clear frustration. “Now she thinks you’re trying to move away so you can attack from a distance! She was calming down!”

Ren ignored the complaint. He would be an idiot if he didn’t take that chance to move back. Before Freya could say something more, he asked. “Are you a Beast Tamer?”

“No. Of course not,” Freya answered, baffled.

“Then explain something to me. How exactly am I supposed to trust that the monster is listening to you?” he asked.

Freya frowned at the question. Ren continued before she could respond.

“Even if you were a Beast Tamer, I’d still be careful. But you’re not. You’re asking me to trust a wild monster because you say it won’t attack. I’m sorry, Freya, but I’m not risking my life because of that.”

Freya stared at him for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. “I’m not a Beast Master, but I can still communicate with Luna using my Aura. At least to some extent. Did you forget what I told you earlier? Martial Arts are languages, and Aura is the culmination of Martial Arts. When someone has strong Aura, it carries intent and emotions. That’s why communication through Aura is possible.”

Ren opened his mouth to argue, then stopped himself. He had been about to point out that she didn’t have Aura at all. What she used was Mechanic Force. But by now he had realized that arguing about that detail wasn’t going to lead anywhere useful. Freya genuinely believed she was a Martial Artist and could use Aura.

“Fine, show me proof and I’ll trust you,” Ren said after a moment.

Freya turned back toward the Terror Wolf again. The blue lightning of Mechanic Force flickered more actively around her arms this time.

“Luna, please back down. I promise he won’t hurt you. He has helped me several times already. He even saved my life,” she said gently.

The Terror Wolf growled again. Its posture remained tense for several seconds. Freya repeated herself, her voice patient and steady as the lightning continued to flicker faintly around her.

The Terror Wolf’s growl slowly faded.

The tension in its body eased as its muscles relaxed. Its teeth disappeared behind its lips as it stopped baring them.

Ren stared at the scene before his eyes in complete surprise.

The monster had actually backed down.

Freya turned toward him. “Ren, can you cancel your skills now?”

“…Okay,” he replied.

The Earth Bullet, Fire Bullet and Wind Wrap collapsed and dispersed into nothingness. However, he kept his Mana Zone active and remained ready to cast Wind Wrap on himself at a moment’s notice if the situation changed.

Freya let out a long sigh of relief before turning back to the Terror Wolf and hugging its face. The wolf lowered its head and leaned into the embrace while its tail slowly swished behind it.

“I missed you. But what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you have left with the rest of the monsters?” Freya asked with a small smile.

The Terror Wolf made several low growling sounds in response.

Ren watched the interaction carefully before asking, “What is it saying?”

“She says there’s something important here. I can’t fully understand everything though, so I’m not sure what exactly she means by ‘important,’” she answered.

The Terror Wolf suddenly raised its head and looked directly at Ren. Its eyes narrowed slightly as it gave a low growl. Maybe it was just Ren’s imagination, but the monster seemed to dislike him quite a bit.

“Don’t worry. He is a good guy,” Freya said while gently patting its head.

The wolf made a quiet whining sound in response.

Freya chuckled softly as she scratched under its chin. “It’s okay, Luna. Ren and I have been together for only one day, but I trust him. He has earned it.”

The Terror Wolf whined again, and Freya smiled before continuing,

“Let’s not talk about the past. How about you come with us instead? This place is getting dangerous. More monsters will start coming out of the Window soon. Since you’re already staying here, it would be safer if we stayed together.”

The Terror Wolf slowly circled around her while listening.

Ren noticed Freya’s expression stiffen slightly as time passed.

She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, then stopped. After a moment she forced a small smile and nodded.

“Okay then. If you’re going to stay here, we won’t try to stop you,” she said.

She turned toward Ren.

“Come on. We should head back to the Window. The next batch of monsters will probably start coming out soon.”

Freya had barely taken a single step when the Terror Wolf moved in front of her. It pushed its snout firmly into her chest, forcing her to step backward. Freya stumbled slightly in surprise as the wolf pressed forward again, this time whining softly while nudging her away from the direction they had been walking. Even Ren, who had couldn’t understand the monster’s body language, could immediately tell what it was trying to do. The Terror Wolf was telling her not to go any further, and to leave this forest.

Freya placed a hand on the wolf’s head, trying to stop it from pushing her back again.

“We can’t leave. We need to get stronger,” she said, shaking her head while gently pushing the animal’s snout aside. The Terror Wolf whined again, this time louder and more insistent, but Freya raised her hand slightly and cut the sound off before it could continue. “Aren’t you staying here too? If you’re so worried about me, then you can just come with us.”

The Terror Wolf froze for a moment after hearing that. Its eyes remained fixed on Freya’s face, and for a brief moment the two simply looked at each other without moving. Then the wolf slowly turned around and began walking away.

It didn’t leave immediately. Instead, it walked only a short distance before stopping at the very edge of Ren and Freya’s vision. From there it looked back once, its gaze lingering for a moment before it quietly disappeared between the trees. Freya bit her lip as she watched it go. She tried to keep her expression neutral, but the disappointment was obvious. Ren didn’t say anything, though he had clearly noticed the reaction. Freya eventually looked away from the direction where Luna had vanished and took a small breath before speaking again,

“Let’s go.”

The two of them began walking back toward the Window without saying anything further. Ren kept his Mana Zone active while they walked, habitually scanning the surrounding area for monsters, but his thoughts were already focused on the strange interaction they had just witnessed. Only after they had completely left the area where they met the Terror Wolf did he finally speak.

“What was that all about? How do you even know that monster?” he asked.

“It’s a long story,” she said.

“I have all the time in the world,” Ren replied as he walked beside her.

Freya glanced sideways at him. When she saw that he clearly wasn’t going to drop the subject, she let out a small sigh before finally beginning to explain,

“Last month I nearly died while trying to help the awakener who arrived in the Salt Sea region. Things went very badly back then. I was injured pretty badly and covered in blood. Even after I managed to escape the Salt Sea itself, the blood on my body kept attracting monsters. Back then I didn’t have the white dust with me yet, so I had no way to remove the scent immediately. I had to keep running from the monsters that were chasing me.”

Freya slowed her pace slightly as she continued speaking, her attention clearly drifting toward the memories she was describing.

“Eventually I stumbled onto a cave near this forest and hid inside it to rest. That’s where I met Luna. She was already inside the cave when I arrived. She was injured too. From what I managed to learn later, it seemed her pack had thrown her out after nearly killing her. She was hiding there and trying to recover. At the time she didn’t attack me, probably because she didn’t have the strength to do it. And I was…”

Freya stopped mid-sentence.

It seemed some terrible memories had been brought up. She eventually continued,

“I was lonely, Ren. I was really lonely. So instead of killing her like most awakeners would have done, I tried talking to her. She listened. Of course, she did. She didn’t have the strength to move, or attack me. She could only listen. I started bringing food to her whenever I could find some. It wasn’t easy because there were monsters everywhere, but I kept doing it. I figured that as long as she stayed alive, I’d have someone to talk to.”

A faint smile appeared on her lips as she remembered those days. “It was actually nice for a while. Luna slowly started responding to me more clearly. She didn’t try to attack me even after she recovered, and later she even helped me cross the Terror Wolves’ territory. I would never have been able to reach the valley entrance without her help. The rest of the pack would have torn me apart long before I got that far.”

Freya paused again before letting out a quiet breath.

“But maybe it was because she had already been thrown away once. She worked really hard to get stronger again. And once she finally did… She left. She returned to her pack. And I was alone again.”

Ren had a lot of questions. Anyone would. But after hearing the intensity of emotions in those words, he couldn’t bring himself to dissect her words and demand answers.

The two of them walked the rest of the way to the Window in silence. The Window eventually came into view between the trees, its unstable light flickering softly as the energy within it continued to build. They returned to the position they had been using earlier and waited. As time passed Ren noticed Freya occasionally glancing back toward the forest behind them, toward the direction where Luna had disappeared. She tried not to make it obvious, but the repeated glances were difficult to miss.

“What did it say?” Ren asked after a while.

“What?” Freya looked at him.

“When you asked the Terror Wolf to come with us. What did it say?” he questioned.

“…she said she couldn’t come with us because she has something to do here, and that it would leave the forest soon, so I shouldn’t worry about it. But… I doubt she was saying the truth. If she stayed behind even if it meant leaving the pack, there must be a reason,” she replied.

Ren nodded and turned his attention back to the Window. “Luna” staying in the forest was weird since its pack had left, and it made sense Freya was thinking about it, but the Window was far more important right now. It was their ticket to leveling up, and despite the opportunity it brought, the danger was just as prominent.

About an hour earlier the Window had released seven Huntscale Vipers at once. That number had been high. Of course the amount wasn’t fixed. Sometimes the Window would release only two monsters. Sometimes five. The exact number was random, but the overall trend was clear. As time passed, the number of monsters would gradually increase.

Eventually the flow would become too much for them to handle.

When that happened they would leave.

Neither Ren nor Freya was foolish enough to believe they could fight indefinitely without eventually being overwhelmed.

“They are here,” Ren muttered.

The Window trembled violently as light burst outward from its surface. Four shapes formed within the portal before quickly solidifying as they emerged.

Four Huntscale Vipers slid onto the ground.

Ren frowned immediately.

Four was pushing their limit.

He was about to suggest retreating when Freya suddenly dashed forward.

Ren’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected her to move.

Freya reached the monsters in seconds and swung her sword toward the nearest one. The Huntscale Vipers had already noticed her approach and easily dodged the strike. Two of the snakes instantly lunged toward her from behind.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author’s consent. Report any sightings.

One of them never reached her.

Its head exploded.

The sharp crack caused by Ren’s spell echoed through the clearing as pieces of scale and flesh scattered across the ground. Freya blocked the second snake’s strike with her blade, but before she could recover the tail of a third Huntscale Viper slammed into her side. The impact sent her flying several meters across the ground. She rolled once before forcing herself back onto her feet while the three remaining snakes rapidly slithered toward her.

Another Spell Bullet flew.

A second head exploded.

The remaining two Huntscale Vipers hesitated for a brief moment. One lunged at Freya with its mouth open while the other turned its head slightly, trying to locate the unseen attacker.

Freya stepped forward instead of retreating.

She swung the sword upward, slicing into the lower jaw of the lunging snake. The blade tore through the soft flesh beneath its mouth. Before the creature could recover she stepped in and finished it with a second strike that severed its head completely. The last Huntscale Viper turned back toward her. Just as its attention shifted away from the forest…

Another Spell Bullet tore through the air.

Its head exploded instantly.

Silence returned to the clearing.

Freya stood there for a moment, breathing heavily.

A few seconds later Ren stepped out from behind the trees.

His expression was far from pleased as he walked toward her.

“Why did you approach them so recklessly? We already agreed that we wouldn’t fight more than three Huntscale Vipers at once,” he said firmly.

Although the battle had lasted only a few seconds, the pressure had been intense. Ren knew very well that if even one of those shots had missed, Freya would have died. Huntscale Vipers’ movements were fast, their reactions were sharp, and their venom was deadly. Even the smallest miscalculation could have turned the short clash into a disaster.

Freya dropped onto her rear with a heavy breath and held her side while trying to steady herself. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she struggled to recover from the sudden burst of exertion.

“I…” she began between breaths. “Three was because of my injury from the Ironhide Goral. But I’m more or less healed now, so I thought—”

“Healed? You just got hit in the exact same place again. Can you even fight anymore?” Ren cut her off coldly before she could finish the explanation.

Freya remained silent. She kept one hand pressed against her side and looked down at the ground as if thinking about how to respond. Ren felt irritation rising in his chest. His first instinct was to raise his voice and scold her properly, but he stopped himself before doing so. Anger would only make things worse. They were already operating in a dangerous area, and arguments between teammates were the fastest way to reduce their chances of survival. Ren slowly exhaled and forced the irritation down before speaking again in a calmer tone.

“Sigh… just tell me what that was about,” he said.

“I thought we could win—”

“Freya,” Ren interrupted again, this time more firmly but without raising his voice. “If you’re not going to be honest with me, then we should break this team up right now. I cannot leave my back exposed to someone who decides to change the plan in the middle of a fight.”

Freya’s fingers tightened slightly against her side as she continued looking at the ground. When she finally spoke again, her voice was noticeably quieter.

“…I was worried about Luna.”

“What do you mean?” Ren frowned.

“If she stays in this forest until tomorrow and doesn’t leave before the Window breaks, she’ll die to the Huntscale Vipers that come out of it. I wanted to kill as many of them as possible to reduce the danger for her.”

She bit her lip after saying that, clearly aware that her reasoning wasn’t exactly sound.

After noticing Ren’s silence, she hurried to add another thought,

“Luna is strong. If we can convince her to come with us, you could make her your second beast.”

“I’m not making her my second beast,” Ren replied immediately.

Freya looked up at him. She opened her mouth, trying to convince him, but he spoke first,

“I might have considered it if the Terror Wolf were young. But it’s already fully grown. Its potential has already peaked. Even if I took it as my second contracted beast, the long-term benefit would be limited.”

Freya’s shoulders dropped slightly after hearing that. It was clear she had hoped Ren would help her persuade Luna to come along. Realizing that he had no such intention visibly dampened her mood. Ren watched her expression for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.

“The Terror Wolf should already know that Huntscale Vipers are coming out of that Window. If it’s still choosing to stay in this forest, then it has its own reasons. There’s nothing we can do about that,” he said.

“…I know,” Freya murmured.

“Then stop trying to be stupid. Your priority should be staying alive. Now come on, stand up. We don’t have much time,” he said.

Freya hesitated before taking his hand. Ren pulled her up carefully, though she winced slightly when putting weight on her injured side. Even with high Constitution, taking two hits in the same place within a short period of time was never pleasant. Ren watched her for a moment to confirm that she could still move properly before turning his attention toward the battlefield.

“Sit in a shade and rest. I’ll deal with the monster Cores,” he said.

Freya nodded and leaned against a nearby tree while Ren walked over to the corpses of the Huntscale Vipers. He worked quickly and efficiently, extracting the monster cores before tossing the emptied bodies aside. Once he finished, the two of them moved much farther away from the Window and hid among the trees.

They had chosen this position carefully. The Window was beginning to release too many monsters for them to fight safely. Staying nearby would only increase the risk of being detected. From this distance, however, monsters emerging from the portal were far less likely to notice them, and they could leave immediately if the monsters were too many to handle.

They should’ve left already, but they didn’t.

There was still a possibility that the Window might release only one or two monsters during the next cycle.

So they waited.

Half an hour passed slowly as they watched the glowing portal from a distance. When the Window trembled and light burst outward, five Huntscale Vipers slid out of the portal and spread across the ground.

Ren and Freya exchanged a brief glance.

Neither of them spoke.

Then they quietly turned around and retreated.

The decision was immediate. The moment they confirmed that the Window had begun releasing five or more monsters regularly at once, both of them understood that staying any longer would be unnecessary risk. They began heading toward the valley instead.

Freya was still injured and clearly exhausted from the previous fights. Ren himself was not in perfect condition either. Casting spells repeatedly placed strain on the mind, and mental fatigue could easily lead to mistakes during combat. Fighting a group of four or five Huntscale Vipers in that state would almost certainly result in injuries. And injuries in a place like this often meant death sooner or later.

Huntscale Vipers carried potent venom. A single bite was more than enough to kill if treatment wasn’t applied quickly.