Chapter 58: The Dire Wolf

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: The Dire Wolf

The wolves charged.

Twelve of them. Gray. Sleek. Fast. Their paws pounded against the forest floor. Their growls filled the air. Their eyes glowed with hunger.

Daniel raised his gun. He fired.

The bullet hit the first wolf in the chest. It yelped. It stumbled. It fell.

He fired again. Another wolf went down.

Lyra fired beside him. Her shots were accurate. Precise. Two wolves dropped in quick succession.

Paul raised his staff. Wind swirled around him. He thrust the staff forward. A blast of wind shot out. It hit three wolves at once. They flew backward. They crashed into trees. They didn’t get up.

Fluffy disappeared. She merged with the shadows. She reappeared behind a wolf. Her daggers flashed. The wolf collapsed. She disappeared again.

The pack was thinning. Fast. The remaining wolves hesitated. They looked at each other. They looked at the Dire Wolf.

The Dire Wolf growled. Low. Deep. Commanding.

The wolves stopped retreating. They turned back. They charged again.

Daniel fired. Click. Empty.

He cursed. He reached for his second gun.

A wolf lunged at him. Jaws open. Teeth ready.

Daniel dodged. Barely. The wolf’s teeth snapped inches from his face. He stumbled back. He raised his gun. He fired.

The wolf dropped.

But two more were coming. Fast. Too fast.

Daniel made a decision.

He switched classes.

[Class Change: Shadow Scout]

The world shifted. His senses sharpened. His body felt lighter. Faster. He activated Shadow Step.

He disappeared.

The wolves skidded to a halt. They looked around. Confused. Snarling.

Daniel reappeared behind them. He drew his Shadow Daggers. He struck.

Two quick slashes. Two dead wolves.

He activated Shadow Step again. He disappeared. He reappeared behind another wolf. Another slash. Another kill.

The remaining wolves panicked. They ran. They fled into the forest.

Daniel stood in the clearing. His daggers dripped with blood. His breathing was heavy. But he was alive.

He switched back to Gunslinger. He summoned his guns. He reloaded.

Lyra ran to him. "Are you okay?"

Daniel nodded. "Fine. You?"

"Fine." She looked at the dead wolves. "That was... intense."

Paul walked over. He was breathing hard. His staff was still glowing. "Good work. But we’re not done."

Daniel followed his gaze.

The Dire Wolf was still there. It hadn’t moved. It hadn’t attacked. It had just watched. Its red eyes were fixed on Daniel.

It stepped forward. Slow. Deliberate. Its massive paws crushed the grass beneath them. Its teeth gleamed in the dim light.

"You killed my pack," it said.

Daniel froze.

It spoke. The wolf spoke.

"You killed my pack," it repeated. "Now I will kill you."

Paul stepped back. His face was pale. "It can talk?"

Lyra’s hands were shaking. "What is this?"

Daniel stared at the Dire Wolf. At its red eyes. At its massive form. At its sharp teeth.

He smiled. A cold, dangerous smile.

"Finally," he said. "A challenge."

The Dire Wolf growled. It crouched. It prepared to pounce.

Daniel raised his guns. He switched classes again.

[Class Change: Gunslinger]

He fired.

The bullets hit the Dire Wolf’s hide. They bounced off. Harmless.

Daniel’s eyes widened. "What the—"

The Dire Wolf laughed. A deep, rumbling laugh.

"Your weapons are useless," it said. "My hide is immune to your mortal attacks."

It pounced.

Daniel dove to the side. The Dire Wolf’s claws raked the ground where he had been standing. Dirt flew. Grass tore.

Daniel rolled. He came up firing. The bullets bounced off again.

"Paul!" he shouted. "Wind!"

Paul raised his staff. He thrust it forward. A blast of wind hit the Dire Wolf. It staggered. But it didn’t fall.

"Magic works," Paul said. "Physical attacks don’t."

Daniel nodded. He switched classes again.

[Class Change: Shadow Scout]

He activated Shadow Step. He disappeared. He reappeared behind the Dire Wolf. He slashed with his daggers.

The blades scraped against the hide. They didn’t penetrate.

"Shit," Daniel muttered.

The Dire Wolf spun. Its paw caught Daniel in the chest. He flew backward. He crashed into a tree. The trunk cracked. He slumped to the ground.

"Daniel!" Lyra screamed.

She fired. Her bullets bounced off. She fired again. Nothing.

The Dire Wolf turned to her. It growled.

"You’re next," it said.

Fluffy appeared. She slashed at its legs. Her daggers scraped. Nothing.

The Dire Wolf kicked. Fluffy flew. She hit the ground. She rolled. She didn’t get up.

Paul raised his staff. Wind swirled. He fired another blast. The Dire Wolf staggered. It turned to him.

"You’re annoying," it said.

It charged.

Paul dodged. Barely. He rolled. He came up. He fired again.

The Dire Wolf was slowed. But not stopped. It kept coming.

Daniel pushed himself up. His chest ached. His head spun. He looked at the Dire Wolf. At its glowing red eyes. At its impenetrable hide.

He needed something else. Something stronger.

He thought. His classes. Gunslinger. Shadow Scout. Harem Overlord.

Harem Overlord. The base class. The one that multiplied his stats.

Wait.

He could switch to Harem Overlord. It wasn’t a combat class. But it multiplied his stats. All of them. Ten times.

He switched.

[Class Change: Harem Overlord]

Power surged through him. His strength. His speed. His intelligence. Everything multiplied. He felt it. The raw power. The potential.

He stood up. He raised his fists. He ran at the Dire Wolf.

The Dire Wolf turned. It saw him coming. It laughed.

"What can you do without weapons?" it asked.

Daniel didn’t answer. He punched.

His fist connected with the Dire Wolf’s jaw. The impact was thunderous. The Dire Wolf’s head snapped to the side. It stumbled. It fell.

It looked up. Its red eyes were wide. Shocked.

"How..." it started.

Daniel didn’t let it finish. He punched again. And again. And again.

Each blow landed with the force of a battering ram. The Dire Wolf’s hide might have been immune to weapons. But it wasn’t immune to raw, amplified strength.

The Dire Wolf tried to fight back. It snapped. It clawed. But Daniel was too fast. Too strong. He dodged its attacks. He countered. He kept punching.

Finally, the Dire Wolf collapsed. Its body was broken. Its breathing was shallow. Its red eyes dimmed.

"You... you’re not human," it whispered.

Daniel stood over it. His fists were bloody. His chest was heaving.

"No," he said. "I’m not."

He raised his fist. One final blow.

The Dire Wolf’s eyes closed. Its body went still.

Daniel stood there. Breathing hard. The forest was silent.

Lyra ran to him. She threw her arms around him.

"You did it," she said. "You did it."

Paul limped over. He was holding his side. "That was... insane."

Fluffy crawled out of the bushes. She was bruised. But she was alive.

"Master is strong," she said.

Daniel looked at them. At his harem. At his friend. At his shadow.

He smiled. A tired, satisfied smile.

"Let’s go home," he said.