"Is that… supposed to be a good thing?" one of the Lizardfolk guards muttered, scanning the treeline. His partner frowned too, finally noticing what had been bothering him—there weren't even any bugs chirping. Just the soft rustle of leaves in the wind.

"Could it be… something dangerous nearby?" the other guard asked, unease creeping into his voice.

He had no idea just how right he was.

Behind him, a massive black shadow had silently crept up, looming like a nightmare. A heavy paw, thick with fur and claws, suddenly landed on his shoulder.

"Huh?" The Lizardfolk guard felt a sudden weight press down on him. He glanced sideways—and froze.

A huge, furry paw was resting on his left shoulder.

What the hell?

His heart lurched. Instinctively, he turned his head to look—

And in that instant, a blast of hot, fetid breath hit his face. A gaping maw filled with jagged teeth lunged straight at him.

CRUNCH!

The beast's fangs sank effortlessly into his neck, then twisted savagely—ripping his head clean off.

Blood sprayed in a wide arc as his headless body collapsed to the ground.

"Wh—"

His partner stood frozen in shock, eyes wide, staring at the blood-drenched creature now holding the severed head in its jaws.

It was a direwolf. A massive one. Its yellow eyes gleamed with feral hunger as it slowly advanced, blood dripping from its muzzle.

The remaining guard trembled, legs shaking uncontrollably as he stumbled backward in terror.

But behind him, in the darkness, more eyes began to glow—cold, green, and countless.

"Wraaaaoooohhh…"

A low, guttural howl echoed through the trees, sending a chill down his spine.

He turned, and his heart stopped.

They were surrounded.

Dozens—no, hundreds—of direwolves had emerged from the shadows, their hulking forms blending into the forest like living nightmares. This wasn't just a random attack.

It was a coordinated ambush.

From the darkness, a particularly massive direwolf stepped forward. Its body was thick with muscle, its fur matted with old blood. Saliva dripped from its fangs as it lowered its head, eyes locked on the trembling Lizardfolk.

The guard couldn't breathe. His mind screamed in panic.

"Why… why are you attacking our stronghold?"

A voice—no, a thought—echoed in his mind, deep and ancient.

"Because I smell humans. Your tribe harbors them. By the will of the Wild God, I have come to purge the unclean."

It was the Alpha Direwolf. A beast so evolved it could communicate through thought, leading a pack of thousands with intelligence and purpose.

And with that, it gave the signal.

"AWOOOOOO—!"

The Alpha's howl split the night—and the forest exploded into chaos.

Direwolves surged from the shadows like a tidal wave of fur and fangs. The Lizardfolk guard didn't even have time to scream before he was torn apart, his body crushed beneath the stampede.

The once-silent night erupted into screams, snarls, and the wet, sickening sounds of flesh being ripped open.

Lizardfolk warriors rushed to respond, but they were overwhelmed. One by one, they were tackled, pinned, and shredded by the relentless pack. Blood soaked the earth. Cries of agony filled the air. The stronghold was being torn apart.

"Something's wrong!"

Back beneath the tree roots, Aria was still chained up, her face pale with panic. Her wide eyes scanned the darkness, catching glimpses of massive shapes moving through the trees—slashing, biting, killing.

The stench of blood was already thick in the air.

Moments later, a panicked Lizardfolk came sprinting past her, screaming for help.

"Help! The Direwolf Pack is attacking!"

But before he could get far, a direwolf lunged from the shadows, slamming into him from behind. Its jaws clamped down on his skull with a sickening crack, crushing it like a melon.

It chewed a few times, then tilted its head back and swallowed.

Aria heard every crunch. The sound of bone being ground between teeth made her stomach twist. Her skin crawled. Her breath caught in her throat.

This wasn't a nightmare.

This was real.

And it was happening right in front of her.

Then, the direwolf turned.

Its blood-slicked muzzle lifted, and its glowing eyes locked onto her.

Aria's heart stopped.

"No… no, please…"

She shrank back instinctively, the chains around her wrists clinking as she moved. Her breath came in shallow gasps.

The direwolf growled low in its throat, a deep, rumbling sound that vibrated through the ground. It began to stalk toward her, one slow step at a time, eyes never leaving hers.

She could see the blood still dripping from its chin. Its lips curled back, revealing rows of jagged teeth.

It was going to kill her.

Or worse.

The beast crouched low, muscles coiling.

Then it leapt—straight at her.

Aria trembled uncontrollably, instinctively turning her head away and squeezing her eyes shut. She couldn't bear to watch. Her breath caught in her throat.

Splurt!

A wet, metallic crunch rang out—steel grinding against bone—followed by a warm splash of blood across her cheek. The coppery stench hit her instantly.

Then came a voice, casual and laced with annoyance, right beside her ear.

"Tch. Look at you. Scared stiff already? What a wimp."

Her eyes fluttered open.

Ricky stood in front of her, katana in hand, the massive corpse of the direwolf sprawled at his feet—headless, twitching, blood pooling beneath it.

He'd killed it. The beast that had been about to rip her apart was dead.

"I—I wasn't scared!" Aria blurted out, trying to save face, though her voice cracked halfway through.

The danger had passed, but her heart was still racing. She let out a shaky breath, trying to calm herself.

Ricky gave her a slow once-over, smirking. "You're shaking like a leaf, but still trying to act tough."

"???"

Aria blinked, cheeks flushing hot. For a second, she couldn't tell if he was teasing her about being scared—or implying something way more inappropriate.

Her heart skipped a beat. She bit her lip, furious at herself for reacting. Why does he have to say it like that…

Ricky casually lifted the katana, admiring the blade. "Gotta say though… your sword's pretty damn nice."

Aria: "…"

She didn't know whether to thank him or slap him.

Not far off, the Lizardfolk Chieftain came stumbling out of the shadows, panic etched deep into his weathered face. His eyes widened in horror at the sight of his warriors being torn apart. He slapped his thigh in frustration, his voice cracking with desperation.

The tribe had just barely survived a massacre by parasitic monsters—and now, before they could even recover, they were under siege again. This time by the Direwolf Pack.

Their already dwindling numbers were being wiped out.

What kind of cursed fate is this?

"Chieftain! These wolves are too strong—we can't hold them off!" Kragg came limping over, blood streaking down his scales, deep claw marks across his chest. His voice was ragged, breath short.

More Lizardfolk warriors followed, retreating in terror, their faces pale with fear. They'd been slaughtered so brutally, their morale was shattered.

And then, from the darkness, the Direwolves emerged.

One by one, hulking shadows stepped into the firelight. At the front was the Alpha Direwolf—massive, muscular, the size of a damn bison. Its presence alone radiated menace, its eyes glowing with cold intelligence.

The Chieftain's face hardened. He stepped forward, voice sharp. "Must you really wipe us out completely?"

The Alpha's response came not in words, but in thought—clear, cold, and absolute.

"You sheltered a human. You defied the will of the Wild God. You must be purged."

The Chieftain froze.

He'd just pledged loyalty to Ethan earlier that day. No other race should've known about it.

And yet, here they were—attacked the very same night.

Could it be… the gods really do see all? The thought chilled him to the bone. According to Xenorift legend, the gods were omniscient, all-seeing beings who governed the balance of the world.

Was this divine punishment?

"AWOOOOOO—!"

The Alpha howled again, cutting off his thoughts. The signal was clear.

Kill them all.

The Direwolf Pack snarled in unison, baring their fangs. Then they charged—like arrows loosed from a bow, a wall of fur and fury.

The Chieftain had no choice. He drew his weapon and shouted, "Fall back! Defend the heart of the stronghold!"

Kragg and the remaining warriors rallied behind him, trying to mount a defense.

But the stronghold was already descending into chaos.

Roars, screams, the clash of claws and steel—it all blended into a nightmarish symphony of violence.

And through it all, Ethan stood quietly in the distance, bathed in shadow, watching with calm, unreadable eyes.

He'd heard the Alpha's mental signal loud and clear.

"All this howling, day in and day out… Do they ever stop to think if the rest of us can stand the noise?"

...

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