“Fuck," was all Lukas could say as the three wolves rounded the drakon’s body and spotted him.

  They looked like any typical timber wolf, but that was precisely the problem. They were massive. It was important to know that wolves weren’t the size of golden retrievers or huskies—they were far larger. Each of these beasts was six feet long, their heads reaching past Lukas’ waist. If they stood on their hind legs, they’d easily be taller than him. The only noticeable difference, aside from their size, was a strange, silvery sheen to their fur. Lukas didn’t know if that glow served a purpose, but it didn’t matter much as he was still faced with three wolves.

  The moment their eyes locked on him, they began to growl, a deep thrumming sound from within their throats that stirred a primal fear in Lukas’ heart. Slowly, they prowled toward him, watching both him and the battered sword in his trembling hands. They were circling him, assessing the threat.

  A sinking feeling dropped into Lukas’ gut, dragging it down to the ground. His heart pounded violently, adrenaline and panic rushing through his veins. The flight or fight response had kicked in, screaming at him to run, but he stayed rooted to the spot. He might have been terrified to wits end, but Lukas knew he couldn’t outrun them. Not to mention the fact that they had levels above his pathetic 0, meaning they’d be a good deal stronger than normal wolves.

  If Lukas wanted to survive, and he really did, he’d have to fight. He just needed to fend them off long enough for them to decide he wasn’t worth the trouble. He wasn’t sure how he was going to manage that, but he wasn’t just going to lay down and die.

  Surrounded on all sides, he took in a shaky breath. Lukas tightened his grip on the sword, his hands trembling so much he couldn’t keep the blade straight. He waited for the moment, for the pin to drop, for someone to make the first move. The leader, the level 3 wolf directly in front of him, snarled and gnashed its teeth. Lukas braced for an attack from the front, but a sudden movement at the corner of his eye drew his attention.

  Blind instinct took over. Without thinking, Lukas spun toward the movement, swinging his sword in a horizontal arc with all his might. It was an impulsive move, and a stupid one to boot. It left his back exposed to the other wolves, ripe for an attack of tooth and claw, but his body had acted on survival alone.

  Luckily, Lukas’ move hadn’t been in vain. The movement he had sensed was the wolf to his right, leaping at him, ready to tear into him. His wild swing connected with the wolf’s head, the sword striking with a sickening ‘konk’. The wolf yelped in pain, tumbling to the ground, disoriented, a deep gash in its head. It wasn’t a fatal wound, but Lukas had hoped that the wolf was at least out of the fight. That hope was quickly dashed. The wolf slunk away and out of reach, already struggling back to its feet. If only Lukas had been stronger, then he might have cracked its skull, or scrambled its brains.

  The other two wolves didn’t give him any time to lament his own weakness, launching their attack before the first wolf even hit the ground. Lukas whirled to meet them, but his movements were too slow and clumsy.

  Fear and panic surged through him as the level 3 wolf, jaws open wide, lunged at him, aiming straight for his throat. With no time to dodge, Lukas acted reflexively, raising his left arm to block the coming attack. The wolf made no move to adjust, and happily sank its teeth into his forearm. A scream of pain tore from Lukas’ throat as white-hot agony shot through him.

  The weight of the canine threw him to the ground, and sent him sliding across the forest floor with its momentum. His soft back was immediately bloodied against the rocks and pinecones littering the ground, shredding his skin. The wolf, still latched onto his arm, only made things worse as it thrashed and shook its head violently, ripping through flesh and muscle alike. His forearm was quickly reduced to a ruined mess. It wasn’t enough for the wolf; it began clawing at his chest and stomach, deep gashes opening as blood gushed out, staining its fur a vile crimson. The second wolf joined in, sinking its teeth into his leg, tearing at it like its leader did to his arm.

  The pain was unbearable. Lukas screamed until his voice gave out, his body overwhelmed by the worst agony he had ever known. But despite it all, he wasn’t content to die then and there. If he was going to die, he was going these muts with him. Somehow, through the blinding pain, Lukas kept his grip on the sword in his right hand. With the strength he had left and the rage and anger of his situation, he drove the tip into the belly of the wolf on top of him. A deluge of blood and viscera poured from the wound, soaking Lukas as the wolf released his arm, yelping in pain. Lukas pushed the blade harder, until it burst out through the wolf’s back.

  With a savage snarl he sliced the blade sideways, opening a massive wound in the beast’s side. Rallying his strength he threw the wolf off of him, the other two backing off momentarily. The remaining wolves hesitated, watching as their leader twitched on the ground, whining, as a pool of blood grew beneath it, soaking into the dirt.

  Fueled by adrenaline, Lukas took his chance and he forced himself to his feet, staggering. He refused to look down at his ruined body, fully aware that if he did he wouldn’t be able to bear the sight and would fall apart mentally. He could feel his intestines slipping out of the deep gashes in his abdomen, like gory pasta. He forced himself to stare down the wolves, keeping his mind from his rapidly deteriorating state. He couldn’t afford to think about it.

  The remaining wolves growled at him, blood dripping from the muzzle of one. The other had blood running down the side of its head. Their once pristine fur was matted and stained. What's more, they were enraged by their leader's death.

  "That's right, fuckers," Lukas spat through ragged breaths. "Your level 3 buddy got skewered by a level 0, and you're coming to hell with me too."

  The wolves didn’t like Lukas' defiance, not one bit. They attacked in unison, and Lukas tried to meet them head-on, but his injuries slowed him. He was already putting all his weight on his good leg, while his messed up arm hung limply at his side.

  They arrived at the same time, leaving Lukas unable to stop them both. That didn’t stop him from swinging with abandon. His sword met one of the wolves, slashing deep into its shoulder. He had been aiming for its throat, but it still had some effect. The wolf yelped and fell, but the second one kept coming. Again, Lukas was too slow, woozy from blood loss and struggling with a torn up leg he couldn’t get out of the way. The wolf lunged, jaws wide, and he couldn’t raise his arm in time. All he could do was twist, barely dodging the fatal bite to his throat. The wolf’s teeth clamped onto his shoulder instead, and Lukas screamed as the fangs tore into him, sending another wave of excruciating pain through his body.

  Thrown to the ground again, Lukas felt the wolf’s claws rake across his face, leaving deep gashes from his temple to the bridge of his nose. In an instant he was blind in his left eye, as hot blood began streaming down his face.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Through the agony, Lukas fought back, raising his ruined arm as best he could. He couldn’t grasp the it’s neck due to the severed tendons in his arm, but he could still strike. He slammed his fist into its throat, trying to push it off. The wolf gagged and hacked, thrown back slightly, but with its teeth embedded in his shoulder, it ripped flesh free from him.

  Lukas tried to scream, but his throat wouldn’t any longer. The pain made his vision swim nauseatingly, and he felt like he was going to vomit, but he still had enough sense to act. With his remaining strength, Lukas plunged the sword into the wolf’s stomach, pushing it upward into its chest. A disgusting gurgling sound bubble from within the beast’s throat, shortly after it fell limp on top of him.

  Breathing heavily, Lukas rolled the wolf off of him and fought to sit up, scanning the area for the final wolf. It stood a few meters away, limping on three legs. Its growl was more subdued, its eyes filled with hatred and fear. Clearly, it had no fight left after watching its packmates die at Lukas' hand. Slowly, it backed away, tail tucked between its legs. Lukas made to stand, and the wolf bolted, limping into the forest as fast as it could. Relief flooded through Lukas as he watched it disappear into the trees, knowing that if it had decided to fight he’d be dead.

  “That’s right, mutt,” Lukas wheezed, his voice barely a whisper. “Get the fuck out of here.”

  Lukas was in deep shit and he knew it. He had lost too much blood, and his wounds were leaking even more. His breaths came in ragged gasps, each one slower than the last. A bone deep coldness crept over him, the only warmth coming from the setting sun on his back and the wolf blood soaking covering his naked body. His vision blurred further, and he found it harder to keep his eyes open now that the adrenaline was wearing off. His limbs felt heavy and numb. Every inch of his body screamed in pain. He knew his time was almost up.

  Now that the fight was over, he noticed something he hadn’t before. In the bottom right of his vision something was flashing red. Focusing on the strange sensation, something came into focus there. It was a small silhouette of a man, and everything but the right arm and leg were a deep red. The right arm and leg were dark orange themselves, shifting towards red as Lukas lost more and more blood. Below the figure were three lines.

  Health: 15/110

  Stamina: 13/70

  Mana: 70/70

  Lukas watched as his health ticked down to 14, then to 13 a moment later. “Well, shit,” he muttered. “At least I’ll die a winner.”

  His gaze shifted to the dead wolf beside him. ‘If I’m going to die I might as well see if my looting ability actually works,’ he thought, too exhausted to speak.

  Reaching out with his good arm, Lukas placed his hand on the wolf’s still-warm body.

  Would you like to loot Mystic Wolf - lvl 2?

  Lukas gave his mental assent, no longer having the energy to speak, ‘Yes, and before I die please.’

  A mist-like heat haze rose from the body, swirling briefly before vanishing. In its wake, the wolf’s body became shriveled and desiccated, like it had been left to dry in the desert for weeks. A smaller box appeared in the top corner of his vision, overlaying a few others. Focusing on them, four boxes opened up:

  You have slain [Mystic Wolf - lvl 3] - Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.

  You have slain [Mystic Wolf - lvl 2] - Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.

  You have looted [Mystic Wolf - lvl 2].

  [Wolf skin cloak] has been added to your inventory.

  2 [Copper Mana Coins] have been added to your inventory.

  ‘Wolfskin cloak, huh? And what are Copper Mana Coins?’’ Lukas thought with mild interest, glancing at the first wolf he had killed. ‘Wonder what you’ll give me.’

  Laboriously, he dragged himself over to the level 3 wolf’s body. He collapsed just before reaching it, rolling onto his back to stare at the deep blue sky marred by the oranges of sunset, the first stars starting to twinkle into sight. Undeterred, Lukas reached out with his hand and grabbed one of the wolf’s massive forepaws. Again he was asked if he wanted to loot the wolf and he agreed. The same scene played around this wolf as the last, some strange haze surrounding the body.

  You have looted [Mystic Wolf - lvl 3].

  [Greater Health Regeneration Potion] has been added to your inventory.

  1 [Copper Mana Coins] have been added to your inventory.

  Lukas’ eyes widened as he read the text in front of him, ‘Inventory…’ he thought sluggishly.

  As he hoped, the boxes appeared in front of him, blocking his view of the sky. Two more items had now joined the stone Lukas had placed in there earlier. One was a nice looking hoodless fur cloak made from wolf skin, despite the fact that both the wolves he’d killed still had their pelts. The second item was a vial filled with some kind of pink liquid with a cork stopper.

  With all the remaining strength he had, Lukas reached up and grabbed at the icon. The icon disappeared and a small vial appeared in Lukas’ hand. Knowing he was quickly running out of time, Lukas thumbed off the stopper and poured the liquid into his mouth, making sure not a single drop was missed or left behind.

  The moment the first drop entered his mouth a cooling sensation spread through his entire body, easing the pain that wracked every inch of him. He swallowed it all in one go, and once it was all down his throat his lips felt dryer than a desert.

  ‘It tastes like strawberries.’ he thought, reminded of cool summer strawberries his mom would cut up for him growing up.

  His arm fell to the ground, unable to support its own weight any longer. The potion bottle still clutched in his hand, the sword held tight in the other. All Lukas could do now was dismiss his inventory and stare up at the rapidly darkening sky, praying that whatever the hell he’d just swallowed would be able to save him.

  And with a thought he watched his pitiful health:

  Health: 8/110

  Health: 7/110

  Health: 6/110

  ‘It wasn’t enough,’ his hope of survival was crushed in an instant.

  He didn’t want to die, he wasn’t ready to. He’d just arrived in this new world and hadn’t even seen any of what it had to offer. He wanted to see what wonders were waiting out there in a world that was so obviously magical. For the first time in his life, Lukas wanted to go out and meet new people and experience other cultures. He’d finally felt a connection to the world and didn’t just want to autopilot his way through life.

  Lukas had felt more in the last half a day than in all the years he’d lived before. But now, his opportunity at a second life, one that he wanted to live, was being taken from him as it slipped through his fingers and all he could do was watch as he slowly bled to death.

  Health: 4/110

  Health: 3/110

  Health: 2/110

  Health: 2/110

  Health: 3/110