Chapter 42: Full Moon Wolf 2
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Here
Discord: Here
Holding the crystal orb, Grace stops and glances around, as if something is wrong.
We all gather around her, curious.
"What's up?"
"The orb... it's glowing...."
It seems we've reached the quest target area.
The trace of the Full Moon Wolf in the orb begins to sparkle, its silver fur glowing like a light bulb.
Everyone's attention is captured by the stunning silver light, everyone except Han Se-ah.
Seeing this, Grace and Irene follow Han Se-ah's gaze. As our group's only wizard, her opinion carries weight.
"The trace is strong here. Should we call the others? Or maybe..."
"No, we keep moving. A crowd might scare it off. Better to keep tracking and report later."
"Really?"
Seeing her face light up at my suggestion, I guess she agrees.
Han Se-ah, nodding her approval, adjusts our path slightly, grabbing the orb with both hands.
Each step brightens the glow of the trace.
As we press on, I sense something different.
It's a foreign sensation, something my superhuman body picks up.
The air doesn't smell like the grasslands I'm used to, it's different.
This feeling grows stronger as we continue, and soon, Grace whispers.
"The air's changed. We must be nearing the Night Plains."
I sneak a glance at Han Se-ah.
At first, she looks confused, but after receiving some advice from a viewer, she jumps a bit before speaking.
"Roland should lead from here on and handle the Full Moon Wolf up front. Grace, cover our rear, check for Horned Wolves. Irene, cast a protection shield if a Horned Wolf or if the Full Moon Wolf shows up."
"Okay, got it."
"Sure, understood."
Now, I'm at the front holding the orb.
Han Se-ah and Irene are in the middle, with Grace bringing up the rear.
Grace should detect and handle any Horned Wolf surprise attacks, so we should be okay from behind.
Her skills should allow her to hold off a Horned Wolf long enough to get to Irene's side to take cover in her shield.
I'm not too concerned with our 5/6 party.
What I'm worried about is something else.
'Should I take it down with one blow?'
Last time I met the Full Moon Wolf, I had an idea.
Bare-handed, I'd struggle, but with my warhammer and a bit of magic, I could drop it in one hit, at least that's what my instincts tell me.
So now, I find myself deciding between two options.
My first option involves taking down the Full Moon Wolf in a single blow.
It's a convenient way to finish our quest, providing Han Se-ah and her viewers with a taste of what a 6 Paladin Roland is capable of and securing our number one spot globally.
It's like giving her a delicious sample, both as a gamer and a streamer, keeping her invested in our tower climb.
Reopening their eyes, it must be startling, having the world transition from day to night.
Awoooooooooooh-
"...It's here."
The weeds that had been ankle-high has now grown to knee height.
A nocturnal meadow beneath a risen full moon, replacing the sun.
Like last time...
The Silver Full Moon Wolf, previously encountered in the alley, flexes its large body, inching closer.
Bathed in moonlight, its stunning silver fur, its grand size, and its sharp horn, as proud as a knight's lance.
Amid an intimidating atmosphere incongruous for a mere monster, I hear gasps from behind me.
The wolf's howl shakes my eardrums, and Irene's steady incantation rings out, echoing like a scream.
"Hold on, the timing of this mission, what"
"Oh Goddess, grant us your protection"
Inhaling deeply, I stir up all my magical power.
A torrent of information floods my heightened senses.
One step, the fading voices of party members, the whistling wind in my ears. The guttural breath of the Full Moon Wolf cutting through the wind, and the suppressed breaths of the lurking Horned Wolves.
Two steps, the sound of gravel dislodged from the torn earth echoes. Stones and grass rustle, parting the menacing wind. The startled Horned Wolves move abruptly, rising through the knee-high grass.
Three steps, the Full Moon Wolf's jaws, now directly in front of me, bristle with magical energy. Gathering magic on its sharp fangs, it appears ready to unleash a breath attack.
But it was a futile struggle.
It knew how to handle mana, and it could lead subordinates, but there's one thing it can't comprehend even with its boss monster intellect just how formidable a 6 Gacha character who has broken through the 37th floor of the tower truly is.
This was something its Horned Wolf brain would never understand.
"Haaaaaaaaah!"
There's no war cry to unnerve the enemy, no grandiose skill name to flaunt.
It's merely a repetitive movement that has protected my life for a decade.
Swinging the magic-filled hammer down with brutal force, disregarding magical efficiency and physical overstrain.
I raise my arm high above my head and strike down like a whip.
My elbow felt as if it was about to dislocate due to the centrifugal force; I can hear my wrist bones grinding from the rotational stress.
"So, the Full Moon Wolf, just one... hit... You, no refunds for this mission."
As my hammer, undiminished in power even after smashing through the horn and obliterating its skull, strikes the ground, I hear the sound of dislodged dirt hitting Irene's protective barrier.
The Tower is a considerate place; after a creature's death, no bloodied bodies remain.
"Well, anyhow, the 10th-floor boss, the Full Moon Wolf is cleared... yes."
The landscape where the Full Moon Wolf once stood now lies vacant.
No one, save for Han Se-ah, uttered a single word.
***
This was my favorite chapter so far.
There was however a line that I decided to completely edit out. When the world shifts from light to dark, he actually says something along the lines of: 'wow the devs did a really good job on the effects of this game'
Completely ruined the immersion... so I removed it. It added nothing to the story so I thought it'd be okay?...
2/5 Enjoy the chappy!
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