[Status]
Name: Blue Crystal Wolf
Age: 200 years old
Type: Monster
Level: 1
Skills: Poison Claws (F), Soul-stirring Roar (E), Incredible Physique (D)
[Description]: Blue Crystal Wolves are ferocious beasts with an aggressive nature. They usually move in small packs of two to four. As the name suggests, their primary food source is crystals rather than meat. However, they won't hesitate to eat meat if it's available.
Shin gulped nervously as he looked at the system panel.
'Just one of these wolves is that strong... and there are four? No wonder the reward is ten level points,' he muttered under his breath.
He didn't dare charge in recklessly. A single Blue Crystal Wolf was already stronger than him—facing four at once would be suicidal.
Worse yet, he had no real combat experience. He had no choice but to plan everything carefully.
"I need to separate the wolves and deal with them one by one," he whispered, eyes narrowing with resolve.
He quietly crept toward another boulder about five meters from his current position.
Then, picking up a hand-sized rock from the ground, he hurled it toward the passage he had entered through earlier.
Thud!
The moment the rock hit the ground, all four wolves lifted their heads at once, staring down the dark passage.
GRR!
A low growl rumbled from between their sharp fangs as three of them began walking toward the tunnel to investigate.
Shin's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected his plan to work this well.
"Maybe it's because of my B-ranked LCK?" he muttered, quickly pulling up his status panel.
LCK, or Luck, was the manifestation of one's fortune. The higher the stat, the easier it was to overcome obstacles.
Coincidentally, his LCK and INT were his highest stats compared to STR, AGI, and VIT.
Seizing the moment, Shin stepped out from hiding, catching the Crystal Wolf completely off guard.
In an instant, the beast dropped into a stance, its eyes fixed on him with a mix of caution and rage.
Shin, however, remained calm and composed. Rather than attacking, he raised four fingers and wiggled them provocatively, as if taunting it.
"Come get me if you can, you damn mutt!"
Without giving the creature time to react, Shin turned and bolted toward the southern cave passage.
Naturally, the wolf didn't just stand there—it immediately gave chase.
Shin ran at full speed, the monster close behind. Every now and then, he glanced back—only to see the wolf drawing nearer.
"Damn it!" he cursed silently. "If it catches me, I'm done for!"
He hadn't attacked right away because the earlier location was too close to the other three Crystal Wolves. If the battle dragged on, he risked being surrounded and killed on the spot.
After running aimlessly for nearly five minutes, Shin suddenly stumbled into a wide, strange-looking area.
It was still part of the cave, but in the center lay a natural underground lake. The walls shimmered with limestone that looked like crystallized glass.
Above, an opening in the ceiling let sunlight pour in, illuminating the entire chamber in a soft glow.
Sensing that this area was ideal for battle, Shin suddenly twisted his body and dropped into a stance—left foot forward, right foot back.
His sword was pointed straight ahead, gripped tightly in both hands.
Awoo!
The wolf let out a loud howl before charging at him. Its speed was so overwhelming that Shin barely managed to react. Luckily, he dodged just in time and avoided the fatal blow.
Seeing an opening, Shin quickly swung his sword in a vertical arc, slashing at the wolf's exposed back.
Clang!
The blade struck the crystal-like fur and was knocked clean out of his hands.
"Not good!" Shin gasped, quickly scrambling to retrieve his sword.
But just as his fingers closed around the hilt, the wolf lashed out again with its razor-sharp claws.
Unable to dodge in time, Shin took the hit squarely on his back.
"Argh!"
He let out a cry of pain as his body rolled across the ground. At the same time, a system notification popped up in front of him:
[HP: 4950 / 5000]
Slowly but surely, his HP began ticking down—each point visibly draining away.
"Damn it," Shin growled through gritted teeth.
But there was no time to catch his breath. The wolf was already lunging at him again.
Clang!
Its claws slammed into his sword, which Shin had just raised in defense. The impact echoed in the cave.
Even so, the wolf's strength was monstrous—far beyond anything he'd expected.
Shin's body was pinned to the ground, and it felt as though his bones were being crushed under the wolf's weight.
Bang!
With a powerful kick, he struck the wolf's belly, sending it flying through the air before it slammed into the ground.
Seizing the moment, Shin scrambled to his feet and took a step back.
"Hah... Hah..."
He was panting heavily, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, neck, and back.
[Poison Claw]: A special ability of the Blue Crystal Wolf, hidden within its claws. The poison it carried was extremely lethal. Even the slightest exposure would cause dizziness and severe headaches—followed by a slow, agonizing death.
Reading the skill description, Shin's heart pounded.
'This is bad,' he muttered, gritting his teeth. 'I've already been hit... and my body's getting weaker by the second. If I don't finish this soon, I'm dead.'
What had started as a battle against a monster had now turned into a race against time.
Without hesitation, Shin swung his sword to the right and charged forward.
The Crystal Wolf, startled by the sudden aggression, didn't remain still. It lunged back at him, leaping high with both claws raised.
Unlike before, Shin remained completely calm. He had just remembered one of his most powerful skills—Eyes of the God.
This ability allowed him to perceive everything, down to the smallest detail—even his opponent's movements.
Sure enough, the moment he activated the ability, the world around him seemed to slow down—like time itself was crawling.
With effortless precision, Shin tilted his head to the side, narrowly dodging the deadly strike.
Then, in one fluid motion, he swung his sword at an angle, aiming for the monster's right neck.
Scrk!
The blade sliced into a vulnerable spot—an area not protected by the crystal-like armor—causing the wolf to howl in pain.
However, Shin didn't stop there. He forced the wolf's body to the ground and poured all his strength into the sword clenched tightly in his hands.
Aaargh! Rrrkkh—
The wolf's agonized cries echoed through the chamber, but Shin didn't react—his eyes were locked in a frenzy of rage.
"Die! Die! Die!" he shouted with a wild, ferocious expression unlike anything he'd ever shown before.
Blue blood burst in every direction, splattering across the ground, staining the cave walls, and soaking his cardigan.
A few minutes later, the wolf's groans gradually faded… until they vanished completely.
Its body lay motionless—a clear sign the monster was dead.
Panting heavily, Shin loosened his grip on the sword hilt.
"I... did it..." he whispered.