'Damn... Socrates failed to exit the cave, the Alpha Wolf is too strong... Things didn't go as planned.' Mr. Jaggers organized his thoughts as he flew uncontrollably in the air, his body spinning from the violent shockwave before crashing heavily on the jagged cave wall, cracks forming around the point of impact as dust and small debris rained down.
The frost grenade that was supposed to hold the Alpha Wolf for some minutes didn't even last 30 seconds, the frozen shell already shattered into fragments as the Wolf returned to its prime state. Its eyes, burning with feral intelligence and rage, were fixated on Socrates, who was struggling against the violent gust of wind and flying debris that tore through the cave like a storm.
It opened its mouth as it spammed fireballs—this time not one, not two, but five at once—and sent them flying towards the red-haired teenager, who was still struggling to balance himself on the uneven, trembling ground.
'The fuck..' Socrates almost cried out as he felt the suffocating intensity of the heat rushing towards him, the flames distorting the air. He was still struggling to stand, his footing unstable—he couldn't contend with this fire.
The balls of fire traveled toward him at a blinding speed, tearing through the air like falling meteors, and just when he thought he had already lost his life, Mr. Jaggers appeared between him and the incoming destruction, his alloy shield raised high, its metallic surface glowing faintly under the heat.
"Focus on escaping.. I'll stall the wolf.." He said, his voice firm despite the pressure, as he shielded Socrates against the fire, the impact sending ripples through the shield and forcing him to brace his stance.
Socrates took a deep breath, his chest rising sharply, as he tightened his muscles before dashing forward, his boots scraping against stone as he exited the cave instantly without looking back.
GROWL..
The sound of the Wolf grew more vicious and tenacious, echoing through the cave as flame energy gathered intensely on its single horn before forming spears of fire in the air, each one crackling with destructive energy.
Three spears of fire, which didn't wait for any command, shot forward instantly, speeding past the Wolf and even Mr. Jaggers, as they trailed after Socrates with terrifying precision, as if they possessed a will of their own.
The Alpha didn't linger anymore. It was fully aware of the value of the token and couldn't afford to lose it at any cost, its massive body already preparing to give chase.
Meanwhile, Socrates, who had just gotten out of the cave, didn't stop for even a moment, nor did he allow himself a second of rest. He sped off immediately, his mind singularly focused on putting as much distance as possible between himself and the cave.
And that was when he spotted a fiery light trailing behind him...
It wasn't just one—but three—moving at blinding speed, their presence scorching the air as they competed with one another on who would catch him first.
One of the spears sped past the others and arrived behind Socrates in an instant. Every part of his body screamed violently as he twisted leftward with raw instinct, dodging the spear by the slimmest of margins, the heat brushing past his skin.
This sudden movement disrupted his momentum, decreasing his speed, and that allowed the other two to catch up with him almost immediately.
He bent forward sharply as another spear passed over his head, the heat singeing strands of his red hair, and the last one narrowly missed him entirely, crashing ahead.
"Well, that should be all." Socrates raised his head again, his breathing uneven, but to his greatest surprise, the three spears of fire abruptly changed trajectory. Instead of continuing forward, they curved mid-air and turned back toward him.
'What the heck?' Socrates raised alarm as he saw the spears returning. He quickly veered left, pushing his legs to their limit as he ran with everything he had.
The spears, upon reaching his previous location, instantly shifted direction as well, mirroring his movement with terrifying accuracy.
Socrates retrieved a gloo wall and activated it instantly, the white fluffy barrier appearing in front of him, before he sharply turned right, attempting to outmaneuver them.
The three spears rushed into the gloo wall—one crashing directly into it and detonating—but the other two altered their path at the last possible second, continuing their pursuit relentlessly.
"Shit. I've no more gloo wall." Socrates pulled out one of his Desert Eagle pistols as he flipped around, forcing his body upward with sheer strength.
He fired a shot at one of the fire spears, the bullet colliding with it and causing an explosion mid-air, fragments of flame scattering outward, while the last spear burst through the explosion with even greater force.
He returned his Desert Eagle, quickly attaching the token securely to his pocket, before pulling out both of his daggers.
He crossed them firmly with both hands as he faced the incoming fiery spear head-on, his jaw clenched.
Sparks flew everywhere as the spear collided with the metal, the impact sending vibrations through his arms, the force pushing Socrates backward as the fire attempted to overwhelm him completely.
The gust of wind threatened to uproot his legs from the ground, but he held on, digging his feet in as he shifted all his weight into his arms, before forcefully diverting the trajectory of the fire to the side.
The spear crashed involuntarily into the ground beside him, triggering a violent explosion that sent him hurtling backward through the air. However, with the enhanced defense of his mechanical suit, Socrates managed to recover almost instantly, rolling and rising back to his feet without sustaining critical damage.
That was when he noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere.
The air was hot—unnaturally hot—and it continued to rise, becoming even more intense than before.
The sky, once cloaked in darkness, began to lose its night-like presence as a bright yellow glow spread across the horizon, illuminating everything with an ominous brilliance.
Socrates felt the surge of energy—it was swirling violently, wrapping itself around a towering silhouette.
That silhouette was none other than the Alpha Wolf.
Its horn was glowing a deep, blazing red as it gathered energy from all directions, condensing it into a single point, forming a ball of fire that pulsed with destructive intent.
The ball grew from the size of a palm to that of a football, then expanded further to the size of a dozen footballs, and it continued growing, radiating unbearable heat.
The scene was violent, destructive—and at the same time, strangely beautiful—as Socrates stood there, both flabbergasted and stunned by the sheer magnitude of the power before him.
It was only when the Alpha Wolf let out a thunderous howl that Socrates realized the truth—
That attack was meant for him.
He looked around frantically but couldn't find Mr. Jaggers anywhere. 'I'm going to die.. I'm going to die...'
Socrates panicked as his body trembled uncontrollably, his legs quaking beneath him, and even within the protection of the mechanical suit, sweat poured down his back.
"DIE.." The Alpha Wolf didn't give him the luxury of escape as it released the massive fireball, sending it hurtling toward him with overwhelming force.
If this attack hit Socrates, the red-haired teenager would be as good as dead.
Suddenly, Socrates smiled.
The smile on his face widened unnaturally as he faced the overwhelming threat of death, his blue eyes reflecting the incoming inferno.
If Mr. Jaggers saw him now, the man would have thought that he had gone mad.
"I've been waiting for this fool.." Socrates retrieved an item from his inventory, his movements deliberate.
This was the same item Candidate 145 had used to defeat Mr. Jaggers.
"Counter Bounce Shield." He cried out as a large blue shield materialized in front of him, shimmering with energy, positioned perfectly between him and the incoming fireball.
The massive fireball crashed into the shield and was absorbed, its destructive energy contained within, causing cracks—then multiple cracks—to spread rapidly across the surface of the shield.
The air rippled violently as the ground beneath Socrates caved inward from the pressure. His confident smile twisted into panic as it seemed his trump card had failed him—
—but in the very next instant, the shield reacted.
The massive fireball was vomited back out with explosive force.
This time, it shot directly back toward the Alpha Wolf, faster and denser than before, carrying the full weight of its original power.
The Alpha Wolf didn't get the luxury of escape.
The fireball engulfed it entirely, swallowing its massive frame in a blazing explosion.
Its HP plummeted from yellow to critical red in an instant before—
BANG!..
BANG!
BANG!
SCATTER!
A burst of radiant light pierced through the sky as the explosion subsided, and loots scattered everywhere across the scorched battlefield, glowing faintly against the darkened terrain.
Socrates—the Son of Trueblood—had just defeated an Alpha Wolf.