I forced one arm free, dragging it up between snapping jaws. A wolf immediately lunged and bit into my wrist, locking down hard, but I ignored it. I opened my palm anyway and released the spell.

The fireball exploded point-blank.

╔══════════════════╗

> ENEMY SLAIN

╠══════════════════╣

> +10 EXP

╚══════════════════╝

The blast threw the wolf off me, its body jerking upward before crashing down beside me. For a brief second, there was space.

Then another one filled it instantly, its teeth digging into my shoulder again.

"Get off!"

I twisted my hips and bucked upward, managing to throw the wolf that had been on my chest off to the side. It landed awkwardly near my leg.

I shoved my arm forward between two snapping heads and fired again.

╔══════════════════╗

> ENEMY SLAIN

╠══════════════════╣

> +10 EXP

╚══════════════════╝

The fireball slammed into the wolf and carried through, hitting the tree behind it. The bark caught fire instantly, flames licking upward along the trunk.

A few of the wolves recoiled at the sudden heat and light, whining as they backed off. Not all of them.

The stubborn ones stayed. One still had my arm. Another still worried at my leg. But the pressure on my body lessened just enough.

I planted my foot against the ground and forced myself up, half-rising, half-throwing the weight off me. I grabbed the wolf attached to my right arm by the scruff of its neck and squeezed hard. It let out a strangled whimper and released me.

I didn’t hesitate. I hurled it straight into the burning tree.

Its body slammed against the trunk, fur catching immediately. It yelped, trying to scramble away.

I raised my hand again and finished it.

╔══════════════════╗

> ENEMY SLAIN

╠══════════════════╣

> +10 EXP

╚══════════════════╝

The fire spread faster now, crackling up the bark, heat pushing outward into the clearing.

That did it. The rest of the wolves broke. One by one, they backed off, then turned and ran into the forest, disappearing between the trees.

I stood there for a second, swaying, covered in blood, breathing hard. Then I turned back toward the lake. The elf girl was still on the rock, screaming for help.

The creature exploded out of the water again, this time getting closer. Half of its massive body slammed onto the jagged rock, its weight cracking stone under it. Its long, slick body coiled slightly as it tried to pull itself further up.

The girl scrambled backward, but there was nowhere to go. Thankfully, she was behind its head, out of reach for the moment.

"Ah, fuck."

I raised my hand and started firing. One fireball. Then another. Then another. They struck its body, bursting against its slick hide, steam rising where flame met wet flesh. But it didn’t react. No recoil. No damage. It was like throwing pebbles at a wall.

I tried to send another fireball but... nothing. I was out of mana.

"It doesn’t work..."

The creature slipped back into the water, vanishing beneath the surface.

Then it clicked. It didn’t care what it ate. Wolf. Human. Didn’t matter. Just a moment ago, it ate a wolf, right?

I turned, grabbed one of the wolf corpses, and dragged it toward the lake before throwing it in. A second later, the creature burst out again and swallowed it whole.

"Swim away!" I shouted, already turning for another corpse. "Move! Now!"

"It... it will eat me!"

"FUCKING MOVE!" I yelled. "Do it!"

"MOMMY!"

I threw another carcass into the water.

The girl hesitated, then met my eyes. She looked terrified, but she understood. She squeezed her eyes shut and jumped into the lake on the far side, splashing hard as she started swimming.

I kept throwing bodies. One. Then another.

The creature ate them fast. Too fast.

I counted without meaning to.

Six corpses. Then five.

Then three. Then one.

The girl was still only halfway across.

"Be quick!"

"I’m... I’m—"

I threw the last wolf into the water. The creature devoured it instantly.

Then the lake went still.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then I saw it. A dark shape cutting through the water beneath the surface, moving fast, straight toward the girl.

Shit. She wasn’t going to make it.

I broke into a run along the edge of the lake, circling toward where she was swimming. My boots slipped on wet dirt, but I kept going, eyes locked on her.

"Swim faster! It’s coming!" I shouted.

"Help! Help!"

I reached the shoreline just as she struggled through the water, arms flailing, barely keeping herself afloat. I dropped to a crouch and stretched my arm out as far as I could.

"Come on!"

"I don’t wanna die..."

I stepped into the lake, cold water soaking through my boots instantly as it rose to my ankles. I leaned forward, extending my hand again, pushing myself just a little further.

At the same time, the water behind her surged. The creature was coming fast. I could see its shadow cutting through the lake, straight toward her, closing the distance in seconds.

"Come on, just a little more!"

She reached out.

I grabbed her shoulder and pulled with everything I had, throwing my weight backward. We both crashed onto the ground, me landing flat on my back with her on top of me.

A split second later, the creature burst out of the water where she had been.

Its jaws snapped shut on empty air.

Water splashed over us as it fell back into the lake.

I sucked in a breath, heart hammering.

Then she... suddenly screamed. Her nails dug into my face as she scrambled off me, panic overriding everything. She didn’t even look back. She just got up and ran, stumbling into the forest, disappearing between the trees.

I lay there for a second, blinking up at the sky, my face stinging.

"Ah..." I exhaled, chest rising and falling fast. "Yeah... sure. No problem."

I pushed myself up slowly and looked down at my body.

Bite marks.

My arms were torn up, my legs bruised and bleeding, my clothes ripped in multiple places. The wolves had done a number on me. Thankfully, nothing vital.

I was lucky, the wolves weren’t that big.

╔══════════════════╗

> SIDE QUEST COMPLETED

╠══════════════════╣

> +100 EXP

╚══════════════════╝

"Side quest...?" I muttered. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Oh. The exclamation mark from the map. So that was it.

I let out a tired breath. "Yeah... nearly died for that one."

Still, the EXP was insane.

Level four... finally.