Chapter 4:
Chapter 4: The Forest Wolves
Welcome!! To Belruna World
The forest outside Haven's Rest was beautiful in a way that made Cole uncomfortable.
Massive trees stretched toward the sky, their trunks wider than his apartment back in Seoul. Sunlight filtered through the canopy in golden shafts, illuminating patches of wildflowers and moss-covered stones. Birds sang in the branches or at least, creatures that sounded like birds. The air smelled fresh, almost intoxicatingly clean compared to the city pollution Cole was used to.
It was the kind of fantasy forest that belonged in a fairy tale. Which made it the perfect place for something to try to kill them.
"Stay close," Cole said, drawing his iron sword. The weight felt natural in his hand, the Basic Sword Mastery skill apparently feeding him muscle memory he didn't actually have. "Jae-sung, you're on lookout. Call out any movement."
The archer nodded, an arrow already nocked but not drawn. His eyes scanned the treeline with practiced focus.
Min-jun moved up beside Cole, his own sword drawn. "Just like any other game, right? We've done this a hundred times."
"Except those times we could respawn," Ji-woo muttered from behind them. She had her hands raised, small flames dancing between her fingers as she maintained a basic fire spell in ready position. "Let's not forget that minor detail."
"Optimism, Ji-woo. Try it sometime."
"I'll be optimistic when we're not trapped in a death game."
"Both of you, quiet," Cole ordered softly. The last thing they needed was his party bickering during their first real combat encounter.
Na-ri stayed in the center of their formation, her staff a simple wooden rod with a crystal at the top glowing with a faint green light. "I've got two basic healing spells," she said quietly. "Minor Heal restores about 30 HP but has a ten-second cooldown. Cure can remove poison or minor debuffs. That's it for now."
"Better than nothing," Cole replied. "Just stay behind us and"
"Movement," Jae-sung interrupted, his voice tense. "Eleven o'clock. About thirty meters."
Cole's eyes snapped to where the archer indicated. At first, he saw nothing but trees and shadows. Then the shadow moved, resolving into something distinctly animal-shaped.
The Forest Wolf emerged from behind a thick oak, and Cole felt his breath catch.
It was massive easily the size of a large dog, maybe bigger. Gray fur covered a muscular body, and its eyes gleamed with predatory intelligence. When it opened its mouth, revealing teeth that looked very real and very sharp, a low growl rumbled from its throat.
[Forest Wolf - Level 3]HP: 200/200Type: Beast - Aggressive
"Level three," Min-jun whispered. "We're level one."
"It's just two levels," Ji-woo said, though her voice had lost some of its earlier confidence. "Standard MMO math says we can handle it if we work together."
The wolf took a step forward, its eyes fixed on Cole. The creature's movements were fluid, natural not the jerky animations of a typical game mob. This was sophisticated AI, or something even more advanced.
Cole tightened his grip on his sword. "Ji-woo, hit it with fire magic on my mark. Jae-sung, follow up with an arrow. Min-jun and I will engage melee once it's damaged. Na-ri, be ready to heal whoever it targets."
"Solid plan," Na-ri confirmed.
The wolf crouched, muscles tensing. It was going to charge.
"Now!" Cole shouted.
Ji-woo thrust her hands forward. "Fireball!
A sphere of flame materialized before her palms and shot toward the wolf. The spell flew straight and true, impacting the creature's shoulder with an explosion of heat and light. The wolf yelped an sound that was far too realistic and stumbled sideways.
[Forest Wolf HP: 165/200]
Before it could recover, Jae-sung's arrow whistled through the air, striking the wolf in its haunch. The creature snarled, spinning toward the archer.
[Forest Wolf HP: 145/200]
"It's aggro'd on Jae-sung!" Cole yelled, already moving. His body responded with speed that surprised him the game's Agility stat translating into actual physical capability. He closed the distance to the wolf in seconds, bringing his sword down in an overhead strike.
The blade connected with the wolf's back, and Cole felt the impact travel up his arms. It felt real. The resistance of fur and flesh and bone. The sword bit deep, drawing blood that looked disturbingly genuine.
[Forest Wolf HP: 120/200][Critical Hit!]
The wolf whirled on Cole, surprisingly fast. Its jaws snapped at his sword arm. Cole tried to dodge, but he was a split-second too slow.
Pain exploded in his forearm as the wolf's teeth sank into the leather armor and the flesh beneath.
Cole screamed.
It wasn't the dampened sensation of typical VR pain feedback. This was real pain, sharp and hot and agonizing. The wolf's teeth ground against his bones, and Cole could feel every serrated edge. His HP bar dropped dramatically.
[Cole HP: 110/150][Status Effect: Bleeding - Lose 2 HP every 3 seconds]
"Cole!" Min-jun roared, bringing his sword down on the wolf's head. The strike forced the creature to release Cole's arm. Blood Cole's blood dripped from the wolf's muzzle as it staggered back.
[Forest Wolf HP: 85/200]
Na-ri raised her staff, green light intensifying. "Minor Heal!"
Warmth flooded Cole's injured arm. The pain didn't disappear completely, but it dulled to a manageable throb. His HP bar ticked upward.
[Cole HP: 140/150][Bleeding status removed]
Cole gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus past the pain. The wolf was injured but far from finished. It circled, looking for an opening, its intelligent eyes calculating.
"Ji-woo, another fireball!" Cole commanded.
"Cooldown! Five more seconds!"
Damn. Of course spells had cooldowns.
The wolf lunged at Min-jun this time, faster than before. Min-jun raised his sword to block, but the impact drove him backward, his boots skidding on the forest floor. The wolf's claws raked across his chest armor, leaving deep gouges in the leather.
[Min-jun HP: 125/150]
"Power Strike!" Cole activated his Warrior skill, feeling energy surge through his body and into his blade. His sword glowed with a faint red light as he swung, catching the wolf's exposed flank.
The impact was devastating. The wolf was thrown sideways, slamming into a tree trunk with a sickening crunch.
[Forest Wolf HP: 40/200][Critical Hit! Power Strike Bonus Damage!]
"Now, Jae-sung!" Cole shouted.
The archer had been waiting for a clear shot. His arrow flew true, striking the wolf directly between its eyes. The creature's movements stopped instantly, its body going limp.
[Forest Wolf HP: 0/200][Forest Wolf Defeated!]
[PARTY EXPERIENCE GAINED: 50 EXP][LOOT ACQUIRED: Wolf Pelt x1, Wolf Fang x2, 3 Silver]
For a moment, no one moved. They all stared at the dead wolf, its body beginning to dissolve into particles of light the game's way of removing corpses, apparently.
Then Min-jun started laughing. Not happy laughter. Slightly hysterical laughter.
"That hurt," he said between gasps. "That actually hurt. Like, really hurt."
"No pain dampeners," Ji-woo said quietly, staring at her hands. They were shaking. "The Architect really meant it. This is as real as reality."
Cole looked down at his arm. The bleeding had stopped thanks to Na-ri's healing, but he could still see the puncture marks through his torn armor. The pain lingered, a constant reminder of how close he'd come to serious injury. Or worse.
"We need to be more careful," Na-ri said, her voice strained. She was looking at the dissolving wolf corpse with wide eyes. "If that's a level three enemy, and it hurt Cole that badly..."
She didn't need to finish the sentence. Everyone understood. A stronger enemy could easily kill them. And death here was permanent.
Cole forced himself to breathe slowly, pushing down the fear that threatened to overwhelm him. "We did it," he said, trying to inject confidence into his voice. "First combat encounter. We won."
"Barely," Ji-woo countered. "And that was one wolf. The quest requires ten."
"Then we learn from this fight," Cole replied. "We adapt. Ji-woo, stagger your fireballs so we always have magic damage available. Jae-sung, focus on getting the first shot before we engage. Min-jun and I need to work on coordinated strikes so the wolf can't focus on one of us."
Min-jun had stopped laughing, his expression serious now. "Cole's right. That was sloppy. We fought like it was a game. We need to fight like our lives depend on it."
"Because they do," Na-ri added softly.
A rustling in the bushes made everyone freeze. Cole raised his sword, ignoring the protest from his injured arm.
Two more wolves emerged from the underbrush. Then a third.
[Forest Wolf - Level 3] x3
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Ji-woo breathed.
The wolves spread out, clearly working together. Pack hunters. Smart pack hunters.
Cole's mind raced. Three wolves. His party was already injured and low on resources. Ji-woo's fireball was probably still on cooldown. Na-ri's heal wouldn't be ready for another few seconds. They couldn't take on three at once. Not at their current level.
"Retreat," Cole ordered. "Back toward the town, fighting withdrawal. Move!"
No one argued. They turned and ran, the wolves snarling as they gave chase.
Cole brought up the rear, his sword ready. One wolf got too close, and he swung wildly, more to keep it at bay than to actually hit it. The blade connected with its snout, causing it to yelp and fall back momentarily.
[Forest Wolf HP: 185/200]
But the other two were still coming.
"Faster!" Cole shouted.
An arrow whistled past his head Jae-sung firing while running. It struck one of the pursuing wolves, slowing it down but not stopping it.
They burst out of the tree line into the open field before Haven's Rest. The wolves hesitated at the forest edge, growling but not pursuing further. After a tense moment, they turned and melted back into the shadows.
Cole's party collapsed in the grass, breathing hard. His arm throbbed. His heart hammered against his ribs. They'd survived, but barely.
"Nine more wolves," Min-jun said between gasps. "We need to kill nine more wolves."
Cole looked back at the forest, then at his exhausted, injured party. They'd learned something important today: Belruna World wasn't going to be easy. The pain was real. The danger was real. Death would be permanent.
But they'd also learned something else. They could fight. They could work together. They could survive.
If they were smart. If they were careful. If they treated this like the life-or-death situation it actually was.
"We rest," Cole decided. "We analyze what went wrong. We come up with better tactics. And then we go back in. But this time, we do it right."
His party nodded, too exhausted to argue.
As the twin suns slowly moved across the sky, Cole sat in the grass and tried not to think about the fact that he'd just experienced real pain for the first time in a video game.
[END OF CHAPTER 4]
Massive trees stretched toward the sky, their trunks wider than his apartment back in Seoul. Sunlight filtered through the canopy in golden shafts, illuminating patches of wildflowers and moss-covered stones. Birds sang in the branches or at least, creatures that sounded like birds. The air smelled fresh, almost intoxicatingly clean compared to the city pollution Cole was used to.
It was the kind of fantasy forest that belonged in a fairy tale. Which made it the perfect place for something to try to kill them.
"Stay close," Cole said, drawing his iron sword. The weight felt natural in his hand, the Basic Sword Mastery skill apparently feeding him muscle memory he didn't actually have. "Jae-sung, you're on lookout. Call out any movement."
The archer nodded, an arrow already nocked but not drawn. His eyes scanned the treeline with practiced focus.
Min-jun moved up beside Cole, his own sword drawn. "Just like any other game, right? We've done this a hundred times."
"Except those times we could respawn," Ji-woo muttered from behind them. She had her hands raised, small flames dancing between her fingers as she maintained a basic fire spell in ready position. "Let's not forget that minor detail."
"Optimism, Ji-woo. Try it sometime."
"I'll be optimistic when we're not trapped in a death game."
"Both of you, quiet," Cole ordered softly. The last thing they needed was his party bickering during their first real combat encounter.
Na-ri stayed in the center of their formation, her staff a simple wooden rod with a crystal at the top glowing with a faint green light. "I've got two basic healing spells," she said quietly. "Minor Heal restores about 30 HP but has a ten-second cooldown. Cure can remove poison or minor debuffs. That's it for now."
"Better than nothing," Cole replied. "Just stay behind us and"
"Movement," Jae-sung interrupted, his voice tense. "Eleven o'clock. About thirty meters."
Cole's eyes snapped to where the archer indicated. At first, he saw nothing but trees and shadows. Then the shadow moved, resolving into something distinctly animal-shaped.
The Forest Wolf emerged from behind a thick oak, and Cole felt his breath catch.
It was massive easily the size of a large dog, maybe bigger. Gray fur covered a muscular body, and its eyes gleamed with predatory intelligence. When it opened its mouth, revealing teeth that looked very real and very sharp, a low growl rumbled from its throat.
[Forest Wolf - Level 3]HP: 200/200Type: Beast - Aggressive
"Level three," Min-jun whispered. "We're level one."
"It's just two levels," Ji-woo said, though her voice had lost some of its earlier confidence. "Standard MMO math says we can handle it if we work together."
The wolf took a step forward, its eyes fixed on Cole. The creature's movements were fluid, natural not the jerky animations of a typical game mob. This was sophisticated AI, or something even more advanced.
Cole tightened his grip on his sword. "Ji-woo, hit it with fire magic on my mark. Jae-sung, follow up with an arrow. Min-jun and I will engage melee once it's damaged. Na-ri, be ready to heal whoever it targets."
"Solid plan," Na-ri confirmed.
The wolf crouched, muscles tensing. It was going to charge.
"Now!" Cole shouted.
Ji-woo thrust her hands forward. "Fireball!
A sphere of flame materialized before her palms and shot toward the wolf. The spell flew straight and true, impacting the creature's shoulder with an explosion of heat and light. The wolf yelped an sound that was far too realistic and stumbled sideways.
[Forest Wolf HP: 165/200]
Before it could recover, Jae-sung's arrow whistled through the air, striking the wolf in its haunch. The creature snarled, spinning toward the archer.
[Forest Wolf HP: 145/200]
"It's aggro'd on Jae-sung!" Cole yelled, already moving. His body responded with speed that surprised him the game's Agility stat translating into actual physical capability. He closed the distance to the wolf in seconds, bringing his sword down in an overhead strike.
The blade connected with the wolf's back, and Cole felt the impact travel up his arms. It felt real. The resistance of fur and flesh and bone. The sword bit deep, drawing blood that looked disturbingly genuine.
[Forest Wolf HP: 120/200][Critical Hit!]
The wolf whirled on Cole, surprisingly fast. Its jaws snapped at his sword arm. Cole tried to dodge, but he was a split-second too slow.
Pain exploded in his forearm as the wolf's teeth sank into the leather armor and the flesh beneath.
Cole screamed.
It wasn't the dampened sensation of typical VR pain feedback. This was real pain, sharp and hot and agonizing. The wolf's teeth ground against his bones, and Cole could feel every serrated edge. His HP bar dropped dramatically.
[Cole HP: 110/150][Status Effect: Bleeding - Lose 2 HP every 3 seconds]
"Cole!" Min-jun roared, bringing his sword down on the wolf's head. The strike forced the creature to release Cole's arm. Blood Cole's blood dripped from the wolf's muzzle as it staggered back.
[Forest Wolf HP: 85/200]
Na-ri raised her staff, green light intensifying. "Minor Heal!"
Warmth flooded Cole's injured arm. The pain didn't disappear completely, but it dulled to a manageable throb. His HP bar ticked upward.
[Cole HP: 140/150][Bleeding status removed]
Cole gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus past the pain. The wolf was injured but far from finished. It circled, looking for an opening, its intelligent eyes calculating.
"Ji-woo, another fireball!" Cole commanded.
"Cooldown! Five more seconds!"
Damn. Of course spells had cooldowns.
The wolf lunged at Min-jun this time, faster than before. Min-jun raised his sword to block, but the impact drove him backward, his boots skidding on the forest floor. The wolf's claws raked across his chest armor, leaving deep gouges in the leather.
[Min-jun HP: 125/150]
"Power Strike!" Cole activated his Warrior skill, feeling energy surge through his body and into his blade. His sword glowed with a faint red light as he swung, catching the wolf's exposed flank.
The impact was devastating. The wolf was thrown sideways, slamming into a tree trunk with a sickening crunch.
[Forest Wolf HP: 40/200][Critical Hit! Power Strike Bonus Damage!]
"Now, Jae-sung!" Cole shouted.
The archer had been waiting for a clear shot. His arrow flew true, striking the wolf directly between its eyes. The creature's movements stopped instantly, its body going limp.
[Forest Wolf HP: 0/200][Forest Wolf Defeated!]
[PARTY EXPERIENCE GAINED: 50 EXP][LOOT ACQUIRED: Wolf Pelt x1, Wolf Fang x2, 3 Silver]
For a moment, no one moved. They all stared at the dead wolf, its body beginning to dissolve into particles of light the game's way of removing corpses, apparently.
Then Min-jun started laughing. Not happy laughter. Slightly hysterical laughter.
"That hurt," he said between gasps. "That actually hurt. Like, really hurt."
"No pain dampeners," Ji-woo said quietly, staring at her hands. They were shaking. "The Architect really meant it. This is as real as reality."
Cole looked down at his arm. The bleeding had stopped thanks to Na-ri's healing, but he could still see the puncture marks through his torn armor. The pain lingered, a constant reminder of how close he'd come to serious injury. Or worse.
"We need to be more careful," Na-ri said, her voice strained. She was looking at the dissolving wolf corpse with wide eyes. "If that's a level three enemy, and it hurt Cole that badly..."
She didn't need to finish the sentence. Everyone understood. A stronger enemy could easily kill them. And death here was permanent.
Cole forced himself to breathe slowly, pushing down the fear that threatened to overwhelm him. "We did it," he said, trying to inject confidence into his voice. "First combat encounter. We won."
"Barely," Ji-woo countered. "And that was one wolf. The quest requires ten."
"Then we learn from this fight," Cole replied. "We adapt. Ji-woo, stagger your fireballs so we always have magic damage available. Jae-sung, focus on getting the first shot before we engage. Min-jun and I need to work on coordinated strikes so the wolf can't focus on one of us."
Min-jun had stopped laughing, his expression serious now. "Cole's right. That was sloppy. We fought like it was a game. We need to fight like our lives depend on it."
"Because they do," Na-ri added softly.
A rustling in the bushes made everyone freeze. Cole raised his sword, ignoring the protest from his injured arm.
Two more wolves emerged from the underbrush. Then a third.
[Forest Wolf - Level 3] x3
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Ji-woo breathed.
The wolves spread out, clearly working together. Pack hunters. Smart pack hunters.
Cole's mind raced. Three wolves. His party was already injured and low on resources. Ji-woo's fireball was probably still on cooldown. Na-ri's heal wouldn't be ready for another few seconds. They couldn't take on three at once. Not at their current level.
"Retreat," Cole ordered. "Back toward the town, fighting withdrawal. Move!"
No one argued. They turned and ran, the wolves snarling as they gave chase.
Cole brought up the rear, his sword ready. One wolf got too close, and he swung wildly, more to keep it at bay than to actually hit it. The blade connected with its snout, causing it to yelp and fall back momentarily.
[Forest Wolf HP: 185/200]
But the other two were still coming.
"Faster!" Cole shouted.
An arrow whistled past his head Jae-sung firing while running. It struck one of the pursuing wolves, slowing it down but not stopping it.
They burst out of the tree line into the open field before Haven's Rest. The wolves hesitated at the forest edge, growling but not pursuing further. After a tense moment, they turned and melted back into the shadows.
Cole's party collapsed in the grass, breathing hard. His arm throbbed. His heart hammered against his ribs. They'd survived, but barely.
"Nine more wolves," Min-jun said between gasps. "We need to kill nine more wolves."
Cole looked back at the forest, then at his exhausted, injured party. They'd learned something important today: Belruna World wasn't going to be easy. The pain was real. The danger was real. Death would be permanent.
But they'd also learned something else. They could fight. They could work together. They could survive.
If they were smart. If they were careful. If they treated this like the life-or-death situation it actually was.
"We rest," Cole decided. "We analyze what went wrong. We come up with better tactics. And then we go back in. But this time, we do it right."
His party nodded, too exhausted to argue.
As the twin suns slowly moved across the sky, Cole sat in the grass and tried not to think about the fact that he'd just experienced real pain for the first time in a video game.
[END OF CHAPTER 4]
Please sign in to leave a comment.