Chapter 2
1291words
At the center of this moonlit stage, a giant wolf fed. Its size dwarfed any canine Dick had ever encountered—long limbs packed with explosive power, shoulders rising high as if containing enough force to tear mountains apart. Pure black fur covered its massive frame, gleaming with an oily sheen under the moonlight, as if each hair had drunk darkness to saturation.
It lowered its head, powerful jaws tearing at a fresh stag carcass. Warm blood stained the fur around its muzzle, the sound of ripping muscle jarringly clear in the silent forest. Dick crouched behind a massive fir, barely breathing. His heart hammered against his ribs beneath the Order's combat suit, as if trying to break free and rush toward the clearing.
All his professional training, all his techniques for confronting non-human creatures, teetered on the edge of collapse. After tearing out the deer's throat, the wolf suddenly raised its head, as if sensing his gaze. A pair of eyes ignited in the darkness.
Not the murky pupils of a mindless beast—but golden eyes like molten amber. Even consumed by frenzied bestial nature, they retained a trace of humanity, a familiar outline. That same pain, that struggle Dick had witnessed on that rainy night two years ago, etched into his soul.
"Bruce…" The name burned in his throat like hot coal.
The wolf released a deep, threatening growl, golden eyes locked on Dick's hiding place. It abandoned its prey, limbs bent, muscles coiled like a drawn bowstring, ready to attack.
The scent intensified—that predatory aura now mingled with something familiar. Bruce's unique smell of old books, leather and faint cologne, now twisted by wild musk and blood into something strange and terrifying. Just as the wolf prepared to pounce, Dick pressed the remote in his hand. "Now," he commanded himself, voice cold and emotionless.
Boom! Light explosions rang out as launchers hidden in the surrounding trees activated simultaneously. Giant nets woven from pure silver threads descended from above, runes etched along their lengths glowing with ethereal blue light—a heavenly trap ensnaring the massive black wolf within! "Aooo—!" A shriek too shrill for any natural creature tore through the night. Where silver touched fur, flesh sizzled like hot oil on ice.
Black smoke rose from its thick fur, filling the air with the acrid stench of burned flesh. The rune-enhanced silver inflicted double damage—not just physical restraint but spiritual agony. The pain only provoked more violent struggles.
The wolf thrashed wildly, tearing at the silver mesh with steel-crushing teeth. Each contact brought fresh waves of pain, yet it fought harder, more desperately. Dick remained hidden, nails digging into his palms, fighting the maddening urge to rush forward.
He couldn't reveal himself. In Bruce's current state, anyone approaching would be torn to shreds. He had to wait for the trap to drain Bruce's strength, wait for a safe opening. Each second of waiting tortured his nerves.
"Hang in there, Bruce…" Dick whispered to himself—or to Bruce—"Just a little longer…" The wolf's roars grew increasingly savage as it abandoned all defense, fighting with primitive brute force. With a sharp snap, one connection point of the silver net tore open! Like a drowning man finding a lifeline, it squeezed through the gap, ignoring the bone-deep wounds the silver carved across its body.
The moment it broke free, it didn't hesitate. Golden eyes burning with rage and pain locked onto Dick's position. Covered in wounds and trailing black smoke, it charged like a meteor, carrying world-destroying momentum. "Damn it!" Dick cursed, knowing concealment was pointless now.
He stepped from behind the tree, advancing rather than retreating, facing the beast head-on. He unfastened the silver chain from his waist instead of drawing a weapon. The wolf's claws came down with a howl that split the air, carrying enough force to flatten steel. Dick twisted at an impossible angle, his body moving like a weightless feather, barely avoiding the deadly strike. The massive claws tore into the ground where he'd stood, leaving a deep furrow in the earth.
"Bruce, stop!" Dick shouted, hoping his voice might awaken some fragment of sanity. The answer came as an even more ferocious storm of attacks. The wolf moved with impossible speed, its massive body showing no clumsiness. Each swipe and lunge precisely cut off Dick's escape routes.
Dick relied on his acrobatic skills and combat instincts to dance on death's edge. He wasn't facing an ordinary beast but a cursed god with a tactical genius's mind. Mid-battle, he spotted an opening—his wrist flicked and the silver chain shot out like a striking snake, whistling as it wrapped around the wolf's foreleg.
The wolf recognized the threat and leaped back, but the chain's end still grazed its shoulder. Flesh sizzled, and the beast let out a groan of pain. The sound made Dick's heart clench, causing a fatal moment of hesitation.
In combat at this level, even against beasts, hesitation means death. The wolf seized the opening, twisting mid-air as its uninjured paw swept out at an impossible angle. Dick barely raised his left arm to block before excruciating pain shot through it. "Ugh!" The impact sent him flying against a tree trunk.
He glanced down to see his left sleeve shredded. Five deep gashes ran from forearm to elbow, bone gleaming white in the wounds, blood instantly soaking half his body. Pain darkened his vision in waves. He struggled to rise, but the wolf was already upon him again.
Its body bled from countless wounds, silver burns causing unbearable pain, yet its attacks grew more ferocious—as if determined to destroy the one who'd caused such suffering. It lunged with blood-filled maw, fangs gleaming cold white in the moonlight, aiming for Dick's throat. Death's breath was inches away.
Yet this very pain and proximity to death crystallized Dick's thoughts. He knew this was his only chance. In that split second when the wolf's movements slowed from its wounds, Dick didn't retreat—he rolled forward beneath the beast's body. He yanked the injection gun from his thigh holster, loaded with specialized tranquilizer. Looking up, he met those golden eyes mere inches from his face.
Beneath the madness and murderous intent, he caught a fleeting glimpse of… confusion? Dick didn't hesitate, using every ounce of strength to drive the thick, blue-glowing needle deep into the wolf's thigh muscle. "Awoooo—!" The howl that followed mixed pain and sorrow—no longer purely bestial but carrying human despair. It frantically tried to dislodge the injection, but Dick held firm, forcing every last drop of the alchemical mixture into its body.
The massive body convulsed violently, its tremendous strength rapidly fading. It staggered several steps, golden eyes losing focus, before crashing to the ground with a heavy thud that sent dust and leaves flying. The forest fell silent once more.
Dick gasped for breath, the searing pain in his arm nearly overwhelming him. He stared at the enormous creature lying unconscious before him, at the crisscrossing wounds across its body, at the beautiful midnight fur now matted with blood and dirt.
As adrenaline ebbed, fatigue and heartache crashed over him like a tidal wave. His knees buckled, dropping him onto the cold, damp earth. Blood dripped from his arm into the mud. He reached out with his trembling right hand toward the sleeping beast, then stopped midway, not daring to touch. A warm tear slid unnoticed down his cheek. His lips quivered for a long moment before finally forming a broken whisper, like a lost child calling for his father. "…Bruce?"
