Chapter 25: A Dire Situation [Part 1] "Hurry!" Alex shouted. "They’re coming!" The ladies who had just been freed hurried after Alex, running in the same direction he had taken. The stronger ones helped to support the naked women, whom they had forced awake not long ago. The female swordswoman Alex had freed first cast a glance in the direction where the goblins had taken the other captured girls, her jaw clenching in frustration. She hated to turn her back on them, but there was nothing she could do. Gritting her teeth, she made the painful decision to escape while she still could. There was nothing else she could do. Alex wanted to save as many as he could. But he understood he wasn’t strong enough to fight against the goblins, and raid their den to free the other girls. Jumping from tree branch to tree branch, Dim Dim guided them to the safest path leading out of the forest. None dared to look behind them and simply ran to the best of their abilities. As Adventurers, they understood what it meant to stop running. They felt weak, and their bodies hurt, but they ran with everything they had. The ladies were panting for breath, but they would rather die running than suffer a fate worse than death in the hands of the goblins. Suddenly, Dim Dim’s shout reached their ears. "Dim!" Dim Dim’s shout forced everyone to stop. Alex immediately crouched down and signaled everyone to do the same. The Dim Sum God then landed beside Alex and told him what was happening. "Dim Dim!" The young man’s face turned grim when Dim Dim told him that four Dire Wolves had appeared in the path that they were taking. If they could deal with them, they would be able to leave the forest and go to safety. However, two of the Dire Wolves were Rank 2 Monsters. "There are four Dire Wolves in front of us," Alex said to the girls. "Unless we beat them, we will not be able to leave the forest and return to Thaloria. Can any of you fight Rank 2 Monsters?" "I can," the swordswoman replied. "But I can only take on one of them." "I’m an Archer," one of the ladies said. "But the goblins took my bow and arrow." "I have a bow, and arrows here." Alex took out a bow from his storage ring and a quiver of arrows. "Please take it." The Archer didn’t hesitate and accepted the weapon, feeling a little more confident now that she was armed. "I’m a Scout," another lady stated. "If you have another sword or a dagger, give me one. Either is fine." Alex handed a sword he had looted from a Goblin Warrior and gave it to the scout. "I’m a Mage, but I only have enough mana to cast four Fire Bullets," said a young lady with long dark brown hair. "They might not be strong enough to kill the Dire Wolves, but it can still be helpful if I get a clean hit." "I’m sorry, but my magic pouch was taken away from me," Annie said. "I’m not good at fighting. It was always Ronnie who protected me." A pained look appeared on her face when she mentioned the name of her childhood friend. There other ladies in the group were non-combatants like Annie, so they couldn’t do anything to help Alex and the other adventurers fight against the wolves. They had just come to the forest to forage for herbs and usually only stayed on the outskirts where it was safe. The sudden Hobgoblin attack had caught them completely by surprise, so they were captured easily by the monsters. A swordsman, an archer, a scout, and a mage. Including Alex, their team had five people who could fight. "Okay, let’s do this," Alex said. "The three of us will fight, while Ms. Archer, and Ms. Mage will support us from behind. Our goal is to kill one of the wolves as fast as we can. Ms. Archer will attack, while Ms. Mage’s duty is to protect her." "Don’t call me Ms. Archer, call me Cynthia," Cynthia said. "That’s right," the scout chimed in. "Call me Efa." "I’m Seren," the mage introduced herself. "I’m Elaine." The swordswoman smiled. Alex nodded. "I’m Alex, and this one is..." "Dim Dim!" Dim Dim said. After making a simple strategy to select which wolf to target, Alex and the four girls advanced, leaving the rest behind. It would be detrimental to them if they were attacked by the Dire Wolves during the battle, so it was safer that they stay a distance away from the fighting. Just as Alex’s group was planning to ambush the Dire Wolves, the Dire Wolves saw them first. ***** < Dire Wolf > Monster Rank: Rank 2 Monster Monster Grade: Common Health: 150/150 Attack: 25 - 50 Note: Some beasts are born of nature. Others are born of nightmares. A dire wolf’s patience is as deadly as its bite. It hunts not for sport, but for survival. ***** Although its health points were lower than the Brown Bear and the Red-Eyed Zebra Jumping Spider, that didn’t change the fact that a Dire Wolf was a deadly monster through and through. The wolves didn’t hesitate to lunge at Alex, Efa, and Elaine, who were acting as vanguards for their group. The tactic that the three had agreed on was simple—whichever wolf that Elaine targeted would become their targets as well. This wasn’t the first time that Elaine had fought against Dire Wolves, so she was familiar with how to handle them. The problem was that she was working with strangers, and she didn’t know their fighting style. Still, she stuck to the plan and activated a skill that took Alex by surprise. She boosted her speed and distanced herself away from her allies before gripping the sword in her hand firmly. "Whirlwind Slash!" Elaine roared as she activated her skill. The swordswoman swung her blade in a wide-arc, making a full turn from where she stood. A gust of wind blew outward, which stopped the wolves from their tracks. Blood spilled from the place where her sword had hit the wolves and pushed them back slightly. "Close your eyes!" Efa shouted before appearing between Elaine and the Dire Wolves. "Flash Slash!" A blinding flash of light erupted from the blade of her sword, catching the Dire Wolves by surprise. Since they had been warned beforehand, Alex and the rest managed to shield their eyes from the light Efa used on the enemies at point blank range. "Now!" Elaine exclaimed. The sound of rustling wind reached Alex’s ears, and a moment later, an arrow had firmly embedded itself in the eye of the Dire Wolf that had been leading the group. A pained cry spread in the surroundings as the Dire Wolf found itself seriously injured in that brief moment of blindness. Alex, who had also advanced forward, rammed his shield on the arrow that was sticking out of the wolf’s eye with the full weight of his body. His intention was clear. To push the arrow deeper inside the monster’s head until it pierced its brain. Whether he was lucky or skilled, the young man managed to succeed with his plan. The leader of the wolves was immediately incapacitated, collapsing on the ground after letting out a blood-curdling howl filled with pain.