24 Hearts
Chapter 66

66====================

Requiem, the boss of the black wolf

[You have requested a duel with -Requiem-, the boss of the Black Wolf.]

[He has yet to heal the injuries he suffered in the duel with the white wolf boss, but he is willing to accept your challenge.]

[If you defeat Requiem, the quest Lord’s Request 2 is automatically completed.]

[The 1:1 match ticket given as a quest reward is consumed.]

As he walked through the path opened by the black wolves, he read the message that came to his eyes.

‘He’s injured…’

He didn’t know the extent of the Alpha’s injuries, but surely, some of his stats should have dropped. Judah’s eyes turned to Requiem. Like his duel with Korkan, the black wolves left their seats around the Requiem to make way for a battleground. Requiem stood proudly at the center of the expanse, and he looked so majestic that it was hard to believe he was hurt. Suspense gleamed within Requiem’s dark eyes waiting patiently for Judah to approach. He was an enticing opponent, and Judah felt drawn towards the Alpha.

‘Information window.’

──────────────────────

「Status Window」

[Name: Requiem]

[Title: Noble One]

[Role: One who leads the crowd]

[Level: 38]

[Occupation: King]

[Race: Black Wolf]

[Strength: 61(-11) (C) / Potential A]

[Health: 53(-10) (C) / Potential B]

[Agility: 63(-12) (B) / Potential A]

[Magic Power: 44(C) / Potential B]

[Magic Resistance: 53(C) / Potential B]

[Charisma: 66(B) / Potential A]

「Talent 3/5」

[Primary Instinct]-Rank: B

[Leader]-Rank: B

[Under the moonlight]-Rank: B

「Skill 5/5」

[Concealment]-Rank: C

[Surprise Attack]-Rank: C

[Howling]-Rank: B

[Magic release] -Rank: C

[Weapon Destruction] -Rank: C

──────────────────────

It was a more significant injury than expected that his muscle strength, agility, and stamina, decreased by about 20%. But despite the reduction he endured, his level and stats remained outstanding.

‘I knew he was level 30.’

Requiem was even eight levels higher. In the game, he boosted Requiem’s stats to keep him from dying quickly, so much so that the Alpha would come back twice even after being beaten down by the player’s party. Fortunately, the reduction Requiem sustained was beyond helpful for him.

Even if that wasn’t the case, Judah had no plans on retreating. He ventured past the bowing wolves, realizing he was still holding a torch in his hand.

He watched as its flames roared wildly. Its oiled cloth must be of high quality for it to burn brightly for such a long time. It was a good thing to have the light in this darkness, but it would be annoying in a fight.

‘The moonlight…’

When he looked up, the moon was at its phase before becoming a full moon. Indeed, he was lucky. To fight against Requiem under its fullest phase would be beyond difficult. Inside the forest, the lush leaves of the trees nearly shaded the light of the moon but standing in the plain with the waning moon above their heads blessed them with a bright light enough to chase the dark.

Judah kicked the ground with the tip of his shoe. It dug a spot in the wet, fertile soil, and Judah put his torch in it. Then he kicked more dirt at it, Weakening the fire that once burned brightly.

The moment the light grew weaker, the darkness came even closer. For a moment, all Judah could see was the darkness, but soon his eyes adjusted to the void. He triggered -Shadow Justice 2-Magic-, and his sight for his surroundings cleared even better. Requiem waited patiently for him as Judah prepared for the duel. He unsheathed his bastard sword, pulled out the daggers in his waist, and twirled them in his grasp.

When he was ready, Requiem stood from where he sat. Judah gave the Alpha a faint smile.

“Thank you for waiting.”

“…”

Still, Requiem was silent. The Alpha stalked around casually, his eyes squinting in what felt like amusement. Judah felt shivers ran down his body, the same feeling he had in this scene when he played the game. Then, Requiem’s ​​body melted into the background and disappeared before his very eyes.

‘Concealment?’

Then a sharp whip broke through the wind, and something distorted before him. Judah ducked and lunged forward, feeling something past his head. He immediately turned to his back and looked into the empty air. There was nothing in front of him, but he looked down at the lush grasses and saw patches flatten one after the other.

Scratch!

In a blink, his leather clothes made of Black Wolf skin was torn to shreds by something unseen.

‘Oh my god.’

Judah swung his bastard sword into the air, and it caught something, but his hit didn’t feel concrete. Seeing no blood on his blade, he bet he managed only to cut the hidden Alpha’s fur or skin. And as Judah cut through his enemy, Requiem emerged from his concealment. Before the wolf blended into the background once again, Judah swore he saw a glimpse of shock flash through Requiem’s eyes.

Judah frowned as he stepped back, triggering his -Shadow Swordsmanship Form 1- Potential Liberation-. This was a skill he rarely used. It worked while holding a sword and didn’t consume much magic power, boosting his reaction speed and sword skills as well as bonuses.

Although its effect wasn’t as prominent as his other skills, he activated it nonetheless, making his swinging motion smoother and faster. But still, his attacks on Requiem didn’t seem to faze the Alpha, who remained hidden. There was a big space between them, and if Judah wanted to land a successful attack, he needed to close that gap.

‘His concealment skill is taking longer than I expected.’

Of course, even in the game, the hiding skill had higher efficiency than the general buff skills. It raised his evasion rate and added bonuses to his attack power so that he could hide from the enemy. And its efficiency was the same in this world.

Just when he thought that Tia’s Rank B concealment was quite intimidating, but even Requiem’s Rank C concealment was just as threatening. However, the difference in rank didn’t matter. Judah can still pinpoint where his opponent was according to the fluttering air in whichever direction Requiem dashed to.

And every time Requiem stood on Judah’s shadow; his location blinked in a red spot in Judah’s -map-. Knowing where the wolf was wasn’t enough. Judah didn’t know the right way to attack the Alpha.

He relied mainly on his intuition, boosted by his skill -True-. And since Requiem’s concealment was at its lowest rank, it faltered and revealed him whenever Judah successfully landed an attack. For those with Rank B concealment, this disadvantage wasn’t a problem.

‘Thank God for that.’

Judah evaded Requiem’s ​​attack and threw the dagger at him. As he struck the blade with his hind paws, Judah saw an opportunity. Instead of a dagger, Judah opened his -Bag- and took out three small glass bottles of fluorescent material. It was the item given to him by Tia, and finding how useful it was, he bought a lot of it. With one hand, he threw the three of them toward Requiem.

…!

Thinking it was a dagger, it was too late for Requiem to process the fluorescent bottles glistening in the moonlight. His heavy paws smashed the incoming trajectories and all of its contents, splattering it all over the ground and, especially, his very paws. After defending himself, Requiem blended into the background again with concealment, but his feet drenched with the fluorescent liquid shone brightly in the dark. In shock, Requiem looked down at his forefeet and the entire ground covered in fluorescent light.

If the light were just any liquid, his concealment would take it with him into camouflage, but the fluorescent light was created with the magic of alchemists. It would fade after some time, but right now, concealment won’t do anything against it. Judah grinned at the success of his plan.

“I’m sorry, there’s a big difference between the two of us. Surely you wouldn’t think this is a foul move?”

“…”

Judah casually uttered as he charged at the Alpha wolf, glowing like a firefly in the dark. Requiem had continuously been on the defense, but soon he finally dropped his concealment and spurred the ground as he launched into battle.

“Let’s go!”

The wolf ducked its head to brace, and then he drew his sharp claws up into the air. To face his immense power without blocking would cause one’s flesh to fall and their bones to crumble at impact. Sweat trickled Judah’s figure as the fearsome Requiem watched him with his dark and heavy gaze.

“Don’t you feel like we’re dancing?”

It was an atmospheric night. Under the moonlight, lovers would dance within each other’s arms with the whispers of affection. But their night was of beasts and humans fighting for blood, and their swings and blows felt like the dance of death. And Judah and Requiem did theirs in this vast field.

“…”

Requiem, reticent, replied with nothing but his usual snarl. Then he lunged, snapping his jaws right for Judah’s neck. The boy spurred the ground, launching himself away from the beast. He chuckled as he heard the crackling sound snapping in the air.

He glanced at an opening and didn’t waste a single second of it. Judah pulled the sword into his arms and activated -Shadow Swordsmanship Form 3 – One Point-. Black particles generated by Judah’s magical power gather along the blade of his bastard sword then transform into a giant jousting spear. As he stepped on his feet, Judah plunged the blade.

Chun!

At the same time, Requiem’s ​​eyes flashed, and mysterious magic began to flow throughout his body. Judah’s eyes widened.

‘Magic release!’

It was a skill used to push enemies within proximity in the game. Its effect radius was about 2m from Requiem’s ​​body, and if it hit him, he would be temporarily stunned. Judah laughed as he watched Requiem, recognizing the motion needed to trigger that very skill.

“Hahahaha!”

Judah retreated his shadow swordsmanship and quickly evaded. Just before -Magic Release- blasted out of Requiem’s body, Judah had already crossed 2m.

Krrrrr!

Ethereal magical power was released from Requiem’s ​​body and stretched out in all directions, but it did no damage to Judah, who managed to escape its effect radius.

It was bloody. It was fierce. The fight between beasts and humans was even incomparable to dancing.

Having fought countless black wolves helped Judah in skillfully avoiding Requiem’s ​​attacks. However, Requiem didn’t even flinch at his attacks. He couldn’t inflict a critical hit on Requiem by only wielding a bastard sword. He had to use shadow swordsmanship to impose a good blow and work decently with his movements. Judah wasted no time in waiting for an opening. And even if such an opportunity came, he could only land an attack briefly as Requiem triggered -Magic Release- consistently.

‘Ah, it’s wearing off.’

The light of the fluorescent material on Requiem’s ​​forefoot faded. He dug his hand into -Bag- again to take another glass.

“!”

Before he could, Judah had to duck and escape Requiem’s front paws swinging at him. Just when he thought that was it, Requiem’s body recoiled, turning and attacking with his hind feet. Then Judah remembered it, and this was the same attack that Korkan used two years ago. Even if Judah avoided it, his enemy’s tail would whip right afterward. Judah swung his bastard sword to block.

─────!

Requiem’s ​​hind feet hit his blade and a sound shattered in the air. In shock, Judah’s eyebrows furrowed as he managed to withstand the blow that blasted right at him. Judah groaned, shock buzzing throughout his entire body. His physical strength must have reached its limit. When he looked up to swing his sword again, his bastard sword rang with a sound that made him freeze in place.

Quazzik!

“Huh?”

The sword in his grasp cracked and broke. Requiem triggered his -Weapon Destruction-. Judah retreated, the wolf tailing right behind him. When their eyes met, newfound spite simmered within their gazes.