Unholy Player-Chapter 43: The Old Alpha

As Adyr rose to his feet, everyone stood with him—only a few children remained seated. He could see fear, sorrow, and hope flickering across their faces. freeweɓnovel.cøm

"They prepared this for you," Vesha said, stepping forward and pointing to a large tray filled with various dishes. The hot meals were still steaming, and the cold ones looked freshly made.

"Thank you," Adyr replied, and without ceremony, he took a seat on the floor mat they had arranged. He began eating in silence. His movements were graceful, his table manners refined enough to be mistaken for those of a noble. Yet the speed at which he ate betrayed just how insufficient his breakfast had been.

He had already realized something important: although the body he used in this world and the one in the other seemed separate, they functioned as one. Everything that happened here affected him directly back there.

While he ate, no one made a sound. They simply watched. This boy, plain-looking and without even proper armor, was the one going out to face the monsters. They struggled to understand how someone like him could possibly take their revenge for them and protect the village.

But none voiced their doubts. Vesha had already given them the confidence they needed. All that remained now was to wait.

Once he was full and ready to hunt for energy crystals and possibly capture a spark, Adyr stood and turned to Vesha.

"While I'm gone, stay here. There might be stray wolves or other wild animals nearby, drawn by the smell of blood."

"Okay. Be careful," Vesha said, hiding her concern behind smiling eyes.

"I will," Adyr said reassuringly. He turned and walked toward the heavy doors of the underground shelter, stepping outside as the metal lids closed behind him.

The crowd stared at the sealed entrance in silence, offering no words, only quiet prayers.

"May God Astrael guide you," someone murmured.

The name of a God he didn't need.

—

After stepping outside, Adyr first made his way to the horse cart. The horses had been unhitched and were calmly grazing nearby. Seeing they were safe, he climbed into the cart and searched until he found a usable sword.

It was slightly shorter than a standard blade, designed for the smaller stature of the Velari race. Double-edged and well-maintained, its hilt was wrapped in gray leather to prevent slipping and allow for a secure grip.

Adyr gave the sword a few test swings, tried a reverse grip like a knife, and then experimented with several other holds. This wasn't the first time he had held a sword, but he had never actually fought with one.

The techniques were unfamiliar. He had used knives and machetes many times before and was more than familiar with hand-to-hand combat.

Still, the compact size of the blade, a short sword made for a short man, made it only slightly longer than a combat knife. That alone gave him a sense of confidence. With some practice, he figured he could make it work.

He looked through the rest of the loot taken from the cave, which had belonged to Vesha's guards. In the end, he only took a small metal shield—nothing else suited him. The armor and clothing scattered around were far too small for his frame.

He took a rope, a few small kitchen knives, and some forks, slipping them into a belt pouch. He also grabbed a handful of chili powder—one could never know when it might come in handy.

Finding nothing else of value, he picked up a leather satchel, placed the limp, motionless Dawn Raven inside, and strapped it to his back before heading out.

He returned to the site of the massacre, scanning the ground for wolf tracks and following them into the forest.

The woods were quiet—too quiet. Not a natural silence, but one that carried weight, like an unseen authority had ordered everything within to stay still and not disturb its presence.

After tracking for a while, he noticed that the wolves had a distinct way of marking their territory. Every third tree bore claw marks, making it even easier for him to follow their trail. Eventually, Adyr came across his first enemy. Or perhaps... his prey.

Beneath a tree, a massive wolf lay alone. Its fur was black as night, though worn and patchy. The claws, once sharp as daggers, now looked sunken into its paws, dull and stripped of their former sheen. Faded and fresh scars marked its body, most of them concentrated around the face. It was likely the old alpha of the pack, cast out by the new.

It was the perfect prey for a first hunt: old, alone, vulnerable. But Adyr didn't move in right away. He checked the surroundings in silence.

Even if it looked isolated, there was always a chance, however slim, that the pack might return and come to its aid. If that happened, he'd be in real trouble. No chance to fight, no space to run. Just death, torn to pieces.

He spent some time circling the forest, watching for movement and tracking scent trails. Only when he was absolutely sure did he return.

The wolf was still there, resting under the tree. Its breathing was steady, its posture relaxed. Not even alert. As if Adyr could walk up, stab it through the skull, and it wouldn't resist.

Tempting—but reckless.

Even a dying alpha was dangerous. Age dulled the body, not the instincts. And those instincts could kill.

"Let's make some preparations," he muttered.

He opened the system panel and selected two talents he'd ignored until now: [Linguistic Lv1] and [Cooking Lv1]. Both cost him one energy each.

These two talents were ones he could easily level up later. Cooking in particular was a smart choice—at the division headquarters, the skill training department offered direct instruction from experienced professionals.

Now that he had registered two talents, Adyr received two additional stat points. With one point still unused from earlier, he allocated two into [Will] to enhance his overall speed and reflexes and placed the remaining point into [Resilience] to boost his general defense.

During his initial checkup at the headquarters, he had learned that [Resilience] improved both physical and mental defense. More importantly, it increased the body's resistance to toxins and other harmful effects.

The wolf didn't appear poisonous, but that meant little. Its claws and fangs could still carry unknown substances. If any strike left an open wound, even a minor one, it could prove fatal later.

Especially considering he had no idea how advanced medical treatment was in this world, and the capital was still far away.

He gave his stat panel one last look to check his current status.

[Name]: Adyr

[Race]: Human

[Path]: Primora

[Evolution Step]: 0

[Physique]: 10

[Will]: 6

[Resilience]: 5

[Sense]: 4

[Energy]: 13.6 / 25

[Registered Talents]: 5/5

[Sparks]: Complete your first evolution to unlock.

[Sanctuary]: Complete your first evolution to unlock.

[Free Stat Points]: 0

Satisfied that he had prepared for both the obvious and the unseen, Adyr finally set his eyes on the wolf.