My brain struggled to process what I was seeing.
"Sponsorship…?"
Blood filled my mouth as I coughed, the metallic taste thick on my tongue. At the same moment, another wolf yanked violently at my leg, and I felt something tear deep inside my flesh. My vision shook, the world tilting and blurring as pain surged through me.
And yet that ridiculous window still floated calmly in front of my eyes.
Did they seriously just offer me a sponsorship now, while I was literally being eaten alive? Why not earlier?
The absurd timing made my mind spin even more than the blood loss. It made me question everything I thought I knew about these so-called constellations.
A sponsorship.
A constellation.
Every Awakened had one.
They were treated like gods in this world, mysterious beings watching from somewhere beyond this world. They were the ones who granted powers to ordinary humans, turning them into hunters capable of fighting the monsters pouring out of these gates.
Which meant—
This offer meant I could awaken.
Even now… even while I was being torn apart.
One wolf suddenly dug its claws deep into my chest, ripping through my already soaked clothes. Another lunged forward, jaws snapping dangerously close to my throat as the pack fought for the right to finish me.
My mind screamed in panic.
I couldn't afford to be picky. Besides… who the hell would say no in a situation like this?
Without hesitating, I forced my trembling hand upward and slammed it toward the floating window.
{YES}
The moment my finger touched it, the window flashed.
Then—something changed.
A strange warmth burst from deep inside my chest, spreading through my body like fire racing through dry grass. The freezing exhaustion that had been dragging me toward unconsciousness vanished instantly, replaced by a surge of energy that flooded my limbs.
My heart slammed against my ribs. Thump. Thump. Thump.
The pain was still there, the wounds still open, the wolves still tearing at me—but my body no longer felt like it was dying. Instead, it felt like something inside me had woken up.
Strength surged into muscles that moments ago had refused to move. My fingers curled tightly into the dirt beneath me, cracking the ground slightly as sensation returned to my arms.
The wolf still clamped onto my arm jerked its head violently, trying to tear the limb off like before. But this time—my arm didn't move. Its jaws strained, yet my body barely shifted. The monster growled in confusion.
And slowly… very slowly… I lifted my head. My vision, which had been fading into darkness just moments ago, was now unnaturally clear.
The wolves froze. Their instincts seemed to sense something had changed. Something dangerous.
A new window flickered into existence before my eyes.
[Sponsorship Accepted]
[You have been recognized by the Constellation of Gates (GM)]
[Awakening in progress…]
I grabbed the wolf that had its jaws buried in my arm, forcing my fingers into its thick fur. A moment ago, I wouldn't have had the strength to do this.
Now—my grip tightened.
The wolf yelped as I ripped it off my body and hurled it across the clearing. Its body slammed violently into a tree trunk with a dull crash, bark splintering on impact. The monster let out a sharp, pained wail before collapsing to the ground.
For a split second, I froze. Did… I just do that?
But the others were still on me.
Another wolf had its teeth buried in my shoulder, shaking its head as it tried to tear the flesh apart. Gritting my teeth through the pain, I grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and yanked with everything I had.
The creature resisted, claws digging into my chest as it snarled. Then my muscles surged, raw power coursing through me. With a shout, I tore it off and flung it away. It skidded across the dirt before crashing into a rock, rolling over itself with a furious growl.
One by one, I pried the remaining wolves off me, grabbing fur, claws, limbs—anything I could reach—and ripped them away, throwing them back like sacks of meat. The monsters stumbled and slid across the forest floor, clearly not expecting their prey to fight back.
Finally, the last set of teeth released me. I staggered a step, then slowly stood. My entire body was soaked in blood—some mine, some theirs. My clothes were shredded, wounds covering my arms, chest, and legs, and the cold night air stung against torn skin.
But strangely… I didn't feel weak anymore. Instead, a burning strength pulsed through every muscle.
The wolves regrouped a few meters away, their glowing eyes locked onto me as low growls rumbled through the forest. They spread out, circling me once more, confused, cautious.
One of them lunged suddenly, its body a blur as it aimed straight for my throat.
But this time—I moved first. My fist shot forward instinctively.
CRACK.
The sound of impact echoed sharply through the trees. My knuckles slammed straight into the wolf's face. The force behind it shocked even me.
The monster's head snapped violently to the side, its entire body lifted off the ground as blood burst from its mouth. It crashed onto the dirt several meters away, rolling and whining in pain.
I stared at my hand, my fist trembling slightly in the air. That… that strength… that wasn't normal. A moment ago, my punches hadn't even made them flinch.
But now… now I had hurt it.
The remaining wolves hesitated, their glowing eyes narrowing, instincts screaming that this prey was no longer helpless.
The forest, once a felt like a place of fear and chaos, now felt like it bent to my presence. I could sense every shadow, every twitch, every inch of the terrain around me.
The power surging through me wasn't just strength—it was awareness, speed, precision, survival distilled into pure force.
And for the first time, I realized something terrifying. The wolves weren't hunting me anymore. They were already being aware of me as if calculating my every move.
Waiting for a mistake that wouldn't come.
I clenched my fists tighter.
Good.
I'll let this bastards test me.