The world around him shifted the moment he stepped through the rift.
One blink ago, he was under daylight.Now, darkness all around.
Lucien stood in the middle of a vast forest, bathed in a pale, cold light. The air was damp, the wind whispering through towering pines. He raised his head.
Above in the darkness of the night, two moons hung in the sky... one silver, the other a deep crimson and half veiled by drifting clouds. The sight was hauntingly beautiful, strange… and wrong.
He had no time to admire it.
A low growl echoed through the trees.Then another, from the opposite direction.
He spun around just as the first creature lunged... a wolf, massive and fast, its fur black as smoke. Lucien's sword flashed, catching it across the flank, but before he could finish it, a second one attacked from behind. He barely parried in time, the impact forcing him back a step.
They moved with unnatural speed, vanishing into the forest shadows before he could counter.
Lucien steadied his breathing, eyes narrowing. Fighting them here, between the trees, was a mistake. He needed space.
He sprinted downhill, weaving between roots and stones until he reached a small clearing. The air dense with mana and at the center of this corrupted forest, perhaps.
He closed his eyes for a single second, listening.
Branches creaked. Leaves rustled. Footsteps were circling him.
"Fine," he said, exhaling. "Your move."
The next sound came from behind. Lucien turned in a blur, his sword cutting through the dark. The blade met flesh. A short yelp... and silence. One down.
But more were coming.
Dozens of glowing eyes emerged from the treeline. The wolves fanned out, surrounding him completely. He could hear their claws scraping the dirt, smell their breath thick with mana and blood.
Lucien shifted his stance, the edge of his blade glinting under the twin moons.
Then the ground trembled.
From between the beasts, something larger stepped forward... towering over the rest, walking upright on two legs. Its fur was silver-grey, its chest marked with scars of previous fights.
A werewolf.
The lesser wolves lowered their heads as it let out a guttural snarl that shook the air.
A translucent blue window flickered before Lucien's eyes.
[System Alert]Boss DetectedWerewolf – Alpha of the Twin MoonsRank: D+
Lucien's grip tightened around his sword.The ground beneath him crumbled slightly...he was at the edge of a cliff, dropping into a black, endless void.
"Of course," he muttered. "A cornered fight."
He rolled his shoulders, drew a long breath, and lifted his blade.The Orc Cleaver still rested across his back, untouched... for now.
"Let's see what you've got, Alpha."
The werewolf roared, and the pack surged forward as the battle for the rift began.
Lucien dodged the first two wolves.One missed its jump entirely and plunged into the abyss below.The other managed to cling to the cliff's edge, claws scraping against stone.
Then pain... sharp and sudden.A third wolf had latched onto his leg, fangs sinking deep into his thigh.
Lucien grunted, twisted his body, and brought his sword down in a clean arc.The blade cut through fur and bone, silencing the beast in one strike.He spun, momentum carrying the weapon through the second wolf still hanging from the cliff, severing its grip.
Both bodies fell into the darkness below.
Lucien exhaled through gritted teeth and glanced down. His right leg was bleeding badly, the fabric torn and wet."Damn it…" he cursed, wiping the blood with his palm.
Then he straightened and stared at the towering figure across the clearing.The Alpha's golden eyes gleamed like the two moons in the dark sky.
"I've got all night," Lucien said, voice steady despite the pain. "Bring your whole pack, Werewolf."
The creature cocked its head as if understanding the provocation.Then it howled... long and deafening toward the twin moons above.
The pack immediately withdrew, forming a wide circle around them. Only the Alpha remained in the center, advancing slowly, its heavy claws leaving craters in the dirt.
Lucien smirked faintly. "Guess it worked. Just you and me then."
His confidence lasted exactly one breath.
The werewolf moved.
It wasn't a charge, it was a blur.A flash of fur, muscle, and pure killing intent.
Lucien barely raised his sword in time. The impact crashed against his guard like a sledgehammer, sending a shockwave through his arms.
The next instant, he was airborne and hurled backward into a tree.Wood splintered on impact. The breath was knocked from his lungs.
He slid down the trunk, coughing, his sword half-buried in the dirt beside him.
"Fast… and strong," he muttered between breaths. "Noted."
The Alpha straightened, shoulders rising and falling with each deep growl. Steam poured from its maw.
Lucien forced himself up, gripping his blade once more. He could already feel his leg stiffening, blood soaking into his boot.
He'd fought monsters, raiders, aberrations.But this beast... this was different.
This thing wasn't hunting him.It was playing with him.
The beast lunged again...But this time, Lucien was ready.
Steel met claw in a storm of sparks.He pivoted with each blow, turning brute strength into wasted motion, using the werewolf's momentum against it.Every slash, every feint... he anticipated.Every strike... He deflected.
His breathing grew heavier, fogging the cold night air.The werewolf stopped its assault, pacing in a wide circle, yellow eyes locked onto him.Lucien stood firm, one foot braced behind the other, sword angled low.
For a moment, neither moved.Only the twin moons watched from above.
Then, the Alpha threw its head back and howled.
The sound rolled through the forest like thunder it was deep and primal.Lucien felt it in his chest, in his bones.
Something answered.
Another howl, distant but growing louder.Branches cracked.Leaves trembled.
And from the shadows stepped a second creature and it was just as tall, just as monstrous, its fur darker, almost black under the silver light.The two beasts stood side by side, their forms mirroring each other beneath the twin moons.
Lucien's eyes widened."No way…"
Then, the familiar blue shimmer of a System window appeared before him.
[Boss Encounter Detected]Twin Wolves of the Twin Moons Rift – Rank C–
Lucien exhaled slowly, his grip tightening on the hilt of his blade."So it's not just one Alpha," he said."Perfect."
Both werewolves lowered their bodies, muscles tensing.Their eyes gold and crimson fixed on him.Then they moved as one.