Gregor's eyes were locked on the imposing figure of the Alpha Phantom Wind Wolf before him. Towering at five to six feet, its massive green eyes glinted menacingly.
Its sleek fur shimmered like a nebula, perfectly blending into the night's darkness. Each powerful step it took left a small dent in the ground, while the wind seemed to caress its form, giving it an ethereal presence.
The atmosphere around them felt noticeably cooler as the wind howled ominously.
Gregor's hair whipped gently in the breeze as he gripped his long sword with calm determination. Yet inside, his mana surged at full capacity; every sense heightened and muscles taut with anticipation.
He understood that underestimating the Alpha Phantom Wind Wolf would be a grave mistake. After all, it was a 3rd Order Common Beast,equal in power to him,and judging by its energy signature, this was no ordinary Phantom Wind Wolf.
Slowly, the wolf crept forward, each movement causing the wind to howl more fiercely. Gregor narrowed his eyes and shifted into a battle stance.
Suddenly, the Phantom Wind Wolf lunged forward with blinding speed—too fast which surprised him a little bit.
"This thing is incredibly quick," Gregor thought as he crossed his arms defensively. It was too late to dodge; he had no choice but to brace for impact.
A massive paw slammed against his crossed arms, sending shockwaves through him as he staggered backward. Grimacing slightly from the numbness that coursed through his limbs, he struggled to regain his footing when a whistling sound sliced through the air behind him. Without thinking, he twisted aside just in time as another claw narrowly missed him by inches.
Not wasting any time, Gregor shot forward with a punch aimed at the wolf's head,but struck only air. He glanced sideways and saw it standing several meters away.
Narrowing his eyes again, Gregor dashed forward, leaving behind a blurry afterimage. In an instant, he was before the wolf and brought down his sword in a powerful arc.
The Phantom Wind Wolf parried with its claws; steel clashed against metallic talons with a resounding bang that sent shockwaves uprooting grass around them like confetti caught in a storm.
In retaliation, the wolf twisted its massive head and lunged for Gregor's neck. Reacting swiftly, Gregor leaped back just in time to avoid being bitten.
With another loud howl that stirred up even more wind around it, an aura enveloped the Alpha Phantom Wind Wolf as ten gleaming wind blades formed around it,each one sharp enough to cut through anything they touched.
Letting out another fierce howl, those ten blades shot toward Gregor with incredible speed,a tearing sound slicing through the air as they approached.
Gregor tapped his foot lightly against the ground and swiftly dodged three blades slicing through the air. With a deft flick of his sword, he dissipated another trio of wind blades, then launched himself toward the wolf, skillfully avoiding the remaining attacks.
"You think you're the only one with skills?" Gregor grinned, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.
Level 3 Knight Skill — Steelbreaker Slash
Channeling his Mana into his sword, Gregor tightened his grip as his muscles tensed slightly. The blade shimmered with a silver sheen, its weight increasing dramatically.
As he closed in on the Alpha Phantom Wind Wolf, he slammed his foot down hard enough to create a crater in the earth beneath him. The force propelled him into the air for a powerful leap.
With gravity pulling him back down, he descended rapidly and executed a downward slash. A burst of silver light erupted from his sword, aimed directly at the wolf's head. Sensing danger too late, the wolf attempted to evade but was struck on its back instead.
A resounding boom echoed as the massive creature was sent sprawling several meters away. A painful howl escaped its mouth as blood flowed from a deep gash on its back.
Gregor landed heavily on solid ground, creating cracks that spidered out around him. He glanced at the wound on the wolf's back with disappointment. "I was aiming for your head."
As if understanding him, the wolf's eyes glinted with fierce bloodlust and killing intent. It howled again before phasing out of sight.
"You're not the only one who can harness wind," Gregor chuckled darkly before vanishing himself, leaving only rippling grass behind.
A thunderous boom erupted nearby as shockwaves sent dirt and grass flying everywhere. A small crater formed where both Gregor and the Phantom Wind Wolf clashed.
They separated momentarily before disappearing again. Steel met claw in rapid succession; loud booms resonated throughout as their figures blurred across the battlefield. They appeared and reappeared all over the area like shadows dancing under moonlight.
The Alpha Phantom Wind Wolf was massive yet incredibly agile,its speed unmatched within its Order,making it nearly impossible for an ordinary person to track its movements. If it weren't for Gregor's own affinity for wind, keeping up would have been nearly impossible.
The winds howled fiercely as their attacks created continuous shockwaves and booming sounds; by now, their surroundings were utterly devastated,craters littered everywhere while dirt and grass flew about chaotically.
With another loud boom, they broke apart once more, standing several meters apart from each other.
Gregor panted heavily; beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. His armor bore faint cracks while blood trickled from a gash on his arm.
The Alpha Phantom Wind Wolf found itself in a far worse state than Gregor. Its once-smooth fur was now matted and drenched in blood, with gashes of varying sizes covering its body.
The chaotic aura around it grew colder, steam billowing from its nostrils as it bared its enormous fangs, eyes radiating a deep killing intent that felt almost tangible.
With a thunderous howl that made Gregor's ears ring, he frowned, his calm demeanor shifting.
"Looks like you're about to unleash one of your signature abilities," he muttered under his breath, his expression turning serious.
Suddenly, the wind around the Alpha Phantom Wind Wolf compressed into sharp blades. Its disheveled fur lay flat against its skin as its green eyes glimmered with a faint turquoise light.
Gregor's expression shifted slightly.
"The Phantom Gale Rend!"
In an instant, the wolf vanished as if it had never been there, leaving only swirling leaves and a whisper of wind behind. A heartbeat later, it reappeared at Gregor's blind spot, launching a curved arc of compressed air toward him.
Caught off guard, Gregor had no choice but to absorb the attack head-on. With a resounding crash, his left gauntlet shattered into fragments as he was hurled backward. Before he could regain his footing, another slash aimed directly at his neck followed swiftly.
He leaned back just in time; the blade grazed past him by mere inches, leaving a cut on his chin from which crimson blood trickled down—his head would have rolled had he not reacted quickly enough.
Before he could fully recover, the Alpha materialized behind him again, towering over him and casting an oppressive shadow as it opened its massive jaws to bite down on his head,fangs infused with wind.
In a desperate maneuver, Gregor propelled himself backward toward the wolf and slammed his elbow into its torso with tremendous force. A loud crack echoed through the air as the Alpha recoiled and crashed heavily to the ground.
"Level 2 Knight Skill — Windguard Step!"
Gregor didn't give it time to recover. Wind surged beneath him as he darted forward in rapid bursts; his figure flickered in and out of sight until he appeared right behind the Alpha.
A flash of steel later revealed a deep wound opening up on its neck,just shy of severing it entirely. If the Alpha didn't twisted its neck at the last microsecond, its head would be rolling on the ground by now. As blood sprayed forth accompanied by a pained howl. The wolf quickly retreated several meters away before sprinting off.
"Oh no! It's heading for the village!" Panic surged through Gregor when he saw where the Alpha was running.
Without hesitation, he activated Windguard Step once more and dashed forward in quick bursts; each step propelled him faster while creating afterimages behind him.
As it neared the village entrance with another deafening howl escaping its lips, wind began to gather within its mouth forming into a deadly ball aimed directly at the village.