Kael was about to unleash the Dark Frost ray on Kaito. Death was certain. Kaito felt the cold, thick air on the back of his neck, and fear paralyzed him.
"No! (Wulfrina screamed, her voice full of despair and loyalty, throwing herself in front of her Master). You will not touch my Master, Kael!"
Wulfrina used what little energy she had. A thin, cracked, silver layer of ice appeared around her. It was the General's Defense.
Kael's Dark Frost ray hit Wulfrina dead on. The impact threw her back, and the silver ice shattered into a thousand pieces.
(Wulfrina let out a groan of agonizing pain, falling to the floor, her breathing cut short, her eyes fixed in pain).
[System Notification: General Wulfrina suffered 90% Critical Damage. Condition: Near Death. Master Kaito: +50 XP received (High-Sacrifice Defense) ]
(Kaito was crouched, his body shaking, panic taking over, but the System was screaming in his face)
"Fifty XP! Wulfrina! Are you okay?"
Kael didn't even look at Wulfrina, ignoring her wound. He was furious about the trash in his face and the interruption.
"Filth! (Kael growled, his voice low, full of disgust, wiping the grime off his face). You will pay for this offense, Kaito! I will purify you for touching her!"
Kael raised his fist to finish Kaito.
(Kaito took a deep breath, forcing himself to ignore the panic and focus on the screen.
The desire to protect Wulfrina and win the game was the only thing that mattered). "Enough. I have 83.1 XP. I have to get a Skill!"
He opened the System tab called 'Master Skills'. It had a list of useless Skills, but one stood out.
[Skill: Basic Survival Throw (Rank G) -Cost: 80 XP ]
[Effect: Grants the Master the ability to throw small objects with 10% Strength and 5% Accuracy of the Anchor General.]
"It's now or never! (Kaito screamed mentally, spending the 80 XP instantly). Buy the Skill! Fast!"
[ System Notification:Basic Survival Throw Skill (Rank G) acquired! Remaining XP: 3.1]
Kael was one step away from Kaito. The Dark Lycan was fast, and Kaito had no way to dodge.
"Die, human! (Kael shouted, his voice full of hate, his fist glowing with Dark Frost)!"
Kaito grabbed the closest object on the floor: a crumpled soda can. He channeled the Skill and threw the can.
"Crumpled Can Attack! (Kaito screamed, his voice strangled, but his determination was absolute). Go!"
The can, boosted by 10% of Wulfrina's strength, hit Kael right in the eye. It didn't deal life damage, but it was a strong and humiliating impact.
(Kael let out a roar of surprise and fury. He staggered backward, a hand on his eye).
"You… you hit me with trash, human! I will disintegrate you!"
Kael was disoriented, and the filth on the floor was boosting the debuff.
"General! Now! (Kaito shouted, crawling toward Wulfrina, his voice urgent). Get up and attack his leg! Quick!"
Wulfrina, almost passed out, forced her body to move. The Lycan instinct was stronger. She got up.
"The General of the Frost attacks! (Wulfrina screamed, using the rest of her strength in a final blow). Eternal Frost!"
She didn't use a ray, but a punch. A punch coated in silver ice, hitting Kael's knee with full force. Kael didn't expect the physical attack.
(Kael let out a cry of pain, his knee locking up from the impact). "You wretched female! You wounded me!"
The Dark Lycan looked at Kaito (the Master of Filth) and Wulfrina (the Near-Dead General). He was wounded and surrounded by filth.
"This is not over! (Kael growled, his voice full of promise and hate). I will find you, Wulfrina! And when I return, I will purify every molecule of filth, starting with your Master!"
Kael jumped, shattering the living room window into a thousand pieces and disappearing into the darkness, taking the intense cold with him.
[System Notification: High-Risk Conflict! Dark Lycan Kael (Rank S) was forced to retreat. Master Kaito: +1 Master Level. +50 XP received (Exceptional Tactic Use) ]
Kaito collapsed on the floor, gasping. He was alive. He had leveled up.
"We… we won, Wulfrina,"
(Kaito mumbled, his voice weak, but relief and excitement returning)
"We got the loot! Now… now we have to heal you!"
Kaito looked at Wulfrina, who was lying down and almost unconscious, and then at the Status: 83.1 XP. He had the cure in his hands, but the apartment was destroyed, the window broken, and the door kicked in. And the Rank S Lycan was still coming back.