There were no threats in my territory.
However, I never let my guard down.
In the Forest where I lived, powerful enemies like Grappler Bears, Bloody Vipers, and Demon Spiders were common. The fact that none occupied my territory was a matter of pure Luck.
I had no name. I was just an Inferno Wolf.
Chasing my prey too far proved to be a mistake. I was lost.
Where was my territory? People said Inferno Wolves had an excellent sense of direction, but even that had its limits. I looked toward the distant Mountain range to confirm my location.
The peaks that usually loomed large over my home were tiny from here. That meant I was closer to the center of the Forest.
This was bad. In this Forest, the more powerful the creature, the closer it lived to the center. I had to get away, even if only by a little.
But it was already too late. I sensed the presence of a giant bear—a Grappler Bear. Was it still far off? Could I outrun it?
Wait... what was this? The Grappler Bear was acting strange.
No. I couldn't afford to be curious. I scolded myself. Foolish curiosity was fatal. Understanding that fact was the only reason I had survived to my current age. My best option was to flee immediately.
I made my decision and acted on it, but the world was not so kind. The Grappler Bear moved at full speed, cutting across my path as if to block me.
Had it noticed me? No, that wasn't it. The Grappler Bear seemed to be fighting something. Or rather, it was running away. And the thing chasing it was...
An Inferno Wolf, just like me?
The moment I saw him, I trembled. He was on an entirely different level. Not just a grade or two higher—it was as if he were Godly. Majestic.
That Inferno Wolf caught up to the Grappler Bear and attacked, but... he wasn't hitting it? Every time his fangs or claws were about to strike, his movements stopped just short of impact.
Was it some special ability of the Grappler Bear? No, impossible. The bear looked like it was prepared for death with every passing second. If it had a power to stop attacks, it wouldn't be making a face like that.
In other words, that Inferno Wolf was stopping his strikes on purpose. But why? Was he checking his own form? Practicing his movements against a Grappler Bear?
Ignoring me and my shock, the Grappler Bear and the Godly Inferno Wolf passed by and disappeared. It wasn't that they hadn't noticed me—I had made eye contact with both of them.
Driven by sheer terror, I started running. I didn't remember where I went or how long I ran. By the time I regained my senses, I was in an unfamiliar place. A Mountain range sat nearby, but it wasn't the side I was used to seeing. I had crossed over the peaks.
The mother who raised me always warned me: "Do not cross the Mountain range, for the Dragons will kill you."
Returning to the Forest would have been easy. I knew my home lay just on the other side of those heights. But my body refused to move. I couldn't stop thinking about the Grappler Bear’s eyes, wide with frantic rage, and the eyes of that Godly Inferno Wolf.
That wolf... he had hungry eyes, didn't he? Yet he also looked lonely. Was he suffering from the solitude that comes with being the strongest?
...Heh. As if I could ever know.
I decided to just curl up and sleep in a sulk. If a Dragon came to kill me, so be it.
A strange being appeared. He was strong. I could understand that much instinctively. He was likely stronger than me. Was this a Dragon? No, that didn't seem right. Well, whatever. If he wanted a fight, I would give him one. If I fled now, I had nowhere left to go.
I swiped at the strange being with everything I had. I expected him to dodge, but my blow scored a direct hit. He was blown quite a distance by the impact.
I doubted that would be enough to kill him. I briefly regretted that I might have forced him to get serious, but the strange being never came back. What was that all about?
Then another strange being arrived. He was different from the first. For one thing, he was weak. Yes, he was definitely weaker than me. Why would such a weakling approach me? Was he a fool?
Hey, don't come any closer. I'll kill you.
The strange being didn't even flinch at the bloodlust I emitted. That was the final straw. I pounced. I had the distance and the timing; I should have finished him for sure.
But the weakling stepped further in. Somehow, he was suddenly holding a long rod. I didn't even have time to wonder where it had come from before I was flat on my back.
And then, the weakling began fumbling with my belly.
Wait—hey, stop that! Even though I could have rolled over and bitten him to death, my body wouldn't move. My flesh was actually craving the movement of his hands.
Ridiculous. I... I would never submit to something like this.
Don't whisper to me in such a sweet voice. I'm not scared. Companions? I don't need companions. I've lived alone ever since the females chased me away as a pup. At this late stage, companions are...
Ah, not there. A little lower. Yes, right there... ahhh... my body is melting...
I suppose it's necessary to go with the flow sometimes in this world. If I followed this weakling, I probably wouldn't be bored. He was weak, after all. It wouldn't be so bad to protect him—at least until a Dragon showed up.
...Wait, weakling. Is that person standing next to the first strange being really calling himself a Dragon?
Am I going to be killed here? Are you sure it's okay? Will you really protect me? I'll be on my best behavior, I promise, so please don't let him eat me.
Maybe the weakling wasn't so weak after all. The one who called himself a Dragon was curious about where I had crossed the Mountain range.
"There is a barrier, for the most part, but it is old," the Dragon said. "There are holes."
He mentioned he had known about a large gap in the barrier around there for a while, but hadn't finished investigating it.
"I shall return once I have sealed the barrier. Village Head, I would like you to go back ahead of me."
So the weakling's name was "Village Head." I would remember that.
I followed the Village Head and was transported via teleportation Magic. I wondered where we were going.
...It was the Forest where I used to live. Judging by the scale of the surrounding Mountain range, we were right in the center.
I see. So, am I going to die here? Is it really okay? Really? I'm trusting you, okay?
It was true that there were many Inferno Wolves like me around, but there were just as many Demon Spiders.
Aah! I was suddenly surrounded by countless young Demon Spiders! Wait, they were doing a strange dance? The Dance of Welcome? What was that even supposed to mean?
I was just a simple Inferno Wolf.
The Bath felt incredible. And the Fish was delicious. Unlike River Fish, it didn't smell like mud at all. The grilled Fish was even better. If I were born just to eat this, then my life would have had meaning.
...Four females were staring at me. I really wished they would stop.
"He's a Newcomer," the Village Head said. "Let him into the pack."
Kuro looked at me. "Since it's the Village Head's pack, you don't really need my permission, but..."
My eyes went wide. Wait? Is that the Godly Inferno Wolf from before? Eh? The Pack Leader is... the Village Head?