The Last Nightmare

Ow ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The haunting howl tore through the air, echoing across the cavern like a divine proclamation. The very walls trembled. Loose stones crumbled from the edges of Wolf's Cliff, cascading into the bottomless chasm below.

This was no ordinary howl.

This was a king's declaration.

Nate's pulse quickened as he instinctively looked up.

A wolf, unlike any other, stood at the peak of the cliff, bathed in a golden glow. Even in the dim cavern light, its fur shimmered, each strand radiating a faint, otherworldly luminescence. It was larger than the Alpha they had slain, its form towering at nearly three meters.

But what stood out most was its aura.

A suffocating pressure filled the air, as if the very space around them bent to its will.

"Shit…" Darius muttered, gripping his axe tighter. "This one's different."

Kai, still nursing his wounds from the last fight, barely managed to speak. "No… this one's on a whole different level."

They weren't wrong.

Nate's instincts screamed at him.

This wasn't just another monster.

This was a ruler.

Then—

The golden wolf moved.

No, it vanished.

A streak of golden light descended from the cliffside like a divine judgment, and the next second—

BOOM!

It landed in front of them, the impact alone sending a shockwave through the cavern floor. A deep crater formed beneath its massive paws.

Pressure.

Nate felt his knees grow weak. His body tensed on instinct, muscles screaming at him to run.

But it was too late.

The Golden Battle Wolf attacked.

---

The beast lunged, moving faster than anything they had faced before.

Darius reacted first.

His battle instincts kicked in, and he swung his axe at full force, aiming to cleave into the wolf's flank.

CLANG!

The wolf caught the axe mid-swing.

Darius' eyes widened in shock.

Then—

With a single flick of its wrist, the axe was ripped from his grip, sent spiraling into the air.

Before Darius could react—

WHAM!

A golden paw crashed into his chest.

CRACK!

Darius was sent flying, his body slamming into the cavern wall with bone-crushing force. Dust exploded outward from the impact.

"DARIUS!" Elena cried out, her healing spell interrupted by the sheer force of the shockwave.

But there was no time to check on him.

Because—

The wolf wasn't done.

Kai disappeared into the shadows, reappearing behind the beast in an instant.

His dagger gleamed as he plunged it toward the wolf's spine—

But the wolf didn't even turn.

THWACK!

A single back kick sent Kai flying across the battlefield, crashing into the dirt with a strangled gasp.

The wolf was playing with them.

Nate moved.

His katana flashed, slicing forward in a precise arc toward its exposed neck.

But—

CLANG!

The blade bounced off.

His hands went numb from the impact.

His strongest attack had done nothing.

Nate's mind raced. "It's not just fast—it's durable. No weak points?"

Then—

For the first time—

The golden wolf acknowledged him as a threat.

It lunged, closing the distance in an instant.

Nate barely managed to step back, but the second attack came even faster.

No time to dodge.

He raised his katana to block—

BOOM!

The impact sent a shockwave through his body. His arms nearly gave out from the sheer force.

"Reinforce!"

Elena chanted desperately, golden energy flowing from her staff. A faint glow surrounded Nate, dulling the pain slightly—

But it wasn't enough.

The golden wolf vanished again.

A blur of gold—

It reappeared above him, mid-air, jaws open wide.

Damn it!

Nate twisted, barely avoiding the razor-sharp fangs. He slashed upward, aiming for its underbelly.

A spark of resistance.

His blade cut in—just slightly.

The wolf snarled.

For the first time—

It was hurt.

Nate's heart pounded.

It could be wounded.

That meant—

It could be killed.

---

The golden wolf leaped back, a thin line of blood trailing from its underbelly.

It locked eyes with Nate.

Something had changed.

The beast was done playing.

Now—

It was going to kill him.

Nate tightened his grip on his katana. His breathing steadied.

One last all-or-nothing attack.

His vision narrowed.

His body tensed.

Then—

He charged.

The golden wolf moved to meet him.

Fangs vs. Blade.

The moment Nate slashed—

The wolf did something unexpected.

Instead of dodging, countering, or blocking—

It tackled him.

A blinding golden light erupted, and—

Nate felt his body leave the ground.

His ears rang.

His vision blurred.

The cavern vanished.

Beneath him—only empty darkness.

The chasm.

His stomach lurched.

He was falling.

The golden wolf was falling with him.

The last thing he saw before the abyss swallowed them—

Glowing golden eyes, staring into his soul.

Then—

Darkness.

---

Falling into the Unknown

Nate felt the cold air rushing past him.

The abyss had no end.

Already falling down who knows how deep, the surrounding is already completely dark. His falling speed had already reached terminal velocity. This kind of height, is more than enough for him to fall to death a dozen times.

Exactly what kind of chasm is this, actually with such a terrifying depth.

But no matter what, this kind of height, him falling to death is certain.

The golden wolf descended beside him, its massive form twisting mid-air, attempting to pin him down even as they plummeted.

Nate's mind raced.

If they hit the bottom—if there even was one—he would die.

No escape.

No second chances.

His body screamed in pain, but he forced himself to move.

He reached out—grasping at the wolf's fur.

Then—

He looked downwards, ominous glow in the darkness , actually came from below. At the same time, an increasingly obvious change started to occur to the surrounding airflow.

Almost about to reach the bottom of the chasm!!

Nate gathering all of his concentration, taking a deep breath, tightly shutting his eyes, clutching the golden wolf fur,silently feeling the change in the surround air current, feeling that he is becoming closer to the bottom, more and more closer...

Then—

He heard a voice.

Not his own.

A whisper in the abyss.

[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare.Prepare for your First Trial…]

And then—

They crashed into the unknown.