“Do not run,” Glenn ordered sternly.

Too soft footfalls approached from behind, and then Jenny stood at his side. “Didn’t you just say we should run from anything we can’t defeat?”

“Not from Vulpor,” Glenn assured her quietly. “He’s big and mean, but he’s also old and rather lazy. Despite his size, he’s been killed countless times by high Level Adventurers, and I believe he was defeated no less than four times during . That was only a few weeks ago.”

“So he might not be looking for a fight.”

“And if we run, we’ll Anger him like a pair of frightened tribbits,” Glenn agreed. “So we walk. Slowly, confidently, smoothly. Due west toward the Safe Road.” Glenn started walking just as he’d described, and Jenny shadowed his steps. “I’m sorry to cut your Milkweed gathering short, but if Vulpor is roaming the cliffs, it’s far too dangerous to be anywhere near them.”

“You’ll get no argument from me.” Jenny’s gaze remained fixed on the distant and sauntering wolf. “That Elite looks terrifying.”

They both walked, smoothly and confidently, away from the cliffs. As they retreated, Vulpor continued meandering along the eastern cliffs at an easy pace. His big pink tongue lolled out the side of his open snout to dangle across his massive teeth, each as long as a dagger.

Yet then the wolf stopped. And then, Vulpor’s yellow eyes focused directly on the two of them. His big nostrils snorted eagerly.

“Devilspit,” Glenn whispered.

Vulpor casually licked his lips and teeth. The Elite terror of Grassea sauntered, once more, in what was unmistakably their direction. He snorted a challenge.

“Now we run,” Glenn said, and turned to Jenny. “Go.”

To her credit, Jenny took off like a startled tribbit. Glenn sprinted after her without daring to look back at Vulpor. He didn’t need too. The eager, piercing howl that echoed across the Dewdrop Hills was more than evidence enough the wolf was now on the hunt. Gods, what rotten luck!

Yet while Jenny Ambersun might be a Level 12 Alchemist, she ran like a Ranger, holding her long dress hitched up with both hands. She proved swift on open ground. Glenn sprinted just behind her, each huffing breath loud in his own ears.

Rhythmic snorting assured him Vulpor was hot on their trail. For some reason, that six-cursed wolf seemed intent on hunting them today. Perhaps Vulpor was still angry about being killed so many times in the past few weeks. Elites like Vulpor were immortal, but took several days to respawn after being taken down … and though he’d never done it, Glenn knew dying was never pleasant.

Yet as the gently rolling hills continued and no sign of the Safe Road arrived, Glenn knew they’d never outrun the Elite Gloamwolf. Vulpor should have lost interest by now, especially since they’d started running from so far away, but Grassea’s Monsters had been behaving strangely of late.

First the Grass Sprites inflicted that strange poison on Becka, one far more deadly than any poison from a Monster that level should be. Then that angry Moss Beast cast [-Root Barrier-], a level 10 Skill from a Monster in a Level 8 zone. And now Vulpor seemed intent on chasing them far beyond his hunting path, despite the fact that they’d done nothing to draw his Anger.

There was a reason the Gods had made Vulpor so big and old. He was supposed to give up the chase if his prospective victims spotted him early enough and fled. This ensured the mere sight of Vulpor while out Leveling wasn’t instant death for Adventurers.

Card’s Manual of Monsters suggested wandering Elites like Vulpor had been placed by the Challenger Gods to teach Adventurers to always mind their surroundings. Yet today, it seemed the Challenger Gods had put Vulpor up to outright murder. How was that even fair?

“Keep running!” Jenny shouted.

Like he needed that encouragement. “You too!”

Heavy pawfalls pounded behind them. Grass rustled, far too close. Vulpor didn’t even howl as he inevitably caught up with them. He just panted like a big happy dog.

A dog that wanted to happily murder them.

Just like with that Moss Beast that menaced Azalea, Glenn could not hope to defeat Vulpor alone, nor could he outrun the huge Monster. Yet just like Becka had done with Azalea, he could lead Vulpor away from the person he intended to protect—in this case, Jenny Ambersun.

It seemed cruel that the Gods would force him to make the same choice twice in two nights, yet he’d just had this discussion with Jenny. The Gods, it seemed, had decided he should back up his words with deeds. “Keep going!” he shouted. “I’ll lead him off and slow him down!”

Glenn slowed, drew his [Bronze Training Sword], and spun to face his implacable opponent, still backing up. Vulpor was scarcely twenty paces behind him now. Once Glenn turned, the big Elite Gloamwolf slowed his pace. His tongue lolled dangerously as he padded forward.

At least Vulpor looked to be tired out by the chase. He really was big and old. Glenn had to distract him long enough for Jenny to get clear, and then…

His first death. Glenn saw no way around it now, yet it need not be the forever death. He might still lose a great deal of experience, but he couldn’t lose his Level. And if Jenny reached the Safe Road, the first thing she would do is rush back to Wolfpine and report his death.

The Blazer’s Guild representative was arriving today. They might already be in town. Such a skilled Adventurer would have no trouble retrieving Glenn’s ensouled body and returning it to Wolfpine before twelve hours elapsed.

So far as Glenn knew, no one else had died today. So Richard’s [-Resurrect-] should be off cooldown, if the Gods smiled on his bravery. And even if not … he couldn’t simply let Jenny die.

His parents could afford to have him resurrected. Paying for that would hurt them, financially, but he knew they’d agree with his choice to suffer a death to save a Townsfolk. Glenn knew his mother would have done the exact same thing in his place, if she’d been chosen as an Adventurer.

“Run!” Jenny shouted. “You can’t defeat that thing!”

“I can keep it busy!” Glenn shouted. “Run back to town and alert the guards, and look for the Blazer’s Guild representative! Just tell them my ensouled body is waiting out here in the Dewdrop Hills, and they’ll come and get me! Now go, go!”

Vulpor tucked his tongue into his mouth and crouched low. He growled deep as he slowly advanced. Glenn gripped his sword, pointed its tip toward Vulpor’s nose, and set his feet.

“C’mon, old boy.” Glenn forced a cocksure grin. “Let’s dance, just you and me.”

He had no chance to deter Vulpor by bluffing, and there was no benefit to letting the wolf make the first move. Forgoing all hope at strategy, Glenn threw himself at Vulpor with almost suicidal recklessness. He simply had to give the wolf pause.

Vulpor simply watched as Glenn swung and then snapped his jaws tight ... directly on Glenn’s sword. Glenn nearly lost his grip, then did lose his grip. The big Elite wolf ripped the blade from his hands with a deceptively casual move of his big head.

Then Vulpor used [-Pounce-], flattened Glenn, and pinned him to the earth with one big paw. He overpowered Glenn as casually as Glenn might pin down a frog. Glenn punched desperately at the wolf’s snout with one fist, again and again, but Vulpor just snorted. The wolf panted above him with unconcerned eyes. His big jaws opened, revealing gleaming teeth.

The six-cursed wolf was smiling at him.

Glenn refused to close his eyes or look away. He wouldn’t give Vulpor the satisfaction. He didn’t hear Jenny yelling any longer, so she must have accepted his logic and run. She seemed like a practical woman, and he’d assured her this wouldn’t lead to his forever death. Still … he imagined being ripped apart by Vulpor was really going to hurt.

A ball of flame as big as a man’s torso blasted the wolf directly in the face.

Vulpor hopped off Glenn with a startled yelp. As a full fourth of his lengthy Health Bar charred stark black, he snapped madly at the flame now scorching his snout and tongue. His fur burned.

Glenn took the brief reprieve to roll sideways and toward his sword. He snatched it up and spun around again just in time to see the wolf coming for him again. He braced his feet.

Another ball of fire blasted into Vulpor’s side, singing his fur clean off, tearing his skin open to reveal his ribs, and sending the wolf lumbering sideways. Vulpor howled in pain and fury and turned away from Glenn, loping off toward the west … and Jenny Ambersun?

Jenny hadn’t run. She stood in the distance with her feet placed evenly and her eyes narrowed. Her brown hair and fine dress blew as if caught in a strong wind, despite the wind being almost still. She spun both wide open hands in yet another perfect glyph circle. More flame appeared.

Vulpor was halfway to her when the third ball of flame arrived. It blasted the big wolf in the chest so hard he toppled over. Glenn recognized the Skill Jenny had used from sketches in books.

[-Inferno-] was a Rare Harmcaster skill, which meant an Adventurer must unlock other Skills to acquire it. That suggested Jenny was a Harmcaster of at least Level 10. That was the minimum Level where one could choose [-Inferno-], because one needed to first choose three other Skills to “unlock” it.

And apparently, Jenny Ambersun had enough Blood to cast it three times in a row.

Vulpor rose, shook his head, and loped on. Burns covered his body, his bones were exposed, and one eye was a charred mess. His Health Bar was now far more char than red, and it seemed obvious another hit like that would finish him. Harmcasters might be fragile, and their Skills might be easy to interrupt and take time to cast, but they were also absurdly powerful.

As Jenny finished her next casting, the big wolf slowed. He almost looked resigned as the next ball of flame whooshed toward him. Vulpor didn’t even try to evade the blast. He took it directly to the face. The heat and impact charred the majority of his head clean off.

As his Health Bar turned stark black and faded, the big, angry, Elite terror of Grassea thumped into the high grass of the Dewdrop Hills like a tired dog settling down for one last rest. This marked the fifth time Vulpor had died in the past three weeks, and despite being immortal, Glenn imagined being melted by [-Inferno-] hurt as bad as being chewed. Despite the fact that Vulpor had intended to devour him, Glenn felt real pity for the old wolf.

But at least Vulpor would threaten no more Adventurers or Townsfolk today.