"Uhh are you sure this is safe?" Gran says as they all traverse through the forest's thick vegetation.

"Look, we can't really get stronger if there's no risk. For me, the best way to get stronger is by facing danger." Kuro says as he lead through the forest.

Bea nervously spoke, "B-but what if--"

"-Then I'll let you guys retreat. You won't have to worry about me though, I've done this countless of times.

As Levy heard Kuro's words, she realized something. 'I've done this countless of times.'

"Kuro." Levy spoke straightforwardly.

Immediately, his heart beat loudly. "Hmm?" Kuro turned around to see Levy with eyes ready to kill, "Were you the cause of the wolves' behavior?" Kuro became filled with fear. A wrong statement could lead him to death.

'Shit. She's sharp.'

"No no, it's stupid if it really is me who caused it." Kuro tried hard to speak straight without a hint of fear. If they fought, Levy would overpower all of them, especially at Kuro's current weak state.

"Hmm..." Levy kept a blank stare at Kuro before finally looking back in front.

'Shit I almost died. Haaa......' Kuro's heartbeat slowly weakened before going back to normal.

As they progressed, Kuro immediately heard rustling away from them, which made him signal the others to lay low. He then separated from them to look for the source.

"What are you doing?!" Gran whispers to Kuro as he shivers down below.

"Uh, training? Duh." He whispers back to him and signals them to stay.

By the time that he went to the direction of the source, he saw it. The forest wolf.

'So much for a forest wolf huh...' Kuro said in his mind.

The wolf's size wasn't anything like a normal wolf from earth. It's height reached up to an average adult's height, making this wolf huge. If it stood up on 2 legs, who knows how big it could become... But for Kuro, what's important is to get stronger. With a rock in hand, he used his imagination to good use. In his past life, he was good when it comes to creating multiple scenarios and possible actions in his head, which made him succeed a lot of debates. The problem was that he keeps overthinking.

'So, the best course of action is...' He took another stone and then a stick. He left the stick in his position and ran for cover. Then, with only one chance, threw the rock at the stick. Luckily, it hit the fragile stick, prompting it to break. Alerted, the wolf cautiously went to the source of the noise, unbeknownst to it, Kuro had already prepared his attack.

'A bit more...' He kept waiting for the wolf to turn around as it smelled the stick and stone. As it tries to smell it, Kuro's sweat dripped. He knew that if he failed, his death would be guaranteed. If the wolf turns to him, the result would be the same.

*THUMP THUMP*

His weak heart that followed him to his second life beat as strong as drums, making it the only thing he heard inside his mind.

*THUMP THUMP*

His adrenaline triggered excitement, the thrill of life and death.

*THUMP THUMP*

Time slowed down at his sight, he could feel the hairs in his body, the heavy beats his heart produced.

*THUMP THUMP*

'Is this what Daredevils felt?' Such thoughts popped up in his mind.

*THUMP THUMP*

He kept watching the wolf for the perfect time. At that moment, he decided what to do. He prepared the rock to initiate his plan...

Meanwhile, when Kuro was still looking for a wolf, his companions conversed to one another with mixed feelings about his plans.

"So... Do you think he'll mess up?" Kenny spoke with uncertainty as they hid in the dense bushes that could cover their bodies.

"Yeah... I'm actually scared that I want to get Grunt and Laeus to help us out here..." Gran was slowly shivering with fear, thinking of several possibilities and outcomes of what could happen if they were to mess up.

"Let's just trust in him! He did say that he did this multiple times, right?" Bea spoke with full optimism to try and release the unease in the gang.

"Bea's right, and if we were to mess up, I'm here. I'm faster than all of you, so I can call either Grunt or Laeus faster than all of you could scream for help." Levy's cold but reassuring words made them fear for the worst possible outcome.

Few minutes later after their small conversation, they heard something...

"UUUURRRYYYAAAAAAAAAA!"

It was Kuro's voice.

Panicked, they immediately went out of the cover, to see Kuro riding a big wolf with few smaller wolves behind him.

"""HEEEEEEEHHHH?!?!""" Bea, Gran and Kenny's jaws dropped, but Levy, the fastest one to react, immediately retreated to get Laeus and Grunt.

As Kuro was leading the wolves, with the leader being ridden by him, to his friends where he can proceed to his plan, something surprising came into his view.

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New skill!

Foresee survival

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Foresee survival has activated!

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Emergency quest!

Levy has immediately retreated to get help from Laeus and Grunt.

You only have 8 mins remaining.

Objective: Survive for the time remaining or subjugate all the wolves with the help of your friends that you dragged down.

Reward: ??? (The reward improves if you killed all the wolves along with your friends before the time limit.)

Failure: Death

Chance of survival when you wait until time runs out: 80%

Chance of survival when you fight to subjugation: 15%

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'Well shit. But, this is the best way to improve.'

Steeling his resolve, Kuro stood on the big wolf's back and held his wooden sword. Condensing it with mana, He immediately swung it down on the wolf's head. The wolf immediately stopped, causing Kuro to fly off the wolf's back.

"Grrr..." The wolf growled in pain, as if a hammer struck its skull, it held its head in sheer pain. In its rage, its eyes became bloodshot red. He looked for the person who did it, and saw Kuro with his mana-clad sword. It could kill him easily, but due to the forest wolf's prideful nature, it can't do such a shameful thing.

"GRAAOO! GRAAOO!" The wolf signaled all the other wolves to circle Kuro and his friends.

"Well that's why. This fucker's the leader." Kuro muttered under his breath. As he looked around him, the wolves' have already cornered them, leaving him and his friends in the middle.

'Hmm?' Kuro grew curious as he saw the lesser forest wolves stand straight around them. He turned to the big wolf, which looked to be the leader of the pack, which was in the middle along with them.

"Aah... A battle to the death, huh." Kuro pointed his sword towards the wolf which prompted it to nod as a response.

"Guys, looks like this one wants a handicap." Kuro said to the 3 who were shivering in fear.

"W-w-what do you mean handicap?!" Gran had a hard time continuing his words.

"Well, it's 4 over 1. Simple as that."

"Kuro, aren't you... Afraid?" Kenny asked him, wondering why he was still standing straight.

"Of course I am, but..." He smirks, "This is life, isn't it?!" He spoke like a madman.

The wolf stared straight into him, waiting for his and his companions' move.

The battle begins.

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Time left: 7:23

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