'Shit…'
Lucien had made a terrible mistake. He should have fused with the Tome when he had the chance. He'd been a fool to look down on Level 40 monsters just because he'd stumbled upon a sword meant to slay Level 100 beasts—and could wield it without Level limits thanks to his Class.
He'd truly underestimated them. But now wasn't the time to wallow in regret.
Before the Red Wolf could tear into his groin, Lucien twisted his body, ripping his legs free from the other wolf's jaws and flipping over its back. His increased strength made such a move possible, though the pain of tearing flesh from fangs burned worse than he'd imagined.
Lucien didn't waste a second. As he rolled away, he jumped to his knees and scrambled to his feet, running with a staggered gait. The Red Wolves gave chase immediately.
He summoned the Tome as he ran.
'Damn it, I'll get another one later!'
White light poured from his hands, and the book began to dissolve. It scattered into fragments of light, and suddenly Lucien stopped.
The Wolves stopped too, their eyes blazing with red fury—and something else. Wariness.
Lucien turned slowly, opened his palm, and grinned like a madman.
Fusing with a Tome felt completely different. The potion and earrings had barely registered, but this—this was something else entirely.
The sensation defied description. He felt larger, though he looked the same. It was as if he hovered just outside his own body, watching himself from above.
Information flooded his mind. His brain seemed to flip through countless pages, the sensation so foreign he nearly lost himself in the rush of knowledge pouring through his skull.
All five Red Wolves watched him with strange expressions. They snarled with their usual ferocity, but hesitation crept into their stance. When prey suddenly radiated the aura of a predator, even monsters knew better than to charge blindly.
Lucien stretched his hand forward. The beauty of fusing lay in how natural it felt—like the power was part of him, not some system command. He didn't need to execute anything. Just one thought, one clear intention.
Fire bloomed in his palm. The dark air blazed with heat and light, shadows retreating from the flame's reach like living things.
The Wolves froze at the sight.
Lucien stared at the fire, confused.
"What is this?"
The Wolves seemed to share his question. Monsters in Evolution Online weren't mindless beasts—the higher their level or habitat, the more they could think and interact. Of course, there were limits to this development. A monster was still a monster, in the end.
And there was always a pattern to study.
Lucien stared at his hand, almost breaking into tears as he saw the tiny flame dancing in his palm. It was barely enough to light a lamp—good for illuminating dark places, perhaps, but this place wasn't dark.
What he needed wasn't light. He needed devastation.
Which he'd had all along.
Lucien's frown deepened.
Then he shot forward without warning. His sudden movement caught the Wolves off guard, making them stagger back.
But their prey wasn't attacking them. The movement was part of his plan. Using every ounce of agility, Lucien pushed himself forward and crashed through the flustered pack, not caring about the claws that raked his skin. It was a gamble, but a smart one.
He ran as fast as his legs could carry him—thankfully, he hadn't wandered far. As he reached the opening, he dove to the ground and snatched up his sword, spinning around in one fluid motion.
The first Wolf burst from the narrow passage just as Lucien brought the blade down with all his strength. Steel bit deep into neck and bone, slicing clean through.
The monster's head rolled away while its body stumbled forward.
[You have killed Red Wolf Lv.45]
[You have gained Red Fur]
[You have gained 1,409 Fusion Points]
Lucien jumped back from the remaining pack, waiting for the final notification.
He frowned as he took another step. It was taking too long.
The Wolves circled him, snarling. After losing one of their own, they moved with deadly caution.
Lucien's gaze fixed on the one with steel fangs, hanging back behind the others. Only now did he realize it was different from the rest.
He hadn't gotten a good look before, but now he could see clearly. The one that had stolen his sword was larger and bulkier than its packmates.
'Could it be... the dungeon boss?'
Lucien gripped his sword tighter. Fear and excitement burned in his chest like twin flames. He refused to die without clearing this dungeon—refused to spend another forty-eight hours locked out of this world.
The last forty-eight hours had been torture.
Another wolf lunged. Lucien shifted backward, retreating into one of the tunnels. As he stepped inside, blue ghostly light flickered to life along the walls, bathing the passage in eerie radiance.
Lucien didn't stop running. Neither did the Wolves.
Suddenly, he spun around and charged straight at them. The sudden reversal caught them off guard, but they didn't slow their vicious advance.
As he reached the first wolf, Lucien veered toward the wall, leaped up, ran a few steps along the stone, and launched himself over their heads. He landed on the wolf behind them, driving the cold blade of the Sword of the Forsaken deep into its back.
It howled in agony. The Steel Fang continued charging from behind, crimson eyes blazing even in the passage's ghostly light.
But Lucien ignored it—for now. He grabbed the wounded wolf and shoved it into its attacking packmates, sending them stumbling backward. His sword lashed out from behind the chaos, plunging through one wolf and straight into another's maw.
[You have killed Normal Red Wolf Lv.45]
[You have gained Red Fur]
[You have gained Red Tail]
[You have gained 1,409 Fusion Points]
[You have leveled up]
[You have gained +3 Generic stat points]
[You have gained +5 Class-specific stat points]
Lucien twisted the sword and wrenched it free. He crouched low with the wounded wolf, using it as a shield while he pushed forward.
He kept one eye on the Steel Fang lurking behind, but the beast was taking its sweet time. As if it knew that no matter how hard Lucien struggled, he'd still die on those metal fangs.
Lucien drove the sword into the wolf's body again, but the remaining one proved elusive. It kept dodging and ducking, snapping at Lucien's bare, bleeding feet.
Like that was its specialty.
Frustration boiled over. Lucien stabbed the weakened wolf straight through the neck, the blade bursting out the other side. Then he let go.
[You have killed...]
As the last wolf lunged downward, Lucien met it with a strike that didn't just crush—it sliced clean through its snout.
The wolf stumbled backward, blood streaming from its ruined nose.
Lucien stepped out from behind his fallen shield and lunged forward, driving his sword deep into the disoriented beast.
[You have killed Normal Red Wolf Lv.45]
[You have gained Red Tail ×2]
[You have gained 1,409 Fusion Points]
Lucien exhaled slowly and turned back. His bare feet ached against the stone. Though fully healed now, his reserve of fused potions had run dry—he could only afford three at a time.
He summoned two more and crushed them in his hands before the system could even prompt him.
[You have fused with two Greater Healing Potions]
Lucien locked eyes with the Steel Fang, who had been watching the entire time.
The Steel Fang remained calm, unhurried. It had waited patiently for Lucien to finish his business.
Now it seemed ready. But just when Lucien braced himself, the creature took a step back and bowed low.
Lucien blinked in confusion.
'It's bowing? To me?'
He patted himself down, glancing around to make sure. But as he turned, his face went pale. Two massive, menacing eyes approached from the dungeon's depths.
A enormous white wolf with black steel fangs towered above them both. Above its head, Lucien could see the notification that made his blood run cold.
[Dungeon Boss - White Steel Lv.50]