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SLW Chapter 12 : Garm, The Shadow Direwolf
🕑 Added 2025-01-27 20:57:22 +0000 UTCAeron tightened his grip on his reins, his awkwardness forgotten in the face of this primal threat. He could feel his shadow soldiers stir within him, their presence a steady reassurance against the terror creeping up his spine.
“This is no coincidence,” he muttered to himself, his mind racing. “The gods are laughing at me.”
One of the guards raised his sword, his voice trembling as he shouted, “Back! Stay back, you beasts!”
The direwolf took a step forward, its growl deepening into something more menacing. Its eyes locked onto Aeron, and for a moment, he felt as though the creature was peering into his very soul.
Raya, who had been silent until now, edged her horse closer to Aeron’s. “What do we do?” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the growls of the wolves.
Aeron’s mind worked frantically, weighing his options. He could fight, his shadow soldiers would obey his call, and the guards were skilled fighters. But to show his powers in front of these people is just not an option for now.
Still, Aeron found himself remarkably calm, a sharp contrast to the flurry of tension around him. The guards gripped their weapons with white-knuckled hands, muttering prayers to their gods, but Aeron’s gaze remained fixed on the direwolf. His violet eyes, glinting with an almost otherworldly intensity, locked with the burning amber of the massive beast before him.
There was no mistaking it—this was no ordinary encounter. The air between them felt charged, alive with an unspoken challenge. The direwolf, towering over the other wolves, stood unmoving, its predatory eyes never leaving Aeron. It wasn’t just watching him; it was studying him, assessing him as though he were an equal, or perhaps a rival.
It was as if they recognized something in each other, something primal and undeniable. Predator and predator. Threat and threat.
Aeron’s lips curved ever so slightly into a faint smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He spoke softly, his voice low and steady, meant more for himself than anyone else. “Magnificent.”
The direwolf’s ears twitched at the sound, but it did not back down. Its gaze burned into Aeron’s, unrelenting, as if daring him to act first.
Raya shifted uneasily beside him, her hand hovering over the hilt of her blade. “Aeron,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “what are you doing?”
He didn’t answer her. His focus was unbroken, his calm almost unnerving. The guards exchanged nervous glances, one of them muttering, “The lad’s gone mad.”
The tension snapped like a taut bowstring as Aeron grabbed the hilt of his sword, its worn leather grip grounding him in the chaos about to unfold. He leveled a calm, almost predatory gaze at the Direwolf. “You,” Aeron said, his voice cold and commanding, “you’ll definitely be one of my soldiers now.”
the direwolf let out a thunderous howl, and the pack surged forward as one. The wolves ignored the guards entirely, their amber eyes locked on Aeron. The guards staggered back in shock, their weapons trembling in their hands as the pack charged at the lone man.
Aeron stepped forward, unflinching, his sword held loosely at his side. “Come on, then,” he muttered, his voice low but steady. His free hand rose slightly, a faint ripple of energy emanating from it as the air around him seemed to hum with unseen power.
The first wolf leapt at him, jaws snapping for his throat. Aeron sidestepped with fluid precision, his blade flashing as it sliced through the wolf’s flank. Blood sprayed, but Aeron was already moving, his body a whirlwind of controlled violence.
Another wolf lunged from his left, but with a flick of his fingers, Aeron activated Ruler’s Authority. A loose rock on the ground shot upward, slamming into the beast midair and sending it sprawling with a whimper. A third wolf tried to flank him from behind, but Aeron spun on his heel, his sword arcing in a deadly blur that cleaved through fur and flesh.
The pack surrounded him, their snarls a cacophony of rage, but Aeron moved like a dancer in the midst of the chaos. His sword sang with every strike, and his hand, imbued with Rulers authority power, sent objects flying stones, broken branches, even a discarded shield crushing or deflecting wolves that came too close.
One wolf managed to clamp its jaws onto his arm, its teeth sinking into his sleeve. Aeron gritted his teeth, but instead of panicking, he used Ruler’s Authority to wrench the beast off him, flinging it into another wolf with bone-crunching force.
The guards watched in stunned silence, their weapons forgotten in their hands. The sight before them was unlike anything they had ever witnessed—a single man, holding his ground against a pack of wolves with a combination of brutal swordsmanship and eerie, magic power.
By the time the last wolf fell, Aeron stood amidst the carnage, his ragged clothes soaked with blood. He was breathing hard, but his grip on his sword was steady as he turned his gaze to the direwolf.
The massive beast growled, its lips pulling back to reveal razor-sharp teeth. It didn’t charge immediately, as though it, too, was assessing Aeron.
Aeron smirked, raising his sword and pointing it directly at the direwolf. “Your pack’s gone. It’s just you and me now.”
The direwolf charged, its powerful legs kicking up dirt as it barreled toward him like a freight train. Aeron didn’t retreat; instead, he sprinted forward to meet the beast head-on.
At the last second, the direwolf leapt, its massive jaws snapping for Aeron’s throat. Aeron ducked low, sliding beneath the beast and slashing upward as he passed, his blade leaving a deep gash along its side.
The direwolf whirled, its movements surprisingly agile for its size. It lunged again, its claws raking the ground as Aeron jumped back. With a flick of his hand, a shattered spearhead from the ground flew toward the beast’s face, but the direwolf batted it aside with a snarl.
Their battle became a blur of movement, Aeron’s sword clashing against the direwolf’s claws and fangs. Despite its injuries, the direwolf fought with relentless ferocity, and Aeron found himself pushed to his limits.
Finally, the direwolf charged again, its speed and power leaving no room to dodge. Aeron waited until the last possible moment, then leapt upward, using Ruler’s Authority to propel himself higher. The direwolf’s jaws snapped shut just beneath him as he landed on its back.
The beast bucked wildly, trying to throw him off, but Aeron held on, his free hand gripping the thick fur at the back of its neck. With a roar, he raised his sword high, the blade gleaming in the fading light.
“Let’s end this!” he shouted, driving the sword downward with all his strength.
The blade pierced the direwolf’s neck, sinking deep into muscle and bone. The beast let out a final, guttural howl before collapsing to the ground, its body shuddering once before going still.
Aeron stepped off the beast, his sword still buried in its neck. His chest heaved as he looked down at the fallen direwolf, blood dripping from his blade.
The guards were silent, their faces pale as they stared at him. One of them finally found his voice. “What… what are you?”
Aeron didn’t answer. He simply pulled his sword free, wiped it clean on the direwolf’s fur, and sheathed it.
As Aeron stood over the direwolf’s massive corpse, blood still dripping from his blade, a faint chime echoed in his ears.
[System Notification:
You leveled up!
You leveled up!
You leveled up!
Another notification flashed before him.
New Item Obtained:
Direfang
Type: Sword
Rarity: Rare
Stats:
Attack Power: +25
Bonus: +10% damage against beasts
Durability: 150/150
Special Effect: “Beast’s Roar” - Has a chance to unleash a fear-inducing howl that weakens enemies within a 10-meter radius. ]
Aeron glanced at the weapon in his inventory but paid it little mind. It was a good sword, no doubt, but his attention was elsewhere. A far more important notification caught his eye.
System Notification:
Shadow Army Limit increased to 30.
He smirked to himself, his heart pounding with anticipation. He knew exactly what to do. Aeron stepped onto the direwolf’s massive body, the lifeless eyes of the beast staring into nothingness. Raising his hand,
“Arise,” Aeron commanded, his voice calm but laced with undeniable authority.
The shadows surged upward, enveloping the direwolf’s body in an inky mist. The process was slower than with the smaller wolves, as if the beast’s immense spirit resisted the transformation. But then, with a sound like a guttural growl from the abyss, the shadowy form of the direwolf emerged.
The creature was even more imposing in its shadow form. Its fur was now a shifting mass of black and dark purple energy, its eyes glowing a malevolent crimson. It stood taller than before, its presence radiating raw power and dominance.
Aeron stepped back slightly to admire his work, the faintest hint of a smile playing on his lips. He looked into the glowing red eyes of the shadowy beast and said, “From now on, you are Garm.”
The shadow direwolf lowered its massive head, as if acknowledging its master. Its growl was deep, reverberating through the ground beneath Aeron’s feet.
