Flesh Golem of the Labyrinth City

"Hup..!"

I don't need to approach first. But I can't just stand still, either.

Dire wolves tend to surround their prey. I quickly ran backward while keeping an eye on my rear.

Two dire wolves coming from the left. If I keep running, I'll just drain my stamina. I need to engage before they catch me from behind.

As I charged toward the ones keeping their distance from me, the ones on the right started to catch up. I need to deal with these ones before they get to me!

"Come on!"

The thick trees growing in this forest, similar to the fourth floor, give me a slightly better environment. As I passed by a tree trunk, using the moment I was out of sight to quickly close the distance—

Bang!

I kicked one's stomach with my iron-reinforced boots. Then, I immediately raised my sword toward the remaining one's face.

Slash-

Quickly twisting my whole body toward the two wolves that had caught up on the right, I struck the charging wolf's nose with the edge of the shield tied to my left hand.

Leaving behind the one that fell with a yelp, I was about to swing my sword at the remaining one when—

"Argh!!"

A dire wolf leaped from behind and bit my shoulder. I removed the shield from my left hand and quickly moved my hand to grab its hind legs, but—

"Let go, you crazy bastard..!"

It wouldn't release its powerful bite on my shoulder. I had only one option.

"Hup..!"

I ran like hell toward where there were no wolves, then twisted my upper body left and slammed my back against a tree trunk at full running speed.

Screech!!

The strong impact made the wolf biting my shoulder fall off, and I immediately pulled its tail and smashed it into the tree.

THUD—!

"That's what you get for not letting go nicely..!"

Thanks to the gambeson, the teeth didn't pierce my shoulder. The bite force was strong enough to leave a slight bruise, but that's not a big deal.

While that happened, three dire wolves that had approached. One tried to bite my shin, but its teeth slipped off because my leather boots were tough. However, the tightly bound lace broke, putting my right boot at risk of coming off.

While keeping them at bay with kicks, I summoned my shield once more, just in time to smash a lunging wolf's snout.

"Urgh..!?"

I've wasted too much time. The dire wolves have already surrounded me. Even the alpha is growling at me. What's the safest way out?

No, I shouldn't be looking for the safest way.

'What's the way to survive?'

They're living creatures, too. Think carefully. The best way to create an opening would be if the alpha were gone. Four wolves are already down, but ten remain, including the alpha.

If that bastard's gone, I might have a chance. They might get scared if the alpha dies.

Yeah. Nothing else matters.

Swoosh

I extended my sword-wielding right hand forward, pointing at the alpha.

"I'm only killing you. Got it?"

The alpha bared its teeth and started growling deeply. Does it understand?

'It has wounds.'

I can see several wounds on its right hind leg. So that's why it hasn't joined the fight.

'Then it'll be… less difficult.'

I almost said easier but stopped myself. Even wounded, it's not an easy opponent.

"Haaah..."

I took a breath and quickly launched myself toward the alpha. No need to worry about the dire wolves rushing in from around me.

They don't have the finesse to accurately bite my moving legs. Breaking through the wolves in one stride, I immediately thrust my sword at the alpha.

"Just die already..!"

With the alpha's quick, evasive maneuver, my sword only grazed its snout. As it backed away, the other wolves caught up to me

I swung my sword to slash a throat and kicked a head with my foot. Smashed the back of a head with my shield, grabbed and threw the front leg of one trying to bite my shoulder.

My right forearm got bitten during this, but fortunately, the brand-new gambeson effectively blocked the wolf's teeth.

My thigh got bitten once, but fortunately, it wasn't in a place that would cause severe bleeding. As the remaining few surrounded me, I shouted loudly. I swung my sword in a full horizontal circle to shake off the ones moving closer.

"Come at me, you bastards!"

The number of uninjured individuals dropped to below four, and I was bleeding steadily from bites on my right thigh and left shin.

Then I suddenly felt something slamming into my back.

THUD—!

The alpha's massive body knocked me down. I desperately defended, but another wolf bit my right arm as I was swinging it to stab with my sword.

Pop

The stitching burst, and the gambeson tore. Underneath was just one thin linen shirt covering my defenseless arm. As the gambeson tore away, I also dropped my sword.

While struggling, my right boot flew off and another bit into my right shin. I grabbed the alpha's lower jaw strongly with my left hand.

But it didn't take long before my left hand's grip weakened as it shook its head, and its mouth came toward me.

CRUNCH

"Urgh..!"

My entire left arm went into its mouth. I could feel its fangs distinctly piercing into my upper arm.

I couldn't use my right hand because another wolf bit onto my right forearm. Though my lower body's wild thrashing kept other wolves from easily approaching, the existing wound on my thigh had burst open and was bleeding faster.

Just as the alpha was about to shake its head with my left forearm in its mouth,

'That's it..!'

My left hand was deep in its throat.

I channeled mana into the ring on my middle finger to summon my shield.

Keck! KACK..!

The round shield with its iron rim wedged itself into the alpha's thin throat. Its visibly bulging neck soon burst with the sound of tearing leather and gushed blood.

Slash-

This made its jaw muscles relax, and my left hand was able to escape. I immediately got up and grabbed my dropped sword with my left hand.

I slowly moved toward the tree and repeatedly slammed the wolf on my arm against it.

Kack...

After a few hits, I could feel ribs breaking before the grip on my right forearm weakened. Three normal wolves remained.

The lace on my right boot had broken, and it came off. The newly attached gambeson on my right forearm was torn away. Though I couldn't grip properly due to the bite wound, I forcefully held onto the sword and stabbed it into the back of the one biting my left shin.

—Aooooo!!!

The remaining wolves ran away. Yeah, why would they keep fighting when their boss is down?

"ARGH!! Fucking hell, it hurts!!"

All my limbs are completely wrecked. With this much blood loss, I obviously can't return through the portal.

"I'm eating… This alpha bastard..!"

And since it's literally a dog bastard, I don't feel bad at all. Half of the round shield stuck in its esophagus was saying hello to the outside air through the torn neck skin.

When I pulled on the iron-rimmed edge with my right hand, part of its esophagus came out with it.

"At least you're fucking delicious."

With both arms destroyed, I can't use much strength. Supporting myself with my left foot, I kicked its chest with my right foot to flip it belly-up.

Crack-

I mercilessly hacked at its chest with the sword in my right hand to expose the thoracic cavity.

"Whew, I'm dying here."

Even standing is hard. I straddled its belly and stuck my right hand between the shattered ribs, searching for and tearing out the heart.

"I'll put you to good use, fucking dog."

The heart, as big as my face, was still beating.

With my completely wrecked limbs, I used my somewhat okay right hand to swing the sword and bite and tear at various parts of the alpha dire wolf's body.

The work was slow since my dangling left arm couldn't function properly, but eventually, I pushed both my legs into the rib cage and spread them, burying my face in the blood pooled inside the belly skin.

"Kuah. Fuck yeah."

A terribly fishy smell assaults my nose. I tore out its lungs covered in powdered bone from the shattered ribs and put them in my mouth, then tore off one leg, roughly skinned it, and chewed the meat. Tough tendons caught in my mouth, but I swallowed them without chewing.

It would be much better if I could light a fire. Still, being covered in the high-temperature wolf's blood, my body was hot despite losing a basinful of blood.

"Kugh. You're delicious, buddy."

My stomach feels like it's going to burst. I would have eaten this guy completely if I had that explorer's Accelerated Metabolism.

"Ah, right, gotta do that."

Taking a rest while sitting, I suddenly remembered.

It died with its eyes open, showing how wronged it felt.

"I'll be borrowing your eye."

I roughly stuck my fingers into the eye socket and gently grabbed and slowly tore it out.

Pop

Tilting my head up toward the sky and opening my mouth, I put the long optic nerve that came with it into my throat.

The texture was like a chewy ice pack with jelly in it. The lukewarm temperature maximizes the discomfort.

"Whew, I'm full."

Using the barbarically dismembered alpha dire wolf's corpse as a pillow, I lay down my upper body and closed my eyes.

I'm fucking tired. Time for some sleep.

* * * * *

"Ugh...."

When I woke up, I felt cold liquid dripping from my chin down my neck.

"He-he's awake!"

"Are you conscious?!"

"Ugh, what is this?"

When I opened my eyes, I saw the darkened sky. Someone must be holding a lantern nearby as a reddish light illuminated the faces of the people in front of me.

"Are you okay? Where are you hurt?"

"Wait...."

When I got up, the alpha dire wolf's corpse I had been leaning on wasn't there. Where am I?

"Huh."

Instead, I was on somebody's lap.

"How's your body? Can you stand?"

"Just a moment.. I'll try."

All my limbs are fine. Looks like it worked as expected.

My left field of vision is normal, too. There is no dizziness or anything. To be in this state despite losing blood means...

'The dire wolf's blood must have replenished again.'

"A-are you really okay?"

"Seems like it."

My bangs are caked with dried blood, red powder falling with every movement. After shaking it off once and sitting back down to look at my body—

'Left arm moves too. Seems fine.'

"No problems. You don't need to worry."

"R-really...?"

The explorer in front of me looked at me with concerned eyes.

"Yes. Do you have any water?"

"Ah, here...."

It feels like there are dried blood clots stuck inside my throat. Ugh. I took a big mouthful of cool water, swished it around, and swallowed it. Can't waste water.

They must have found me collapsed and moved me to a safe place, as there are corpses strewn about far behind.

"I caught the alpha dire wolf."

"Ah, yeah... looks like it."

"What time is it?"

"8 o'clock."

"Perfect timing to get energized."

I get stronger at night. I'm a bit drowsy since I just woke up, but I should be able to regain my condition once I start moving.

"I'm going to the portal. Need to rank up."

"Rank up...?"

"How else would I get lead rank?"

At those words, all five explorers were shocked.

"You were still bronze rank..?!"

"Yeah... Well, I came to the 5th floor. So I guess I'm lead now."

"Uh, uhh...."

I easily found my boots gleaming in the light and put the right one back on.

The shoelace is broken, but it won't just fly off my foot randomly.

"W-wait! Where are you going?"

"I told you, I need to return."

"But it's night now...?"

"I'm stronger at night."

I pulled down my left lower eyelid with my index finger and showed them the yellow eyeball embedded there.

"Is that... a dire wolf's eye?"

"Yes. That's how it turned out. It's a promotion requirement, so I have to go alone. You know that, right?"

"Then what about that...?"

The female explorer pointed at the alpha dire wolf's corpse.

"Ah. Right."

I slowly approached the alpha's corpse.

"Got to eat more. My stomach's empty now."

I almost died, after all. Got to make it worth it.