Chapter 2: The Grayfangs
The warning horn echoed through the village. Once. Then twice.
No one hesitated. Men rushed toward the wooden fence with stone spears in their hands, while the women hurried the children into the nearest huts.
Aren remained frozen. Everything had happened too quickly. Only moments ago he’d been lying in bed, trying to understand where he was. Now the entire village was preparing for battle.
The old man looked back at him. "Stay inside."
Before Aren could reply, he’d disappeared into the crowd.
Aren stood alone. His eyes drifted toward the forest.
The glowing eyes were still there. Watching. Waiting.
A young hunter ran past carrying several spears. "You!" he shouted. Aren looked up. "Take these to the eastern fence!" Without waiting for an answer, the hunter shoved two stone spears into Aren’s hands and ran off.
Aren stared at the rough weapons.
They were heavier than they looked, the stone tips chipped, the wooden shafts cracked in several places.
These won’t last long...
The thought came so naturally it surprised him. How did he know that?
A sudden pain shot through his head. For a brief second he saw an image — a sharpened iron spear, rows of soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder. Then it was gone.
Aren nearly lost his balance. "What was that...?"
A cold voice interrupted his thoughts.
[Memory Synchronization: 2%]
Recovered Knowledge: Weapon Evaluation
The words vanished as quickly as they’d appeared.
"So... that’s what the system does."
It wasn’t giving him new knowledge. It was returning something he’d once known.
A loud growl echoed from the forest. CRACK! Part of the wooden fence shook violently. The hunters raised their spears.
"Grayfang!"
A massive wolf burst from the trees, its fur dark gray, almost black beneath the fading sunlight. It stood nearly as tall as a man, sharp fangs glistening with saliva. More wolves emerged behind it.
Five. Eight. Twelve.
The village fell silent. Even the children stopped crying.
The pack leader stepped closer to the fence, golden eyes never leaving the humans. Then it let out a deafening howl, and the rest of the pack charged.
"Hold the line!" someone shouted.
The first wolf slammed into the fence with incredible force. The sharpened logs groaned. Another impact followed. Then another. Wood splintered.
Aren tightened his grip on the spear, his heart pounding against his chest. He had no memories. No combat experience. No idea if he could even fight.
But one thing was certain — if the fence fell, no one in the village would survive.
The Grayfang leader lowered its body, muscles tensing, then leaped straight toward a gap in the wall.
Straight toward Aren.
End of Chapter 2