Lucas was beginning to feel slight headache from the blue tint that came with “Sharpsight”, activated to follow two thick mana streams that got closer to each other with every step the party took, marking a near convergence where Lucas was sure to find the monster nest belonging to Thorn wolves, especially as beasts attacked them twice after the defeat of their hunting pack. Both attacks were easily dealt with and Lucas’s ring was filled with some more carcasses which his party insisted to take with them, hopeful they will find someone in New Flame who would be able to buy those carcasses from them.

Angry howls were heard from behind them as five wolves emerged and immediately charged at the party. Unlike first attack from the beasts, that included some kind of strategy, every subsequent attack was some kind of charge, the beasts desperately trying to turn them away from their home.

“Guiding strike” Lucas muttered, his sword hand automatically striking at the head of the nearest beast, stabbing it through the skull and piercing the brain, permanently downing the beast. The rest of his party was equally successful, three wolves already laying dead on the ground. He casted a glance, finding his next target, a wolf who was trying to pin down Maggie. Activating “Infused piledriver” he started spinning, landing a hit at the flank of the wolf, his sword shredding flesh and bones in equal measures. The wolf let out a painful howl before arrow pierced him through the eye, ending its life.

“This was a suicide charge” Lucas commented as they started packing the carcasses into his ring.

“I guess we killed the strongest beasts during the first attack. Every single beast after that was weaker” Ted shrugged, the wolf that attacked him laying down with his skull caved in.

“Nevertheless, we should aim to end this quickly” Lucas said, activating his “Sharpsight” once again, two thick mana streams still were flowing close to each other. They once again started to follow them and five minutes later they can spotted them converging on the site were some burrows could be seen. Lucas deactivated his skill to take a better look at his surroundings. Plains surrounding them were same as they were during their whole trip, grass and plant life stretching as far as the eye could see, broken only by one mound holding the burrows which were their final destination, Lucas thinking how it would only be fitting for this post – System Earth to have subterranean complexes underneath landscapes like these.

Their approach was uncontested, although they could feel being watched. Wolf pack obviously had some skills to help them stayed unnoticed in open spaces like this one, but it looked like they were happy just to keep an eye on them after so many failed charges trying to deter them from going further.

“They are definitely around us, but I cannot even try to guess their numbers” Maggie said, fulfilling her scouting role as it was usual.

“Is the entrance clear?” Lucas asked, focusing on the burrows that represented the nst of these creatures.

“I think so” Maggie responded.

Monster nests were odd invention of the System, Lucas knowing only the basics of how they functioned. Essentially, they were part of the world and not artificially spawned like the dungeons were and all non – sapient creatures had drilled in their instincts they need a monster nest, which served as a path of evolution for them. However, depending on the power level of the creature inhabiting the monster nest and depending on the path they took, System was willing to forego the regular way to destroy a monster nest, which usually was to kill the creature that made it with some exception needing fire to completely purify it, throwing instead a some sort of challenge or small scenario or even a puzzle.

“Please, no puzzles” Lucas directed his thoughts to the System which of course remained silent, unmoved by the pleas Lucas sent its way. He pulled himself from his thoughts, party expecting his instruction on how to proceed.

“I say we rush to the entrance, force the beasts to play their hand” Lucas suggested, the party only nodding, showing high confidence in his leadership. Lucas briefly wondered when that amount of trust developed and even if he deserves it, but he clamped those thoughts, knowing now was not the time for them. They started building their pace a bit, testing their unseen enemies and when they showed no inclination to react, they transformed into full rush, Lucas allowing Margaret to climb his back. Chen was also hard at work, spinning some illusions of the party and sending them either in retreat or making them take different speeds, littering the path to the burrows with many copies of the same five people. This action finally made the beasts react, but confused by large number of illusions, they first strike missed, hitting simultaneously the fastest illusions and those that were retreating.

“Mags, how many?” Ted shouted as they continued to run.

“At least fifteen” she shouted in response.

“Can you keep those that get to close from us?” Lucas asked.

“Two shots, as always”

“Then pick up the pace” Lucas instructed, the party covering even more ground as illusion in front of them continued to dissipate, wolves obviously concerned only by those that approached their nest. One arrow flew from Maggie’s crossbow, piercing the wolf that was preparing to attack them, piercing him through the eyes and killing him. Chen started to manipulate some groups of illusions behind them to charge at the wolves, momentarily distracting them as they look to defend themselves. That distraction along with the second shot from Maggie that downed another wolf proved enough distraction for the party to reach the entrance to the burrow, rushing through it. They stood their ground there, allowing for Chen to drink a mana potion and reloading that was due for Maggie, but their defensive postures proved unnecessary as no wolf attacked them.

Leaving Ted to guard the entrance, Lucas looked around itself. The burrows were just a round room, on the far side of the room a giant wolf eyeing them warily, flanked by two regular, albeit larger, Thorn wolves. Lucas took momentary break to activate his “Sharpsight”

“Thorn wolf, level 35”

“Thorn wolf, level 35”

“Thorn wolf patriarch, level 42”

“Thank you” Lucas sent his thanks to the System, remembering his earlier pleas regarding puzzles. If the System heard him, it made no effort to respond, not that Lucas expected anything different. Quickly refocusing to the situation at hand, Lucas did a quick analysis. The beasts so far proved to be formidable fighters, having both close range attack and a ranged attack and on top of that they were extremely agile, able to freely flow from short to long range depending how the opponent defended himself. The downfall of them, however, where that Lucas and his party were vastly over - leveling them, forcing them to defend themselves, a feat that so far proved impossible for the beasts.

Lucas prepared himself for the battle ahead, trusting in his party to support him. He decided to open up with “Blade Spin”, predicting that this is the only time where his opponent will be arranged so neatly. The Gladius of the Viridi flew out of his hands, striking first wolf right across his muzzle and leaving a deep gash. The Patriarch was next on the chopping block, but he dodged out of the way, Lucas’s sword instead focusing on the second wolf, stabbing into his hind leg, making the beast snarl in pain and rage.

Patriarch hadn’t waited for the sword to attack him again, already charging towards Lucas, forcing him to activate “Dodge” and roll to the side. The Patriarch’s attack missed and that quick pause was enough for Lucas’s sword to catch up to him, aiming to slice. The large beast bent his back, trapping the sword in between needles on his back. That wasn’t enough to disarm Lucas, his gladius cutting through the needles and returning to Lucas’s hand.

Maggie and Chen weren’t sitting idle while Lucas attacked the Patriarch. Chen used his illusions to make tow copies of Maggie which were fired their crossbows in perfect unison, Chen managing to summon dozens illusions of arrows flying towards the two wolves that were acting as the entourage for the Patriarch. Confused, wolves were unable to dodge properly, one of them, the one with a stab wound in hind leg finding itself hit by the arrow. The bolt went through the flesh and pierced the lung of the unfortunate beast, leaving it writhing on the ground, coughing blood and gasping for air.

“Mags, Lucas, you want to hurry up” Ted said from behind the party “I will not be able to hold others from entering for long”. Lucas managed to sneak a glance at the entrance, spotting Ted in the process of smashing his club in the flank of wolf that managed to enter the burrow and was preparing to fire at the rest of the party, Margaret behind him providing her heals when necessary. He was then forced to activate “Dodge” once again, avoiding the swipe of the Patriarch’s massive claw. Lucas concentrated and found the aura of the large wolf, activating “Aura severing” and stunning the large beast.

Incapacitated, the Patriarch had no way to defend him from the flurry of strikes Lucas then send with the aid of “Doom strikes”, every hit damaging the stunned beast until one actually hit an already damaged spot, completely opening the stomach of the beast and allowing all of his internal organs to splash on the ground. Lucas decided to give the beast mercy in death, his sword stabbing the beast through the head, glaidus piercing the brain, downing the Patriarch immediately. At that moment, howling of the wolves outside started and beasts retreated in a hurry, prompt informing Lucas they were successful in their task.

“You have destroyed Thorn wolves’ monster nest”

“1000 EXP awarded”

After some quick celebrations, they moved out and resumed their way towards New Flame, unimpeded in their journey due to fact they managed to take out biggest predators of these parts. By the day’s end, they found themselves in front of the gates, surprised guards scrambling to open them for Lucas and his party to enter.