Falkmar and Janos catch a metallic scent in the air, recognizing it as the smell of blood. The pungent odor causes them to frown involuntarily.

  The smell doesn't matter too much right now, their biggest problem is how to kill or escape from this big, weird wolf. The creature bares its teeth and stares at them.

  The wolf doesn't give them much time. It starts walking toward them slowly. As they see the monster approaching, their legs tremble, their hearts pound, and their minds race, trying to devise a plan.

  "Falkmar, I'll try to lure that wolf. You go take the gun from those soldiers!" Janos whispers urgently.

  "Are you crazy?! How do you lure that wolf? It could lunge at you, and you'd be done for! You can't even react!" Falkmar protests, not wanting Janos to risk his life.

  "Come on! We don't have much time!" Janos insists, glancing at the wolf, which is now closer.

  "Dang it!" Falkmar grits his teeth, realizing they have no other choice. He reluctantly accepts Janos's plan.

  "I'll run to the left side, there's a building to cover me. You go to the back of the store, there's a hole in the wall. After that, you grab the gun," Janos instructs, keeping his tone steady.

  "If I die… if I die, then run. Run to the shelter. Please take care of my parents if it happens," Janos adds, looking firmly at Falkmar.

  "Janos… you won't die," Falkmar's eyes fill with tears.

  "I hope so…" Janos smiles weakly and glances at the wolf.

  "Quick! Go now!" Janos pushes Falkmar and bolts to the left side.

  When Falkmar is pushed and sees Janos run, it feels like the starting gun has fired. His heart pounds in his chest, and every fiber of his being screams at him to run fast and reduce Janos's risk as much as possible.

  Now, Janos is on the second floor of the left-side building. He moves quickly and shouts to attract the wolf's attention. The wolf, noticing him, quickly runs to the left-side building, eager to catch him.

  However, its size prevents it from entering the building but allows it to reach the second floor easily. It uses its claws to swing at Janos. His eyes widen as he sees the claw coming. He dashes toward the back of a pillar, but before he can make it, the claw reaches him.

  With one swing, the claw tears the clothes off Janos's back, leaving a scratch. Fortunately, the wound isn't deep, but it begins to bleed. A chill runs down his back, quickly turning into severe pain.

  "Aaahhh!!" Janos cries out, his heart racing and his body trembling.

  Falkmar feels chills run down his spine as he hears Janos's desperate scream. He is running toward the soldier who has been cut in half by the wolf.

  Upon reaching the soldier, Falkmar quickly unequips the gun sling and straps it on himself. It's an HK416, an assault rifle. He not only grabs a gun but also a grenade.

  At that moment, Falkmar notices the broken gray Humvee leaking oil. He is stunned for a moment, then smiles. He glances around, then looks at the big wolf with a gleam in his eyes, realizing he has a plan.

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  Meanwhile, things aren't going well for Janos. The wolf is now using its tentacle-like tail to attack. Janos has new wounds from the tail, and it's throwing debris at him.

  "Ahh!" Janos screams again as a piece of debris strikes him. His head and body bleed, and he feels the bone in his right leg snap.

  He collapses to the floor, feeling his fate creeping closer. With his eyes closed, he shouts desperately, "Falkmar! I'm gonna die today! Ru-"

  .....

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  The loud gunfire and the wolf's painful whimper reach Janos's ears. The sudden sound makes him open his eyes. His vision blurs with tears as he sees a man in gray clothes kneeling at a distance, shooting at the big wolf.

  "Falk!" Janos shouts in his mind.

  Falkmar is at a building near the gray Humvee, which has been thrown by the wolf. He shoots at the beast.

  "Come here! You little shit!" Falkmar yells at the wolf and fires again.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  The wolf is hit once more and lets out a pained howl. Its blood-stained fur turns a deeper red. Its eyes gleam with murderous intent and hatred. But it doesn't just stand there and let Falkmar continue shooting.

  It quickly uses its heavily injured body to move. The blood-red wolf sprints toward Falkmar. When Falkmar sees it coming, he remains calm, continuing to pull the trigger.

  The HK416 has two firing modes: semi-automatic and automatic. Falkmar is using automatic mode, but since he struggles with shooting technique, he purposely only fires three bullets at a time.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Unfortunately, the wolf isn't stupid. Instead of running in a straight line, it zigzags, making it impossible for Falkmar, who isn't skilled in shooting, to land a hit.

  "Dang it!" Falkmar curses under his breath. He looks at the blood-red wolf getting closer, grits his teeth, and empties the magazine, his heart racing with both adrenaline and frustration.

  As the magazine clicks empty, Falkmar refuses to panic. Instead, a cunning glimmer lights up his eyes. He pulls out a DM51 grenade from his pocket and watches the approaching wolf.

  He quickly pulls the safety pin and hurls the grenade toward the damaged Humvee, hoping for a perfect shot. It falls into the leaking fuel tank, and Falkmar can't help but grin. He counts down in his mind, knowing the DM51 has a five-second delay.

  "Five!"

  "Four!"

  "Three!"

  "Two!"

  "One!"

  Falkmar's grin widens. Ignoring the wolf that leaps into the air, about to pounce on him, he focuses on the Humvee and prays his idea will succeed. Time seems to slow, and his heart pounds wildly as he anticipates the explosion.

  Suddenly, from the damaged fuel tank, a flicker of orange light flashes ominously. "I won!" Falkmar thinks triumphantly.

  Boom!

  The explosion erupts from the Humvee, sending a shockwave through the area. Dust and debris fly everywhere, and Falkmar and Janos shield their eyes against the onslaught. The blast prevents the wolf from reaching Falkmar just in time, knocking it against the wall with a sickening thud.

  After a few moments, the dust settles. When they open their eyes, they see flames engulfing the Humvee and the blood-red wolf sprawled out nearby, blood leaking from its body. Fragments of the Humvee are embedded in its flesh, and one of its heads lays severed on the ground, while the other whimpers weakly. The creature is down to three legs, its tail flicking weakly, and its belly is torn open, exposing its internal organs.

  "I—I—I… I did it! Hahahaha! Jonas! I did it!" Falkmar cries out in sheer ecstasy, his heart racing and his body trembling with adrenaline. He can hardly believe he has succeeded against such a fierce opponent.

  "Hahaha! Falk! You're the best! Hahaha! You killed that little shit!" Janos echoes, slowly rising to his feet, ignoring the pain radiating from his back.

  Then, a sudden, piercing shriek shatters their celebration. They widen their eyes and cover their ears against the high-pitched noise erupting from the wolf.

  "Dang it! The high-pitched noise is coming from this goddamn wolf!" Falkmar shouts, trying to make sense of the situation.

  "How can the wolf still cry out?!" Janos asks, bewildered.

  The shriek only lasts a few seconds and then fades. As they make their way down from the building, they carefully approach the wolf. It closes its eyes and lies still, seemingly lifeless now.

  The combined stench of gasoline and blood fills the air as the sun begins to set, casting an orange hue over the scene. Falkmar and Janos suddenly drop to the ground, as if they have lost all their strength. They exchange exhausted yet triumphant glances and break into wide, relieved grins, realizing they have survived a monster.

  In that moment of sheer relief, they know they fought against overwhelming odds and emerged victorious together.