The wolf snarled as the metal lid connected with its flank. It whirled around, its massive body pivoting with surprising grace, eyes now fixed on Maya.
"Run!" Vell shouted, but she stood her ground, holding the trash can lid like a shield.
The wolf lunged at her, jaws snapping. Maya swung the lid again, catching the beast across its muzzle. The impact sent vibrations up her arms, nearly making her drop her makeshift shield.
Vell seized the moment of distraction.
He brought the pipe down hard on the wolf's back leg. A sickening crack echoed through the alley, and the creature howled—a sound that was part animal, part something else entirely.
[Skill Enhanced: Enhanced Strength Level 4]
[Description: Your physical strength is 40% greater than normal humans]
The notification flashed before his eyes as the wolf staggered, its injured leg buckling slightly. But instead of retreating, the beast seemed to grow more enraged.
Its yellow eyes glowed brighter, and a strange gray mist began to seep from its fur.
"What is happening to it?" Maya asked, backing away.
The wolf's body shuddered. The injured leg straightened as the bones visibly realigned beneath the skin. The creature grew larger, its shoulders now reaching Vell's chest.
[Warning: Alpha Dire Wolf Entering Rage State]
[Danger Level: Extreme]
"We need to move," he said, grabbing Maya's arm.
They turned and ran deeper into the alley, away from both the wolf and whoever had broken into the gas station. Behind them, the wolf's howl changed pitch, becoming deeper, more guttural.
The alley ended at a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire. Beyond it lay an empty lot filled with construction equipment.
"Up and over," he said, interlacing his fingers to give Maya a boost.
She stepped into his hands, and he launched her upward. She grabbed the top of the fence, carefully avoiding the barbs, and swung herself over, landing with a grunt on the other side.
The wolf's growl grew closer.
Vell glanced back to see it charging down the alley, moving faster than before despite its size.
He jumped, catching the top of the fence, and pulled himself over just as the wolf slammed into the chain-link.
The entire fence bowed inward but held.
The wolf paced on the other side, its eyes never leaving them. Then it backed up several steps.
"It is going to jump," Maya realized.
"Haha... now way right?"
They turned and sprinted across the lot toward a half-constructed building—the skeletal frame of what might have been an office complex before the world ended.
Behind them, metal screeched as the wolf crashed through the fence.
They reached the building and ducked inside, weaving between concrete pillars and stacks of building materials. The wolf followed, its massive body barely fitting through the doorway.
"Up there," he pointed to a metal staircase leading to the second floor. "It might not be able to follow."
They raced up the stairs, the metal groaning under their weight. The wolf reached the bottom just as they made it to the second floor.
It snarled up at them, then placed one massive paw on the first step. The staircase shuddered but held.
"It is coming up," Maya whispered.
Vell looked around desperately. The second floor was mostly open space with steel beams forming the skeleton of future walls. Construction materials lay scattered about—lumber, pipes, tools abandoned when the towers fell.
His eyes landed on a stack of steel rebar. He grabbed a length of it, testing its weight. It was heavier than the pipe, but stronger too.
"Take this," he said, handing Maya a hammer from a nearby toolbox. "Aim for the eyes if it gets close."
She nodded, gripping the hammer tightly.
The wolf was halfway up the stairs now, each step bending under its weight. Its eyes glowed in the dim light, fixed on them with predatory focus.
"We need a plan," Maya said. "We cannot just keep running."
She was right. They were trapped up here, and eventually, the wolf would reach them.
Vell scanned the area again, this time looking not just for weapons but for advantages. His eyes settled on a large stack of lumber near the edge of the floor. Beyond it was a drop to the ground level, where a pile of sand had been dumped for concrete mixing.
"I have an idea," he said quickly. "But it is risky."
"Tell me."
He explained his plan in hurried whispers as the wolf reached the top of the stairs. It paused there, as if savoring their fear, then padded forward, its claws clicking on the concrete floor.
"Ready?" he asked.
She nodded, her face pale but determined.
"Hey!" He shouted, stepping forward and swinging the rebar to get the wolf's attention. "Over here!"
The beast turned toward him, growling low in its throat. The gray mist around it had thickened, giving it an almost ghostly appearance.
It charged.
He waited until the last possible moment, then dove to the side. The wolf's momentum carried it past him, straight toward Maya, who stood near the lumber pile.
She did not run. Instead, she raised the hammer and brought it down with all her strength on a wooden support beam that Vell had partially sawed through.
The lumber shifted, then collapsed, cascading toward the edge of the floor. The wolf, unable to stop its charge, crashed into the falling wood and tumbled over the edge with it.
A heavy thud and a cloud of dust rose from below.
"Did it work?" She asked, peering cautiously over the edge.
The wolf lay half-buried in sand and lumber, not moving. For a moment, Vell thought they had succeeded.
Then the pile shifted. Wood splintered as the wolf rose, shaking off debris like water. It looked up at them, and even from this distance, Vell could see the rage in its glowing eyes.
"That just made it angrier," he said.
The wolf backed up, then ran forward and leaped, its powerful legs propelling it upward. Its front paws caught the edge of the second floor, claws digging into concrete.
Vell rushed forward and swung the rebar down on its paws. The wolf snarled but held on, pulling itself up inch by inch.
[Skill Enhanced: Combat Awareness Level 3]
[Description: Significantly improved reaction time and spatial awareness in combat]
The world slowed around him. He could see every movement of the wolf's muscles, could predict exactly where it would place its paws next.
He adjusted his stance and brought the rebar down again, this time hitting a precise spot where the wolf's claws met flesh.
The beast howled and lost its grip with one paw but clung on with the other.
"Maya!" he called. "The hammer!"
She was already moving, bringing the hammer down on the wolf's remaining paw. Bone crunched, and the wolf fell back to the ground floor.
This time when it landed, they heard a distinct crack—not of wood, but of bone. The wolf tried to stand, but its front leg collapsed under it.
"We hurt it," Maya said, a note of hope in her voice.
But the wolf was far from defeated. The gray mist around it intensified, swirling like a miniature storm. Before their eyes, the broken leg straightened, the paw that should have been crushed flexed and extended.
"Dammit, its healing again," Vell said in disbelief.
[System Alert: Alpha Dire Wolf possesses regenerative abilities]