"Whoosh"
A claw that shone with a lethal glint shot past Rex's neck, missing its mark in mere inches. Rex followed up his dodge with another, abruptly dropping to his knees, and leaning back as much as he could.
"Swooshh!!", The second wolf sped past him, missing its pounce.
Rex immediately got to his feet and with a backward dash created a bit of distance between him and the wolves.
A smile spread across his mouth, a grin borne from an euphoric satisfaction of combat. His body was pulsing with strength; every fiber of his being seemed to be pulsing with energy. The movements he had just performed were way better than what he had envisioned.
As he poised himself for combat, awaiting the response of the wolves. He noticed that the ink-like markings across his body seemed to have thickened, with the darkness of the ink increasing in intensity. "Looks like this markings, have something to do with the energy my body is currently brimming with" Rex thought to himself.
"The Overlord Branding can boost innate capability upto 200%"
Rex's face contorted from annoyance; he 100% bore no warm feelings towards the annoying announcer. Its behaviour felt like that a grumpy sales assistant, who was being forced to market a product she desists. But its announcement carried some optimistic messages.
"The Overlord Branding has a buff-like effect on innate capability, innate capability must refer to my base stats" Rex analyzed, the prior gloom that had almost taken a hold of him completely disappearing.
The overlord branding had the potential of doubling his base ability. It was a really positive development and was 100% going to help his current predicament.
"I successfully avoided two lethal strikes already, I can do this" Rex thought as he tightened his knuckles, concentrating on the two wolves that were slowly poising for action. It was still the two wolves that had attacked him earlier. The third of the wolves, which he felt was the most dangerous had not made a move yet. It was still observing him.
Swoosh!!
The two wolves lunged at him, with his mind falling into rhythm he deftly avoided the strikes they launched towards him. Unlike their first attempt, they continued to follow-up their attacks, sending claws his way and lunging and picking themselves up to launch themselves at him again and again.
Rex's confidence was slowly solidifying as he continued to avoid the strikes the wolves were throwing his way. As the attacks of the wolves continued, he was beginning to appreciate the changes in his abilities more. It had felt natural to him at first, but with prolonged exposure, he noticed that he was easily able to read the movement of the wolves and even follow their movements easily. His eyesight had improved, and even his speed was much better than what it was in real life. He was effortlessly pulling off exquisite dodges and dashes.
He could tell that he was not at the level of his colleagues in the dojo, but if he were to go up against Big-Boned at the moment, he would have to take him a bit more seriously.
"Swiish" Rex narrowly avoided another swipe aimed at his chest. It was almost three minutes now since the two wolves began their fruitless assault. The intensity of their attacks, had not decreased in any bit. But Rex was beginning to find it monotonous, it bore no danger to his being. It was almost laughable that this creature had filled him with helplessness only a moment ago
Rex avoided another strike as he created some distance between himself and the wolves.
"Time, to switch things up".
He dashed forward towards the two attacking wolves, a shift in the ongoing rhythm of defense, one of the wolves seemingly irritated by their snacks behavior leaped forward. It's jaw stretched out to its limit. Rex's knee slid across the damp foliage as he knelt to put himself directly below the Wolf's launch.
"Boom"
A dull sound slightly sounded as Rex's fist made contact with the underside of the overstretched jaw of the wolf, sending it hurling away from its flight path. As a brisk "Awlll" sound escaped its mouth. A response to the pain, its snacks fist filled it with.
The second wolf dashed forward slashing twice at Rex with it claws, Rex avoided it smoothly and punched the wolf by the side of its head. This rapidly changed things. Rex was no longer just dodging.
He was now laying blows upon blows on his two assailants, nimbly avoiding their claws. All his extended training in the dojo was greatly paying out and the 'Branding of the Overlord' seemed to be greatly amplifying his ability.
Then thing changed for the briefest of moment, he had just avoided another swipe and returned the act with a punch of his own. When the second of the wolves lunged at his abdomen, before he could dash backward. The canine teeth of the wolf dug into his stomach.
"Ahhhh!!!" Rex screamed madly As his senses were overwhelmed with pain. Maybe instinctively or out of rage, his two hands came down in a locked position as he bashed downwards on the head of his assailant.
The ink-like markings across his body slightly extended into his hands. He could feel strength pulsing in every fiber of his being. The only thought in his head was to destroy the wolf that had bit into him.
The wolf that had just gotten its head bashed was still slightly disoriented. A state Rex confirmed in his rage-filled mind, by its wobbly stand.
Boom!!
He shot forward, and for the first time with a leap, he executed a sweep kick that sent the disoriented dark wolf clashing into a tree.
"Huuu–Huu–Huuuu"
Rex breathed out slowly, blood was slowly leaking from his stomach, he could feel his knees getting weaker and his strength slowly failing him.
Swoosshhh!!!
The third of the wolf turned into a blurry of motion as it finally made it's move. Since the onset of Rex's assault, it had been an observer.
"So you are the hunter." Rex managed to erk out a few words, amidst the pain that was madly assaulting his being. The action of the third wolf felt final. Like it had simply been wating for Rex to be worn down from the attack of it's pack, before it attacked.
Rex poised his hands, the most recent injury seemed to have opened the gate of exhaustion. He was beginning to feel weak as blood continued to flow from his bite wound.
His current predicament felt exceedingly real, there was no tell that he was actually in a game. He was beginning to find why several people claimed Cosmic Ascendance was a reality of its own. The burning ache spreading through his body, the piercing pain traveling from his gut, the rage he felt towards his assailants and the slight tension of defeat that was slowly taking hold at the back of his mind, were all too real.
He had not experienced the bite of a wolf before, but he was almost certain it wouldn't be too different from what he was currently experiencing.
"Howwwwlllll!!!"
The third of his assiliants, the wolf that had only been studying him with rage-filled demeanor howled. It howl seemed to have an effect on the two attacking wolves as they created a bit of distance from Rex. The wolf that had been slammed into the tree, had a limp in its gait, as it created some distance from Rex.
Then 'Swooshhh!'.
Leaving mere blurs, the third wolf shot forward rapidly. Its intent bare, it was going for a lethal pounce. Rex could feel an instinctive sense of foreboding assault his being. Even with the augmentation of the "Overlord Branding". He could barely follow the movement of the third wolf.
A realization dawned on Rex in that briefest of instant, if things did not change. Defeat was almost certain.