Chapter 5: Chapter 5. The first kill after rebirth.

Ryan stepped into the dilapidated building, and a pungent aroma of decay assaulted his nostrils. He wasn't taken aback by the smell; he had already pegged this place as a haven for demonic beasts, where death was a mundane occurrence for man and beast alike. It was almost a certainty that many had perished here, contributing to the heavy stench that now enveloped him.

As he delved deeper into the structure, the three-eyed wolf on his tail made its presence known. The beast, too massive for the doorway, didn't hesitate or search for an alternative path. Instead, it hurtled its immense frame against the wall, muscles and sinew propelling it forward.

The wall, feeble from years of neglect, crumbled effortlessly under the force of the wolf's assault.

A tremor rippled through the building as Ryan felt the ceiling release a shower of white dust upon him. He recognized the fine powder as cement dust and a fleeting sense of triumph flickered in his chest.

This was a sign, perhaps an affirmation that he had chosen the right venue for his perilous ruse – or maybe it was a harbinger of impending disaster. Ryan knew all too well that the tides of fate could turn at any moment, for better or worse. Resigned to this uncertainty, he chose to surrender to the current of events, exerting as much influence as he could muster without succumbing to worry.

Urgency propelled him forward; the three-eyed wolf was relentless. Ryan knew he couldn't afford to dawdle. His survival hinged on his quick wits and swifter feet. He darted to the nearest door, weaving through the maze of rooms, his steps a drumbeat against the time-worn floors.

The wolf furiously crashed through barriers in its pursuit. Its destruction was both blind and calculated, a force of nature that acknowledged no obstacle.

"Damn it, you beast," Ryan spat out, his words laced with a mix of fear and frustration. "Are you planning to mash me up before you feast? Didn't your mother teach you to show some gratitude, some respect to your meal?" The wolf's response was a roar, a titanic sound that seemed to say, 'Keep my mother out of this, puny human.'

Ryan couldn't help but note a silver lining: most doors lay in ruins, victims of violence or the ravages of time. This meant no delays in his flight, no precious seconds lost to fumbling with latches or knobs. Furthermore, the wolf's brute force approach to navigation was a double-edged sword; each demolished wall bought Ryan a little more time and hastened the imminent collapse of the already faltering structure.

Then, the air was split by another roar, this one tinged with frustration. The wolf realized its quarry was slipping away, and it doubled its efforts, barreling through another wall in a spray of debris and dust.

The building responded with a groan, a deep, ominous sound that seemed to signal its final moments were near. "It's time already," Ryan murmured, a wry smile touching his lips. "Just one more wall to go."

With no moments to spare, he sprinted to the next doorway. The three-eyed wolf, blinded by rage and unaware of the precariousness of its surroundings, followed in hot pursuit, its instincts focused solely on the chase.

Ryan darted through the door and made a beeline for the window. The panes were cracked and shattered in several places. Without pausing to think, Ryan instinctively raised his arms to shield his head and launched himself at the window, angling his body so his back would take the brunt of the impact.

*Smash*

The glass gave way, and Ryan crashed through, tumbling free from the confines of the decaying structure. The loud footsteps of the three-eyed wolf's pursuit filled his ears, the sound of destruction chasing him even as he escaped.

Hitting the ground, he rolled to dissipate the impact, regaining his footing with a fluidity born of adrenaline and necessity. He sprang up, already sprinting, desperate to put as much distance as possible between himself and the teetering edifice.

The three-eyed wolf's thunderous strides resonated behind him. Ryan's mind was a mantra of urgency: "Now!... Now!... Now!..." He willed the building to collapse, hoping to trap the beast within its crumbling walls.

As if on cue, the building obeyed the silent command and succumbed to gravity.

*Boom*

A cloud of dust and debris billowed into the air as the structure imploded. Ryan didn't glance back; he couldn't afford the luxury of looking. He had to assume the worst-case scenario – that the three-eyed wolf might still live and be mere moments from resuming the chase.

A pained roar, muffled by the collapsing building and the distance Ryan had created, reached his ears. The three-eyed wolf was caught, but whether it was a fatal entrapment remained to be seen. Regardless, Ryan pressed on, driven by the slim chance that the creature could extricate itself from the rubble.

Amidst his flight, a holographic screen flickered into existence before him, halting him mid-stride with its sudden appearance.

._._._._._.

[DING! DING!!]

_You have slain a corrupted level three-eyed wolf.

_Reward - 2 strength points [STR], 5 intelligence points [INT]

_Additional reward - 13 unassigned stats points.

._._._._._.

Ryan stood there, dumbfounded by the notification. His plan hadn't just been to escape; it had been to survive. The thought of actually killing the three-eyed wolf had been more hope than expectation. Yet, the message was clear: the beast was dead, and he was the victor.

A smile crept across his weary face, and he halted his frantic escape. Now that the immediate threat was neutralized, nothing appealed more to Ryan than resting his exhausted body.

He quickly scanned the area for a suitable spot and, without a second thought, collapsed onto the ground to recover his breath. His lungs screamed for air, each breath a fiery reminder of the ordeal he had just endured.

Once his breathing steadied, Ryan's attention returned to the holographic screen and its cryptic rewards. The allocation of 2 [STR] points was somewhat tangible; he could feel a faint surge of strength coursing through his muscles. It wasn't dramatic, but the sensation was undeniable. However, the 5 [INT] points were more enigmatic. He didn't feel any surge of intelligence or any immediate change in his cognition.

Ryan couldn't help but wonder what the [INT] point was for.