I don't own anything.
Going out into the Emerald Forest at night had become a steady part of my routine, and despite the days I had missed due to the whole White Fang debacle, I was still making steady progress. Tonight was no different, and I found myself wandering between the trees, my weapon in hand.
I had already found a pair of Beowolves when I had entered the forest and made quick work of them. They had managed to how, so with any luck that would attract some more Grimm to me. With the Dust requirement for levels steadily rising, it was actually getting quite a bit harder to actually level up now, even if it was easier than ever to kill the Grimm.
Jaune Arc
Level: 46
HP: 100/100
AP: 440/440
Vigor: 10
Mind: 22
Endurance: 17
Strength: 28
Dexterity: 17
Intelligence: 11
Dust: 12810
I couldn't argue with the results, though. In just a short couple of months, I had gone from one of the weakest students here at Beacon, to undoubtedly being one of the strongest. Hell, other than Pyrrha and maybe Yang, I doubted that there was anyone who could actually beat me out of the first years.
Another howl ringing out into the night broke me from my thoughts, though, and I immediately began moving towards the source. Beowolves only howled when attacked or when they were trying to locate their fellows, which meant that there might be a pack. And honestly, a pack might be just what I needed to level up.
Running through the forest at a slight jog, careful not to expend too much energy getting to the Grimm, it didn't take me long to spot the first floating nametag.
Beowolf
Level 17
It was strange, though, even as I got close enough for it to hear me, it didn't turn. Instead, it simply continued on its way, running and leaping through the underbrush to get to the source of the howls as well. I tried to recall if I'd even heard of something like that before, but it didn't ring a bell.
I slowed my pace a little as I approached, it wouldn't do to run headfirst into danger if I didn't need to. Almost unconsciously, the black sheen of Chitin Shield appeared over my shield as I got closer and heard more howls ring out through the forest.
After a few moments, I finally came upon the source of the disturbance, and it was worrying. Fifteen Beowolves stood around a clearing, all facing towards the center. That, in and of itself wouldn't be a cause for concern. With how strong I'd grown, it could have been double that number and I likely still wouldn't have had trouble dispatching them.
No, what worried me was what they were looking at. It was a Beowolf, though calling it a Beowolf felt akin to calling an Athlesian battlecruiser an airship. Technically true, but it really didn't do it justice.
It was huge, almost ten feet tall if I had to guess, with white plates of spiked armor covering almost every inch of its hulking form. Looking to its faceplate, I could see steam rising from the beast's maw while circular red markings covered almost every inch of the mask, from behind which two blood red eyes glared out at me.
Above its head, its nametag floated. It was red.
Alpha Beowolf
Level 73
For a moment, we stood there, frozen as we stared at one another. And then it howled.
The sound was chilling. It was as if some part of me, some primal instinct that had facilitated the survival of my ancestors recognized that this was a predator, a monster that could and would slaughter me and any other human it came upon without hesitation.
I ignored that instinct, though, and stood my ground. I would not be cowed by some uppity little Grimm, just because it had a red nametag floating above its head.
There was no more time to think, though, as the first of the Beowolves was upon me. It didn't even bother to charge me, simply leaping from where it stood, flying through the air as it approached. That was a mistake.
Generally, getting off the ground was a horrible idea in a fight. Mostly because, if your opponent wasn't an idiot, they could take advantage of your lack of leverage and the fact that you couldn't change directions as you would be able to on the ground. The Beowolf took that lesson to the grave as it landed on Crocea Mors' tip, sheathing the blade in its own chest.
+ 1678 Dust
I didn't have time to dwell on it, as three more Grimm took its place. A shield bash knocked one to the ground, half of its health missing, as I sheared through the second's midsection in a single blow, accepting a hit from the third to stomp the downed Grimm into Dust.
+ 1837 Dust
+ 1745 Dust
I ignored the pop-ups, simply directing my attention to the Beowolf that had just hit me. A swing from my shield cracked its faceplate, and I quickly kicked it in the chest to throw its dissolving body into another trio charging me.
+ 1783 Dust
It did barely any damage, but it robbed them of their momentum, giving me a moment to get back into my stance.
And then something crashed into my shield, the hit making my arm buckle just a little bit, even through the effects of Chitin Shield. It was the Alpha, its hulking form now stood over me, pushing down onto my shield as it tried to crush me under it. Even through the shock, I instinctively counterattacked, the tip of Crocea Mors flashing out to stab at the beast's shoulder.
It… dodged?
I had never seen a Grimm do something like that before, even the Deathstalker had been all out offense with no regard for its own safety. In the next exchange, it did the same, dodging my counters where it could, to avoid as much damage as possible, so it wasn't just a fluke.
I ducked under a swipe from the Alpha, hurriedly dispatching another member of its pack with Crocea Mors as I got my shield into position to block another swing from the leader.
+ 2108 Dust
It wasn't to be, however, as the Alpha showed its uncanny intelligence again. Instead of the wild swing I had been looking to block with my shield, a white-clad paw smashed into my shoulder and sent me sprawling. It had feinted.
I risked a quick look at my aura bar, and was relieved to see that I was still sitting at around three quarters, the hit having taken a good 20% of it off of me. In a daze, I shoved the edge of my shield between the jaws of a Beowolf that appeared over me, before I rammed Crocea Mors into its throat.
+ 1877 Dust
Another pair of Grimm fell as I sliced clean through them, the regular Beowolves having relatively sparse armor on their torsos.
+ 1826 Dust
+ 1659 Dust
My instincts screamed at me as I did so, and I hurriedly jumped out of the way. The earth where I had been standing all but exploded as the Alpha landed there, its claws rending grass and dirt instead of aura and flesh. Quickly, I hurried to my feet and got my shield up, blocking another swipe from the monster.
+ 1723 Dust
Another Beowolf fell as I pulled it into the path of the Alpha's claws, leaving the Alpha with only half a dozen members of its pack. Taking a quick look at the health bar under the Alpha's name, I had to do a double-take at what I saw there. It wasn't the health bar itself that was so confusing, it was at around 80%, which wasn't all that surprising since I hadn't landed any really damaging blows yet, too busy dealing with its pack first.
No, it was the name that that confused me.
Alpha Beowolf
Level 64
Was it getting weaker?
Now that I thought of it, its blows weren't buckling my arm when they hit my shield anymore, Chitin Shield more than enough to negate the impacts. The moment it took me to register that cost me, though, as a member of its pack rammed into my shoulder, putting me off balance.
I decapitated it as we tumbled to the ground awkwardly, but the damage was done. A clawed foot slammed into my side, taking a good quarter of my aura with it as the hit tossed me into a tree. The second I landed, I rolled to the side, dodging the follow up swipe from the Alpha, as it chased me. As I rolled to my feet and blocked another attack, though, I risked another look at its name tag.
Alpha Beowolf
Level 63
Was it getting weaker when I killed its pack? I slammed my shield down onto the Alpha's foot before I slammed the pommel of my sword into its faceplate, ignoring the sliver of aura that I lost when my hand skittered over one of the spikes on it. The monster fell back just as the five remaining members of its pack arrived.
A heavy slam of my shield cracked one faceplate, sending sharp fragments of bone into the monster's skull, killing it instantly.
+ 1893 Dust
A stab of Crocea Mors took another in the neck, the steel almost singing as I pulled it free from the dissolving enemy.
+ 1679 Dust
I crushed a knee underfoot, but I abandoned my downwards stab to finish it off to defend a shoulder bash from the Alpha. It crashed into my shield, but I didn't budge. My counter was dodged, but it gave me the room to take a step forward and end the downed Beowolf with a stomp to the head.
+ 1982 Dust
I blocked a downwards swing from the Alpha, accepting a claw to the leg from one of the remaining packmates to push forward, putting the Alpha off balance. Its footing unsure, it couldn't get out of the way in time, and Crocea Mors scored a deep line into the unarmored flesh along its knee joint.
The Boss backpedaled quickly, and I used the opportunity to rid myself of the last of its pack. A single swing of my sword bisected one of the Beowolves, and I quickly pirouetted before ramming my shoulder into the last packmate's chest, knocking it over. I didn't even need to look up this time to block the Alpha's strike, it was getting predictable. Every time I was busy with something else, it struck.
For all that it was more intelligent than other Grimm, it still wasn't human, it wasn't adapting on the fly.
+ 1827 Dust
+ 2183 Dust
Alpha Beowolf
Level 59
It was just the two of us now. I was sitting at around a third of my aura, while it still had a little over half of its health, but it wasn't as strong now as it had been at the start of the fight, nor did it have its minions to chip away at me.
I blocked a strike that was noticeably slower, earning a glancing blow on its shoulder as it tried to dodge backwards. Another strike flew at me, but its footing was off, and I adjusted Crocea Mors to push the actual strike off course as the feint sailed past me. Now that I didn't have a whole pack of Grimm to distract me, its tactics were almost simple to see through.
My shield now free with nothing to block and my opponent off balance, I sent the edge of my shield straight up into the beast's jaw, snapping it shut with a cracking sound. I went for a slice down its front, but the beast leapt back to avoid it.
Slowly, the two of us circled the clearing, sizing each other up. My aura bar and its health bar were sitting at a similar level now.
The moment of respite was short-lived, as it leapt towards me, and I went low, ducking under the monster. As it sailed on by, Crocea Mors jammed itself into one of the Alpha's shoulders. I didn't even need to do anything, as its momentum helped me along and allowed me to simply rip its arm off.
It was down to around 15% of its health now, and with one missing arm, it wouldn't be able to fight me properly. I saw it hesitate for a moment, but I didn't give it a chance to recover. I charged forward, shield first as I ran at it. The beast leapt to the side and tried to swipe at me, but with only one arm, it was the height of simplicity to knock the blow off-course with Crocea Mors while the edge of my shield found its jaw.
Teeth and bone cracked as the enhanced shield met it, and it left the monster open for a stab in the vulnerable spot between its chin and throat.
GREAT ENEMY FELLED
+ 31846 Dust
[The Pack]
"Hah!" I laughed as I sat down on the damp forest floor. I'd done it. "Hahahhahaha!" I had beaten a boss all on my own, and the rewards spoke for themselves.
Jaune Arc
Level: 46 – 49
HP: 100/100
AP: 440/440
Vigor: 10
Mind: 22
Endurance: 17
Strength: 28 – 30
Dexterity: 17 – 18
Intelligence: 11
Dust: 68619 – 2787
[The Pack]
A passive spell which increases the user's Strength, Dexterity and Endurance while fighting with allies. The bonus is increased for every ally fighting alongside the user.
Scaling:
INT: E
Okay, second boss fight done! I was wondering what kind of spell a Beowolf boss would give, and this seemed like a good one. It's not going to be a huge increase, but it will stack up, if he's fighting in a huge group, the increase is going to be significant (Foreshadowing?)
If you guys want to talk about the story and get direct responses from me, or just chat in general, you can join this Discord at: b7JaQcpuc7
You can read up to 6 chapters ahead on: (The P a treon upload for today will be later in the day. Maybe this afternoon or tonight. Have to bring my mom some stuff in the hospital (She's fine, it's just for observation and pain meds) but I thought I'd let you all know that the chapter might be late.
P a treon . com (slash) Raven991
Anyways, hope you enjoyed and have a good one!