Refused The System

The Law Of The Wild

Every step Gerry took felt unbearably heavy.

Guided by the faint blue glow of Vesper's interface cutting through the thick fog, he forced his battered body toward the narrow crevice in the western cliff wall. It was a naturally formed hollow, hidden well enough to shelter someone lingering on the brink of death.

The silence at the bottom of the Forbidden Abyss was suffocating, as though the air itself possessed enough weight to crush his lungs.

The pale blue glow of moss creeping across the stone walls cast eerie silhouettes over the twisted black trees.

Gerry leaned against the cold rock wall.

His breaths came in short, steaming gasps, each inhale sending a stabbing pain through the surgical scar across his side.

His eyes swept over the darkness beyond the cave entrance.

"Vesper," Gerry whispered, his voice nearly swallowed by the fog. "How much longer before this body stabilizes? I don't have time to rot inside this crack forever."

[Warning: Cellular stabilization remains at only 12%. The Host's nutritional reserves have fallen below the critical threshold. Without an immediate intake of protein and internal energy, regenerative functions will cease, and the Host will experience secondary organ failure within 180 minutes.]

Gerry let out a hoarse chuckle.

"So after surviving that bastard's operating table and falling thousands of feet, I'm going to starve to death?"

"How ironic."

[Logical Analysis: Regretting your fate will not replenish your energy. Organic nutrients are required immediately.]

"I'm not regretting anything, you damned machine."

Gerry hissed through clenched teeth.

His fingers dug into the damp earth until they found the same sharp stone he had used to crush the first wolf's skull.

Its rough surface seemed to pour determination back into his soul.

"I'm not dying here."

"Not in this filthy place."

"Not while Dandy's heart is still beating with my kidney inside him."

"If they want me to become garbage..."

A cold smile spread across his face.

"Then I'll become the most poisonous garbage they've ever thrown away."

Suddenly, his ears caught a faint sound outside the crevice.

The soft scrape of fur brushing against dry leaves.

[Warning! Threat Detected.]

[Target: Shadow Wolf. Body Refinement Stage 2.]

[Status: Predator has tracked the Host's blood scent and is locking onto your position.]

"I know, Vesper!"

"Shut up and let me think!"

Lowering his center of gravity, Gerry slowly crawled into the shadows near the entrance.

His eyes narrowed.

Through the shifting mist, a pair of crimson eyes stared back at him with unmistakable hunger.

This wolf was much larger than the first.

Nearly the size of a young calf.

Its midnight-black fur blended perfectly with the darkness, while its elongated fangs protruded from its jaws, dripping acidic saliva that scorched the grass below.

Gerry could feel his heartbeat pounding inside his chest.

Logically, with damaged meridians and a Vitality score of only three, he had no chance.

The creature was stronger.

Faster.

Far deadlier.

But it had made one fatal mistake.

It believed Gerry was helpless prey.

The wolf released a deep growl that made the surrounding stone tremble.

Then, with a powerful kick of its hind legs, it exploded through the mist.

Gerry didn't try to run.

Running would only expose his back.

At the last possible instant, when the wolf's snapping jaws were only inches from his throat, Gerry threw himself sideways and rolled across the muddy ground.

Its claws sliced through empty air.

Still, their tips caught his tattered silk clothing, carving three deep gashes across his shoulder.

Fresh blood sprayed into the air.

The scent instantly drove the predator into a frenzy.

It spun around, preparing to attack again.

"Vesper."

"Analyze its weak points. Now."

"Don't make me guess."

[Processing...]

[Weak Point Detected: Left hind leg joint bears signs of an old injury, reducing flexibility by 15%. The carotid artery beneath the neck remains the most vulnerable target.]

"That's enough."

Gerry forced himself upright.

His legs trembled violently.

Both hands gripped the sharp stone until his palms ached.

The pain in his side flared fiercely.

Instead of weakening him, it became fuel for the adrenaline surging through his body.

The wolf lunged again.

This time, it stayed low, aiming directly for Gerry's legs.

Gerry made a reckless decision.

He deliberately offered his left leg as bait.

The instant the wolf's jaws clamped around his calf, unbearable agony exploded through him.

Its fangs tore through flesh and slammed against his shinbone.

"NOW..."

"YOU'RE MY PREY!"

Gerry roared, forgetting every trace of pain.

Using the moment the wolf committed its bite, he hurled his full body weight onto the beast's head.

With the jagged stone clenched in his right hand, he drove its sharpened edge straight into the predator's glowing eye with every ounce of strength he possessed.

A shrill howl shattered the silence of the abyss.

Thick black fluid erupted across Gerry's face.

The wolf's left eye burst apart.

The stone buried itself deep enough to strike bone.

The beast thrashed wildly, trying to throw him off while dragging both of them across the rocky ground.

Gerry's trapped leg twisted violently inside the wolf's jaws.

The pain nearly turned his vision white.

Yet the hatred burning inside him was stronger still.

"You think..."

"You can eat me?"

Gerry growled through clenched teeth.

Black blood dripped from his forehead into his mouth.

"The Sterling Clan couldn't kill me."

"What makes you think a filthy beast like you can?"

With his left hand, Gerry seized the wolf's ear and yanked its head sideways, exposing its throat.

His right hand tore the blood-soaked stone free.

Without hesitation, he plunged it into the wolf's neck again.

And again.

And again.

There were no elegant martial techniques.

No dazzling waves of spiritual energy.

This was the most primitive battle imaginable.

A fight to the death.

Man against beast.

Gerry continued driving the sharpened stone into the wolf's throat.

The beast's strength began to fade.

Blood gushed from its severed carotid artery, soaking Gerry's chest.

Its desperate struggles weakened.

Finally, its jaws loosened and released Gerry's mangled leg.

The Shadow Wolf collapsed.

After a few final spasms...

It lay completely still.

Gerry dropped to the ground beside the carcass, gasping for breath.

His entire body trembled uncontrollably.

He looked down at his left calf.

The flesh had been shredded badly enough that parts of the bone beneath were visible through the blood.

"Hah..."

"Hah..."

"Vesper..."

"Status..."

[Target Eliminated. Host has acquired 15 Energy Points.]

[Warning: Hemorrhaging in the left leg is increasing. Miasma infection risk: High. Immediate absorption of an Energy Core is recommended to trigger emergency regeneration.]

Gerry let out a cold, satisfied smile.

"Good work, Vesper."

"Keep honoring our agreement."