The Bricken reacted fast. It executed a wide haymaker, smacking its large, feathered fist right at the face of Nineteen. The experienced Hunting Wolf had no chance to evade and eat the entire punch to the face. Nineteen were sent away, rolling a few times on the ground.
While the Bricken was being distracted, Seven, the more cunning and older wolf, lunged at its right ankle and bit at its foot.
The Bricken was large, the size of a full-grown black bear. And it wasn't just any average bear, but the biggest and baddest size of all the bears. The Wolves were slightly smaller, having the size of an average adult bear. Seven, being the smallest in the group, was definitely tiny compared to the big bad Bricken. But Seven's mouth was big enough to bite the whole ankle.
The Bricken shrieked and spun, using its other free leg to kick Seven off before the Wolf could successfully deal more damage. But Seven predicted it instinctively, it moved its body behind the feet, dodging the kick, and at the same time, twisted the ankle and snatched it completely off the feet.
The Bricken lost its balance. It fell face-first to the ground, making a loud, angry, and pained noise.
"Those wolves!" Corvan's eyes widened. He grabbed his bow, ready to enter battle.
"Stop! Stay right there!" Carter shouted, he didn't want the hunter interfering. Corvan could help, but Carter needed him to stay out of the way to not mess things up.
"I can help!" Corvan drew his bow.
"I say! Stay right fucking there!" Carter yelled loudly.
Corvan lowered his bow. He frowned, a bit confused by Carter's behavior, but respected his decision nonetheless.
"Soom I'stor!" Carter commanded. Instantly, the two remaining wolves, Fifty-two and Thirty-four, dashed out from their hiding spots. They leaped at the Bricken, jaws wide open, revealing those sharp white teeth that were covered in saliva, and aimed them at its neck.
The Bricken sat on the ground, swinging its two fists toward the wolves. Each hit connected seamlessly, sending the two wolves flying. Seven, with its perfect timing, mauled at the Bricken from behind and bit its neck.
The Bricken was in deep pain, and it shrieked. The giant chicken reached back, grabbed Seven, and hurled the wolf over its shoulder. Seven did not even resist, it let go just as it was thrown, letting its body fly with the motion. This made the throw much weaker and much less dangerous.
Seven bounced off the ground and stood up very quickly. Thanks to its quick thinking, it didn't take that much damage.
"Smart boy! Soom A'tru!"
With Carter's command, the wolves all marched forward, coming in to kill the Bricken. The Bricken tried to stand up, but Nineteen was there to attack its leg immediately. This caught Bricken by surprise so much that it wasn't even able to react. Nineteen was much faster than Seven and much stronger as well. It bit at its remaining ankle and slid forward without even stopping, snatching off the feet in one motion.
The Bricken fell on the ground again.
Nineteen learned from its big brother, Seven, and executed a perfect limb snatching. The big bag Bricken was no longer a danger now that it had lost most of its mobility.
"Holy mother of God!" Corvan approached Carter, swiping the sweat off his forehead. "You trained those wolves?"
"Trained? Do I look like I train them?"
Corvan took a look at Carter. A smooth white face that hardly saw any hardship. This was the face of a spoiled nobleman that never took a hard day job before. But Corvan knew there was more to it, as Carter had a hard-to-describe confidence. One that was not arrogant but born out of pure faith in their skill.
Corvan had only seen this in rare, extraordinary people.
"I am…" The hunter opened his mouth to introduce himself.
"Yeah. Yeah. Corvan Donovan. Don't need to tell me." Carter brushed the hunters off and kept yelling command lines to guide the wolf in killing the Bricken.
Corvan jerked back. "How did you know my name? Did we meet before?"
"No, we haven't." Carter smirked and gave Corvan a questionable gaze. He had no intention of explaining everything and kept Corvan curious.
The hunter's curiosity was piqued. But he didn't dare to intrude further. He couldn't when he saw the wolves in front slowly tearing the Bricken apart piece by piece.
The Bricken could take on many Hunting Wolves at a time. But with a commander like Carter that knew its attack very well, he could easily dissect the Bricken by well-timed control of the Hunting Wolves.
"Next time, don't provoke these creatures. We gain no benefits from killing it. It is a pain in the ass and only a waste of our time." Carter said.
Corvan nodded. "I understand. Thank you for your help, stranger. I have nothing to repay you. Once we get out of this dungeon, meet me at the Orange Birch so that I can repay this debt."
"What are you talking about? We're travelling together from now on."
Corvan looked at the four wolves that were jumping happily on the corpse of the dead Bricken. Something told him that it was better for him to stay alone.
"Again. Thank you for your help, stranger. But I must insist on going alone."
"You come here to find a cure for your wife, yeah?"
Corvan's expression changed immediately. He raised the bow and drew the arrow in one quick motion. The cold blade of the arrow aimed at Blaze.
"How do you know?"
"Lower your arrow, Corvan," Carter said calmly. "I'm the only one who can save her. River Sly poison, right? She hasn't woken up? Five years searching for a cure?" Carter leaned closer. "Want to save her? Then you join me."
Corvan's hands trembled. He didn't answer, but the action of lowering the bow spoke on his behalf.
First companion acquired.