The Return of the Knight

In the dark and muddy forest, a gust of night wind pierced through the trees. The full moon shone brightly, illuminating a man in a black cloak standing amidst the woods. This man was Sir Cedric, a legendary knight who had vanished for ten years.

Sir Cedric felt a sense of bitterness. He had returned from exile for one purpose: to confront Warwolf, a terrifying creature that had ravaged their kingdom. Warwolf was a giant black-furred wolf with blazing red eyes, undefeated in battle.

As he ventured deeper into the dark forest, memories of the day of his departure came flooding back to him. It was a grim day when a pack of Warwolves first appeared. Their merciless and bloodthirsty leader left him struggling to fend off the horde. The colossal wolves destroyed their village, bringing destruction and fear wherever they roamed. Sir Cedric, along with other knights, tried to stand against them, but the power of Warwolf was so immense that they could do little.

The exact reason for Warwolf's sudden, indiscriminate attack on their village remained a mystery.

Sir Cedric, who now stands in the midst of the forest, vividly recalls that battle. He feels a heavy responsibility to end the terror of Warwolf. Despite a decade passing since his disappearance, his determination to protect the kingdom remains unwavering, even though everything has been laid to waste.

He strides forward with confidence, his sword blade swinging eagerly, as if impatient to engage in combat.

Suddenly, he spots a flicker of firelight moving not far from his position. Sir Cedric stealthily observes from a distance. The flame is held by someone wearing a black cloak and a matching black mask on their face.

Sir Cedric grows suspicious of the individual. He sheathes his sword and begins to follow them.

"Is he a human? Or one of the Warwolf pack?"

With swift steps, he finally catches up to the masked figure. When they are almost within reach, Sir Cedric leaps forward, darting like lightning.

As he lands...

Sir Cedric managed to choke the cloaked figure's neck with just one powerful grip. "Who are you? Are you one of them?"

The masked figure struggled to release Cedric's muscular arm's grip. She attempted to swing the torch she held as an emergency weapon towards Sir Cedric.

It seemed her strength wasn't enough to contend with Sir Cedric. However, the masked figure was cunning. She ignited the bottom of Sir Cedric's cloak, causing Sir Cedric to spontaneously release his grip on the cloaked figure's neck.

As Sir Cedric was preoccupied with his cloak, the masked figure kept his distance and prepared for a fight. But she was taken aback when she saw who she was truly facing. The masked figure burst into laughter, further infuriating Sir Cedric.

Sir Cedric indeed wanted to strike again, but he recognized the voice. However, he remained uncertain if the person before him was truly someone he knew. "Who are you really? And what are you doing in the forest in the middle of the night like this?"

Without setting down the torch, the figure slowly removed his mask. Sir Cedric was truly shocked and felt embarrassed when he realized he had just attacked the person before him. "You..."

She was Aria, a 20-year-old girl with long blonde hair and eyes full of courage. She also possessed knowledge about Warwolves and had been investigating the creatures for years. "Hello. How are you? It's been a long time," she greeted with a slight smile.

Ten years ago, she had witnessed Aria's family as one of the victims of Warwolf's brutality. Perhaps she was the only one who survived that attack. 

"What are you doing in this forest, all alone?" he inquired.

As far as Sir Cedric knew, this dark forest was a place frequented by Warwolves.

"I should be asking you the same. Why have you returned, Sir Cedric?" Aria asked with curiosity.

"This kingdom still needs protection," replied Sir Cedric. "I must face the Warwolves once more, even if it means facing my own destiny."

Aria fell silent for a moment. In truth, she held a grudge against that Warwolf clone as well, but she had her own reasons for burying her heartache. It wasn't that she was a coward, far from it. It was just that she tried to make peace with the pain and resentment that consumed her thoughts.

Aria nodded softly, then said, "Come with me. It's not safe here. Many of their packs sometimes cross this dark forest. I'll tell you a bit about those creatures after you've disappeared."

"Does that mean it's a big secret about Warwolf?" Sir Cedric asked, his curiosity piqued.

Aria remained silent. She turned around and walked away, leaving Sir Cedric standing behind. Her steps were so swift that Sir Cedric was left far behind.

They both united in their quest to defeat Warwolf. With Aria's knowledge of the forest and the legends surrounding Warwolf, coupled with Sir Cedric's courage and years of experience, they hoped to find the weaknesses of the formidable creature and bring peace back to the wounded kingdom, even though everything was already in ruins.

However, their journey wouldn't be easy. In this dark and muddy forest, many dangers lurked, and Warwolf was an unbeatable threat.

Midway through their journey, they were suddenly startled by a pack of Warwolves. Their sharp claws and formidable fangs seemed ready to tear apart any enemies in front of them. Their saliva dripped as if they were incredibly thirsty and hungry when they saw their prey before them.

"I should be the one to face them. You stay behind me," Sir Cedric drew his gleaming longsword. It was a sign that he, too, was ready to engage in combat.

"Be cautious! They usually multiply when we manage to disable one of them," whispered Aria, who was also preparing to capture in case Sir Cedric felt overwhelmed.

Sir Cedric remained undaunted. He smiled slightly, a sign that he was ready to defeat them all.

Fueled by his smoldering vengeance, Sir Cedric easily thrust his long sword into the heart of the Warwolf pack. The blade's flashes seemed to create a lightning-like effect.

Aria was greatly impressed by Sir Cedric's progress. She remembered ten years ago when she witnessed Sir Cedric battling a pack of Warwolves, even their leader. Back then, Sir Cedric appeared overwhelmed and somewhat haphazard. But not this time; all his attacks were precise and directed. It seemed he had learned a lot during his exile.

He had disabled the final enemy with a single sword strike, slicing through its neck.

Quickly, Aria pulled Sir Cedric away from the scene. The torch she had been carrying since earlier had gone out and fallen into the watery marsh.

Sir Cedric himself appeared frustrated. He wasn't entirely satisfied because one of the six Warwolves that had attacked him had managed to escape. He felt a strong urge to pursue and eliminate it, just like his other companions had done.

"Hei! What are you doing? I'm not a coward who runs when the battle isn't over! I will fight them all!" Sir Cedric shouted, then restrained his muscular body so that Aria wouldn't pull his hand anymore and also stopped following her steps.

"I'll explain later. Now is not the time to argue. We should leave this place immediately!" Aria exclaimed, equally frustrated, watching Cedric's behavior as if he had lost his mind.

In the distance, Alpha Warwolf was sniffing at his fallen comrades. His red eyes glowed brighter than burning blood. He roared while clenching his fists.

AAAUUUUUU... That was the war cry. The corners of his lips curled, revealing two fangs and a row of sharp teeth ready to tear anyone apart. He stared sharply in the direction where Sir Cedric and Aria had just gone. "You've returned, I see!" he muttered, clenching his strong jaws.

Sir Cedric finally had to choose to follow Aria after hearing the echoing roar. Not because he was afraid, but he was curious about what Aria would tell him about Warwolf, something he didn't know yet.

They kept running tirelessly, evading the pursuit of the Alpha Warwolf. It was quite a while before they left the place where they had been confronted by the Warwolf pack earlier.

Up ahead, Sir Cedric noticed two weathered and moss-covered gateposts. They resembled two large, weathered pillars with an unusual curved archway on top. There were no inscriptions or signs there, except for the archway nestled between two massive trees.

Sir Cedric stood for a moment, carefully examining the archway. As far as he could remember, this archway had never been there before. Or had he simply never seen it?

"Come on! What are you waiting for? The Alpha pack is almost catching up!" Aria exclaimed loudly. She felt the urge to drag the tall, massive figure to hurry past the archway.

"What place is this?" Sir Cedric asked, his face filled with unease. For some reason, ever since the battle against the Warwolf ten years ago, he had found it difficult to trust anyone but himself.

"I've already told you, now's not the time for questions. The important thing is that we must save ourselves first!" Aria urged.

Sir Cedric smirked slightly. Aria's words had touched a nerve. "I am not the weak Sir Cedric. I will face them!" Sir Cedric drew his longsword and took a combat stance.

In the distance, the Warwolf pack drew nearer. Some pairs of eyes gleamed red, a sign that they were ready for a fight.

SRAK

SRAK

SRAK

Underbrush and small trees were broken as their sharp claws slashed through. As if unwilling to be hindered, some of the Warwolves leaped from tree to tree.

Arya's body trembled even more. "This is not a good sign!" murmured Aria, realizing that all the incoming Warwolves had red eyes.

With one more leap, the alpha Warwolf was ready to pounce on Sir Cedric. But Sir Cedric stood undaunted. He had also raised his longsword high, gleaming like lightning. "Come at me! Let's all die together with your pack!"

HIIIIAAAA!!

The alpha Warwolf was not to be outdone. It leaped simultaneously with its pack from various directions. Sir Cedric was taken aback. He didn't expect to be attacked in succession like this. He thought this battle would be fought one-on-one.

As he failed to focus, suddenly his body felt dizzy and was pulled backward.

From some unknown source of power, Aria managed to pull the large body of Sir Cedric until they passed through a massive gate flanked by two large trees.

Like a transformation, their bodies suddenly disappeared from the view of the Warwolf pack. Even their scent began to fade as if carried away by the wind.

Warwolf alpha appeared furious. He was so angry that he clawed at the trees around him. It seemed like he was oblivious to the strange gateway there, which turned out to be a mystical portal, impervious to the creatures of Warwolf. In the eyes of the Warwolf pack, the gateway appeared to be just an ordinary ancient arch.

Even if the Warwolf pack crossed through that place, they would still see towering trees resembling a wild forest.

With a burning sense of vengeance, Warwolf alpha and his companions finally retreated.

Behind the mystical gateway, Sir Cedric tumbled to the ground because Aria couldn't drag his body any longer. He paid no heed to the pain or questioned what Aria was doing to him. Instead, he was immediately startled and confused when he saw the Warwolf pack suddenly acting bewildered in front of the ancient arch. Not only that, but other packs also seemed to pass through not only Sir Cedric's body but Aria's as well.

"Very strange," muttered Sir Cedric, trying to hold his breath as one of the yellow-eyed Warwolves stood right beside him.

Sir Cedric snapped to attention when Aria tapped his right shoulder. "What are you doing? Come on!" Aria's invitation left Sir Cedric even more bewildered.

"Why is she so calm when the Warwolf pack is around her? Wasn't she the one who seemed extremely frightened earlier?" Sir Cedric could only speak to himself. He stood up slowly, thinking that any sudden movement might make the Warwolf pack aware of his presence. He even had to crawl to distance himself from one of the Warwolf alphas that roared right in front of his face.

Sir Cedric hurriedly chased after Aria along the almost overgrown footpath. His curiosity grew as he observed the natural surroundings, which seemed different from when he was outside the gate earlier.

Here, large trees were scarce, but there were thickets left to grow freely.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Sir Cedric shouted, pushing aside the bushes on both sides with his longsword.

"Hey! Don't cut those grasses. Let them grow naturally!" Aria yelled angrily.

Before Sir Cedric could ask for her reason, he suddenly felt utterly surprised by what look him. "Oh, my God!"