65

Attibute Panel: Evolution from an Artic Wolf

65 - The ancients 2

Luke remained motionless for a few minutes as memories gradually transcended his mind since that necklace came into contact with his body. From what he knew, he gained a better understanding of where this necklace originated.

The Zerdins were much more than simple Arctic wolves. They were battle wolves, creatures whose destiny was intertwined with conflict and war. For countless millennia, the Zerdins fought not only against other wolf packs but also against enemies that came from darker realms.

Despite being deadly beasts, the Zerdins possessed superior intelligence and combat cunning that allowed them to face threats much greater than themselves. In ancient times, when the stars were young and gods still walked the universe, the Zerdins fought in great battles alongside warriors not of this reality, in an alliance that defied the barriers of species and race.

The Zerdins were fierce and courageous in battle, but they were also intelligent and strategic. They knew how to leverage their environment and natural abilities, using snow and ice to their advantage. They were also fiercely loyal to each other and remained united even in the most difficult times.

Despite their courage and skill in battle, the Zerdins never lost sight of their true purpose: to protect their home and their pack. They were jealous guardians of their territory and legacy, defending their lands to the last breath.

"[Ancient runes and decorated inscriptions... Warning, you are about to witness memories not derived from future reality!]"

"[... The story of the Zerdins became a legend, a tale that inspired other creatures to seek the bravery and strength that the Zerdins demonstrated on the battlefield. And though the Zerdins faded into history, their legacy lived on in those who remembered their name and courage, a legacy that Luke had discovered in that ancient cave.

Many millennia ago, in the vast northern tundra, lived a breed of Arctic wolves so powerful that they were said to control snow and ice at their will. These wolves, known as the Zerdin clan, were revered and feared by all creatures of the region, and their name reached even to the stars, being called so by alien races from other worlds.

The Zerdins were a united and powerful pack, with leadership in the hands of a wise and just alpha. But their destiny was destined to change when a hostile alien race, known as the Zerg, descended from the sky with the intention to conquer and destroy everything in its path.

The Zerdins fought with bravery and cunning, using their ice powers to freeze and slow down the invaders. But the Zerg were too numerous and fierce, and slowly they began to overpower the Zerdins in numbers and strength. Despite the disadvantage, the Zerdins never retreated, knowing they were fighting for their home and legacy.

Finally, in a desperate final battle, the Zerdins found themselves outnumbered and cornered. It was a cruel and bloody massacre, and the Zerg mercilessly killed every member of the Zerdin clan, exterminating them to the last cub.

With the disappearance of the Zerdins clan, the power to control snow and ice was lost forever in the northern tundra. The story of the Zerdins clan became a cold and cruel legend, a warning of the brutality of the universe and the need to protect what is valuable. But the name of the Zerdins was never forgotten, and their ancient enemies, the Zerg, became a feared threat throughout the known galaxy according to the records on the walls..."

After opening his eyes, Luke wasted no time and called for Baxter, who had been holding back the baby brown bear, and now his only task is to return to the cave as soon as possible.

Currently, his physical strength is rapidly depleting. Taking this into account, staying in this kind of hostile environment is not an option if he wants to continue surviving.

While Baxter ran in search of large and thick bushes, Luke looked at this bear cub he had just killed.

The cub had been pierced through the skin by Baxter's small fangs, and strands of blood had already torn from its fur.

But this little cub still crawled silently through the snow, trying to escape the clutches of the demons that killed its father.

"Wow, this brown bear has characteristics far superior to its kind, is it because of its father?"

Unconsciously looking at the basic stats of this brown bear, Luke couldn't help but be a little surprised. In fact, he had sensed the full eyes of hatred from this little bear since it came out, so he immediately thought that something was wrong.

But how can he know all this considering it's just a small bear?

It's easy to say since the basic stats and some special ones of this brown bear under one year old were peculiar.

"[... Species: Brown Bear (Awakened/Semi-Berserker state)

Level: Level 1

Esper Energy: 352

Endurance: 21

Strength: 20

Defense: 16

Speed: 9...]"

The panel with the status of the basic stats of this little bear appeared in front of his eyes again.

It must be said that these stats are terrifying, but what is most concerning is that this brown bear won't be more than a year old, and especially that Berserker state.

Yes, its stats are terrifying, and it's very likely due to its species. Compared to an Arctic wolf of the same age, the difference in strength and spirit is obvious.

But if there's something Luke attaches more importance to, it's that peculiar Berserker ability.

"Berserker? It inherited the same hatred ability its father had, that powerful ability that even rivals the enhanced hunting state."

Yes, it's true that Luke's ability focuses especially on hunting silently, and he honestly doesn't know if the Berserker trait or ability has a unique purpose, but it's certainly powerful.

Just like Baxter, this brown bear is a creature that has awakened from its normal state, so even without the care of an adult bear, Luke knows that the chances of this cub surviving are high.

Looking back, with its growth state and that ability with which Luke was almost defeated, it's unclear to what extent this bear will grow.

Therefore, thinking about this, Luke's eyes gleamed with a murderous intent.

He must not leave any future enemies alive; both in his previous life and in the present, he knows how important this is!

With that in mind, Luke, with his body covered in blood, moved at a moderate speed. Now, lacking strength and with numerous wounds on his body, he couldn't display his maximum abilities.

But he still remains terrifying to any living being in this Arctic continent.

Rrrr!

The growl of a brown bear echoed, and it shook the snow on the ground.

As Luke's furious growl spread, the young brown bear stopped pretending to escape and started running quickly. But as it ran, it saw a skinny majestic figure appearing before its eyes.

In an instant, it froze in place!

After sensing the intentions of this Arctic wolf, the young brown bear revealed a look of total terror.

The injured Arctic wolf that had killed its father and mother stood in front of it!

Why?

Why is this white wolf so strong?

It believed that Arctic wolves were just that, ordinary wolves that only knew how to survive in packs.

But why did its tall and powerful father die under the claws of this white wolf?

The cub didn't understand why this was happening.

But the doubt in its eyes soon ended when it saw this Arctic wolf approaching, and it began trembling with terror.

It didn't want to die as a fearful bear. It looked at this wicked Arctic wolf with anger and roared at it. But the immature bear's roar had no deterrent effect on the wolf.

Luke carefully looked at this young brown bear, and his eyes, capable of seeing anything, examined it from top to bottom.

Indeed, he could tell that the growth potential of this brown bear was terrifying.

Furthermore, the intelligence quotient of bears is higher than that of ordinary wolves. In the future, this bear would seek him out and, consequently, his pack or his father's pack.

Luke didn't want to kill it, but the fierceness in the eyes of the young brown bear remained fixed on him. Due to the undisguised resentment in the eyes of this bear cub, he had to do it as it was a future problem.

That would cut the danger not for him but for his pack or his father's.

With fearful and furious eyes, this brown bear cub saw the shadow of Luke's paw attacking, with slight growls. The few-month-old bear cub couldn't withstand the sharp claws of the wolf.

With a single attack, it was killed outright!

If this bear cub were to grow, it would become a great supreme lord in these lands.

Unfortunately, there is no such opportunity when facing Luke.

At that moment, Luke didn't leave the corpse of this young brown bear. By the time he turned around, Baxter had found those bushes and started dragging them towards the huge brown bear.

This adult brown bear was much larger than any other brown bear, weighing at least six hundred kilograms.

Fortunately, Baxter's strength has also improved by leaps and bounds. With the bushes to reduce friction against the snow and rocks, he could drag this huge brown bear.

After that, Luke placed the bear cub on the adult bear's corpse. Looking at the blood and the cave from which he had found the collar, he returned to the cave, leading the way ahead.

Luke, despite being exhausted, felt it was his duty as the more intelligent of the two to keep an eye out for any danger. Soon, both of them left the battlefield.

By then, night had fallen, and after a few hours, Luke and Baxter returned to the cave.

But on the way, in that place, they encountered the lone wolf. There was now an extremely fierce light in its eyes as it bit into a lynx's throat.

Even though the lynx's sharp claws scratched the lone wolf's entire body, the wolf refused to release its prey.

After biting the lynx's throat for a long time, the lynx finally stopped moving.

After releasing its fangs, the lone wolf panted heavily.

Hoo... Hoo...!

This lone wolf, after its own battle for survival, panted violently. It was so hungry that it wanted to devour this young bear.

But it couldn't. The lynx, which also inflicted many bleeding wounds, had dozens of bloody scratches on its body, and these wounds had drained most of the lone wolf's strength.

Now, even if it wanted to, it couldn't eat this lynx. It could only yield to what its body needed to survive. With continued violent panting, the lone wolf also felt its body slowly growing extremely cold.

Was it going to die?

There was a look of sadness in the lone wolf's eyes. After a few more minutes, its eyes began to slowly close.

As its eyes closed, the wolf's head thought, 'It would be better to let my parents eat this prey, at least they can fill their empty stomachs.'

...

As Luke and Baxter passed by where the lone wolf was, they both saw this wolf and obviously the state it was in.

The lone wolf was still alive, and with the little strength it had left, it attacked its predator and ended up killing it. Luke, who saw this, took a step forward and climbed onto the corpse of the lynx and the lone Arctic wolf.

This lynx is a level 4, quite strong among lynxes.

And this young lone wolf is only a level 3. However, with its strength, it was able to counterattack and kill the lynx, demonstrating its brutality and determination.

Now Luke decided to bring it back, hoping that it could survive.

During his battle with the young bear, Luke realized the importance of teamwork and how fighting as a team could lead to better battle results and, consequently, more rewards.

So he was going to expand the wolf pack.

If this lone wolf survives, Luke, as the leader of a pack, wouldn't mind accepting it as a new member. Once it recovers, he would be interested in increasing the number of his pack, as long as they are young and can be helped in their growth and, if possible, increase the pack's overall strength.