The Devouring Dragon

"We'll reach him soon," Raya spoke, leading me through the dense forest, "He's the weakest of the four generals, excluding Raeren, but he's still a general. His strength in particular is well known throughout our kind."

"Thanks for the heads up, but…" I trailed off, trying not to sound too cocky, "I'm not all that worried."

I was never a very cocky or arrogant type of person, but it was hard to not feel confident. I had beaten down Raeren like it was nothing, and I'd only grown stronger since then.

But, I shouldn't get too comfortable. This is still the world of Highschool DxD after all - a world where supernatural beings strong enough to kill me with the snap of their fingers existed, and, more importantly, where magic was prevalent.

I doubted that this dire wolf, who was practically a starter mob, knew any crazy magic, but I should still be at least a little bit cautious. It wouldn't be good if I went in confidently and then had some crazy ass spell used on me.

"This is where he and his subordinates live," Raya finally said, and the large forest trees suddenly became filled with even more branches and leaves. A huge shadow appeared, darkening the ground under me.

"A cave," I muttered, staring at the shadow-covered enclosure in front of me.

A small amount of doubt crept into me as I looked into the dark cave, the corner of my eye looked analytically at Raya.

I had been the one to suggest taking down the generals first, and that was only partially because they would be an obstacle in my conquest. 

The other reason was to ensure Raya wasn't trying to lead me into a trap - if I chose the objective, then I wouldn't be blindly following her.

Granted, I still had kinda been blindly following her. She could've led me anywhere - I had no way of knowing if we were really heading towards a general. If she wanted to betray me, this would be where she would do it.

I was confident I could take her down, and any army she might've had lying in wait, but I wasn't sure if I could survive a cave being collapsed on top of me. Going in here was risky, but…

"Lead the way," I gestured forward, my eyes carefully watching Raya's face for even a hint of hesitation. If they really were planning to collapse the cave on top of me somehow, they wouldn't want to do it with Raya inside. 

And, even if Raya had decided to sacrifice herself to take me down with her, she would still have some hesitation. No one could confidently walk towards their death.

However, Raya simply nodded at my words. She didn't miss a beat and gave no sign of nervousness. No stumbling, or walking slowly, or looking around cautiously. 

She simply led me into the cave.

So, this probably wasn't a trap. My thoughts were confirmed as I quickly realized just how small the cave was. After only a minute or two of walking, passing by splitting tunnels in the sides, we entered into a huge opening.

We walked into the room, which was huge, open, and more lit up than the previously dark tunnel. Small fires and torches sat haphazardly around, and in the middle of the room were various dire wolves.

A couple looked a bit more human than the average dire wolf, but most of them were the typical four-legged wolves.

[Dire Wolf] - Level 6

[Dire Wolf] - Level 7

[Dire Wolf] - Level 5

[Dire Wolf] - Level 9

[Dire Wolf] - Level 7

[Dire Wolf] - Level 9

[Dire Wolf] - Level 4

[Dire Wolf] - Level 9

[Dire Wolf] - Level 8

[Dire Wolf] - Level 7

[Dire Wolf] - Level 7

[Dire Wolf] - Level 1

[Jutra] [Dire Wolf Pack Leader] - Level 18

[Jan] [Dire Wolf Pack Leader] - Level 17

This group was spread out throughout the cave but was noticeably a fair bit in front of the other group.

I glanced at the more human-like ones, who looked like a horrific mixture of wolf and human. Whereas Raeren had looked like a hairy human with a wolf head, and Raya looked nearly identical to a normal human, these ones were noticeably less evolved.

[Jayna] [Dire Wolf Commander] - Level 25

[Joppa] [Dire Wolf Commander] - Level 27

Two other wolves stood next to a larger one, and I felt uncomfortable. It seemed like I walked in at a bad time, as they were practically fawning over him. 

Poor general - he was about to go from getting lucky to having the unluckiest day of his life.

As I looked at the commanders, I guessed it wasn't the level that determined how human-like they were. One of the commanders was the same level as Raeren had been, but was noticeably more wolf-like. 

Joppa stood like a human would, on two legs, but had a hunched back, pawed hands, huge fangs, and an entire wolf head. 

Jayna was much the same.

The actual general amongst them was pretty easy to spot, as it was the huge man-wolf they were pressed into and fawning over.

[Jaxor] [Dire Wolf General] - Level 37

His level was a huge step up from Raeren, being a higher level than even Raya.

He was huge, looking like the world's hairiest bodybuilder. His muscles bulged through the fur covering his body as he stood on two legs, with human-like hands and feet, but with claws where his fingernails should've been. 

His head was also more human than Raeren's had been, as he looked more like an ugly man with a disproportionate face and huge nose as opposed to a wolf.

Also - what's up with all these J names? I thought the dire wolves loved the letter R or something, judging by how pretty much every named one I had seen so far had a name that started with R.

Raya cleared her throat next to me, opening her mouth to say something to Jaxor, who hadn't even noticed our arrival. I quickly raised my hand, stopping her in her tracks as she looked at me questioningly.

I wasn't big on having honorable fights - there was no honor to be had in this forest full of beasts. So, I wasn't above a sneak attack.

Not that I needed one - after seeing their levels, I was pretty confident I could still take on the whole group, but it would speed things up a bit. 

Might as well get rid of the cannon fodder first. They're cannon fodder for a reason, right?

I tensed my legs and shot forward, my hand shifting into the shape of a knife. Before anyone had a chance to react, I burst through the room, my arm slashing from side to side. 

Most of the wolves didn't even realize what was happening, dying or becoming fatally injured as my hand blade cut through them in an instant. 

Of the front group, only one wolf even managed to react before they died. The Wolf Pack Leader, Jutra, lunged at me in an attempt to stop my slaughter. 

Unfortunately for them, that was the worst direction they could've chosen.

I didn't stop for even a second, merely side-stepping them as my arm flashed upwards and cut through their stomach. They flew past me, landing in a bloody pile behind me.

Jutra's attack gave the other Wolf Pack Leader, Jan, a moment to try and get out of my path, but they were far too slow. I slashed past them, my blade easily slicing through their side.

That was where my sneak attack ended, as the few seconds it had taken me to obliterate the cannon fodder gave the three remaining wolves the chance to understand what was happening.

"Who the hell are you?!" Jaxor yelled, pushing away his two commanders as he stood tall, glaring forward at me threateningly.

"You don't know already?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. I figured my presence had already spread around this whole part of the forest already, considering that both Raeren and Raya knew about me.

And, the Great Wolf King as well, considering he kept throwing dire wolves at me.

"He's… not the brightest," Raya supplied behind me, trying to sound nice about it but also bluntly calling the general stupid.

Fair enough. This guy looks like a bit of a meathead.

"You dare come to Jaxor's cave?! The great general Jaxor's domain?!" Jaxor roared, glaring forward at me with huge red eyes.

Is this guy talking in third person?

"Fuck yeah I did," I replied bluntly, holding my bladed hand toward him, "Gonna do somethin' about it?"

"I'll make you regret ever being born, bastard!" Jaxor growled out, stomping towards me threateningly.

The whole 'regret you were ever born' line. How cliche. 

"Give it a shot," I merely hummed in response, tensing my legs. I shot forward, dashing at Jaxor with a high speed that clearly surprised him.

However, it was a testament to him being a step above any dire wolf I'd encountered so far, as he managed to fling his arm up and block my slash in time.

Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to stop someone like me. My other, non-bladed, hand formed into a fist and swung upwards. I slammed it into his stomach, causing the wolf general to hunch over as spit flew from his maw.

Despite the force of my punch, Jaxor managed to simply shake it off. He only stuttered for a second or two and then lunged forward at me in a counter-attack.

I quickly pushed my feet backward, barely dashing out of his grapple attempt from close range.

Judging by how he managed to tank that punch so easily, I figured that his muscular frame wasn't just for show. This guy was a strength and endurance-based fighter.

But, that wouldn't matter. 

"You little weasel!" Jaxor roared, glaring hatefully at me as I evaded his attack. He flung himself at me again, but I merely avoided it again, my speed far surpassing his.

"Fight me like a man!" Jaxor screamed out, clearly angered as he was too slow to even touch me. Unfortunately for the general, that was the wrong thing to say to me.

"Sure," I replied simply, letting a grin shift onto my face. 

Jaxor blinked in surprise, not expecting me to agree so readily. Then, he smirked widely and lunged at me again. The claws of his hand lashed out, slamming directly into my chest, and…

-10 HP! (15,270/15,280)

…doing nothing as I didn't budge, staring at the wolf with an unimpressed gaze.

"Did you think I was weak just because I was fast?" I asked, smirking up at him as the wolf's eyes filled with a hint of fear.

It didn't matter if Jaxor had put everything into building his strength and endurance. This wasn't a situation where I'd have to run around, dodging and slowly wearing him down.

No, I wasn't just faster than Jaxor. I was stronger too.

My non-bladed fist swung up abruptly, catching Jaxor off guard as it slammed into his face and sent him stumbling backward.

"I'm not just faster than you," I hummed, verbalizing my thoughts as I dashed forward at Jaxor, "I'm stronger too!"

I slammed a follow-up fist into his head, and he stumbled back again. I didn't give him a chance to stabilize himself, as my bladed hand slashed upwards, cutting across his face.

"Grah! You…" Jaxor roared, his hand coming up to grab his head as he winced, a line of blood dripping down his face.

"You shouldn't talk during a fight," I said simply, betraying my own advice as I mocked him. I took advantage of him being stunned and stepped forward at him again.

This time, my fist came from above, as he hunched over and cradled his bleeding head. My fist slammed into the top of his head, and he fell onto all fours as he let out a pained grunt.

I didn't mock him anymore, merely raising my bladed hand again as I towered over the downed wolf, ready to finish him off.

However, I didn't get the chance, as I was forced to step backward and hastily swing my blade upwards. One of the Wolf Commanders, Jayna, came to their general's aid.

My blade smacked into her claws, my strength far surpassing hers even with the surprise attack. She was sent stumbling backward, and I took a step back to create space between us.

It seems the commanders finally decided to join in. Now, it was a three versus one.

"How unfair," I muttered, and Jaxor let out a pained laugh at my words. He stumbled onto his feet, blood dripping down his face and into his fur.

"Unfair?! If you wanted a fair fight, then you shouldn't have dared to come into the great Jaxor's domain!" Jaxor roared again, apparently more confident now that he had backup. 

I merely stared down the trio, who were all tense as they glared at me, and grinned.

"Nah, I wasn't complaining," I said, grinning at them, "Just feeling a bit bad for you guys. It's a three-on-one, and yet…"

I shot forward, Jayna's eyes widening for a split second before my blade tore directly through her neck. She let out a pained gurgled, and then fell to the floor in a heap.

"It's still so unfair," I finished, ducking under Jaxor's fist as he tried to help his comrade. I stepped forward into his guard, my blade flashing up and slashing across his chest.

"GRAHHH!" Jaxor yelled, stumbling back again as he clutched at the huge wound across his chest. As he did, I took the opportunity to take care of the other commander.

Jutra did better than Jayna, as they at least tried to attack me. They slashed their clawed hand at me, but I merely side-stepped it and returned her attack with a slash of my own.

She was definitely on the faster side, as she managed to barely avoid my slash, but was unprepared for my other fist. It slammed into her stomach, and she hunched over in pain.

As she did, I stepped forward, wrapping my arms around her in a grapple as my teeth tore into her neck.

"Die, you bastard!" Jaxor screamed from behind me, and I stopped just before I ripped Jutra's flesh out. I spun around, throwing the commander forward at Jaxor as he lunged at me from behind.

Jaxor was stunned for a second, stopping to catch the body and look down at it. Then, he chucked it to the side, but wasn't prepared for my next attack. 

I stepped forward, using the moment that Jutra's body blocked his vision to thrust my hand forward. As Jaxor tossed her body away, he was greeted with a blade mere inches from his face. 

His eyes widened, but he couldn't stop me as my blade tore directly into his neck. He stared down, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and fear as he saw the blade poking directly through his neck.

He raised his hands slowly, trying to grab the blade and protect himself, but he never got there. His arms stopped mid-way, slumping over on his side as the life drained from his eyes.

"You… did it," Raya said from behind me, her eyes wide as she stared at the carnage in the room. 

"You doubted me?" I asked jokingly, trying to relax the mood as I saw a hint of fear in her eyes. She didn't answer, merely staring at me with a mixture of fear and awe.

Well, I did just kill a general and an entire room full of wolves in less than five minutes. I guess she didn't expect me to be this strong. 

I opened my mouth, staring down at the corpses around me. Time to get to work.

Quietly, I heard Raya move behind me, but I ignored her as I tore into the pile of dire wolf flesh. 

Most of the dire wolves were nothing special, just giving me the typical couple stats. The only large gains came from the commanders and Jaxor himself.

[Devour] has been used on [Jayna] [Dire Wolf Commander] - Level 25

You have gained:

+400HP (15,280/15,280)

+40 MAX HP (15,320/15,320)

+60 STR

+75 END

+80 AGI

+8 INT

+175 XP

+ 40 [Harden] Skill XP! 

+ 10 [Devour] Skill XP!

+ 20 [Global Communication] skill XP!

[Devour] has been used on [Jutra] [Dire Wolf Commander] - Level 27

You have gained:

+500HP (15,320/15,320))

+50 MAX HP (15,370/15,370)

+65 STR

+85 END

+95 AGI

+10 INT

+225 XP

+ 45 [Harden] Skill XP! 

+ 10 [Devour] Skill XP!

+ 25 [Global Communication] skill XP!

The two commanders gave me about as many stats and XP as Raeren had given. 

Considering they had both died in pretty much one hit, I was pretty happy with the 'effort to gains' ratio.

However, the biggest boon came from Jaxor himself.

[Devour] has been used on [Jaxor] [Dire Wolf General] - Level 37

You have gained:

+750HP (15,370/15,370)

+80 MAX HP (15,450/15,450)

+125 STR

+140 END

+90 AGI

+20 INT

+400 XP

+ 70 [Harden] Skill XP! 

+ 15 [Devour] Skill XP!

+ 40 [Global Communication] skill XP!

+ 10 [General's Command] skill XP!

And, of course, I made progress towards the quest.

[Quest Update!]

Defeat the Four Dire Wolf Generals

[2 / 4]

Rewards:

The next step to taking down the Great Wolf King

+100 STR

+100 END

+100 AGI

[Harden] will be evolved!

Failure:

Eventual Death.

The stat gains were starting to look a bit disappointing, as I would end up getting roughly 4x that from taking down the generals themselves, but the real reward was the final reward.

[Harden]'s evolution.

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AN: Thank you for reading! I will be updating this story more often again, probably twice a week, but I also have one chapter ahead available on Patreon.com/Koyon ! I'll also be adding more in the near future.