“We’re fine over here!”

Without taking my eyes off the beast in front of me, I called out to the adventurers behind me.

Still, though...

“Rio, was the Sky Wolf we encountered before this big?”

I couldn’t help but ask. If this was a different individual, then its emergence from the forest would have nothing to do with us, right?

“I don’t think it was this size...”

“Yeah, it feels like it’s about 1.5 times bigger, doesn’t it?”

“It does.”

Rio’s words gave me some small relief, but the bone it was carrying in its mouth still caught my attention. What kind of bone is that?

The wolf let out a low growl, and its three tails swayed back and forth. Wait, three tails?

“If you’re okay, then get out of here now! We’ll take care of this!”

The adventurers on the other side of the wolf shouted at us frantically. For people saying they’d handle it, they didn’t seem eager to strike at the monster that was exposing its back to them.

“Th-That’s a Frozvitnir...”

“What did you say!?”

“Hey, you! Run to the guild immediately and inform the Guildmaster that a Frozvitnir has appeared!”

“Huh? Oh...”

“Hurry!!”

“Y-Yes!”

Things were hectic on their end too. The adventurer tasked with running to the guild was probably one of those keeping watch at the forest’s entrance. Looking back nervously, he bolted toward the town at full speed.

The wolf, however, showed no interest in the commotion happening behind it, keeping its gaze fixed on me.

“Frozvitnir? What is that? I thought it was a Sky Wolf.”

====

Name: None
Species: Frozvitnir
Description: A wolf-type magical beast that underwent special evolution from a Sky Wolf. Retains its ability to soar through the skies and wields magic. Its speed is unmatched, making it impossible to catch. Its fur’s smoothness is of unparalleled quality.

====

“Whoa!?”

“...What’s wrong, Shu?”

Rio, still keeping her eyes on the monster, called out to me, likely curious about my reaction.

“When I used Appraisal, it identified the monster as a Frozvitnir—a special evolution of the Sky Wolf.”

“What!?”

“Oh, and it looks like my Appraisal skill leveled up.”

“Really!?”

“Yeah, now I can see detailed descriptions.”

When I relayed the details from my appraisal, Rio sighed and furrowed her brows.

“It can use magic too... This could be trouble.”

As much as I wanted to appraise everything around me, now wasn’t the time. First, we had to deal with the monster in front of us. Still, it wasn’t moving at all, just staring at me. The adventurers behind it weren’t moving either. Honestly, I wished they’d be the ones to get away.

We couldn’t just stand around either. Magic started surging from Rio as she cast every buff she could on me.

“Thanks. Alright, let’s do this.”

Feeling a mix of excitement and nerves at facing a strong opponent, I braced myself, preparing to leap forward. But just as I was about to spring into action...

“Woof!”

The wolf placed the bone at my feet, barked once, sat down, and began wagging its tail vigorously.

“Huh?”

Its eyes sparkled as it tapped the bone with its front paws, nudging it toward me.

“What’s that about...”

“I have no idea...”

Rio and I exchanged a look of confusion before turning our attention back to the wolf. Drool dripped from its mouth. It didn’t seem like it wanted to eat us, but it sure looked hungry. Or rather, it looked like it was outright asking for food.

Curious, I appraised the large bone on the ground.

“Pfft!”

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“H-Hey, what’s so funny, Shu?”

“Sorry, but I appraised the bone, and it came up as a ‘Great Dragon’s Spine.’”

“What!? ...Does that mean—”

There were no Great Dragons in the Sky Wolf Forest. It had to be the one we encountered in the forest’s depths. Did we lure it this far after all?

Sighing, I looked at the wolf, still energetically pawing at the bone. It must’ve enjoyed the meal. Well, Great Dragons are powerful creatures, and high-rank monsters are supposed to be tasty, according to the guild staff.

“Guess I don’t have a choice. Let’s give it another one.”

“Uh, yeah... That’s definitely a gesture asking for food, isn’t it?”

Thinking that made it seem kind of cute.

“Here you go.”

I took out a smaller Great Dragon from my dimensional box and handed it over.

“Wha—!?”

The adventurers behind us let out a collective gasp.

“Wooooooof!”

The wolf let out a joyous howl, bounded over, and sank its teeth into the dragon. At that moment, I felt something connect between me and the wolf.

“Huh?”

To confirm the sensation, I approached the wolf.

“Shu?”

Rio called out to me, but I gestured for her to stay back, indicating it was fine.

“It’s dangerous, kid!”

One of the adventurers shouted, but I ignored him.

Standing right in front of the wolf, now devouring the Great Dragon, I marveled at its massive form. Its face alone was as big as my body, and its legs were just as thick.

“So this is that legendary fur.”

Trusting my instincts that it was safe, I reached out and stroked its sturdy leg.

“Whoa. What is this?”

Its fur was incredibly fluffy and soft. While the wolf continued to devour the Great Dragon, I stayed by its side, mesmerized, stroking its plush fur the whole time.