HERO OF THE SUPER WEREWOLF

Albert had just dug up an entire plantain plant when he realized he had a problem: where was he supposed to put it? In his wolf form, carrying things wasn't an issue, but in his human form—well, he was stark naked. No pockets, no bag, nothing.

He scratched his head. *Alright, think, Albert. You're not helpless.* After a moment of thought, he grabbed a few more stalks of grass, twisted them into a makeshift rope, and tied the plantain to the deer's hooves. Problem solved— more or less. 

Shifting back into a wolf, Albert heaved the deer meat onto his back and set off again. This time, he felt stronger, more purposeful. With a clear goal in mind, he began to take notice of the treasures hidden in the vast grassland around him.

At first glance, the prairie seemed like an endless sea of overgrown weeds. But as he looked closer, useful plants began to stand out. Before long, he spotted another patch of plantains. He stopped to gather a few more—not just for their medicinal properties but because they were edible.

If I can collect enough seeds and plant them back at the tribe's camp, we might have more greens next year,

he thought.

As he walked, he also came across clusters of dandelions. Back in his old life, people only ate them in the spring—by fall, they were considered too tough. But when you were desperate for food,

"too tough" didn't mean much.

Then came the real surprise: lamb's quarters. At first glance, they looked like ordinary shrubs, but Albert recognized them immediately. He'd even ordered them at restaurants before—apparently, they were good for freshening breath. Excited, he quickly shifted back into human form and gathered a handful of the tender leaves.

And then he ran into the same problem again: how to carry them.

Well, it's almost dusk anyway,* he reasoned. *Might as well stop for the night.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Albert prepared for his second night on the prairie. The landscape hadn't changed, but something inside him had. He felt a newfound determination to survive. After hiding most of the deer meat, he gathered firewood, cleared a firebreak, and started a fire using the friction method.

Thirsty and exhausted, he decided to try eating the plantain raw. He chewed on a few leaves, grimacing at the bitter, grassy taste. But as he forced himself to keep going, a faint sweetness emerged. *Well, at least it's hydration,* he thought, swallowing hard.

Next, he tried the lamb's quarters. To his relief, the tender shoots were much more palatable. He even wrapped them around pieces of roasted venison, creating a makeshift wrap. The heat from the meat slightly wilted the greens, enhancing their flavor.

Not bad, he thought, though it'd be a lot better with some salt.

"Salt," Albert muttered, tearing into another piece of venison. "No wonder it's called the king of flavors. No wonder those shady traders can get a whole cow for a tiny bag of that muddy salt."

By the time he finished eating, he had polished off an entire deer leg. The lamb's quarters had only increased his appetite, and for the first time in days, he felt *almost* full.

As night fell, Albert knew he couldn't risk sleeping in his human form out in the open. Even though shifting drained his energy, he transformed back into a wolf and curled up for the night.

The next morning, he set off again, the remaining deer meat slung across his back. As he trotted across the prairie, his thoughts wandered.

"Two days without my phone or computer… unreal." He snorted. "I wonder what's trending on Twitter… or if there's a new event in my game… And my boss—man, I never thought I'd say this, but I'd give anything to see that grumpy face again." He let out a huff, shaking his head. "Heck, I'd even work overtime for six months if it meant getting out of this mess."

"Did that kid even run in the right direction when he took off? He only ran for half a day, but I've been walking for over a day and still haven't found the place… Did he veer off course? Get lost halfway? Damn, if that's the case, this is going to be a mess…"

Albert sighed, his stomach growling in protest. "And where's the water? If I don't find some soon, I'm going to drop dead from thirst—wait." His eyes narrowed. "Is that… a person?!"

His head snapped to the right, locking onto a small hill rising above the horizon. Sure enough, a humanoid figure was sprinting straight toward him.

"What the hell?!" Albert instinctively took a step back, his mind racing. *Poachers? No, what's there to poach out here? Enemies? But the Snow Wolf Tribe's territory stretches for miles—no other tribe would dare come this close…*

In the few seconds it took to process, the figure had already closed the distance. Now, Albert could make out the details: dark skin, a shock of white hair tied into a high ponytail, a muscular build, a long, weathered bow slung across his back, and—aside from a small strip of fur around his waist— completely naked. 

"…Bentley?" The name left Albert's lips before he could stop himself.

"You little brat!"

Bentley exploded forward , covering the last few meters in an instant. With a powerful leap, he spun mid-air and drove his heel straight into Albert's face —well, wolf face.

The impact hit like a battering ram. Albert barely had time to register the pain before he was sent sprawling, the world tilting violently as he slammed into the ground. His jaw throbbed. His vision blurred. And then—blackness.

His last coherent thought was a mix of shock and frustration: *Damn, even the smallest guy in the Snow Wolf Tribe is built like a damn mountain. No wonder the original Albert had an inferiority complex…*

And Bentley himself? From a distance, he looked impressive. Up close? The guy was filthy—caked in dirt, with what looked like three inches of mud clinging to his feet.