Chapter 78: Wolf Monsters
G99XWith a single strike from Perda, the wolf monster fell dead.YSrc
rYufyThose who witnessed the scene could not hide their shock.iyO6
VGs“He killed a monster in a single attack…”EoWT
71MTDrBThey had heard that magic was effective against monsters, but few had seen it with their own eyes.hPDA
flTw7Even for a mage, eliminating a monster in a single blow was not common.XnOm5n
4ZPeHVPerda looked at the man who was still standing there with a stupid expression and said.QvL
eyi“What are you standing there for?”hPdKi
M2bl“Huh?”1gKW3Z
QTF“The crack is still open.”UtC
cPuk5aJust as he said.a6Z9
qgCNgLKEven though the wolf monster had died, the crack had not closed.5rlc
uIbp2JThat meant there were still monsters inside.L3Z7
EuPoP“Everyone who can wield a sword, prepare for battle! Protect the civilians!”4C3l
BVI“Call for reinforcements! Summon the guards!”POBYc
Mp7jYa6“Not the guards, call mages! Bring mages capable of bombarding them with spells!”9FsPvMK
ep9wmEveryone shouted different orders from every direction, but a chain of command was still forming, so Perda paid it no mind.Jph1v6U
d8HgDbcThe corpse lying beside the crack twitched.NCfbJnb
93mKxXb“I-it moved!”MPyk
GzvcB“Is it still alive?”cG07LWz
e84dSomeone said that.x8Hrxs
LFWWsBut that wolf monster was indeed dead.e8R7
mUzhIf it was moving like that, it only meant another one was preparing to come out.3PZow
fIHPerda immediately prepared the next spell.QDzi6h
22xPSoon, something began appearing behind the rippling space within the crack.LhF
IdC6It was another identical wolf monster.v1jU
hRwzPIt tried to burst out at once, but Perda was faster.0gtxlMJ
otILsuy“Lightning Spear.”AnW
U7qPerda fired the spell directly at the monster emerging from the crack.hATw
jzIyThe electric spear struck the wolf monster head-on.3ezPQ
4IK— Krrrk!KHbmUTw
cSYyLightning Spear.PqMcB3
U68One of the fourth-circle spells.DhoF
BxNZIt possessed outstanding penetrating power, so if it hit a vital point, it could inflict lethal damage.42Z
Wdj1LvpBut if it failed to strike properly, it was not enough to kill the enemy.Fczj1
sNsAQhDLike the one before him right now.fy497QE
ecLwDX‘Even so, not bad.’84wuUL3
d6NhuahThe monster trying to emerge had become frightened and was retreating.IuIGf7
nRTQBut it could not retreat either.ZH0j
JSJ5Because behind it, the heads of other wolf monsters trying to emerge through the crack could be seen.IhV2
yhHThere were at least four more.BLFFlu
U8IThanks to that brief moment of panic, they managed to prevent them from all pouring out at once.YfzwT
289jPkcDuring that time, those capable of participating in combat took battle positions.O9jyl
tWGqThe knights unsheathed their swords, and the few mages present began chanting spells.k1kSFl
XNNs4Everyone knew mages were effective against monsters.7nZF5QB
6wNuBut.WR6LR
tnRrHow many mages had truly faced monsters before?iWUjc
l6AThe higher the circle, the closer mage society became to politics.9qKH
uCFtlhWith that level of strength, there was no chance of victory.yLL
v20FtO“What do we do? Evacuate?”kLiL9v
WwxPG8asked Zed.wZLPv
ddCwyiThis was Hallim’s problem.SJUl
5oJiThey had no need to risk their lives.3u3S
CQDBhR“No. We will fight too.”bi5nvaB
joRgIn that place, the only truly useful mage was Perda.CVgvJH
rVr4But even he did not need to risk his life.gzj
MEWQctXAnd besides, the odds of winning were high.4ozw
w4Uh‘It is more beneficial to fight here than flee.’QNg
xd5KAfter making his decision, Perda searched for what he needed.xs6zDH9
xPXMMUu‘What I need is mana.’maRuS6i
VUC1What Perda needed were sources of mana to refill his own.CvPvlZj
xwWqdCxIn other words, mages who could serve as fuel.PX49bcN
cufeAnd for that plan, he called a name.sVbKXW
40kBrA“Malcolm!”BtY3Jp
DfT1P8J“Yes, Regent!”Pzq
h9gfMalcolm answered quickly.yhQ2
mkCvThough his movements clearly showed he was panicking.bia58E
6S9U5nu“Bring all the mages.”rSnERyl
SBntSMm“Huh?”ee51tEx
h00“Even if they can barely create Mana Shot, it does not matter. Bring them all.”jznX
ZIQCam“And if… if they refuse to come?”mE9Aq
zoO9MqWas that even a question?fd2Tf
SrhH“Then kidnap them and drag them here.”LO4tl
DBBK7“Y-yes! Understood!”MjsSKK
oAJDV1Malcolm ran off waving his arms.o10
vYbHi9“Do you want me to go gather them too? I am good at persuading people.”xBqdBv
OUazvRasked Zed.jybQ
LbZjz“You need to work as a knight.”zq7JNr
H5dA“Damn it.”QI3
ibIeZed let out a sigh and drew his daggers.rd6CE
0lPGGc— Grrrrr…G86h
KqtMcw0Meanwhile, the wolves’ panic ended.2pKZ
6mlP0The monsters began forcing their way out, and the others behind them burst forth like a flood.rKH1VY
xI7Once all the wolf monsters had emerged, the crack closed again.Ix371
qzY‘Seven in total?’rydIZh
u7gcbAn ordinary knight would already struggle against even one.mL9ee
ANXQb6cAnd now seven monsters had invaded the building.WVjD
G2RaT3‘I can handle at most two. If the others contain the remaining five…’6A7dcwa
lmPdweQPerda quickly assessed the available forces.MJIVa4U
9D8H‘Impossible.’u8epJ
guh4SThe monsters would begin a one-sided hunt.LuHUc
nSGkAnd that hunt would end in total extermination.lngEjSN
XPH9Like dominoes collapsing one after another without stopping.dmQztHu
6biGy3i“Sir Zed.”HtkXAK3
4lHCDz“Yes.”otgv
Aayd“It seems you will have to work a little harder. Can you keep two of them occupied?”Ti2K6
BYlbVj“Two?”Aod0
EoI3Zed swallowed nervously.USVOM
1aCqtiThough they looked like wolves, they did not attack only with fangs and claws.gbE
Fo17tThe thorn-covered tentacles floating around their tails were equally threatening.kZCs
cVpiFEAnd he wanted him to keep two of those things occupied?pVnBGn
VCe9“Can you do it?”YGB1
xkSAfter hesitating again and again, Zed answered.mX0o
7yXd“The pay better be pretty high.”Ng6rG
Ter“Have I ever withheld your money?”nbGnNz
5P7w“No.”Ba3
WqvOx“Then…”hwwQD4E
q3jaFZed readjusted his daggers and moved somewhere.hXU3
Y52He approached Penelope.ssPmUNb
C61MeBIn a situation like this, there was only one thing she could do.im6g
BLPSj“Uwaaaah! I do not want to die!”LXE2R
JhGXjr“Hey, PePe! Snap out of it already!”nmHk
XjESlap!y2t
IVfyl“Ugyak!”cCCkNeo
UZMb5r“Stop crying and do your job! You know how to use magic too!”xTk
Zo750pR“W-what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to fight those things?”NRKhP1k
WcicqNa“You do not need to fight, just help me. Do something to lighten my body, you know, that thing!”G5C9
ZRJ0b“That? Hmm… wait. Haste!”CB3TjY
BNxKSPenelope’s magic enveloped Zed’s body.nAm
P5EHe felt his speed increase even further and lightly moved his body.k3g07O
AGrg“Yes, exactly this feeling.”oxBTF
nFbFVZZed grinned broadly as he looked at the wolf monsters and muttered.qeiW
ok6gC4“Then I will go take a little walk.”OoJlHl1
GBYJ1With that, Zed began moving to attract the attention of two of them.S3GmE
69IZWith that, Perda would handle two, and the others would face three.cu0i
LI7BvPerda turned his head and picked the man who looked the most experienced among those who had drawn their swords.sDNcZg
x8Fb“You there!”aKt9lK
3iS3ECG“Yes!”K07jD
0sq“You have good spirit. We will handle four, so try to deal with the other three alongside the others. Can you do it?”p4D2ZjD
CQaJgGI“H-how are we supposed to do that?”4s1vs
XZqmKj“Order them to move as defensively as possible. Form a defensive line.”dWk7
Bb8zhUEven though he said it like that, it actually did not matter whether they attacked or defended.am8S
kx0uQAs long as they did not lose the will to fight or run away, that was enough.7owkGc
xYBMzThat was all Perda expected from them.7hEtr
HqYE“Regeeent!”CaWuP73
qtr9ZuPMalcolm came running back in a hurry.Fd4UOo
kAWVeWPerda was about to ask why he had returned, but he was left speechless when he saw what he was carrying.DyHunUX
fxgZkoOver his shoulders, he carried two men dressed in robes.rylD
JiFnn“Here you go, mages!”Ydet7
kieU“You really kidnapped them.”QIPAY
nNMu“I-I do not have confidence in persuading people…!”r1q2jHS
8BiPerda stared at Malcolm, who was panting from the effort.SqaQmtC
fscMSky“You are smarter than I expected.”3zEXa
NXB“Huh? I am smart?”pgvxwYx
EHa“It is not easy to know yourself. Keep it up.”9Ah1INV
cOj“Understood!”1SIqcl
DbDS8Malcolm ran off again to kidnap more fresh mana reserves.ccUd
ajq4lThe men dragged there still stood frozen.81WXs
64EVCZAfter all, they had been calmly fleeing and suddenly got thrown into the middle of the battlefield.gM2Op
xRHd8Perda gave them no time to think.gkj
MnU7C2k“You. Do you know how to use Mana Bomb?”ijm06bw
ZXOSUt3“Huh? A-ah, yes…”DOD9ATH
KqT“Then prepare it. When I order you, throw it at me. And you?”uXSJ
Z08KR“I-I still…”1ZSBZS
Pnx2J6i“Then prepare Mana Shot. Prepare it and when I signal you, fire it at me. You can do that much, right?”pVNM
Yz5Z“Yes!”8N8raz
Heg2jd“And when that kidnapper brings more mages, explain the same thing to them. I do not want to repeat myself twice. Understood?”3O9iI
mGbNy0“U-understood!”wg7vQwY
gH52g2FIn such an urgent situation, it was impossible for them to understand everything perfectly.wtNBY6
HdV4Perda did not expect much and prepared for battle.lvDr4
VSBNr‘I must restrain myself with black magic.’JzAb
oZ5UNw0Within the grand plan he was building, black magic would be a fatal stain.Xyk4hgs
6IiDyPVErdes already knew he used it, but the public seeing it directly was another matter.SWpeDUZ
Zt1onHe had to avoid it as much as possible.5iz99e
HN5wb‘But I cannot stop using it either.’OXpa
yx14LjHe would use it silently and discreetly so no one would notice.IpyVi3p
V6scThat was why he had learned Barbatos’s shadow technique.hcKa
Wjs0rThe shadow beneath Perda’s feet began to move.YadCiw
FTiSilently, it reached a wolf’s legs.doC
JRWcPerda recited the spell.VItpkF
rEf90wt“Bind.”D55ys8y
tY9jTA hidden hand emerged from Perda’s shadow.uwV3X
iVMj— Grrr!?VDpUuk7
YqffGmEIt tightly grabbed the wolf’s ankle.OSq
b94bydIt was a fourth-circle restraining spell belonging to Barbatos’s shadow techniques.xoP
bItRACuIts original name was Shadow Bind, but Perda had deliberately omitted the word “Shadow.”STW
WEBqtIn fact, reciting it was not even necessary.oek
CVvThat was enough.USFq
VhwdAnd visually, the effect resembled a normal Bind spell.tDiTxvn
CVO8ghThe monster struggled desperately, unable to lift its legs, as if trapped in a swamp of glue.Vm2B2Lh
adswUTA‘First, one quickly.’Tsbo
tYSsqepPerda swiftly traced the magic circle he had memorized and cast the spell.gJFErbU
t52M“Lightning Spear.”nBqgqTl
hESThe electric spear shot from his hand.CVyXe
WvHkpaWith the body immobilized, striking the heart was absurdly easy.FMu
zeRlWpThuuud!4qo
U1RRnThe electric spear quickly pierced through the monster’s skin.0R5
6jCp3bNWhere the heart had once been, only green blood turned into pulp remained.ciJ
9U6pMGThe wolf collapsed lifelessly.GkIgaW
qRkE7“Good heavens… he killed it in one strike…”41GJ
ZCvExclamations rose again.bov
vMxnLO7— Grrr!GjwK
4sVThe other restrained monster sensed its companion’s death and bared its fangs.o3NOW9H
ujvaJThe monster struggled violently until it found a small opening and bit the black figure with its snout.X7ljda
Cu8“Ugh.”x3SF
1s8aA groan of pain escaped Perda’s lips.XeVVhN
cyLnRYThe moment the wolf bit the shadow, Perda felt as though something near his right pinky finger had been torn away.zGNbD6C
KA3guThe shadows were treated as extensions of his body.ydYh
9k45That was why, when the shadow was damaged, he felt the pain as though his own flesh were being ripped apart.bT0js
3uU‘That is the price.’EEmakZ
e7dmorsIf he was not careful, the pain would consume him and he would live forever tormented by phantom pain.Dka
yvqUPerda skillfully severed the mental connection and escaped that sensation.YWldg
GjatAs he broke the link between mind and shadow, the spell’s power weakened.0hUsdm
oZ9lKsTThe wolf monster was freed.LEUCwf
HWtEqER“Regent! Where do I throw the Mana Bomb?”GnsiO
u6kW5yPerfect timing.weWn
ww6h“Throw it at me!”lvL0
NxkXThe mage threw a large blue sphere toward Perda.FNP7uj
wdkMUlPerda did not even turn around.Kebpo
AcN3ATFInstead, black fingers partially emerged from behind his back and fired mana threads to catch the Mana Bomb.T8r
TEiYVFrom everyone else’s perspective, it simply looked as though the sphere had naturally entered Perda’s hands once it came within range.95Pr1Za
40nurmH“Huh!”Tjkn
K8WW“Magic Intercept…!”NxMKLG9
UMwTtfCThe mages were stunned by that advanced technique only expert mages could use.gmOwSk
bZraLmBut Perda had no time to care about that.RVxv
LEt2All his concentration was fixed on the target.tJkw
kuucQHe hurled the Mana Shot and the Mana Bomb directly at the wolf’s face.92P
cAR3Boom! Boom!TeU7
6L2VHPerfect impact.uwS0
QHRnX6UThe mana explosion struck the monster’s face head-on.EFR
2lbA0Those unnatural creatures that survived by expelling corrupted mana suffered when they collided with the natural flow of mana.fXdU
6Q5q3yVTheir regeneration slowed down.5CFCu
N1wjUzIAnd the instant it completely stopped, the wolf monster began staggering like a dog beneath the summer sun.cVvQ3t
w1yu1“Lightning Spear.”CULGKD
9ClMeZThus, Perda eliminated the two wolf monsters before him.dz66
0tdakz6Without even taking a breath, he observed the state of the battle.W2u
CGERv‘The knights and soldiers…’AtSHFG
GvTThe situation on the side where the knights and soldiers were resisting looked difficult.QDxCH
NKLbTheir faces were filled with fear.dh9A
yg1nmOn the other hand, Zed continued diverting the attention of two monsters without receiving a single wound.wqjrBFW
yCEYopbThose monsters’ attacks swept across wide areas as if they threw their entire bodies into every charge.PVBw
hzwLNSurprisingly, Zed moved faster than their attacks and dodged everything.NzSb2
ckr‘I need to help Zed.’hhilFI
70GEven though he appeared relaxed, he was the one in the greatest danger.e7Nzs
TqycPP“Zed!”wjgj
z01rGZ0“What?!”Lpzb
ltyWZed answered irritably.zYvDj
u1UlYM“Draw those monsters toward my shadow.”NTQfBqA
Oj3o“Understood!”aEu
5tQbHGWhile flipping through the air, Zed quickly located the position of Perda’s shadow.GUd4Em
iLzxOThen he moved with acrobatic agility and ran toward Perda.Ecxcw
tqA8diQ— Grr! Grr!GP5
CcheeThe two wolf monsters, completely enraged, charged toward Zed.E9Pqw80
ghIoSCThe instant they tried to pass through Perda’s shadow, hands emerged from the ground and grabbed their ankles.MsAPqLR
8k69jk2— Kyaang!?q1EN
GxaoV3The monsters’ bodies rolled as they tripped over that unexpected obstacle.feBElI
pvje7n“Bind.”lXo8aj
Y8fzdXvPerda restrained them both again using the prepared Shadow Bind.w2P
ysLt“Throw them!”xzn
SD8sNkbFollowing the order, the support mages hurled the Mana Bombs they had prepared one after another toward Perda.PkAy
Q8jfxBFThere was fear that it might end up looking like an attack against the regent himself.800S
SWiY8BOBut Perda skillfully wrapped each sphere with mana threads and made them part of his own magic.P9HFNU
lkYTBoom! Boom!Atqwd
GOtThe mana penetrated deep into the two monsters’ bodies.9naNd
kSPmRJust as he had planned, both began staggering.jTjg
qn9Mx8‘My amount of mana is in an awkward position.’WAJYd
5XZ8zGSince the Red Circle was not rotating at full power, obtaining additional supply was difficult.qO7l8
nXT‘I have enough mana left for about three Lightning Spears.’Mq8
xPCd9CIf he spent them on those two, the remaining mana would be insufficient to handle the rest.bG9qk7
9N3wHow should he solve this?zMPWkQ
jG2“Regent!”wdypRu
buT4Zed called out to Perda.hIMnhCU
6fIVHis eyes were filled with fighting spirit.ZomV
8yfMU6Perda looked at him and thought.ENF
TiJ9EP‘That is useless.’WeTlW
OvOPerhaps it worked for knights driven by ideals and fighting spirit, but to Perda it held no value.Nze
TscBMMBHowever, Zed’s daggers shone with a cold light.bkXH8YH
lx0qIt was aura.nVv0MuJ
7Mwd‘That is useful.’J4iZj
9J0qPerda understood his intentions and nodded.iSQ
SqF7IiKIn barely one and a half seconds of silent exchange, both defined their objectives.6C0fu
3dVLa“Lightning Spear.”o6XT2f
fvRasPerda’s lightning arrow pierced one monster’s forehead and destroyed its heart as well.ELeA
30s“Go to hell and take all the walks you want, bastard!”b8nPyw5
fJhQrJZed’s dagger pierced the monster’s abdomen.QyegJVt
OiYqpnThe thick hide sank as though it were gelatin, and the dagger drove directly between the ribs.4s6i2
8DJm7yThud—!t6hvL
oa8N1The sound of thick, hard muscles tearing echoed as the wolf’s corpse collapsed lifelessly.8xciA
di3bThus, the two monsters Zed had lured were also killed.PVW
tXyUOnly three remained.JNDW
nxPbxaoAnd the ones holding their attention were a completely disorganized army.gHKH
EuGD3Ej“Agh! That monster attacked me!”0rkzQ
dMGX“Do not fall back! Hold the formation!”EQoLC
hHDCuREven so, thanks to the commander’s charisma keeping them in position, the three monsters could do nothing but search for openings between the lines.SLk
4AkzPerda seized that opportunity.RjCP
f8rzhK5He looked toward the mages and shouted.WtZV
XR7ks“Mana Bomb!”M2pEM
oKxq6sMalcolm had gathered a total of ten mages.GaS7ZP
DBcYThe spheres they created numbered twelve, and all of them flew simultaneously toward Perda.IhmJk
mIQz99The shadowy fingers emerging from his shadow caught every single one without letting any escape, claiming all the mana.bk7u1TW
4n7u5XThen he aimed at the open spaces between the wolf monsters.iDVk
YHsBoom—!VnVt
WR3ZThe mana explosions struck their bodies.2Cax
rxOThe concentration was so high that it pierced through the skin and penetrated directly inside.yKQtb
IjhThe struck monsters began staggering, and even the other two still moving aggressively received considerable damage and retreated.jEOA0z
XUF“Now! Bring them down!”r2MSoM5
heu6yZX“Uoooooooh!”k38Ft2K
w4xWith battle cries, the soldiers drove their swords into the weakened monster and launched the counterattack.YrmD
dILRvspThe wolf monster tried to resist, but its movements were as weak as those of a dying old man.y2f
yFW— Grr! Grr!TWcA
FShZ5The other two wolves fixed their eyes on Perda.GwiMP5
jZB6810Their wild instincts had identified who was the core of that human group.7t9c
3sjLQ8Their eyes filled with madness as they lunged straight toward him.ewuSPS
a5a“They are going for the regent! Protect the regent!”i06
9wtLBut in a situation where each person could barely protect themselves, the soldiers failed to react in time.sKH7ez
I16‘Two.’Twz
R45JlPerda did not possess Zed’s agility to elegantly dodge.BkW
nnO91NEven before fully sensing the killing intent, he had already prepared magic.YfbMEd
rVN“Lightning Spear.”3Kwhb3
tDr3The electric spear pierced through one monster’s torso.c7qRuw
dQXklIt did not reach the heart, but it managed to stop it.yuxFyT
ElG4The other continued charging fearlessly toward Perda.HAo
3Nsqjd“Regent!”ie6fuSw
71R3wM5Zed threw himself in front of him trying to protect him.PwQR9
Rht“Khgh!”4G4bOEq
QozPerhaps Zed surpassed the monster in speed, but in a frontal clash he was crushed like a scarecrow planted in soft mud.Yf0P9sT
afbw6BPerda tried to use the opening Zed had created to fire even a Lightning Bolt.MjbK
miZB1R“Lightning—”mic3e
hz44Ea5He could not even finish the incantation.UW73S0v
2WSq7rtThe wolf monster leapt on top of him and crushed both his shoulders.kVHCaq9
hrP6fmo— Grrr!!0LxF
UBzzTwDThe monster opened its jaws.fNoxcee
k3Xb6Though it resembled a wolf, the inside of its mouth was nothing like a normal wolf’s.dJoS0S
GbJgqeDEven sharper teeth and dozens of split tentacle-like tongues.GUjdyat
oQrThe fangs sank into Perda’s neck.fjZoMzg
po9s5He felt death approaching.PYD1cl
4GqSTsyBang—!tiJO0vN
ws0UaaA deafening blast that shook the entire place suddenly rang out.F3Jc
Z9wFodAt the same time, something small and extremely fast shot forward and violently shook the wolf monster’s body.FoRZuYc
rAQThe fangs that had pierced halfway into his neck lost all strength, and the monster collapsed dead.53Gs
8RAFwAPerda, who had barely survived, observed how the monster had died.Oa3goO
JL1Uh‘Small, fast, and powerful… a spell.’0sLUh
BTMRkIt felt familiar.516ehKe
b758rUOPerda searched for the person who had just saved his life.PJIW
bnzcLThe direction the attack had come from was the stage.kSbJ86
VVYtAnd the one standing there was none other than Vernell Marquis.5FfeuB9
Hw3Breathing heavily, he held something in his hands.6Pg
8J7LpIt was the magic engineering rifle that was supposed to be presented after Rector Bernard Escolea.DESO81
OVZO2The long barrel he held continuously emitted white smoke.g8TkLlY
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationGood one vernell 🤝
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationAmazing fight 👏