The wolves closed in from every direction, their eyes locked onto their prey.
Emily finished her casting, and a summoned beast materialized out of thin air. It resembled a wolf, but its fur was much thicker around its neck, forming a mane-like ruff. It was larger than the surrounding wolves, its sharp claws digging into the dirt as it growled. The moment it appeared, it leaped to Betty's right side, while Emily moved swiftly to her left, daggers at the ready.
Ten wolves lunged toward them.
Henry slammed his shield with his sword, the sharp clang of metal ringing through the air. The sound was deafening, drawing the attention of eight of the wolves. They turned toward him, their instincts forcing them to challenge the largest perceived threat. Snarling, they charged. The remaining two wolves, however, stayed focused on Betty and the others, sprinting toward them with fangs bared.
Henry braced himself, using his shield to deflect the wolves' savage attacks. Their claws scraped against the metal, their jaws snapping inches from his arm. He kept his stance firm, weathering the onslaught. Meanwhile, Emily and her summoned wolf engaged the remaining two, dodging and countering with quick, precise strikes.
As Henry held his ground against three wolves in front of him, two more flanked from behind, leaping toward him in perfect sync.
A fireball shot past his shoulder, slamming into one of the wolves mid-air. The beast yelped in agony, flames engulfing its body. The second wolf barely had time to react before Leo's sword cleaved through its torso, splitting it in half.
A third wolf spotted Leo and charged at him with terrifying speed.
Without hesitation, Leo pulled out a spell paper from his bag and triggered it.
Fear.
An aura pulsed outward, striking the wolf mid-step. Its momentum faltered, eyes widening in terror. Trembling violently, it whimpered, unable to move. Leo wasted no time. He stepped forward, swung his sword, and severed the wolf's head in a single, fluid motion.
At that moment, a soft glow enveloped all four of them.
"I boosted your power and mana!" Betty shouted from behind, gripping her staff tightly.
Feeling the surge of energy, Leo grinned and raised his left hand toward the wolves still surrounding Henry. Now that Ryan wasn't here, he could use the ring on his finger.
"Henry, close your eyes!"
Henry hesitated but obeyed, squeezing them shut.
Leo activated Fear once more, this time through the enchanted ring. A wave of raw dread washed over the battlefield, striking the five remaining wolves. Their bodies stiffened, their muscles locking up as terror overtook them.
Seizing the opportunity, Leo activated the speed enchantment on his tunic. Enhanced by Betty's buff, his body moved with unnatural swiftness. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance.
Steel flashed.
In mere seconds, four wolves fell, their bodies crumpling to the ground, three of them dead on impact, the last one was writhing on the ground in pain.
Behind them, the remaining two wolves had already been taken care of—Emily and her summoned beast stood victorious.
For a brief moment, the battlefield was silent. Then—
A powerful howl shattered the stillness, vibrating through the trees.
The last remaining wolf snapped out of its fear-induced paralysis, its instincts reigniting with renewed aggression.
Leo exhaled sharply and stepped back, positioning himself beside Henry.
A second later, a massive white wolf emerged from the dense underbrush. It was even larger than Emily's summoned beast, its fur thick and gleaming under the dim forest light. More wolves followed closely behind, their movements disciplined, awaiting their leader's command.
The alpha wolf scanned the battlefield with sharp eyes. It took only a brief glance at Henry, Emily, and Betty before locking its gaze onto Leo.
A low, rumbling growl escaped its throat as it stepped forward, its posture exuding confidence and dominance.
Henry slammed his shield again, the metallic clang echoing through the trees. "Over here!" he shouted, trying to draw the alpha's attention.
The wolf flicked its gaze toward him for a fleeting moment, then turned back to Leo, completely ignoring the provocation. As if it had already decided—Leo was the biggest threat here.
Then, without warning, the alpha lunged.
Leo tensed, ready to dodge, but Henry's sudden movement stopped him. The warrior raised his sword high above his head, whispering something under his breath.
A hemisphere of shimmering energy erupted outward, forming a barrier in front of them
The charging wolf slammed into the shield mid-air, its massive body thrown sideways by the impact. It tumbled across the ground but landed gracefully on all fours, shaking itself off before fixing its enraged eyes on them once more.
Then, it let out a piercing howl.
The sound rippled through the forest, sending a chilling command to its pack.
More than twenty wolves instantly sprang into action, surging toward them from all directions.
Henry spun around and sprinted toward Emily and Betty with his shield raised, Leo following close behind. Every wolf that attempted to intercept him was knocked aside by the barrier surrounding him. He slid to a stop beside the two women and channeled more mana into the spell, reinforcing the shield around all four of them.
Betty immediately placed a hand on Henry's back, funneling her mana into him to help sustain the barrier. Emily, however, stood frozen, her hands clenched around her daggers as she scanned the battlefield, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. Her summoned wolf remained by her side, its fur bristling as it let out a low, warning growl.
Leo gritted his teeth.
'If this keeps up, we're going to be wiped out.'
He turned to Henry. "How long can you hold this?"
Henry's face was strained with effort. His breathing was uneven. "Not long."
"Hold it as long as you can."
"What are you planning?" Emily asked.
"I'm going to kill the alpha."
"Alone?"
Leo nodded. "The alpha won't let other wolves interfere. It'll want to fight me one-on-one."
"But—it's an alpha."
"That's our only option." Without another word, Leo sprinted out from under the shield, choosing a path where no wolves were blocking his way.
Several of the lesser wolves snapped at him as he passed, their claws swiping dangerously close, but he twisted and ducked, slipping between them with precise movements.
In seconds, he was face to face with the alpha, who stood at the back, watching everything unfold.
Leo smirked. "What's wrong? Are you afraid to fight me alone?" His voice was mocking, taunting.
The wolf's ears flattened, and it bared its fangs, growling as if it understood his words. Then, it let out another sharp howl.
Just as Leo had predicted, the surrounding wolves immediately backed off, turning their attention toward the others instead.
Leo's grin widened slightly. 'I knew it. Whether it is because of its rank or something else, this wolf has a degree of intelligence. And that's going to be its downfall.'
The alpha wolf began to stalk forward, its piercing eyes locked onto Leo. Every step was slow, deliberate, as it waited for the perfect moment to strike.
Leo, keeping his stance firm, drew a careful circle on the ground with his sword. His other hand slipped into his bag, feeling for the spell he needed. His gaze flicked downward for only a brief second.
The wolf reacted instantly.
With a powerful lunge, it sprang forward, claws extended, fangs bared, aiming straight for Leo's throat. But instead of panic, Leo's grin widened.
"You fell for it."
The moment the wolf was close enough, a shimmering dome materialized around Leo. At the same time, the Mana Surge Snare activated beneath the wolf, erupting in a burst of energy. in midair, the beast had no way to adjust its momentum.
Leo struck.
His flaming sword slashed toward the wolf's exposed underside, but the sharp clang of metal against metal rang out as the wolf, even while ensnared, managed to deflect the attack with its claws. It crashed onto the ground several meters away, its crimson eyes narrowing.
Leo's mind raced.
'Even while caught by my spell, it managed to block me. And its claws… they're tougher than I expected.'
A sudden cracking sound reminded him of the battle behind him. Henry's shield was holding, but the other wolves were relentless, pounding against it.
'I need to end this fast.'
A small stone floated up beside Leo, humming with magical energy before launching toward the alpha. The wolf swiped at it—but its claws sliced through empty air.
An illusion made by False Image.
Leo was already behind it, sword swinging in a wide arc. But the alpha was just as fast. Twisting mid-motion, it intercepted the blade with its claws before leaping backward.
The fight continued. The wolf lunged, Leo dodged. Leo struck, the wolf deflected. Each attack was countered in perfect rhythm, neither giving an inch.
Then, the wolf lunged again—but this time, Leo activated the Fear spell embedded in his ring. The wolf's body faltered midair, its muscles locking up for just a fraction of a second.
And that was all Leo needed.
His sword lashed out—but before it could make contact, the wolf let out a deafening howl.
The force of the sound slammed into Leo like a physical wave, forcing him to stagger back, hands flying to cover his ears. His vision blurred for a second, and when he refocused, he saw the alpha landing smoothly on all fours, its silver fur bristling with energy.
'A spell?!'
Leo's thoughts raced. That was no ordinary howl—it was magic. But he didn't have time to analyze it. The alpha was already charging again, and so was he.
Raising his shield, Leo braced for impact as the wolf opened its jaws, ready to clamp down.
Then, just before they collided—his shield vanished.
In an instant, it switched places with his sword. His sword was now in his left hand, the shield gone entirely.
The wolf, unable to adjust in time, lunged straight into the waiting blade.
The sword drove through its lower jaw, piercing all the way up into its skull.
The alpha let out one last, strangled noise before its body convulsed, twitching violently for a few seconds. Then, it collapsed.
The forest fell silent.
All the wolves froze, their eyes locked onto Leo. A mix of emotions flickered in their gaze—uncertainty, hesitation, but above all, fear.
Leo's sword ignited once more, flames curling along its blade. At the same time, his shield lifted from where it had fallen, floating back into his grip as if drawn by an unseen force.
Then, he took a step forward.
The wolves tensed. Some shifted back slightly, their ears flattening, while others remained rooted in place, unsure whether to fight or flee.
Henry saw the hesitation and seized the opportunity. Releasing his shield spell, he charged forward, his sword striking down on the nearest wolf.
Behind him, Emily finished another summoning. A smaller wolf materialized beside her, its form flickering briefly before solidifying. Without hesitation, it lunged at the enemy pack, tearing into them with sharp fangs.
Leo didn't wait either. He sprinted forward, closing the distance in an instant.
With their leader gone, the wolves had no direction. They lashed out wildly, but their attacks were uncoordinated, their movements scattered.
One by one, the wolves began to fall. Some, sensing the inevitable, turned and fled into the depths of the forest, but most lay still—lifeless.
As the last echoes of battle faded, Henry collapsed to the ground, his breath ragged, sweat dripping from his forehead. Emily and Betty followed, exhaustion weighing them down.
"Are you okay?" Leo asked, scanning their weary faces.
Henry let out a tired chuckle, shaking his head. "You're the last person who should be asking that." He gave an embarrassed smile as Leo extended a hand to help him up.
He pulled him to his feet. "We need to get moving. This forest is crawling with creatures worse than wolves."
Emily, already regaining her composure, began gathering the fallen wolves, carefully storing them inside a special magic bag designed for transport.
"We have to collect them all to complete the mission," she reminded them, then gestured toward the massive alpha lying nearby. "Can you handle the big one?"
Leo nodded and approached the beast. With one hand, he gripped its thick fur and dragged the heavy carcass toward Emily.
Once the last wolf was secured, the group set off, weary but victorious, making their way back toward the city.