Chapter Thirty: The Wolf Attack (2)

East of the Vera Empire, vast stretches of forest and thickets dominate the landscape, rarely visited by humans. Within these woods lurk many fierce and merciless beasts.

From the moment they entered the forest, House and the others began to grumble incessantly. Though they had not encountered those vicious monsters, they faced things that were, in some ways, even more troublesome. For example, the blood-sucking mosquitoes unique to the forest, whose bites left their exposed skin swollen and red, followed by an unbearable itch. There were also caterpillar-like insects whose bodies exuded a sticky secretion that numbed the skin, causing the affected area to lose feeling. This allowed the insects to crawl onto their bodies and feast on their blood without the victim even noticing.

Seeing the sorry state of House and the others, Lys sidled up to Veil, giggling softly, “How delightful! Veil, I must thank you for your insect repellent potion. Otherwise, dressed like this, I’d be in real trouble!”

Whether intentionally or not, Lys flaunted her alluring figure before Veil as she spoke, her snowy skin inviting the imagination… Yes, she truly had a remarkable figure.

Veil struggled to avert his gaze from Lys. Though he appeared sixteen, his mind was that of an adult.

“Don’t celebrate too soon. The insect repellent potion is made from substances that irritate insects, so it’s effective against the mosquitoes. However, its scent might attract other things as well!”

“You mean beasts?” West suddenly interjected, her attitude toward Veil seeming to have softened, perhaps due to the potion’s effectiveness.

“Yes. Most beasts have keen senses of smell. Fortunately, in this area, there aren’t many low-level beasts, and high-level beasts are almost unheard of.”

Veil’s reassurance eased West’s worries. After a moment’s thought, she said to Veil, “Distribute some repellent to the others behind us, and let the low-level soul warriors lead the way. We’re magicians—our reactions in emergencies aren’t as swift as theirs.”

“Alright.”

Veil understood West’s concern and nodded. But Lys, standing beside him, pouted in dissatisfaction. “That’s not fair! House and his lot are getting off too easy!”

A light chuckle swept through the group at Lys’s words; no one commented further. Yet Lys, her eyes twinkling mischievously, suddenly beckoned to Roger. “Roger, I recall you have some honey, don’t you? Bring it here!”

………………………..

Thanks to the repellent’s effectiveness, the nine low-level soul warriors quickly warmed to Veil, readily agreeing to lead the way. House and his unfortunate companions weren’t so lucky. Lys deliberately diluted their repellent with water, greatly reducing its effectiveness against mosquitoes. But she didn’t stop there; she also added fragrant, sweet honey. Mosquitoes and other insects were irresistibly drawn to the honey’s scent, and not only did the repellent fail to ward off pests, it attracted ants, centipedes, and all manner of crawling creatures. The relentless bites and unbearable itching nearly drove the magicians mad.

Semily and the others only smiled at their plight, showing no sympathy; in their eyes, House and his companions were merely receiving their just deserts.

As night wore on, the leading soul warriors suddenly halted, especially Robby—the strongest among them. He sniffed the air repeatedly, waving his hand to signal the others to be alert.

“What’s wrong?” Semily asked the soul warrior closest to him.

“I think there’s a beast nearby. Let’s hope it’s not a big one,” the soul warrior replied. Sure enough, Robby soon returned and reported, “It’s the scent of Storm Howl Wolves! They must be just ahead!”

Storm Howl Wolves are low-level beasts famed for their speed. Fortunately, despite their ferocity, their rank is not high, and they are solitary by nature.

With this reassurance, everyone relaxed a little. But then, from afar, a chilling wolf’s howl pierced the silence!

“Awooo—!”

Immediately, every nerve that had just relaxed was taut once more. The next moment, another desperate howl echoed from the distance. Like a signal, it was followed by a chorus—hundreds, even thousands—of Storm Howl Wolves crying out!

“Awooo—!”

“Awooo—!”

“Awooo! Awooo! Awooo!”

Wave after wave of howls rang out. Several timid magicians forgot all about dignity, clinging together in terror, their legs trembling uncontrollably. The soul warriors, though also facing such a situation for the first time, remained far calmer. They quickly formed a defensive circle, vigilant in every direction.

“We need to get out of here quickly. There are far too many wolves—if they find us, we’re doomed!” Robby’s face was pale. Though a single Storm Howl Wolf could be handled easily, if their numbers multiplied tenfold, a hundredfold, or even a thousandfold, not even the Empire’s elite troops could hope to prevail.

Semily nodded quickly, understanding the gravity of the situation. Hundreds or thousands of beasts—such numbers were well beyond their ability to withstand. He waved his hand, preparing to order a swift retreat, but just then, Veil’s voice sounded in his ear.

“Semily, perhaps we can’t leave just yet!”