Chapter Thirty-Three: The Wolf King

“Ah!”
In the face of those vicious and brutal Storm Howl Wolves, the unarmed mages were as fragile as infants. Before they could even react, two mages were already knocked to the ground by the wolves, their throats torn open.

“O element of fire, sweep forth with your blazing edge, spread, devour, and burn everything to ashes!”

Amid the mages, only a handful maintained their composure. Lise, seeing the oncoming Storm Howl Wolves, immediately cast her spell. In midair, a scorching crimson flame appeared out of nothing. The moment the fire touched the wolves’ pelts, it blazed fiercely, filling the air with their agonized howls. In moments, two Storm Howl Wolves were reduced to charred remains by the relentless flames.

“Lise!”

In the air, the pale-faced Semili called out to Lise. The two exchanged a knowing nod, and almost simultaneously, each unleashed their own spells. The searing fire and the raging wind merged together under their combined control. Two crimson fire dragons roared forth, piercing straight through the wolf pack. The scorching flames burned wildly, and out of fear, not a single one of the thousand Storm Howl Wolves dared to cross the wall of fire to attack them.

“Go!”

Robbie, seizing the moment, felt a surge of joy. He hurriedly called out to the others. At that moment, the pale-faced Semili staggered down from the air, utterly drained of magical energy, his limbs weak and body exhausted. Had Robbie not been quick enough to catch him, Semili would have collapsed to the ground.

“Hurry, let’s get out of here!”

—

Climbing the rugged mountain path higher and higher, it didn’t take long before Weir reached halfway up the slope. He took a deep breath, then turned to look back. The wolf pack below flickered with firelight, their howls more disordered than before—evidently, Semili and the others had begun their assault.

“It seems I need to move faster as well!” Weir muttered to himself, gritted his teeth, and quickened his pace up the mountain. Just then, he suddenly caught a flash of deep blue above his head. Instantly, every nerve in his body tensed. Almost instinctively, he drew his wand. Before he could react, a Storm Howl Wolf was already lazily clambering over the summit, letting out a howl as it lunged straight at him!

“Wind Blade!”

Weir’s reflexes were swift. He waved his wand, casting a wind blade spell, then dodged aside as fast as he could. He tumbled clumsily across the ground before scrambling to his feet, only to find the Storm Howl Wolf had vanished without a trace.

“Lightfoot!”

Weir cast a wind-enhanced support spell upon himself, warily scanning his surroundings. Yet the Storm Howl Wolf from moments before seemed to have disappeared entirely. No matter how hard Weir searched, he couldn’t find any sign of it.

Everywhere around him, thickets and scrub grew thick. In such terrain, tracking a beast adept at hiding was no easy task. That Storm Howl Wolf certainly hadn’t left; it was surely lurking somewhere Weir couldn’t detect, waiting to strike at him by surprise.

“Damn it!”

After a long while with no sign of the wolf, Weir couldn’t help but curse. He flicked his wand, summoning a dozen wind blades that shot aimlessly into the brush. He’d hoped this tactic would flush the wolf out, but its cunning surpassed his expectations. In the darkness, aside from the rustling of grass in the breeze, there was no other sound. A vague sense of danger began to well up inside him.

Thinking carefully, Weir suddenly realized this wolf was different from the others. Most of the Storm Howl Wolves were attacking the earl’s party at the foot of the mountain, but this one was alone up here. It was much faster than the others, and its craftiness made Weir’s head ache. Unwittingly, he found himself forced into a passive position by a mere beast.

“Hmph, if you like hiding so much, I’ll just cut down every tree here and see where you run!”

Gazing at the dense woods around him, Weir snorted and casually waved his wand. A huge emerald wind blade slashed out, transforming into a beam of light in midair that swept through the trees around him.

“Swish! Swish! Swish!”

With the sound of air being split, more than a dozen trees toppled at once. The view, previously blocked, was now wide open. The Storm Howl Wolf hadn’t expected Weir to cut down the trees and reveal its hiding place. It was not far away, and now its cover was gone, it was exposed to Weir’s gaze.

When Weir finally got a good look at the wolf, his eyes flashed with surprise. This Storm Howl Wolf was twice the size of an ordinary one, its fur glossier, its eyes glowing with an unusual light. Now that it had been revealed, it didn’t bolt; instead, it emerged from the shadows with a few hoarse growls.

Cautious, Weir took several steps backward. Though he didn’t need to recite incantations to cast spells, he was still a mage—his body couldn’t match a magical beast in close combat. He only wished to avoid any direct confrontation.

Seeing Weir retreat, the Storm Howl Wolf did not advance. It let out a low howl, and suddenly, wind-element magic began rapidly gathering around it, making Weir’s expression change.

Lesser magical beasts, compared to ordinary wild animals, were stronger in ferocity, speed, and power, and somewhat more intelligent, but they couldn’t cast spells. Only intermediate beasts could use magic and special skills. Yet now, this Storm Howl Wolf was casting a magical skill!