Chapter 78: Wolf Monster
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 78: Wolf Monster
With a single strike, Ferda reduced the wolf monster to a lifeless corpse.
The onlookers couldn't mask their shock at the sight.
"The monster... in one hit..."
People had heard that monsters were effective against mages, but few had actually witnessed it. Even for a high-ranking mage, taking down a monster in a single blow was no common feat.
Ferda looked at the man standing there with a dazed expression and spoke sharply.
"What are you dawdling for?"
"Pardon?"
"The rift is still open."
It was exactly as he said. Even though the wolf monster was dead, the rift had not closed. That meant more monsters remained inside.
"Everyone who can draw a sword, prepare for battle! Protect the citizens!"
"Request reinforcements! Call the guards!"
"Not the guards, call the mages! Call mages who can actually blast them with magic!"
Shouts erupted from all directions in a chaotic mess. However, since a semblance of a chain of command had formed, Ferda didn't pay the noise much mind.
At the threshold of the rift, the limp carcass twitched.
"I-It moved!"
"Is it not dead yet?"
Someone screamed, but that wolf monster was indeed dead. The movement meant that another one was preparing to emerge.
Ferda immediately prepared his next spell.
Soon, something revealed itself from beyond the shimmering haze of the distorted space. It was another wolf monster. It tried to leap out, but Ferda was one step faster.
"Lightning Spear."
Ferda hurled the incanted spell at the beast emerging from the rift. The spear of electricity struck the wolf monster dead center as it breached the gap.
— Grrr!
Lightning Spear was a 4th-tier spell. It possessed excellent piercing power and could deal fatal damage if one aimed for a vital spot. However, if the vitals weren't hit precisely, the beast wouldn't die.
Just like the one currently before his eyes.
Still, not bad.
The creature that had been trying to emerge was startled and tried to retreat. But it couldn't. Behind it, the heads of other wolf monsters were visible, shoving their way through the gap. There were at least four more.
Thanks to the panic he caused, the initial surge was temporarily blocked. In that interval, those capable of fighting took up their positions. Knights drew their swords, and the few mages present prepared their incantations.
Mages were effective at dealing with monsters—everyone knew that. But how many mages had actually faced a monster in combat? In the society of mages, the higher one's Circle, the more their life revolved around politics rather than magic.
With their current strength, they stood no chance of winning.
"What about us? Should we evacuate?" Jed asked.
Since this was Halim's business, there was no need for them to risk their lives.
"No, we're joining the fight."
The only useful mage here was Ferda himself. However, he didn't need to put his life on the line, and the odds of winning were high.
Fighting is more beneficial than running away from this.
Having made his decision, Ferda searched for what he needed.
What I need is mana.
Specifically, he needed mana tanks to replenish his own lacking reserves. In other words, he needed mages to serve as his foundation.
To execute his plan, he called out a name.
"Malcolm!"
"Yes, Regent!" Malcolm answered promptly.
Despite his quick reply, his movements were frantic and uncertain.
"Bring all the mages to me. I don't care if they can only manage a Mana Shot; just gather them all here."
"W-What if they say they don't want to?"
Was that even a question?
"Then kidnap them if you have to."
"Y-Yes, sir! I shall obey your command!"
Malcolm scrambled away, flailing his arms.
"Can I go help bring them? I'm pretty confident in my persuasion skills," Jed asked slyly.
"You need to work as a knight."
"Damn it."
Jed let out a sigh and drew his daggers.
— Grrrr!
In the meantime, the wolves' panic subsided. One wolf squeezed through and burst out, followed by the others waiting behind it like a flood. Once all the wolf monsters inside had poured out, the rift finally sealed shut.
Seven in total?
Even a single one was a handful for ordinary knights, and now seven had invaded the building.
I can handle about two. If the others have to face the remaining five...
Ferda quickly assessed their combat power and compared it to the threat.
It's impossible.
The monsters would engage in a one-sided hunt, and that hunt would lead to a massacre. Like falling dominoes, the deaths wouldn't stop.
"Sir Jed."
"Yes."
"I need you to step up. Can you stall two of them for a while?"
"Two of them?"
Jed swallowed hard. They looked like wolves, but their mouths and claws weren't their only weapons. Spiky tail tentacles floated threateningly behind them. He was being asked to stall two of those?
"Can you do it?"
After agonizing over it, Jed finally answered.
"My fee is going to be quite high."
"Have I ever stiffed you?"
"No. Well then...!"
Jed adjusted his grip on his daggers and moved. He approached Penelope. In this situation, there was only one thing she was doing.
"Waaaaah! I don't want to die!"
"Hey, Pepe! Get it together, brat!"
Slap!
"Ugyak!"
"Don't just blubber, do your job. You're a mage too!"
"W-What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to fight something like that?!"
"You don't need to fight, just help me. Make my body lighter somehow. You know, that thing! That one!!"
"That? Hiss... wait a second. Haste!"
Penelope's magic enveloped Jed's body. Feeling himself become a level faster, Jed loosened his muscles.
"Yeah, this is the feeling."
Jed smirked and muttered as he looked at the wolf monsters.
"Well then, I'm going for a little walk."
With that, Jed moved to draw the attention of two of the beasts.
This left Ferda to handle two, while the rest would deal with the remaining three. Ferda turned his head and picked out the most experienced-looking man among those who had drawn their swords.
"You there!"
"Yes!"
"Good spirit. We'll take on four, so you and the people around you try to handle the other three somehow. Can you do it?"
"H-How, exactly?"
"Instruct them to move as defensively as possible. Form a phalanx."
He said that, but it didn't really matter whether they were on the defense or offense. As long as they didn't lose their will to fight and run away, it was enough. That was all Ferda expected of him.
"Regeeeent!"
Malcolm, who had been sent on his mission, came rushing back. Ferda was about to ask why he was back so soon, but the sight of what he was carrying made him lose his words.
Over each of his shoulders, Malcolm was carrying a man in robes.
"Here, mages!"
"You really did kidnap them."
"I wasn't confident in my persuasion..."
Ferda stared intently at the panting Malcolm.
"You're smarter than I thought."
"Eh? I'm smart?"
"Knowing one's own limitations is no easy task. Keep it up."
"Understood!"
Malcolm moved off again to kidnap more fresh mana tanks. The men who had been brought there without knowing why were frozen in fear. They had been trying to escape, only to be dropped right into the middle of a battlefield.
Ferda didn't give them time to think.
"You, do you know how to use Mana Bomb?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes..."
"Then prepare a Mana Bomb. When I give the signal, throw it toward me. And you?"
"I... I can't yet..."
"Then prepare a Mana Shot. Prepare it and throw it to me when I signal. That much is easy, right?"
"Yes!"
"And when that kidnapper brings more mages, give them the same instructions. I don't want to explain twice. Understood?"
"U-Understood!"
Given the urgency of the situation, there was no way they fully understood everything. Ferda didn't expect much and prepared for battle.
I must refrain from using black magic as much as possible.
In the grand scheme of things he was painting, black magic would bring a fatal stigma. Although Erdes already knew he used it, it was a completely different matter for the public to see it. He had to avoid it at all costs.
But that doesn't mean I can't use it at all.
He would use it secretly and quietly so others wouldn't notice. That was why he had learned Barbatos' Shadow Arts.
Beneath Ferda's feet, a shadow took shape and moved. It slithered stealthily until it reached the feet of a wolf.
Ferda incanted the spell.
"Bind."
From within Ferda's shadow, a hidden hand reached out.
— Grrrr?!
It gripped the wolf's ankle firmly. This was a 4th-tier binding spell from Barbatos' Shadow Arts. Its original name was Shadow Bind, but Ferda omitted the word 'Shadow.' In fact, he didn't even need the incantation. This was sufficient, and to an observer, it looked similar to a regular Bind spell.
The wolf struggled, unable to lift its foot as if it had fallen into a swamp of thick adhesive.
Take them down one by one, quickly.
He rapidly drew the magic circle he held in his mind and incanted.
"Lightning Spear."
The spear of electricity shot from his hand. With the target unable to move, hitting the heart was as easy as pie.
Zap!
The lightning spear flew swiftly, piercing through the hide. The spot where the heart had been erupted in a spray of mushy green blood, and the wolf collapsed weakly.
"My god, in one hit..."
Exclamations of awe broke out again.
— Grrrr!
Another restrained wolf sensed its kin's death and bared its teeth. As it struggled violently, it used a momentary gap to bite down on the black form with its jaws.
"Ugh."
A groan of pain escaped Ferda's lips. The moment the wolf bit down, Ferda felt a sensation as if his right pinky finger was being severed.
Shadows were used as an extension of Ferda's own body. Therefore, when the shadow was damaged, he felt the pain as if his own flesh were being torn.
That is the condition.
If he wasn't careful, he could be consumed by the pain and live the rest of his life in agony from phantom pains. Ferda skillfully severed his mental connection to escape the phantom sensation.
As he cut the mental link with the shadow, its power weakened. The wolf monster broke free.
"Regent! Where should I throw the Mana Bomb...!"
The timing was perfect.
"Throw it toward me!"
The mage hurled a large blue sphere at Ferda. Ferda didn't look back. Instead, a portion of a black finger manifested from his back, spraying a thread of mana to snatch the Mana Bomb.
To others, it looked as if the sphere naturally flew into his grasp the moment it entered his vicinity.
"Gasp!"
"Magic Intercept...!"
They couldn't believe their eyes, seeing such a difficult technique used by Master Mages. Whether they were amazed or not, Ferda had no time to care. He focused his mind entirely on his target.
He hurled the Mana Shot and Mana Bomb at the wolf's face.
Boom—!
A 100% hit rate. The explosion of mana slammed into the wolf's face. When beings of transgression, who lived by emitting junk mana, encountered the natural order of mana, their regeneration slowed. And the moment its regenerative power stopped completely, the wolf monster staggered like a dog in the heat of summer.
"Lightning Spear."
With that, Ferda finished off the two wolf monsters he was facing. Without a moment to catch his breath, he surveyed the battlefield.
The knights and soldiers.
The side where the knights and soldiers were holding out looked overwhelmed. Their faces were pale with terror. On the other hand, Jed was diverting the attention of two wolf monsters without a single scratch. The two monsters were laying waste to a wide area, literally throwing their entire bodies into their attacks. Surprisingly, Jed was moving faster than the monsters' attack speed, dodging everything.
I have to help Jed.
Even if he looked composed, he was in the most urgent situation.
"Jed!"
"What is it?!" Jed answered irritably.
"Lure them toward my shadow."
"Understood!"
While performing a somersault, Jed's eyes quickly located Ferda's shadow. With acrobatic movements, he dashed toward Ferda's direction.
— Bark! Bark!
The two infuriated wolf monsters chased after Jed. The moment they were about to cross over Ferda's shadow, hands shot up and grabbed their ankles.
— Yelp?!
Tripped by the sudden obstacle, the wolf monsters tumbled across the floor.
"Bind."
Ferda used his prepared Shadow Bind to restrain the two once more.
"Throw them!"
Following his command, the supplied mages threw the Mana Bombs they had created one by one toward Ferda. There was a brief worry that it might look like they were attacking the Regent, but Ferda skillfully wrapped them in threads of mana, making them his own.
Boom!
Mana permeated the bodies of the two monsters. As intended, both of them staggered.
My mana... is at an awkward level.
Since his Red Circle wasn't spinning at full capacity, it was difficult to supply more.
The remaining mana is enough for about three Lightning Spears?
If he used them on these two, he wouldn't have enough mana to deal with the rest. How should he handle this?
"Regent!"
Jed called out to Ferda. His eyes were filled with a fighting spirit. Ferda looked into those eyes and thought:
Useless.
Such things might work for knights armed with mental fortitude, but they were useless to Ferda. However, he noticed the cold light shimmering on Jed's daggers.
It was Aura.
Now that is useful.
Having grasped the intention, Ferda nodded. In a brief exchange of looks lasting about 1.5 seconds, they designated their targets.
"Lightning Spear."
Ferda's bolt of light pierced through one monster's brow, rupturing its heart.
"Go take a long walk in hell, you beast!"
Jed's dagger pierced the other monster's belly. The tough hide gave way like jelly, and the dagger dug straight into the ribcage.
Snap—!
With the sound of thick, hard muscle tearing, the wolf's corpse went limp. Even the two Jed had been leading around were now dead.
Only three remained. The ones drawing the attention of those three were the ragtag group of soldiers.
"Argh! That thing bit me!"
"Don't back down! Maintain the formation!"
However, thanks to the leader's charisma holding them in place, the three wolf monsters couldn't do much and were merely looking for an opening in the ranks. Ferda aimed for that gap.
Ferda shouted toward the mages.
"Mana Bombs!"
The mages Malcolm had supplied totaled ten. A total of twelve spheres flew toward Ferda all at once. Ferda's shadow fingers snatched every single one of them, making them his own. He aimed for the gaps in the wolf monsters' defenses.
Boom—!
The mana slammed into their torsos. The concentration was high enough to pierce through the outer hide and enter their bodies. The wolf monster that took a direct hit faltered, and the other two that had been moving aggressively also retreated after taking significant damage.
"Now! Strike them down!"
"Waaaaah!"
With a roar, the soldiers plunged their swords into the faltering beast, launching a counterattack. The wolf monster resisted, but its swings were as weak as a dying old man's.
— Bark! Bark!
The two remaining wolves fixed their gaze on Ferda. Their wild instincts had identified who the core of this human group was. Their eyes turned bloodshot as they lunged toward him.
"They're heading for the Regent! Protect him!"
In a situation where they could barely look after themselves, the soldiers couldn't possibly react instantly.
Two of them.
Ferda didn't have the physical agility to dodge as flashily as Jed. He had prepared his magic even before he felt their killing intent.
"Lightning Spear."
The spear of electricity pierced through one's torso. It didn't hit the heart, but it succeeded in stopping the beast's momentum. The remaining one fearlessly lunged at Ferda.
"Regent!"
Jed stepped in front of Ferda, trying to protect him.
"Gah!"
He might have beaten the wolf monster in agility, but in a head-on clash, he collapsed like a scarecrow planted in soft soil. Ferda used the opening Jed provided to deploy a magic circle, intending to fire even a Lightning Bolt.
"Lightning—"
He couldn't even finish the incantation. The wolf monster pounced, pinning Ferda down by his shoulders.
— Roar!!
The beast opened its maw. It looked like a wolf, but the inside of its mouth was anything but. It had rows of even sharper teeth and a tongue split into dozens of tentacles. The sharp teeth began to sink into Ferda's neck.
He felt the approach of death.
Bang—!
A thunderous sound echoed through the air. Simultaneously, something small and fast flew in, and the wolf monster's body jerked violently. The teeth that had been sinking into his neck lost their strength, and the beast collapsed.
Having narrowly escaped death, Ferda looked to see why the monster had died.
Small, fast, and powerful magic...
A sense of déjà vu washed over him. Ferda looked toward the direction the shot had come from to see who his savior was.
It had come from the stage. Standing on that stage was none other than Burnell.
He was breathing heavily, holding something in his hands. It was the Magitech Rifle that was supposed to be introduced after President Bernard.
The long pipe he held was emitting wisps of white smoke.