Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Wolves!
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Wolves!
Unlike other beasts, these pack hunters overlapped with human territories in the wilds, making them our primal rivals.
Their intelligence and hunting tactics were cunning enough that small villages had to keep dogs just to fend them off—a truly threatening and terrifying foe.
And given how wolves grew larger the farther north you went, remote outposts like this were even more perilous.
Judging by the patrol team's reactions, the villagers had already sensed their presence.
Of course, having faced down our local deer leader—who was far scarier—I kept my mouth shut.
"Those must be them, right?"
"Yeah, the outpost can't be far now."
The patrol members quickly regained their composure.
Their mission from the start was to scout and report any unusual wolf packs spotted near the outpost.
With the outpost so close and the howls we'd just heard...
Even a child could figure out what to do next.
"Let's go."
Orchid was a seasoned leader.
She assessed the situation in an instant and led the team back up the mountain path.
How much farther did we climb along the ridge? Far off, tucked behind tall trees, a small watchtower came into view.
Little Bear asked Orchid,
"You said communications got cut off?"
"Yeah, no messenger bird this morning."
"That's ominous..."
"Don't jinx it. They could just be swamped with work."
Outposts like this had a nasty quirk: when contact broke, you had no clue what had happened.
Tedious as it was, you had to send people to check in person.
Little Bear muttered ominously, while Orchid scolded him for talking bad luck.
And so we reached the outpost—a half-day's trek from the village.
Rustle, rustle.
A tall fence, wooden buildings, and a single watchtower built to survey the surroundings.
The small, well-camouflaged outpost was deathly silent.
"Orchid! Over here!"
Normally, the sentries keeping watch should have spotted us first.
But there was no welcoming signal—in fact, the gate that should have been opened from inside lay in splinters.
Little Bear pointed at it in horror.
We hurriedly drew our spears and charged toward the ruined outpost gate.
Sniff, sniff.
"Blood... smells like blood."
Signs of intrusion and battle.
The three sentries guarding the outpost had fought a desperate stand at the gate to keep the enemy out.
But they failed—the gate was smashed, and blood trails led inward.
As the patrol members gravely conferred, I scanned the area and spotted familiar tracks amid the dried blood.
"Wolves, confirmed."
Fur, paw prints, habits.
Incredibly, it was wolves.
In the single day since the sighting was reported, the outpost had been raided.
Orchid panicked.
"Th-this is a first."
Yeah, cases like this were rare.
Wolves generally avoided places reeking of fire and iron, so there was no reason for them to risk attacking armed humans.
Especially not in spring, with prey abundant. Orchid had every reason to freak out.
But this wasn't the time.
"Who cares about that now? Let's get inside! These guys aren't pushovers!"
Little Bear, who knew someone at the outpost, exploded in rage and gripped his spear.
He shouted urgently to the team and began searching for any sentries who might still be alive.
"Damn it!"
The outpost interior was a wreck.
The wolves that breached the entrance had overrun the whole place, even the living quarters.
But one spot remained untouched by blood: the watchtower, where the ladder had been pulled up.
"Hey!"
If anyone escaped, that was the only place.
Little Bear's face lit up as he yelled up at the tower and hunted for a way to climb.
But with the ladder gone, options were slim.
Guess it's this way after all.
I set my spear aside and slipped past the flustered patrol members.
"H-hey! Sir?!"
I'd scaled hundreds of cliffs.
No matter how tall the watchtower, this height was child's play—even blindfolded.
I expertly gripped narrow crevices and hauled myself up in seconds.
"Nngh..."
Getting old? My joints ached.
Hiding my grimace, I shoved the spare ladder aside to one flank and lowered it for the others.
Then, without pause, I climbed through the lone window into the tower.
"Ugh..."
"You okay?"
One, two, three.
Thankfully, all three were alive.
But injuries and exhaustion had them delirious—they didn't respond to my questions.
They needed treatment, fast.
I yelled down to the team securing the ladder: "Bandages! Hemostatics, now!"
"Wh-who..."
The least worse-off man stirred at the noise and opened his eyes.
His shoulder looked torn by wolf fangs, but he seemed the most stable.
"Patrol team from the village."
These three must have fought alone against a horde, desperately holding the line.
Feeling a pang, I pulled a leather waterskin from my pack and helped him drink.
Gulp, gulp.
His throat must've been parched from blood loss.
He gulped it down like nectar, finally exhaling with a look of relief.
The rest went to the other two.
I checked they weren't critical, then stanched their bleeding.
The man who'd drunk perked up and rasped,
"Wolves... all around, wolves..."
"Yes, we heard them. Why no call for backup?"
"The village... messenger bird never came..."
The village had definitely sent one.
If it never arrived, it was lost en route.
What rotten luck—right when weird stuff started, the bird goes missing.
I patted the man's shoulder as he teared up in relief, then meant to hurry the team bringing supplies.
Awoooooooo—!!
But a piercing wolf howl echoed from the way we'd come.
The pack that trashed the outpost had tracked our scent and returned.
Relentless and clever bastards.
I dropped my gear without hesitation and dashed to the railing.
Yip! Yap yap!
Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch!
The summoning howl ended, and wolves swarmed from all sides.
Far more than expected—the patrol team's faces filled with despair.
Could we hold that many?
Sharp fangs gleamed from every direction, closing in like they’d rip our throats out any second.
"Little Bear! Oil!"
"—!!"
Lives on the line, one wrong move from disaster.
But I leaped from the tower, snapping the team to attention.
"H-here!"
Little Bear instinctively tossed me the leather pouch at "oil."
I speared the flying pouch, splashing oil everywhere.
Whoosh!
I kicked embers from the dying campfire onto it.
Live coals in the ashes met oil and erupted in flames.
"Yes! Fire!"
Wild beasts instinctively fear fire.
The team, forgetting that basic fact, scrambled to hurl flammables onto the oil and stoke the blaze.
Yap yap! Yap!
Grrrrr—!!
The flames grew steadily.
Wolves squeezed through narrow gaps.
Little Bear swallowed hard, staring in disbelief.
"What... what the hell is this...?"
Yeah, what the hell indeed.
The raiding pack numbered over forty—insane.
But more shocking than the count: these weren't normal wolves I knew.
Deformed fangs and claws built for war, eyes red like mad demons.
They weren't wild wolves—they were "magic beasts" bred for battle.
Yap yap!
"Incoming!"
Encircling the tower, they circled the fire, slobbering.
Now even flames didn't faze them—they charged without fear.
Twang!
Yelp!
Silent Bird loosed an arrow.
True to her skill, it hit dead-on; the leaping wolf crumpled.
But that sparked the frenzy.
The pack surged toward us en masse.
"Raaargh!"
Little Bear bellowed a roar fitting his name and thrust his spear.
Orchid overcame her fear, syncing with her friend Little Bear.
Yelp!
Yap yap! Yap yap!
Skilled bunch.
But three against this horde? No chance.
Better to cover their blind spots and buy time to reach the tower.
Grip.
Gripping the unfamiliar spear, I recalled self-taught standard spear forms from long ago.
Stance set, power twice,
Advance like flowing forward!
Stab!
Slash!
One form pierced a wolf's skull.
The next shifted trajectory, impaling a second.
Squelch!
Thrilling feedback from the blade.
Powerful pullback drag on the shaft.
While the team fought hard, I cleared their blind spots relentlessly.
Memories of my first spear days flooded back—my blocks grew smoother against the wolves.
"Damn it!"
But unlike my steady breath, the battlefield worsened.
The other patrol members, holding well at first, buckled under sheer numbers.
Crack!
"Aaaagh!"
"Little Bear! No!"
Little Bear's spear shaft snapped.
Wolves pounced without missing a beat.
Orchid screamed; Silent Bird, out of arrows, fumbled for her dagger.
Their fragile balance teetered on collapse.
But I wasn't just watching.
"—."
My eyes flashed.
Battle-honed nerves surged.
In slowed time, I twisted body and head freely.
Crackle.
One hand snatched the airborne spear, hurling it at the target.
A diagonal streak sliced the air.
Whoosh! Thunk!
"Wh-what?"
The wolf's fangs froze inches from Little Bear's throat.
My thrown spear had lanced its torso like lightning.
Little Bear gawked dumbly.
The yapping pack bristled, freezing mid-motion.
Perfect—a opening.
I told Orchid,
"Get him up to the tower, quick."
Clank, shing!
Defensive fights are tough.
But if they reached the tower, my options widened.
Drawing my sword instead, I ordered Orchid to evacuate the team.
Whoosh, crackle!
Roar!
I swung at the ground.
The blade's wind scooped up pooled fire and oil onto its edge.
Burns like aura, nice.
Feeling it, I boldly strode into the dozens-strong pack.
Step, step, step.
Sensing the prior strike's menace, they warily circled me.
Spreading out, not abandoning attack—they slowly enveloped the center.
Now, the pack leader should show.
Sword aimed at them, I leisurely scanned their ranks.
Grrrrrr...
Yeah, there you are.
Raising my gaze slightly, the snarling leader appeared amid the pack.
"Hm?"
But locking eyes with it, I couldn't believe what I saw.
The massive leader bore a familiar brand on its forehead—unlike the others.
"Orc?"
Yap yap!
Roar, slice!
A wolf lunged at the gap.
I bisected it in a flash, frowning at the bloodied brow.
These wolves were runaways.
From orc ownership.