Ambush
"The little one from the Morse family has slipped away from the duke's estate."
In a pitch-black chamber where not even a sliver of light penetrated, a sinister voice echoed from around a round table faintly stirring with presences.
Another voice immediately followed. "No one's tailing him?"
"Well... he's racing eastward at an unbelievable speed. No way we can keep up."
"Unbelievable speed?"
"He's riding a wolf spirit, and it's insanely fast. Plus, he's ignoring the roads, cutting straight through forests and mountains. They say he's covering four days' worth of distance on a normal horse in just one day."
The chamber, filled only with voices, fell silent for a moment before someone shattered it.
"Hah, a wolf spirit? Must be from that lycanthrope experiment in Philes. But he's already using it that effectively?"
"Yes, far beyond our expectations. It's the kind of speed you see from a wind-attribute Expert using mana sprint."
"Wasn't he just a 2nd stage Mana User? Is that spirit really that special?"
"Unlike the other samples, reports say it was a moonwolf native to the northern mountains, not the Great Forest. A beast lord that ruled for centuries without elven care."
"Hm. Even so... It's hard to believe a kid that young is a 2nd stage Mana User, and he couldn't have advanced his spirit arts that far in such a short time... Unless the kid can use magic too?"
"...No reports of that."
"So he really has that kind of power?"
"From the Elaine battle report, he's a 2nd stage Mana User at thirteen, equivalent to a peer-level spirit arts user. Honestly, even that's probably exaggerated in the report, or so you'd think..."
"Hm... No. This time, we do it right. No half-measures that draw public eyes. If another Elaine fiasco happens, our heads roll too."
"That was because the duke's elites intervened..."
"Shut it! Assume the worst and handle it cleanly. You wanna bet your neck on a gamble?"
"...No, sir."
"Good. This time, we nab him for sure. Where's he headed?"
"His path is straight as an arrow—easy to predict. At this rate, he'll hit the port city of Enaxen in the city union within a week."
"...Enaxen? The closest port to Carun?"
Disbelief colored the questioning voice.
"...Coincidence?"
"...Of course."
The response rang with conviction, but reluctance laced the tone.
"...Weird. Too weird. Gives me the creeps."
Unfounded unease gripped the shadow at the head of the table.
"Can't risk it. Mobilize 5th circle or higher main forces. Capture him clean."
The reporting shadow flinched.
"...With Carun tying up the east, we lack the black mages for that. Elder Husel took them all there."
"Damn it! What's the max we can muster?!"
"Assuming we intercept near Enaxen, five Expert-level black knights at most. Oh, there's a 4th circle beast tamer on mission nearby."
"Send them. Tell them to capture clean. Figure out if the kid's moves are coincidence or if he knows something. Interrogate thoroughly."
"...I'll exclude the beast tamer."
"What? Why?"
"He's one left to distract the kingdom union with poorly controlled beasts. Not suited for capture."
"...No, send him. Capture's ideal, but killing works too. Relay that."
"...Pardon?"
"When it's this fishy, better to eliminate for sure."
The reporter thought it overkill but could only nod.
"...Understood."
Under a full moon's glow, serene moonlight bathed the quiet forest.
"Yeehaw!"
"Awooooooo!"
A silver behemoth tore through like the wind, shattering the woods' silence.
Grrr.
Flap flap flap.
Ferocious beasts startled by the spirit arts user and his spirit scattered wary cries, birds fleeing skyward en masse, but Tiny and Wolrang ignored them, reveling in their wind-cutting dash.
Of course, some went beyond warnings—they charged outright. Not mere beasts, but magic beasts.
Sensing the intense life force from the silver wolf and black-haired boy, instinctual revulsion bared their fangs.
But.
"Kyaooo!"
Boom!
Thud thud thud.
Crash.
A horned boar radiating thick demonic aura smashed headfirst into a tree, skull pulverized, momentum unbroken.
Right after, the silver wolf landed softly where it had charged.
Whoosh.
Tiny's casual flick spun the 2-meter warhammer, flinging beast blood, then it split into rod and head, slotting into his back belt.
"Getting the hang of this too."
Grr.
Wolrang snorted, displeased at the interruption, but Tiny just smiled.
Way better than expected. Gotta thank Lendor properly.
Of course, he didn't know Lendor was cursing him while filling the forge crater for a week straight, but it did make him take the dwarf's request more seriously.
The artifact warhammer, Stamp, fit perfectly.
"Woof!"
"Yeah, let's go again."
"Woof! Woof!"
"I said okay!"
To vent Wolrang's month-long indoor pent-up energy, they'd adopted owl hours: rest by day, dash by night. A week in, and it wasn't bad.
Beasts and bandits prowled nights, giving ample chances to test Stamp.
One regret, though...
"That size would've fetched a nice bounty."
No time to cash in the magic beasts or bandits he bagged.
"Woof!"
Even without Wolrang's urging, reaching Carun fast was priority, so regrets stayed regrets.
"Leaving money on the road..."
Tiny smacked his lips wistfully and turned—
"Awooooooo!"
Wolrang howled long, bolting anew.
Four legs kicked dirt, propelling the silver mass arrow-straight ahead.
This rush is killer.
Now 3 meters long, Wolrang's coiled muscles churned power leagues beyond pre-Valentia days. Racing into headwinds felt like merging with the breeze.
Synced with Wolrang's senses, Tiny got why the wolf loved moonlight sprints.
Plains were fun, but rocky inclines thrilled too—hinting why western hill orc warriors brimmed with pride.
Lost in speed, the forest's end appeared.
Seemed they'd barely entered the mountains, yet another peak conquered.
At this pace, Enaxen tomorrow.
Sizing up the road beyond the treeline, Tiny grinned—
Shadows emerged near the exit.
"He's really coming this way?"
"Hah, a actual kid?"
"Don't drop guard on looks—he's a spirit arts user."
Leather armor to half-plate mail, swords, spears, axes, bows. The five armed men lacked uniformity, but their auras matched perfectly.
Black, smoky tendrils that sickened just existing.
Tiny's eyes chilled, sensing from afar.
Demon Worshippers!
The burliest frontman raised his razor-edged axe, bellowing.
"Kid! The 'Black Knights' have business with you! Stop and chat?!"
Tiny's lip curled.
Black Knights?
Knight my ass...
...Vermin!
Wolrang, catching Tiny's irritated fury, didn't slow—instead accelerated at the sudden foes.
"See? Told ya!"
"As expected!"
"Brats only learn the hard way."
"Chop off a limb or two!"
Clang!
Crimson-black auras surged from drawn weapons.
The axeman's body ballooned twofold; spearman sprouted metallic scales; bowman's eyes slitted yellow; swordsmen's bodies sprouted blades.
Calling themselves Black Knights, they were black magic soldiers—demon worshippers fighting sans spells. Their powers: Devil's Traces, gained at Expert rank.
One loosed a dark-aura arrow at Tiny.
Fwoooom!
Tang.
Tiny smirked, batting it aside casually, charging unabated.
"...What!?"
The bowman gaped—the axeman faced Stamp whistling down.
"Fast...!?"
The giant reacted late, swinging his axe—but
Krraaaaaang!
He burst into blood mist and chunks mid-word.
"Wha...?!"
"What!?"
Swordsmen blurted blankly.
"What're you doing! Kill him!!"
Bowman nocked anew, grinding teeth; scaled spearman thrust crimson-aura spear at Tiny.
Clang!
Silver paw deflected it—black hammer crashed like thunder on the spearman's head.
Krraaaaaang!
Smashed silent into pulp.
Only then did the survivors blanch.
"Cr-crazy!"
"Impossible!"
"No way...!"
Panicking at the boy's freakish might, Tiny gave no reprieve.
"Die, trash."
Cold words heralded silver wolf's gale charge—black hammer lightning from above.
Irresistible to the black magic soldiers.
The fleeing bowman backpedaled, firing blindly.
"Th-this ain't what we heard!"
Terror-shrieking nonsense, silver wind reaper arrived.
Krraaaaaang!
One fair smash per foe, Tiny wrecked them spectacularly—then tsked at the carnage.
Seem like they were waiting... Should've spared one for questioning?
Late regret—
- Kyaooooo!
An unwelcome roar brought chilling killing intent.