"Aunty…" Linette's furrowed her brows, and memories of their once-loving aunty surfaced in her mind before she sighed, "Let's not assume things."
"We should just worry about getting out of this place alive first. Then, we'll look for the specialist healer that recently achieved her High Awakening to see if she can treat your condition. Everything else comes after."
"Mm. I will listen to you, sister."
Lillias obediently nodded before lowering her head in low spirits.
Her inability to wield magic since birth has always been a source of worry and disgrace for members of the Delaroa Household, a noble household with multiple High Witches.
She was but a mere mortal without her magic.
If not for the problem of too much cumulation of mana in her body, which put her in life-threatening situations rather than extending her life, people would have long suspected she was a child of another household.
…
Ding!
Shortly after choosing his reward, Vaan felt the lump of earth-attribute refined mana divide into minuscule particles and spread across his skin.
Vaan frowned slightly at the sensation of ants crawling across his skin and prickling his pores like needles, but he did not let it interrupt his movement as he continued to take the lead.
Swish, swish~!
With a quick step, Vaan closed the distance on another two hellhounds and drew an arc of red light with his twin fang daggers, slicing their necks at uncanny angles before he did a roll and lept back on his feet to continue the lead.
"All these hellhounds would have fetched a good price if we sold them at a city," Captain Rhys sighed at the number of bodies left behind. "Whatever, it can't be helped. Life is more important."
"Money is only good when you are alive to spend," Vaan casually remarked, but in truth, he was reminding them not to be greedy.
He did not want the escort group to become greedy for wealth that they lose sight of life and slow everyone down.
Awrooo!
Vaan gripped his twin fang daggers, ready to slay the incoming group of hellhounds ahead, when the sudden howl caused them to back off, ultimately saving their lives from the grim reaper that is him.
His pupils quickly shrank in that instance.
The hellhounds suddenly became smart, splitting into two groups, and circled to attack the young warriors in the rear.
"Ahh!" the young warriors cried.
"Be careful! That was the howl of a Rank 2 Dark Hellhound," Captain Rhys' expression turned serious as he solemnly warned the group. "They are capable of issuing commands to Rank 1 Dark Hellhounds!"
"We'll be relying on you to repel the Rank 2 Dark Hellhounds, Captain Rhys." Vaan entrusted the lead Captain Rhys, "Leave the Rank 1 Dark Hellhounds to me."
"That goes without saying." Captain Rhys nodded, heightening his senses to the peak to locate the Rank 2 Dark Hellhound.
As Vaan dashed past the Earth Salamander to assist the young warriors in the back, Linnete quickly conveyed her intent to help through her eyes.
"You must conserve your mana for the crucial moment, my Lady!" Vaan strictly reminded.
He couldn't care less for the young warriors' lives.
If sacrificing them to ensure Linette conserved enough mana to repel the potential threats of Rank 3 Dark Hellhounds, he would gladly do it.
"Ahhh!"
One of the young warriors on the left side rear was caught and mawed to death by three hellhounds as Vaan chose to assist the right side rear first.
Linette bit her lips and shielded Lillias's eyes from seeing the gruesome sight.
"Hervy!"
The young warriors cried at the loss of their comrade, but the immediate threat of the hellhounds in front of them gave them no time to mourn.
Vaan finished off the right side before rushing over to assist the left side, but the hellhounds immediately backed off under the Rank 2 Dark Hellhound's command.
Awrooo!
The Rank 1 Dark Hellhounds immediately chose a different target to attack, and Vaan reacted accordingly, rushing over to the Earth Salamander's middle right side.
Right at the instance of his arrival, Vaan saw the blur of a slightly larger shadow from the corners of his eyes, rushing at him with incredible speed and timing.
"Captain Rhys!"
"Right on it!"
Right after Vaan's call, the vigilant and battle-ready Captain Rhys roared as he rushed over at the right moment to block the Rank 2 Dark Hellhound's sneak attack with his greatsword.
Clang!
The clash of blows immediately repelled the two brutes apart.
However, Captain Rhys kicked off one of the Earth Salamander's moving legs and lunged back towards the Rank 2 Dark Hellhound with a follow-up attack.
"Haaaa!"
Captain Rhys roared, both hands tightly gripped on the sword handle, and the greatsword raised above his head for one big and mighty swing.
In that instance, the red aura around his body spiked, vibrated, channeled, and condense to form the shape of a bigger blade on the greatsword, making it look like a crimson buster sword.
Aura Armament!
It was the strongest form of attack power that Rank 2 Aura Masters could give to their weapon by investing all their aura in them and thereby abandoning all their body defense at the same time.
Shing!
Captain Rhy's attack completely overpowered the Rank 2 Dark Hellhound, directly cleaving its body in half; its fangs, claws, and all shattered in the process.
Boom!
The buster-form greatsword struck the ground right after, kicking up a storm of dust before the buster sword aura scattered back into Captain Rhys' body.
Vaan narrowed his eyes upon noticing the lingering tint of redness on Captain Rhys' skin.
Normally, Rank 2 Aura Masters could not overpower Rank 2 Demonic Beasts so easily—not unless they have special physiques that boost their attack power.
'Fire-attribute Berserk Physique, huh?' Vaan determined.
It was a much more common physique than the rare dual-attribute Giant Physique that Vaan didn't actually have.
Nevertheless, he did not have time to ponder on his real physique due to the howls of multiple Rank 2 Dark Hellhounds in the area, causing everyone's expression to change.
Awrooo!