On the second day of the journey, nothing happened during the day. The forest was as quiet as a lifeless cemetery, silent and eerie, and the calmness made people uncomfortable.
But at night, it was lively as if it were a tavern full of adventurers - noisy and chaotic, teasing and screaming, accompanied by unexplained fighting.
At first, an adult Kailan lion quietly approached Bartlett's party during their meal. Until the distance between the two parties was only about six or seven steps, Bartlett and the dwarf's keen perception still didn't notice them, and the magic alarm and traps weren't triggered.
But relying on his experience and intuition, Bartlett noticed something was wrong in time.
Instantly, he pulled out the "Iron Bride" from his waist, held it with both hands, and placed it across his chest. The barbarian didn't actually see anything in the air, but he still swung his weapon and shouted in terror. In response, the opponent revealed itself just outside the bonfire's light.
The Kailan lion is a nocturnal animal with sky-blue fur that allows it to become virtually invisible in the darkness. With the hazy mist and night, even those with the sharpest perception struggle to sense its presence.
Its magical beast's fur is soft, light, and smoother than a young girl's delicate skin, making it a favorite among aristocrats for decorating their wardrobes. Especially for proud and vain noblewomen, a coat made of Kailan lion fur could make its wearer the center of attention at any ball.
Without exaggeration, a complete and flawless Kailan lion fur could easily sell for thousands of gold coins.
In Bartlett's eyes, that was a walking bag of gold. Although Kailan lions were rare, he didn't care about endangering their species or think there was anything wrong with exterminating a particular creature.
Adventurer's simplistic belief in "above gold coins" made him think all of this was justified.
But night was not a good time for hunting. With limited visibility, no one knew what was lurking beyond the bonfire, and intense fighting could attract more trouble. The main problem was that even if the Kailan lion was injured, Bartlett couldn't guarantee he could keep it, so he hesitated and didn't immediately take action.
However, such a large sum of gold coins was too tempting to resist. Just as Bartlett was about to signal to Old Will to use magic to keep the "gold coins," the Kailan lion casually glanced at them and retreated back into the darkness...
"It's so beautiful!" was the half-elven's exclamation upon seeing the creature.
It would be even more beautiful dead, thought Bartlett. That meant piles of gold coins gathered together, shining brightly, which would probably drive the red-haired girl crazy. The barbarian had some ill-intentioned thoughts.
Not long after 'the pile of gold coins' left, trouble struck again - a group of ferocious Winter Wolves surrounded them.
Bartlett roughly estimated that there were more than fifty or sixty wolves, making it a real battle, as Winter Wolves were one of the most dangerous species of wolves. They were huge, cunning, and persistent, and they could also spit freezing gas like Frost Spiders.
Winter Wolves were magical creatures as well.
Intelligent creatures in the forest wouldn't dare venture to the area closer to the Mist Castle, and Winter Wolves were quite intelligent. Two days' journey wasn't far. As for this "encounter," Bartlett could only think that his group was as unlucky as Handsome Jack.
The battle didn't start immediately; both sides had a brief standoff.
Old Will leaned against a tall fir tree, with the ogre in the front, and Bartlett and the half-elf on the sides. The three formed an arc around Old Will, keeping him in the middle.
Meanwhile, the dwarf vanished on the spot. Bartlett knew that only the most exceptional assassins could use invisibility directly without shadows, but he could still detect the dwarf at close range with his keen perception. It had to be said, although this invisibility skill was powerful, it was still a bit inferior to the innate skill of Kailan lions.
After a loud howl of the wolves, the battle began.
Six or seven winter wolves emerged and pressed forward together. Behind them, Old Will uttered a brief, incomprehensible syllable, and Bartlett found that the Iron Bride in his hand became even hotter—the blade was now coated in a layer of blazing flames.
The sounds of fighting came first from the half-elf's side, as the winter wolves evidently thought that the ogres and barbarians were more challenging due to their large size, leaving Estelle to be their breakthrough point.
Bartlett listened carefully to the situation on the half-elf's side while focusing most of his attention on the two winter wolves who were constantly circling in front of him.
One of the winter wolves had a scar on its back, left by the claws of an unknown creature, while the other walked with a slight limp. In the darkness beyond, a pair of blood-red eyes stared intently at them.
Although using fire against winter wolves was a good choice, Bartlett had never used such an enchanted weapon and was worried that the flames from the sword might hurt himself.
The barbarian had two flying axes hanging from his waist, a sword in his left hand and a round shield made of oak on his right arm. The shield was covered with a thin layer of iron, which provided limited defense, but could still save his life if used well. He had prepared several sets of these small round shields in the leather bag, which, like the flying axes, were consumable items.
Bartlett twisted his neck and swung his weapon slightly, leaving a beautiful trail of flames with the sword. The "Iron Bride" had become the "Fire Beauty", and he needed to get to know her again, at least by saying hello first.
The winter wolves didn't give the barbarian and his weapon time to say hello, as the limping one attacked first.
It bared its teeth, fierce and aggressive, its body bent as it instantly accelerated to its maximum speed.
Bartlett crouched down, ready to swing his sword at the right moment, but found that the winter wolf suddenly stopped and jumped sideways. Then the one with scars took advantage of the gap and rushed over but stopped before getting close enough.
They're toying with him, Bartlett thought. The winter wolves wanted to wear down his patience, make him restless and numb, and expose vulnerabilities in his defense.
"Come on, you dogs! Let me smash your skulls!" Bartlett heard the ogre roar loudly, followed by the dull sound of a warhammer hitting the shield. However, he didn't hear any impatience in the ogre's tone. This ogre could control his emotions well during battle, which was rare for his kind.
Bartlett was not impatient either. As an experienced elite adventurer, he had enough patience. Moreover, their team was not without long-range attack means—although they had no archer, they did have a mage.
A series of crackling hissing noises came from behind Bartlett, followed by an explosive heat wave and terrible wails. He guessed it was Old Will who had made his move, probably supporting the half-elf's side.
He clearly felt that the red eyes swaying in the darkness in the distance seemed somewhat agitated. Then, after another loud howl, several more winter wolves emerged from the darkness, with five now directly in front of Bartlett.
It seemed that the wolf pack was done probing and was preparing for a full-on assault. Bartlett smiled with excitement.
...