Following the map's guidance, Carlo and Hick ventured to the outskirts of the forest. Carlo remained vigilant, his sharp gaze sweeping across their surroundings, while Hick hummed an off-key tune, his carefree demeanor showing little concern for the mission.
"You seem pretty familiar with this forest," Carlo finally broke the silence.
"Of course! I'm a seasoned elven mercenary!" Hick puffed out his chest with pride. "But honestly, the wolves here are acting a little strange."
"What do you mean?" Carlo raised an eyebrow.
"Normally, wolf packs would stay deeper in the forest, away from human activity. But this time, they're approaching the outskirts of villages…" Hick's tone lowered, tinged with thoughtfulness. "It's like something drove them out, or perhaps some environmental shift unsettled them."
Carlo nodded, a flicker of unease surfacing in his mind. They continued forward, eventually reaching a sparse clearing. Claw marks and bloodstains marred the ground, evidence of a recent, violent struggle.
"Looks like we've found the right place." Hick crouched down to examine the traces, then looked up with a slightly tense expression. "These are gray-maned wolf tracks—at least ten of them."
Carlo's eyes darkened, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his sword. "More than ten gray-maned wolves… This mission isn't going to be easy. We'll need to reassess our approach."
Standing up, Hick gave a small, confident smile, though there was a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. "Don't worry, I've got a plan. But first, we need to pinpoint the pack's exact location and numbers."
Carlo shot him a glance and replied calmly, "Let's just hope your plan doesn't involve talking them into leaving."
Hick burst out laughing. "Of course not! But trust me, my mouth is far from useless—it's for…" He paused dramatically, grinning. "Real teamwork!"
Without further explanation, he crouched down, pressing a palm to the ground and chanting softly. A pale green magical glow rippled outward, spreading across the area.
"Carlo, I'll need your help to confirm their positions," Hick said as he looked up, his tone light but his eyes focused. "I've cast a vision spell on you. Now you can see heat signatures within a few hundred meters. Hold out for thirty seconds, that's all I need."
Carlo glanced at his body and saw a faint green aura enveloping him. Instantly, his vision shifted, and life forms hidden among the trees became visible as faint glowing points.
"What are you planning?" Carlo asked, frowning slightly.
"Magic prep—get ready for a fight!" Hick replied with a smirk, the glow around his hand intensifying as a complex rune pattern formed.
Carlo didn't question further, scanning the surroundings quickly. "Northwest, fifty meters. Seven wolves, moving fast. Another three to the east, farther away."
"Perfect." Hick nodded. As he lifted his hand, the rune flared brightly and expanded, forming a translucent barrier around them.
"This is…?" Carlo asked, mildly surprised.
"Natural Barrier," Hick explained casually. "They'll be on us soon, and we need time to prepare. This'll hold off their first wave of attacks." He drew a short bow from his waist, nocking an arrow with practiced ease. "But don't expect the barrier to win the fight for us. The rest is up to us."
As the sound of the gray-maned wolves' approaching footsteps grew louder, Hick took the chance to briefly explain his magic.
"Carlo, let me give you a quick magic lesson so you don't think I'm just winging it." Hick spoke while drawing his bow. "I'm using surge chanting magic. It channels elemental energy through chanting and amplifies it with runes to maximize effectiveness. That's why I used runes to build the barrier earlier. It's basic stuff, but effective for handling this kind of situation."
Carlo raised an eyebrow but kept his gaze fixed on the bushes ahead. "How long did it take you to build the barrier?"
"Thirty seconds," Hick said proudly. "Twice as fast as standard surge chanting, thanks to the runes. Of course, it takes a lot of skill to prevent the energy flow from collapsing during the process."
"Hmm." Carlo nodded slightly, his tone neutral, but he seemed to reevaluate Hick's abilities. "How long will it hold?"
"About fifty seconds. Long enough for us to cut down half the pack," Hick said confidently. "But if your reflexes aren't fast enough, things might get messy."
Carlo didn't reply, shifting his position slightly. His grip on his sword tightened, his eyes sharp and focused on the incoming threat. "Stop talking and focus."
Hick chuckled, preparing another spell. His bow began to emit a faint green glow as he added, "The key to surge chanting is rhythm. You'll notice me getting faster with each cast. By the time I finish the third chant, the barrier will transform into an offensive spell… Keep up, kid."
"Just do your chanting. Don't drag me down," Carlo retorted coolly, his sword ready as his battle aura began to surge.
Moments later, the gray-maned wolves burst from the undergrowth, their predatory eyes locked onto the two. Their initial attacks were absorbed by the barrier, but cracks quickly began to form.
"Carlo, let's go!" Hick shouted, continuing his chant as glowing runes swirled around him, growing brighter and more concentrated.
Without hesitation, Carlo charged forward, meeting the wolves head-on. The sharp edge of his sword sliced through the night air, heralding the start of a fierce battle.