Upon returning home, the first thing I did was write down the articulation of the spell on a wooden tablet and then hide it behind the house. If I had forgotten the intonation, I probably wouldn't have been able to manage. After that, I spent long hours lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. I was so excited that I couldn't fall asleep. I can use magic – something that would be unthinkable in my previous world.
Despite the whirlwind of thoughts constantly running through my mind, one stood out in particular. Spells seem dangerous, especially when even a six-year-old can put a hole in a tree.
But...
There's always a "but." It's about the casting time. Six seconds...
It may not sound long, but in the middle of a fight, it seems like an eternity. Especially if I don't hit on the first try. That gives my opponent twelve seconds to close the distance—whether it's a warrior or a monster, like that wolf.
A mutant could reach me in two seconds. I need to work on that. Maybe it can be sped up?
But let's leave that for later. Right now, the most important thing is getting the second spell from Oleg, and for free, no less. It seems he likes me—who would've thought?
After a long time, sleep finally bound my mind.
I overslept. I didn't wake up until around noon, all because I had been too excited the day before.
Of course, breakfast was already eaten. Mark and Antoni went out to the field, and Izabela with Aniela went to the mayor. I took a slice of dried bread and sat outside.
I again felt like casting a spell, but what if it paralyzes me again? I didn't want Izabela to find me lying on the ground in front of the house...
Going to the Seekers' camp didn't make sense either. They weren't there in the afternoon, and besides, they said they were going hunting today. Damn, I should have gotten up earlier and visited them in the morning.
Well, it's not a big deal. It could be worse. Since I've decided not to cast spells in the yard, maybe I'll go for a walk on the edge of the forest? If I encounter a hare or a pheasant, at least I'll have a moving target for magic.
Two hours later, near the Eastern Forest.
I have to admit, I've had good luck with that pheasant recently. I had been combing the line of trees for a while, but hadn't seen any animals. Did something scare them off? Maybe that old bastard scared them all away.
At one point, during my walk, I heard screams. They were coming from deep in the forest. The sound of metal and snapping branches. Was that the sound of a fight?
Juliusz, an important decision ahead. Going there might be dangerous, but on the other hand, it could give me a glimpse of the level of combat in this world. It would be a good reference point for my own skills.
Arguments and counterarguments. On one hand, experience; on the other, danger. But there's still one deciding factor—curiosity.
After a brief internal struggle, I crept toward the increasingly louder screams.
Eventually, I recognized the voices. It was David's team!
When I reached the tree at the edge of the clearing and peered out, two things happened.
The first—before I could even fully assess the situation, some liquid splashed on my face. It was warm. The moment I touched my skin and looked at my hand, I immediately knew—it was blood!
But whose?
The second thing—a view.
As I turned my gaze toward the battle, what I saw terrified me. Before me unfolded a bloody battle between the Seekers and the wolf. Or rather, the giant wolf. It was enormous, certainly bigger than the last time. If it had resembled a bear before, now, with its massive body, it could rival a rhinoceros.
And the Seekers... Only three of them?
The adventurers were struggling to fend off the mutant's attacks. With each passing moment, they were losing strength. All I could see was a desperate defense and a clear fear of impending death.
But Lefty and Tom were still missing.
Where are they...?
Suddenly, a faint moan broke the silence.
Oh no...
I have to admit, this was a matter of perspective, one that illusionists used in my previous world. When you look at something in the distance, it's easy to miss what's right next to you. I had focused too much on the battle to notice the body leaning against the tree from which I was watching the skirmish.
"Leaning" is an understatement. The body had been smashed and seemingly thrown with tremendous force, its trajectory likely stopped by the oak. The right arm had been severed at the shoulder, the legs twisted at various angles, and three horizontal slashes on the abdomen revealed the intestines. The intestines spilling out were only held back by the left hand pressed firmly against the wounds. Despite the destruction, the face wasn't as badly damaged, which is why I recognized whose body it was—Lefty!
"Boy..." he rasped, struggling to speak.
"What can I do?" I asked, unable to hide the panic in my voice. "How can I help?"
I grabbed his shoulder, trying to give him even a little strength.
"Run..." he gasped, coughing up blood. "Quickly..."
"What about the others?"
"They... they're already dead..." he said, choking. "The mutant evolved..."
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
"What?" I yelled, horrified. "What should I do?"
He didn't answer. His body slumped, and the light in his eyes went out.
With a heavy heart, I turned my gaze back to the battle.
The team was still holding a defensive position. David was barely holding the shield, his left hand hanging limply from the fragment of skin that still somehow clung to his arm. The sword had disappeared somewhere in the chaos.
Oleg stood behind him, trying to counter the wolf's attacks, but after each strike blocked by the leader, the giant swung his massive axe. The wolf was incredibly fast, moving its large body with the agility of a cat, easily avoiding the strikes. Although it didn't always succeed—because I also noticed blood on it. Its ribs were exposed on the left side due to severed skin and muscle. The most dangerous wound on the wolf was its gouged left eye, hanging by a piece of the optic nerve near its cheek.
Right was standing in the back, watching the fight impassively with his sword drawn. He was probably in shock after losing his twin. That must be a hard blow, losing someone you've known your whole life. The emptiness in his eyes kept him frozen, unable to move.
What should I do? Should I run?
Oleg still needs to teach me the second spell. I might never get another chance like this.
Damn, I should have gone to them in the morning. Then I wouldn't have gotten involved in all this shit.
Adrenaline kicked in.
Alright, fuck it, let's go.
I crept around the clearing, moving along the tree line so I wouldn't be noticed. My goal was to get to the right side of the wolf, to try to hit its right eye with a spell. That was the only thing I could come up with in my dazed state.
By the time I had covered half the distance, the fight had intensified. David was down to half a shield, which now looked more like Swiss cheese than a solid piece of metal. I could see he was getting weaker, losing a lot of blood from the loss of his hand.
After Oleg's attack, the wolf was struck in the neck and thrown slightly to the side.
Right into frozen Right.
"Right!" David shouted. "Dodge!"
He just stood there.
One blink later, he was sliced into three pieces by the wolf's enormous claws.
"Fuck!" Oleg screamed. "I curse you, Tom!"
"Focus," David gritted through his teeth. "We need to kill it."
With the wolf's move, the battle shifted closer to the tree line, right next to my hiding place. The mutant was focused only on Oleg, who was counterattacking after every blocked strike. The monster knew that the giant was the only real threat, because the other was barely standing, only blocking.
Then David caught sight of me out of the corner of his eye.
My hand was outstretched. It was aimed at the wolf's head. I didn't know if I could inflict any real damage. Even if I did, even if I managed to damage its only eye, we would have a chance. There was just one problem—the wolf was still moving. I had only one shot, and I wasn't sure if I'd hit.
I began the incantation. Hold on, just a little longer.
1 second...
2 seconds... - David's shield was torn from him by a powerful blow from the wolf's paw. The force bent his elbow in the opposite direction.
3 seconds... - The leader took a step toward the wolf.
4 seconds... - The wolf leapt toward him and sank its teeth into his torso. Blood sprayed.
5 seconds... - "No!" Oleg shouted and rushed in, swinging with all his might.
6 seconds... - Despite his insides being crushed, David, with sheer willpower, wrapped his arms around the wolf's neck, holding it so it couldn't move.
Shot!
I immediately felt my strength drain and knelt, but this time, I didn't faint.
When my vision cleared, I saw what had happened. The wolf, instead of its right eye, now had a gaping hole exposing fragments of its brain.
Fuck, too shallow. I can't shoot again.
But I wasn't the only one attacking. Oleg, with his earlier swing, had severed the wolf's front paw, and a pool of blood beneath the monster kept growing.
David's sacrifice wasn't in vain.
But it still stood. That son of a bitch still STOOD.
I looked at Oleg, who, despite landing such a powerful blow earlier, looked like he was about to collapse at any moment. He was truly weak, his pale face covered in blood. The dents in his armor and his chest rising and falling as if struggling for each breath.
He was standing about five meters from the mutant. He looked at me and placed a finger to his lips.
Silence.
This was our only chance. The monster was blind.
But it was a canine. And they can sniff out a milligram of cocaine in a suitcase. Only the blood is masking our scent.
A minute passed.
The wolf, limping, began to circle wider, slowly but steadily closing in on Oleg. He couldn't do anything. He could only watch.
Another minute passed.
The pool of blood continued to grow, and the creature was getting weaker.
A few heartbeats later, the monster was just a meter from the giant. I was biting my nails from the stress. Oleg stood, making no sound. I saw fear in his eyes. He was too exhausted to even make the smallest dodge.
The wolf was right in front of the seeker's face when...
The creature stumbled. It lurched slightly but remained standing on three paws.
It couldn't take the last step, the one toward the spot where the giant's scent was strongest. And then...
It collapsed to the ground, exhaling its last breath.