Roy, Alice, and Veil followed the clues provided by the village chief and finally arrived at the area where the beasts were active. It was a desolate valley overgrown with wild brambles, with dry grass carpeting the ground. The air carried a faint burnt odor, as though a fierce battle had taken place here.
Alice covered her nose in disgust and remarked, "Ugh, the smell here is awful, like someone scattered a whole pot of burnt scraps across the ground."
Veil examined the area closely, pointing to a crater not far away. "Look at this—it was clearly blasted out with some sort of force. And the chaotic footprints around it suggest the beasts were active here frequently."
Roy nodded, crouching to inspect the claw marks on the ground. "These prints aren't large, but there are a lot of them. It's clear there's a small pack of beasts in the area. What's strange is why these beasts are here. There's still a buffer zone between the border and human territory."
Veil lifted his gaze, his expression wary. "Normally, beasts wouldn't cross the border into human territory without a reason."
Alice crossed her arms, frowning. "Could it be another one of the demon clan's schemes? What if these beasts are here to probe our defenses?"
Roy considered her words for a moment before replying, "It's possible. The demon clan often uses low-tier beasts as vanguard forces to test an enemy's defenses. These beasts might just be the front line; there's likely a higher-tier demon controlling them from behind."
Alice shivered at the thought. "Don't joke about that! I've heard some demons are incredibly intelligent. If that's true, are we seriously going up against an army right now?"
Veil grinned and patted his shield. "That just makes it more exciting! Beast or demon, if they dare come here, we'll show them what humans are capable of."
The trio continued following the trail left by the beasts and soon came upon a section of charred trees, the trunks marked with deep claw gouges. Veil approached to investigate and remarked, "These burn marks don't look natural. They seem more like the aftermath of a spell. Could a fight have happened here?"
Roy touched the claw marks on the trunk, his brows furrowing. "The depth of these marks suggests at least a Tier 2 beast. With Red Maple Village's location, Tier 2 beasts shouldn't appear here. This situation is more complicated than we thought."
Suddenly, Alice pointed toward a patch of grass in the distance and shouted, "Wait, look over there! What is that?"
Down the slope, a pack of around a dozen Tier 1 shadow wolves had gathered. Among them was a much larger wolf, clearly the pack leader.
Alice swallowed nervously and whispered, "This is a bit much... Are you sure we don't need backup?"
Veil raised his shield, brimming with confidence. "These little creatures aren't enough to make us back down. Stick to the plan—take out the smaller ones on the perimeter first, then deal with the leader."
Roy drew his sword, his expression sharp. "Remember, don't drag this out. The howls of these beasts can attract more. We need to end this quickly."
Alice nodded. "Got it. I'll provide support from the back. Leave the smaller ones to me for distraction!"
Roy charged forward without hesitation, his sword imbued with thunderous energy that crackled in the air. He aimed directly at the densest cluster of shadow wolves, his eyes sharp as he shouted, "Veil, cover me!"
"Got it!" Veil responded, raising his shield high and charging toward the foremost shadow wolf with a roar. His fists erupted with a powerful shockwave, drawing the wolves' attention to create an opening for Roy. However, his eagerness got the better of him, and he moved slightly ahead of Roy, blocking his line of attack.
"Hey, Veil! Don't block my path!" Roy hastily halted his advance, barely avoiding Veil's shield sweeping into his trajectory.
Alice, observing from the rear, facepalmed in exasperation. "This is what you call teamwork? Even the wolves are more coordinated!"
At that moment, the pack launched a counterattack. One of the wolves nimbly circled around Veil, lunging straight at Roy. Alice quickly cast a mental disruption spell, diverting the wolf's attack just enough to make it miss its mark. She huffed, "I'm not your babysitter, you know! Pay attention!"
Roy steadied himself, taking a deep breath to adjust his tactics. "Veil, don't get too far ahead. Stay half a step behind to cover me! Alice, focus on disrupting the wolves that try to flank us."
"Understood!" Veil replied firmly, quickly repositioning himself to stand slightly behind Roy. He used his shield and fists to fend off incoming wolves, making sure to leave Roy room to attack.
"Got it! Leave it to me!" Alice gathered her mental energy, her eyes flashing sharply. Several wolves attempting to circle around suddenly stumbled, as though caught by an invisible force, their attacks veering off target.
"Nice work!" Roy seized the opportunity to strike back. His sword slashed through the air with the sound of thunder, each blow forcing the wolves to retreat or cutting them down entirely. One weaker wolf collapsed under the sheer force of his attack.
Veil laughed heartily as he bashed a wolf aside with his shield and punched another one, sending it flying several meters. "Now that's more like it! Keep the pressure on!"
As the trio began to find their rhythm and suppress the pack, a deep, rumbling growl echoed from nearby. The sound carried an oppressive weight, like distant thunder rolling across the land. They turned toward the source and saw a massive wolf standing atop a boulder, its size dwarfing the others. Its icy blue eyes glowed with a piercing light as it gazed down at them.
"That's a Tier 2 beast," Veil muttered, his tone tinged with excitement. "Finally, a target worth going all out for!"
"Don't underestimate it. This thing's going to be a lot harder to deal with," Roy cautioned, his grip tightening on his sword as lightning danced along its blade. His gaze never wavered from the imposing beast.
Alice wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, forcing a wry smile. "It's been watching us this whole time, probably waiting for us to slip up. This one's much smarter than the others."
Roy quickly issued orders. "We need to finish off the remaining Tier 1 wolves fast and focus our efforts on that leader! Alice, keep it distracted and disrupt its movements as much as possible!"
"Understood! I'll do my best to keep it off balance!" Alice replied, her mental energy spreading outward as she attempted to interfere with the Tier 2 beast's senses. However, the creature merely shook its head slightly, its icy gaze remaining fixed on the trio, seemingly unfazed by her spell.
"Its mental resistance is strong," Alice said with a frown. "I can only slightly affect its judgment. It's nothing like the lower-tier wolves. After all, a Tier 2 beast is equivalent to a Level 40 opponent."
"That's fine. Buying us even a little time is enough," Roy said, charging back into the fray. He continued cutting down the remaining wolves while keeping a wary eye on the leader's movements.
Veil followed closely, shielding Roy from stray attacks and finishing off the stragglers to clear the battlefield.
When the last Tier 1 wolf fell, the Tier 2 beast finally let out a thunderous roar and leaped down from the boulder. Its presence was overwhelming, its aura almost tangible as it stalked toward them, each step radiating an air of authority.
"It's finally making its move," Roy said with a cold smile, his fighting spirit surging. He tightened his grip on his sword and addressed his companions. "Stay calm. The three of us together can take it down!"
Alice took a deep breath and muttered, "Let's just hope it doesn't make me regret coming along."
As Veil charged toward the Tier 2 shadow wolf, an overwhelming battle aura surged from his body, accompanied by the powerful presence of his Level 31 spiritual energy. He was a high-ranking warrior!
His fists struck with the force of a storm, and the ground beneath his feet cracked under the impact of his steps. Veil's intent was clear—he aimed to draw all of the wolf's attention and firepower head-on.
The Tier 2 shadow wolf let out a deep growl as waves of dense black spiritual energy radiated from its body. The energy coalesced into a tangible force, forming a terrifying shockwave that hurtled toward Veil.
"Titan's Shield!" Veil roared, summoning a thick spiritual shield around himself. His body expanded slightly, his muscles glowing faintly with golden light. He stood firm, an unyielding mountain. The shockwave slammed into his shield with a deafening crash, sending dust and debris flying as the ground trembled.
Holding his ground, Veil grinned. "That's all you've got? You'll need more than that to take me down!" He swung his massive fist toward the wolf's flank, but the agile creature leaped away, retaliating with a swipe of its tail. The tail morphed into a sharp, black blade, whipping toward Veil with deadly precision.
"Stay alert!" Roy's voice rang out from behind. His figure blurred as he dashed forward, moving with the speed of a storm. His longsword shimmered with lightning, crackling and roaring as if the heavens themselves were contained within its blade. The air around him seemed to hum with his sword energy, enveloping the battlefield in his presence.
"Thunderous Strike!" Roy gripped his sword with both hands and brought it crashing down. The blade carried the force of a lightning dragon, slashing toward the shadow wolf's back. Though the wolf reacted quickly, sidestepping to evade the full brunt of the attack, the blade still left a deep gash on its shoulder. Blood sprayed as the beast howled in pain, retreating several steps to distance itself from Roy.
Alice, positioned at the rear, remained focused. Her spiritual energy spread outward as she raised her staff, chanting, "Mental Disruption!" An invisible mental assault struck the wolf's mind, causing it to falter mid-step, nearly losing its balance.
Taking advantage of the opening, Alice waved her staff again, summoning a gentle green light that enveloped both Veil and Roy. The healing energy swiftly mended the shallow wounds on Roy's body, while the bruise left by the wolf's tail on Veil's chest began to fade.
"Nice work, Alice!" Roy shouted his thanks as he raised his sword again, charging toward the wolf with renewed vigor.
The shadow wolf, now enraged, let out a bloodcurdling roar. Its eyes turned crimson, and the black spiritual energy around it grew even denser. With a sudden tilt of its head, it began to gather a sphere of destructive energy in its mouth—a deadly attack forming before their eyes.
"It's charging a big move!" Alice warned, her voice urgent. "Be careful!"
"I'll block it!" Veil stepped forward without hesitation, raising his shield high as his spiritual energy surged again. His booming voice echoed across the battlefield: "Titan's Shield: Absolute Defense!" His shield solidified further, glowing with a brilliant light. He stood tall, an unbreakable fortress between the wolf and his allies.
The energy sphere launched from the wolf's maw, hurtling toward them with devastating force. It collided with Veil's shield, triggering a massive explosion that sent shockwaves rippling outward. Veil's legs dug into the earth as the ground beneath him cracked like a spiderweb, but he held firm, refusing to yield an inch. The blast stopped in its tracks, sparing Roy and Alice from harm.
"Is that all you've got?" Veil growled, his voice steady despite the strain. Behind him, Roy and Alice readied themselves, determined to press the advantage while the wolf was vulnerable.
The injured shadow wolf glared with fury, its body surging with even denser black energy, signaling it had entered a berserk state. It let out a guttural growl and lunged at Veil, its claws flashing with deadly black light, brimming with destructive power.
"You're not getting past me!" Veil roared, driving his feet into the ground as his fists ignited with searing golden light. With a thunderous shout, he unleashed his ultimate skill: "Titan's Shield: Charging Bulwark!"
He charged headlong at the wolf, his fists striking like crashing thunder, slamming into the beast's chest with bone-shaking force. The impact caused the wolf to falter momentarily, but in its berserk rage, it pressed forward. Its claws raked across Veil's shoulder with a sickening tearing sound.
Veil gritted his teeth, enduring the attack. Blood trickled from his mouth, but he refused to take a step back. Raising his shield, he blocked the wolf's follow-up strike, though his face grew pale from the effort.
"Finish it quickly… I can't hold out much longer!" Veil growled through clenched teeth.
Alice didn't hesitate. Raising her staff, she channeled a radiant green light. "Healing Light: Spirit Vein's Breath!" she chanted. The soothing glow enveloped Veil, swiftly mending his torn muscles and staunching his bleeding wounds. However, his spiritual energy visibly waned.
At the same time, Alice began a new incantation, her eyes glowing with a deep purple hue. "Mental Chains!" she commanded. Invisible shackles coiled around the wolf's limbs, briefly restraining its movements. The beast thrashed violently, roaring in frustration, but its mobility was significantly hindered.
"Well done, Alice! Veil, take a breather—this strike is mine!" Roy's voice cut through the battlefield like a blade, his gaze steady and determined.
He raised his sword to his chest, pouring every ounce of his spiritual energy into the blade. Lightning surged along its edge, crackling with deafening intensity. His killing intent solidified, and the battlefield seemed to freeze under the overwhelming aura of his strike.
"Thunder Sword Art: Sky Thunder Break!" Roy shouted, bringing his sword down in a flash of lightning. The strike descended like a heavenly thunderbolt, aimed squarely at the shadow wolf's head.
The wolf roared in defiance, gathering a final burst of black energy for a desperate counterattack. However, Roy's sword energy was merciless, cleaving through its spiritual shield as though it were nothing.
The blinding strike tore through the air, and the wolf's roar abruptly ceased. Its massive body froze, then collapsed with a thunderous crash, sending dust spiraling into the air.
The battle was over. Roy dropped to one knee, panting heavily. His arm trembled, the toll of his ultimate strike evident.
Veil staggered to his feet, a faint grin breaking through his exhaustion. "Phew, that beast is finally down… That was no easy fight."
Alice wiped sweat from her brow, exhaling in exasperation. "You two nearly gave me a heart attack—again! Can't you take it easier next time?" She raised her staff and cast one final round of healing, stabilizing their injuries.
"Couldn't have done it without you," Roy said, forcing a tired but grateful smile as he straightened. "Without Alice's interference and Veil's defense, there's no way we'd have taken this beast down."