"That's supposed to be intermediate!?" he stammered, his voice trembling. "It's a good thing I unleashed it here… If I had unleashed that at home, I would've destroyed my whole room."
[You have killed a Shadow Wolf.]
[+15 Experience Points.]
'Looks like I got some experience points too… this system really is like a game. If I kill enough of them, I should be able to level up. I wonder what'll happen then?'
After exhaling a deep breath, he turned his attention to the other wolves, who were still attacking the barrier in a frenzy. Their eyes glowed a menacing red, and it seemed that Arlo's display of strength had done little to deter them.
Despite the wolves' relentless assault, only a few scratches could be seen on the barrier. Arlo transferred more of his magic power into the barrier itself, causing the scratches to fade as the barrier became even more durable.
"This book really is something else... when I'm holding onto it, monsters of this level aren't a match for me," Arlo muttered, clutching the book tightly in his hands. "But that's only when I'm holding onto it... an F-rank hunter such as myself would never be able to take on these monsters without it. I better make sure not to accidentally drop the book."
As long as Arlo held the book, its magic supply would be linked to him. However, the moment he stopped holding it, the connection would be severed, and the magic supply would no longer be available.
In that situation, Arlo would face certain death. There was no other way to put it. Without any magic being supplied to it, the barrier would instantly disperse, leaving Arlo defenseless against the wolves.
Even if, by some fortune, he managed to pick up the book again, the time it would take for him to finish chanting would be more than enough for the wolves to tear him to shreds.
When he came to that grim realization, Arlo shivered once more before extending his hand towards the remaining wolves.
"L-Let's hurry up and kill them. I'm too scared to try out a different spell, so let's use the same one," he stammered, his voice trembling slightly.
Arlo took a deep breath, steeling himself for the task at hand. With a shaky hand, Arlo began to chant the incantation once more, his voice growing stronger with each word. The magic circle in front of him pulsed with energy, the water within it swirling and churning as it prepared to be unleashed.
"Intermediate Class Water Magic: Water Cannon!"
[MP: 68% -> 67%]
Another powerful blast of water erupted from the magic circle, striking the nearest wolf with devastating force. The creature let out a pained howl as it was sent flying, its body crashing through the trees.
[You have killed a Shadow Wolf.]
[+15 Experience Points.]
"That's two down…" Arlo muttered, nervously turning his attention to the four remaining shadow wolves. "At this rate, I should be able to take the others out without any issues."
Unlike before, when they were attacking in a frenzy, the wolves had become more cautious, taking a few steps back. Arlo watched as one of the wolves from the group suddenly opened its mouth, letting out a powerful howl.
The howl was so loud that Arlo felt as if his ears were being pierced. He could feel the sound waves vibrating throughout his entire being, a testament to the howl's intensity.
Following the howl, the wolves began to circle around the barrier, their speed increasing with each passing moment. Lances made out of shadows manifested in the air above them, aimed directly at the barrier.
"So they can control the shadows…" Arlo observed, his brow furrowed. "With the way they're moving, I won't be able to hit them either…"
Arlo watched as the fully manifested lances propelled themselves towards the barrier, crashing into it in a relentless barrage. At first, the barrier seemed to withstand the assault, but after a short while, cracks began to form on its surface.
Despite the situation taking a turn for the worse, Arlo's nervousness gave way to contemplation as he examined the barrier.
"Even under this much pressure, the barrier is still holding on nicely…" he mused. "I haven't transferred any magic power into it since they started their assault, and yet it's nowhere close to shattering…"
After pondering for a moment longer, Arlo nodded to himself and transferred more magic into the barrier, watching as the cracks faded and the barrier quickly repaired itself.
[MP: 67% -> 66%]
The barrier was fully restored, and not only that, it had become more durable than before. The assault of the attacks now seemed to have no effect on it.
A sudden realization dawned on Arlo, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Could it be...? Am I actually a little overpowered?" He shook his head, a wry smile on his face. "No, it's not me that's OP, it's this book. If it wasn't for this, I would've been dead the moment they surrounded me.An F-Rank hunter like me would've never been able to beat these wolves in my old world.":
Arlo turned his attention to the wolves circling outside the barrier. They showed no signs of slowing down or tiring, their relentless pursuit continuing unabated.
"Still, it's a pain if they keep moving…" he muttered, his brow furrowed in thought. "If only I had a spell that could stop them… or a spell that could attack everything in the area…"
Determined to find a solution, Arlo quickly began flipping through the grimoire, searching for a spell that matched the descriptions he sought. After turning a few pages, his eyes widened, and he excitedly yelled out, "Found it!"
Without wasting any time, Arlo began to chant the incantation, watching as a brown magic circle formed on the ground beneath him.
"Intermediate Class Earth Magic: Quagmire!"
[MP: 66% -> 65%]
In an instant, the ground around the sphere became soft and boggy, causing the wolves' legs to sink into the mire as they slowed down. Once their feet had sunk into the ground, the earth instantly hardened, forcing them to come to a complete halt.
While the wolves struggled against the trap, Arlo had been finishing the chant for his next spell.
"Intermediate Class Earth Magic: Earth Spikes!"
In the following second, several spikes rose up from the ground beneath the shadow wolves, skewering all of them within moments. The beasts squirmed and struggled to break free from the spikes, but shortly after, their movements ceased.
[You have killed a Shadow Wolf.]
[+15 Experience Points.]
[You have killed a Shadow Wolf.] (x3)
[+45 Experience Points.]
[LEVEL UP!]
[You've completed the 'Quest: Shadow Wolf Slayer'!]
Arlo cast a nervous glance around at his brutal display of strength, watching as the blood from the wolves' corpses slowly streamed down the earthen spikes.