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Episode 78. Wolf Monsters
With one strike from Ferda, the wolf monster became a corpse. People watching were shocked.
“A monster… in just one hit?”
They had heard that magic was effective against monsters, but few had seen it with their own eyes. Even for a magician, taking down a monster in one hit was rare.
Ferda looked at a man standing with a dumbfounded face and spoke.
“What are you waiting for?”
“Huh?”
“The rift is still open.”
The man turned to look. Ferda was right. The wolf monster was dead, but the rift had not closed. That meant there were still monsters inside.
“Everyone who can fight, prepare for battle! Protect the citizens!”
“Request reinforcements! Call the guards!”
“Not the guards! Call the magicians! We need someone who can blast them with magic!”
People shouted everywhere. It was chaotic, but orders were still being given. Ferda ignored the noise.
At that moment, the corpse at the edge of the rift twitched.
“It… it moved!”
“Is it still alive?”
Someone asked nervously. But that wolf monster was already dead. If it was moving, that meant another one was coming. Ferda immediately prepared his next spell.
Soon, beyond the hazy mist of the rift, something appeared. Another wolf monster. It tried to leap out, but Ferda was faster.
“Lightning Spear.”
Ferda cast his spell and threw it at the monster emerging from the rift. A spear of electricity shot forward and struck the wolf monster.
— Krrrk!
Lightning Spear was a 4th-tier spell. It had strong piercing power, so if it hit a weak spot, it could deal fatal damage. But if it missed the weak spot, it wouldn’t kill the monster. Like now.
‘Still, not bad.’
The monster, surprised, hesitated and tried to retreat. But it couldn’t. More wolf monsters were pressing forward from behind. At least four more. Thanks to the first one’s panic, the others were momentarily blocked.
In the meantime, the fighters finished preparing. The knights drew their swords, and the few magicians there started casting spells. Everyone knew that magic was the best way to deal with monsters. But how many magicians had actually fought one? The higher a magician’s rank, the more they got involved in politics instead of battle. With this force, there was no chance of winning.
“What should we do? Should we retreat?” Jed asked. Since this was Halim’s business, there was no reason for them to risk their lives.
“No, we’re fighting too.”
Ferda was the only useful magician here. But they didn’t have to risk their lives, and the odds were still in their favor.
‘It’s better to fight than to run.’
Ferda quickly thought about what he needed.
‘I need mana.’
Ferda needed more mana. And for that, he needed magicians. He called a name.
“Malcolm!”
“Yes, Regent!” Malcolm answered quickly. But his body movements showed he was nervous.
“Gather all the magicians here. Even if they can only cast Mana Shot, just bring them all.”
“W-What if they don’t want to come?”
Was that even a question?
“Then drag them here if you have to.”
“Y-Yes! I will do that!” Malcolm stumbled as he ran off.
“Should I go too? I’m good at convincing people.” Jed asked.
“You’re a knight. Do your job.”
“Damn it.” Jed sighed and pulled out his dagger.
— Grrrrr!
At that moment, the wolf monsters stopped panicking. They squeeJed through the rift and rushed out. More followed, pouring in like a flood. Once all the wolf monsters were through, the rift finally closed.
‘Seven in total?’
For a normal knight, even one was a challenge. And now, seven had entered the building.
‘I can handle two. That leaves five.’
Ferda quickly assessed their forces.
‘We’ll be wiped out.’
The monsters would start hunting, and that hunt would end in total destruction. Once it began, it wouldn’t stop.
“Jed.”
“Yes?”
“You’ll have to hold off two of them. Can you do it?”
“Two?!” Jed gulped. These monsters didn’t just have sharp teeth and claws. Their tails had spiked tentacles floating around dangerously. And he had to fight two?
“Can you do it?” Jed hesitated, thinking hard. Finally, he answered.
“It’s going to cost you.”
“Have I ever failed to pay you?”
“Nope. Then…”
Jed tightened his grip on his dagger and moved. He headed toward Penelope. At this moment, there was only one thing she could do.
“Waaaahhh! I don’t want to die!”
“Hey! Get a grip!”
Slap!
“Oww!”
“Stop crying and help me! You can use magic!”
“W-What do I do? I can’t fight those things!”
“You don’t have to fight! Just help! Use that spell!”
“That spell? Ugh, wait… Haste!”
Penelope’s magic wrapped around Jed’s body. Jed felt himself getting lighter and stretched his body.
“Yeah, this is it.”
Jed smirked, looking at the wolf monsters.
“Alright, time for a little run.”
Jed rushed off to distract two of the monsters. Now, Ferda would handle two, and the remaining three would have to be dealt with by others.
Ferda turned to a knight who looked the most experienced.
“You there!”
“Yes!”
“Good spirit. We’ll take care of four. Can you and your men handle the other three?”
“H-How?”
“Defend as much as possible. Form a shield wall.”
It didn’t matter if they attacked or defended. As long as they didn’t lose their will to fight and run away, that was enough. That was all Ferda wanted from them.
“Regent!” Malcolm came running back, out of breath. Ferda was about to ask why he returned but stopped when he saw what Malcolm was carrying. Two robed men were slung over his shoulders.
“Here! Magicians!”
“You actually kidnapped them.”
“I’m not good at convincing people!”
Ferda stared at the panting Malcolm.
“You’re smarter than I thought.”
“Huh? I am?”
“Knowing yourself isn’t easy. Keep doing what you’re good at.”
“Understood!” Malcolm ran off again to find more.
The two magicians he had captured stood frozen. They had been running away, but suddenly, they were in the middle of a battlefield. Ferda didn’t give them time to think.
“You, can you cast Mana Bomb?”
“Huh? Oh, yes…”
“Then prepare one. When I say, throw it at me.”
“And you?”
“I-I’m not that skilled…”
“Then prepare a Mana Shot. When I tell you, fire it at me. Got it?”
“Y-Yes!”
“And when that kidnapper brings more, tell them the same thing. I won’t explain twice. Understand?”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
Ferda didn’t expect them to understand everything in such an urgent situation. He didn’t rely on them and prepared for battle.
‘I must avoid using dark magic as much as possible.’
Dark magic would bring a bad reputation to the big plan he was working on. Even though Erdes was already using dark magic, the public saw things differently. He had to be careful.
‘But that doesn’t mean I can’t use it at all.’
He would use it quietly, without anyone noticing. That’s why he had learned Barbatos’ Shadow Magic.
The shadow beneath Ferda’s feet moved. Silently, it reached the wolf’s feet. Ferda chanted a spell.
“Bind.”
A hidden hand stretched out from Ferda’s shadow.
-Grrr?!
It grabbed the wolf’s ankle tightly. It was a binding spell, ranked fourth among Barbatos’ Shadow Magic. Originally called Shadow Bind, but Ferda removed the word Shadow from the name. He didn’t need a chant to use it. It was strong enough on its own and looked similar to a normal Bind spell.
The wolf struggled as if it had stepped into a sticky mud place.
‘I’ll finish one quickly.’
Ferda quickly drew a magic circle in his mind and chanted a spell.
“Lightning Spear.”
A spear of electricity shot from his hand. The wolf couldn’t move, so hitting the heart was easy. Zap! The lightning spear pierced through its tough skin. The spot where its heart had been was now filled with oozing green blood. The wolf collapsed, lifeless.
“Oh my… he killed it in one hit…”
More gasps of admiration filled the air.
-Grrrr!
Another trapped wolf sensed its companion’s death. It bared its fangs angrily. It struggled fiercely, and for a moment, its jaws reached a dark figure.
“Ugh.”
Ferda groaned in pain. The moment the wolf bit, he felt something being severed near his right pinky finger. Shadow magic treated his shadow as part of his own body. So, when the shadow was torn, he felt real pain—like his flesh was being cut.
‘That’s the price I pay.’
If he wasn’t careful, the pain could consume him, leaving him suffering from phantom pain forever. Ferda quickly detached his mind from the pain. At the same time, the weakened shadow magic lost its hold. The wolf broke free.
“Regent! Where should I throw the mana bomb…?!”
The timing was perfect.
“Throw it to me!”
A mage hurled a large blue orb toward Ferda. Ferda didn’t turn around. Instead, a shadowy hand extended from his back and shot out a thin mana string, pulling the mana bomb toward him. To the others, it looked as if the bomb had naturally fallen into his hands.
“Gasp!”
“Magic Intercept…?!”
Even experienced mages couldn’t believe what they saw. But Ferda had no time to care about their reactions. His focus was entirely on his target. He threw the mana bomb and a mana shot at the wolf’s face.
Boom!
A direct hit. The magical explosion struck the wolf’s face. These monsters lived by absorbing junk mana, the opposite of natural mana. When real mana hit them, their regeneration slowed. And once their regeneration completely stopped, they staggered like exhausted dogs in summer heat.
“Lightning Spear.”
Ferda finished off the two wolves in front of him. Without pausing, he scanned the battlefield.
‘The knights and soldiers.’
The knights and soldiers were struggling. Fear was clear on their faces. But on the other hand, Jed was completely unharmed while keeping two wolves occupied. The monsters attacked wildly, destroying everything in a wide area. Surprisingly, Jed dodged every attack, moving even faster than the wolves.
‘I need to help Jed.’
Even though he looked fine, his fight was the most urgent.
“Jed!”
“What?!” Jed shouted back irritably.
“Lure them to my shadow.”
“Got it!”
Jed quickly checked where Ferda’s shadow was. Then, with agile movements, he ran toward it.
-Woof! Woof!
The two furious wolves chased after him. Just as they were about to cross Ferda’s shadow—
Hands shot up from the darkness, grabbing their ankles.
-Yelp?!
The wolves tripped and rolled across the ground.
“Bind.”
Ferda used Shadow Bind to trap them again.
“Throw them!”
The support mages hurled prepared mana bombs toward Ferda. Some worried about accidentally attacking their Regent. But Ferda skillfully wrapped the bombs in mana strings and turned them into his own weapons.
Boom!
Mana seeped into the wolves’ bodies. As planned, both wolves staggered.
‘My mana is… running low.’
Without the Red Circle magic, he couldn’t fill mana quickly.
‘I can only use Lightning Spear three more times.’
If he used it twice on these two wolves, he wouldn’t have enough mana left for the others. What should he do?
“Regent!” Jed called out to him. His eyes were full of fighting spirit.
Ferda looked into those determined eyes and thought—
‘Useless.’
Motivational speeches meant nothing to Ferda. But Jed’s dagger gleamed with Aura.
‘That is useful.’
Ferda understood Jed’s plan and nodded. In just 1.5 seconds, they exchanged glances and chose their targets.
“Lightning Spear.”
Ferda’s spear of light pierced one wolf’s forehead and exploded its heart.
“Go to hell, you mutt!”
Jed’s dagger sank into the other wolf’s belly. Its tough hide caved in like jelly as the blade dug deep into its ribs.
-Crunch!
A sickening sound of muscle tearing. The wolves collapsed lifelessly.
Now, only three wolves remained. Those three were attacking the soldiers.
“Ahh! It bit me!”
“Hold the formation! Don’t fall back!”
The commander’s strong voice kept the soldiers from fleeing. The wolves couldn’t break through, only looking for an opening.
Ferda waited for that moment. He shouted to the mages.
“Mana Bomb!”
There were 10 support mages. They created 12 mana bombs and sent them flying toward Ferda. Ferda’s shadowy fingers caught them all. Then, he struck the wolves at their weakest points.
Boom!
The concentrated mana pierced their skin and entered their bodies. One wolf staggered badly. Even the other two, which had been moving aggressively, slowed down after taking heavy damage.
“Now! Attack!”
“Waaah!”
The soldiers roared and struck down the weakest wolf. The monster tried to resist, but its attacks were weak and unsteady—like a dying old man.
-Woof! Woof!
The last two wolves turned toward Ferda. Their wild instincts told them—
‘That human is the real threat!’
Their eyes burned with rage. They charged at him.
“Protect the Regent!”
The soldiers wanted to help, but they were already struggling to survive.
‘Two wolves.’
Ferda wasn’t as fast as Jed. He sensed danger even before they attacked and prepared his magic.
“Lightning Spear.”
One spear shot out, piercing a wolf’s torso. It didn’t hit the heart, but it slowed the beast down.
The last wolf didn’t stop. It leaped at Ferda.
“Regent!”
Jed jumped in front of Ferda, trying to protect him.
“Ugh!”
Even though he was faster, the wolf overpowered him. Jed felt like a scarecrow in soft mud. Ferda tried to cast Lightning Bolt, but—
“Lightning—”
He couldn’t finish the spell. The wolf tackled him, pinning him down.
-Grrr!
It opened its jaws. It looked like a wolf, but inside—its mouth was monstrous. Sharp fangs. A forked, snake-like tongue. The fangs lunged at Ferda’s throat. He felt death approaching.
-Bang!
A gunshot shook the air. Something fast and small shot through the wolf’s body. The monster’s fangs lost their strength. It collapsed, lifeless.
Ferda, barely alive, looked up at his savior.
‘A small, fast, powerful magic attack… I know this…’
He turned to see who had saved him. On the stage stood Vernel, breathing heavily. In his hands was a Magitech Rifle—the invention meant to be introduced after Bernard the Headmaster. The long metal barrel was still smoking.
