Chapter 15: The Manned Operation

The image of a gray wolf, struck by a soldier's spear, vanished like mist. Yet, from another angle, a tangible wolf pounced on the soldier, seizing the opportune moment.

"Argh!"

The gleaming mithril sword sliced through the air as the wolf, now atop the fallen soldier, lunged for his throat.

"Uhh— Thank you, hero! Your intervention saved my life!"

"No, get up! I'm still adjusting to sword fighting, but I've definitely improved."

Jis offered a sheepish smile as he helped the soldier to his feet.

His swordsmanship had visibly advanced since his first encounter with the Goblin, showing a newfound stability in his technique.

"What are you doing in the midst of battle, meow?"

SWOOSH—

At Tyria's exclamation, a wolf plummeted from a tree, striking the boy in the face.

"Argh! Tyria, help!"

"Too late, pup! She's already in action!"

Tyria had swiftly decapitated the wolf with her ninja sword, the same one Jis had been battling by exploiting a blind spot to assist the soldier.

Chichi, pressing down on the boy, urged him again.

"Don't just stand there like an idiot—hurry up and take out those wolves!"

From Jis' leather vest pocket, Chichi, the hidden onlooker, shouted commands.

Tyria, her movements as swift and agile as shadows, was already slashing through the wolves' throats. Her skill left them unaware of their own demise.

As the wolves' attack pattern shifted to a more three-dimensional approach, the soldiers, initially positioned in double-layered circular formations, also changed their tactics.

They split into small units of three to four, effectively repelling the wolves that were charging from all directions.

"Heh heh~ As expected, elite soldiers are different. That's right! Their coordinated movements remind me of the old days."

The Blackbee wizard nodded, momentarily lost in memories.

Then, a wolf, its presence concealed, approached him. But the experienced pirate captain, Blackbee, casually swung his magic wand at the wolf.

YIP—

"I'd love to set this place ablaze, but I can't destroy the lord's forest... So, a smaller display it is. Bahahaha~!"

Blackbee, having fended off the wolves with his wand, tore a magic scroll from his pocket. A small flame ignited at the wand's tip.

In the dim forest, the torch's light made nearby illusions vanish one by one.

"Ha, ha, ha! Such refined magic, fitting for a great wizard! The blurry ones are illusions! Focus on the distinct wolves!"

Just then, a slightly blurry wolf charged at General Gareth. Mistaking it for an illusion, he turned away, only to feel the wolf's sharp teeth at his neck.

"Son of a bitch! It's blurry because of the fog! Kill them all, real or not!"

Fortunately, General Gareth, a seasoned fighter, tensed his neck muscles in time, preventing deep bites. He then grabbed the wolf and slammed it to the ground.

YIP—

Next, Gareth, wielding a one-handed flail in each hand, swung them furiously, relentlessly pummeling the downed wolf.

An enraged General Gareth then charged into the midst of wolves, a one-handed flail in each hand. The sharp sound of chains echoed with each swing as he crushed the skulls of the wolves around him.

Though he sometimes struck at mist-formed illusion wolves, Gareth no longer cared to differentiate between illusion and reality.

"Wow, General Gareth, you're amazing! I'm coming to help~!"

Rylie, as if off to a picnic, ran towards Gareth and swung her small yet powerful, gauntleted fist. The crunch of wolf bones echoed with each of her beastly powerful strikes.

"Woo— Woo— I've got the high ground~!"

Above them, Grimbald swiftly took down the wolves that were attempting to pounce from the treetops, moving agilely up and down the branches.

Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr—

Meanwhile, a low, ominous howl echoed across the battlefield.

The sound, seemingly lifeless, sent a shiver down Jis's spine.

TREAD— TREAD—

"I-It's the B-Black Wolf...!"

However, not all eyes were focused on one point.

This was because zombie wolves, drooling foamy saliva, were approaching from three different directions.

As their low growls cut through the misty forest, Jis sensed a new wave of fear spreading across the battlefield.

"Ha. Ha. They look and move similarly. Two of the three are illusions. Everyone, reform into your defensive circle!"

At General Gareth's command, the soldiers quickly formed a double circular defense around Jis and his party.

Gray wolves, seemingly considering the Black Wolf as their leader, began to press in from three directions, with zombie wolves at their center.

TREAD— TREAD— TREAD—

"Um... Two are illusions. Use long spears to test them, but focus on the real one."

As if in agreement with Blackbee the wizard, the soldiers exchanged anxious glances and nodded subtly.

SWOOSH—

Long spears extended over the shields, aiming at the three zombie wolves that were methodically advancing.

Just as the swiftly thrown spear was about to hit the black wolf's forehead, the three zombie wolves dodged with distinct movements!

"Argh— They're all real! Watch out!"

Before the soldiers could even retract the spear used to discern the illusions, the black wolf broke through their ranks.

BOOM—!

The first attack erupted in a minor explosion.

The Black Wolf's front paws, charged with dark red energy, struck a shield-bearing soldier. The shield shattered and flew off as if hit by a bomb blast.

AHHHH!

This was quickly followed by a relentless assault from zombie wolves and gray wolves.

As the soldiers, who had been calmly fending off the wolves' attacks, saw their formation begin to falter, the wolves seized the opportunity. They lunged forward, eagerly thrusting their teeth into the breach.

The Black Wolf viciously attacked soldiers at three different points, biting ferociously and striking with its powerful forepaws.

When it imbued its front paw with dark red energy and struck a soldier, the soldier's body tore apart, flying away as if a balloon had burst.

"Argh! It's a monster! Die— Fireball!"

In a panic, the Blackbee wizard cast fireballs towards three Black Wolves, indifferent to the risk of forest fire.

A fiery orb flew towards the Black Wolf, who watched it nonchalantly. Then, as the fireball neared its nose, the wolf opened its mouth, engulfed by dark red energy, and devoured it as if it were nothing more than a snack!

"Get up that tree!"

Just then, Chichi's whisper reached Jis' ear again. Without hesitation, the boy dashed towards the nearest tree, and the soldiers, previously in a circular defense, parted to let him through.

"Woo— Woo— He's really quick! Climbs almost as well as I do."

"Tee hee hee~! I was surprised at first, too. It's that wind cape Jis is wearing that makes him so agile."

While Grimbald and Rylie were talking, the boy had already scaled to the top of the tree.

"Huh huh~! That zombie wolf seems fixated on the boy. Now's my chance. Bahahaha~!"

As Jis ascended, the three black wolves abruptly ceased their attack and followed him up the tree.

The Blackbee wizard, relieved for the momentary respite, steadied his racing heart.

As the siege weapon-grade zombie wolf chased after the boy and disappeared, General Gareth reorganized the soldiers' ranks to renew their battle against the gray wolves.

Their numbers had dwindled from a hundred to around thirty, but General Gareth showed no signs of faltering.

Suddenly emerging from Rylie's shadow, Tyria announced, "With the Black Wolf gone, the wolves will soon be dealt with by General Gareth's forces, meow. We must move on to the next area of operation, meow."

With a determined look, Tyria gathered the team, except for Jis and Chichi. With a collective nod of understanding, they quietly departed from the scene.

So, while General Gareth and his soldiers engaged the gray wolves, Jis and his other companions diligently executed their assigned tasks.

* * *

As Jis climbed to the top of a tall tree, he was greeted with a panoramic view of the vast forest. Below him, the forest leaves undulated like a green sea, shimmering beneath the bright sun.

With a cool breeze blowing, his cape billowed as he navigated from one tree top to another.

CRACK— CRACK—

Meanwhile, the black wolf ascended swiftly, its strong claws digging into the tree bark.

As the sun grew stronger, two of the three black wolves, which had appeared simultaneously in different locations, began to blur. They soon transformed into a dark red mist and merged into the main black wolf.

Now united as one, the black wolf reached the top of the tree. Chichi, hidden in Jis' vest pocket, spoke up.

"As I thought. Jis, you possess a unique energy that sets you apart, and the Black Wolf seems to be particularly drawn to it."

As the Black Wolf neared, a frightened Jis, creating distance between them, responded.

"So, you mean we should wait here until the others move ahead and prepare, right?"

"Exactly. With the openness here and your wind cape, the Black Wolf won't catch you easily. Just maintain enough distance to avoid an attack."

The Black Wolf, despite its two-meter length, moved between trees with a swiftness akin to a flying squirrel, belying its large size.

This wolf, known for its agile movements, could easily catch up to the boy if he let his guard down even slightly.

However, just as the zombie wolf was about to reach him, Jis leaped up into the trees and, with the aid of his wind cape, soared through the air, eluding capture.

After a period of this cat-and-mouse chase through the forest, Chichi reappeared and said, "I think we've done enough. Now, let's head to the rocky canyon we can see in the distance."

Heeding Chichi's words, Jis turned and glided towards the eastern gorge. In response, the Black Wolf pursued him, like a moth drawn to a flame.

* * *

A V-shaped rocky gorge, deeply grooved as if cleaved by an axe through a massive mountain, stretched out before them. The boy, clad in a wind cape, glided through the steep, grassless gorge, feeling the raw power of nature around him.

He gently descended from the high cliff, landing softly on the ground below, and waited for the Black Wolf's arrival.

Initially, the wolf appeared as a mere black dot in the distance, rapidly closing in and kicking up clouds of dust.

As the wolf drew near, close enough for Jis to see saliva dripping from its snout, he shuddered in fear. Despite the long chase, the Black Wolf showed no signs of fatigue, its lifeless red eyes intently fixed on the boy as it charged forward, vigorously pounding the ground with all four paws.

As the Black Wolf loomed over him, the trembling boy instinctively tried to dodge.

"No! Stay still!"

At the sound of Chichi's urgent cry from his hiding place, Jis clenched his eyes shut, bracing himself.

Moments later, he could sense the growling of the zombie wolf, its jaws wide open, baring sharp teeth.

ROAR—!