Enemies?

"I remember, aren't you also wanted? A fallen dark sorcerer," Mo Fei retorted sharply.

"So what?" The middle-aged man scoffed. "Are you planning to die with me? Fine, I'm on the run every day anyway. Even if you report me, it'll just be more trouble. But you, even if you escape pursuit, you'll end up like me—saying goodbye to your comfortable life and living in constant fear. How wonderful, huh?" He chuckled dryly, his smile lacking any real amusement.

After standing there for a long while, Mo Fei eventually gave in. She reached into her bag, pulled out an exquisitely crafted vial, and tossed it at the man. "This is what you wanted! Despicable human!"

The middle-aged man caught the vial with one hand. He opened it, examined it closely, and sniffed it before nodding in satisfaction.

He then pulled out a rolled-up piece of parchment and placed it on the table, standing up without a word and walking out of the tavern.

Mo Fei's chest rose and fell as she struggled to calm her anger. With a flick of her fingers, the parchment on the table flew into her hands. She glanced at it briefly before leaving the tavern as well.

In the dark sky, Mo Fei transformed into a swarm of bats, soaring into the air.

Among the bat swarm, her muttering could be heard: "Damn werewolves! Stupid sorcerers! All of them bullying me... You should all die! Die—!"

Baiyeck, Morning

After finishing breakfast, Glen heard a knock on his door. When he opened it, he was surprised to find the old man standing there.

"I'd like you to come with me to a place. I can pay you for your trouble," the old man said with a stoic expression.

Glen raised an eyebrow, thinking for a moment.

Besides feeding the pigs, he didn't have much else to do today. He could check it out... After a moment's consideration, Glen nodded. "Okay. How much are you paying?"

"Three silver coins," the old man replied, still expressionless.

Three silver coins, or three hundred copper pieces. The old man really is quite wealthy... Glen agreed immediately. "When do we leave?"

"Wait for me outside the town," the old man said briefly before turning and heading back to his house.

Glen shrugged, packed up a few things in the house, and headed out to the town's outskirts.

When he arrived, he sat on a large rock and whistled.

A moment later, the beast came bounding out of the forest, stopping abruptly in front of him.

"I'll be gone for a while. Make sure to grab some pig feed for the pigs. I'll be back soon," Glen said, petting the beast's chest.

"Mm?" The beast's single eye widened, clearly asking: You want me to get pig feed?

"Yes, that's right. Is that a problem?" Glen smiled slyly.

The beast sighed and lowered its head in acknowledgment.

"I'm doing this for your own good. You're either sleeping or eating all the time. Now you're getting round, so it's time to get some exercise." Glen patted its head, reassuring it.

Just then, footsteps approached from afar, and Glen knew the old man had arrived.

However, when Glen saw him, he froze in surprise.

The old man was carrying two hunting rifles, and there was a large leather pack on his back. He was dressed in a standard hunter's outfit, with a muscular build that made him look incredibly imposing.

Should I bring something with me too? Glen looked at the old man and then at himself—he was empty-handed, only wearing simple clothes.

The old man immediately noticed the large beast as he exited the town. His eyes lit up as he exclaimed, "Good dog!"

This old man... Glen was speechless.

The old man suddenly turned to Glen and asked, "Is this your dog?"

Glen hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

A flash of envy seemed to cross the old man's eyes as he asked, "What's its name?"

"Uh? Well... uh..." Glen was momentarily at a loss for words, trying to think of a name. He never bothered giving the beast one, and he usually just gave orders without calling it by name. Should I make something up on the spot?

Seeing Glen's hesitation, the old man clenched his fist in frustration and suggested, "How about I help you name it?"

"Sure," Glen agreed without giving it much thought.

The old man circled around the beast, studying it carefully, while the beast stood still, obeying Glen's command to remain motionless.

"Maybe... we could call it Night Howl?" the old man said after a couple of laps around the creature.

"Night Howl..." Glen muttered the name twice, then clapped his hands. "Sounds good! Let's call it Night Howl."

He turned to the beast and said, "Remember, your name from now on is Night Howl. Got it?"

Night Howl seemed pleased with the new name. Its single eye brightened with excitement, and it bared its fangs in a grin, letting out a soft growl.

After giving Night Howl a few more instructions, Glen set off with the old man.

The two walked in silence until they reached a dirt road where an old, humble cart was waiting for them.

The cart was a simple wooden frame with two wheels, pulled by a single horse.

The driver, a short and muscular man, was brushing down the horse. When he saw Glen and the old man approach, he gave them a strange look and asked, "You two together?"

One was fully armed, and the other looked like he was going on a casual trip—it didn't seem to match.

"Don't ask unnecessary questions. Do your job," the old man said coldly, causing the driver to fall silent.

Glen climbed onto the cart and sat down, and only then did he ask, "Where are we going? What are we doing?"

"We're going to kill someone," the old man responded curtly.

The driver, preparing to start the horse, flinched, then glanced back over his shoulder.

"An enemy?" Glen asked.

"Yes," the old man replied simply.

Glen nodded, falling silent once more as the cart creaked along, with only the sound of the wheels and the driver's calls to the horse breaking the quiet.

On a Hidden Spot Along the Road Between Baiyeck and Dud

A group of knights, dressed in full armor, lay in wait at a concealed location.

A smaller figure, more slender than the others in their knightly gear, was jogging toward them from the direction of Baiyeck.

Barbel, crouched in the bushes, squinted his eyes. He stood up and walked toward the runner.

The man who had been jogging approached Barbel, whispering something into his ear. Upon hearing the news, Barbel swore under his breath and gestured for the others to rise.

"Let's head to Dud. We'll rest there and return to check this place out later tonight," Barbel ordered. His subordinates nodded in unison, ready to follow his command.

On the Cart, As the Day Faded

The cart continued its bumpy journey, rolling along from morning until dusk.

Glen had originally thought that their destination wasn't too far and that they could finish everything and return home before nightfall. But now, it was clear that wouldn't be the case.

"How much farther? This trip seems longer than expected," Glen said, propping his chin on his hand. His backside was sore from the constant jostling.

"Don't worry. Get ready for a long journey. The target will likely not wait for us," the old man replied without lifting his eyes from a worn-out map.

"Then I guess you'll be paying for the food and lodging," Glen said, shifting to a more comfortable position.

"I certainly will," the old man replied, as the cart rattled on.

Just then, the cart came to a slow stop. Glen thought the driver was stopping to feed the horse again, just like the last two times, but this time the driver spoke up.

"Alright, we're here," the driver said.