RAGNA POV...
It was almost as if the creature sensed the killing intent at the very last instant—its massive body twisted in a desperate attempt to dodge, but it was already too late. In the blink of an eye, its head was cleanly severed from its neck, spinning helplessly through the air before thudding into the sand, while the headless body collapsed sideways in a grotesque heap. A violent spray of hot, sticky blood splattered across the golden desert floor, painting it crimson as the vicious wolf let out its final, soundless cry.
I didn’t even allow myself a single breath of rest.
The mont the body hit the ground, my figure blurred and vanished, teleporting to another location as if I had never been there to begin with. For a brief span of monts, the dozen or so Black Steel Knights ford an unbreakable wall—a living, breathing magical fortress—standing firm against the relentless, never-ending tide of vicious wolves that crashed against them like waves against a cliff.
"We should fight too," I said urgently as I ran forward beside the others, my voice strained but resolute. "Even if it barely counts as help, even if it only reduces the Knights’ burden by a fraction."
"Yes," Reiner replied imdiately, nodding hard as he sprinted alongside . "If this drags on, even the Knights will start to feel fatigue—and once that happens, all of us will be dragged straight into despair!"
I nodded in response, my expression stiff and guarded, my body tense as a drawn bowstring. Outwardly, I agreed with him completely—but inwardly, I knew better.
The Black Steel Knights weren’t anywhere near their true limits. They weren’t even fighting seriously yet. There was still that knight—the one who sent chills crawling up my spine every ti I glanced toward the carriage. The strongest among them, quietly observing, waiting. Just the thought of him made the hairs on my arms stand on end.
Even though I felt that my position as vice-captain was dull, restrictive, and frankly slowing down, I had no choice but to comply with my role. Under my leadership, all the cursed children began semi-activating their abilities. So drew weapons, others clenched their fists, and together they followed behind the Knights, striking at weakened vicious wolves from the flanks whenever an opening appeared.
The desert erupted into chaos.
Howls echoed endlessly as sandstorms swallowed the surroundings, and from within those violent tides of sand, vicious wolves erged again and again, charging forward like living tsunamis intent on devouring everything in their path.
And then, suddenly, I found myself face-to-face with one of them.
A vicious wolf nearly two ters tall lood over , its massive shadow swallowing my smaller fra whole. It resembled the black wolves of Earth—but only in the vaguest sense. This thing was larger, denser, more powerful, and radiated an aggression so raw and oppressive it felt like a physical weight pressing down on my chest.
The mont our gazes t, it snarled viciously, baring rows upon rows of razor-sharp fangs. A wave of bloody stench rolled out from its open maw, hitting my nose like a punch and making my stomach churn.
I steadied myself.
Activating both my perception and ntal fortitude, I narrowed my field of detection, compressing my awareness into a tighter, sharper range. The battlefield around slowed in my mind as I searched for the quickest, cleanest way to end this fight.
At the sa ti, a completely absurd thought surfaced—whether I could consu the flesh of beasts like these to stave off my hunger, even temporarily. The idea alone made my stomach twist in disgust, and I dismissed it just as quickly. I had no idea if it was even possible, and frankly, the thought repulsed .
As my perception deepened, a strange phenonon occurred.
Inside my mind, a panoramic, three-dinsional, slow-motion image ford—a small black wolf phantom moving with eerie precision, mapping every possible motion and outco.
So focused was I on this ntal construct that I nearly forgot the towering monster standing right in front of .
By the ti I snapped back to reality, the phantom had already shifted positions—and so had the real wolf.
Sensing danger, the vicious wolf abandoned a direct assault and instead lunged into a sneak attack. With explosive force, it shot forward, its blood-stained claws slashing toward while sand and dust erupted violently in its wake.
I barely suppressed my shock.
This thing wasn’t just strong—it was smart.
Quickly retreating, I infused my body with air elental mana, letting a gentle but potent gust wrap around my limbs. I refused to waste precious mana activating a full dash, instead relying on my understanding of air to mimic a weaker version—just enough to boost my speed.
At the sa ti, I divided my focus, executing two elental energies simultaneously while using my perception to remain alert for other wolves attempting to ambush .
Earth elental mana surged into my silver daggers.
Their polished sheen dulled, shifting into a bronze-brown hue as earthen energy coated them. I swung to the right, barely managing to deflect the wolf’s incoming claw.
The impact was brutal.
A violent force traveled up my arm, rattling my bones and nearly numbing my fingers, making it feel as though I had just slamd headfirst into a speeding truck.
’At this mont, its physical strength far surpasses mine, I thought grimly. Unless I force myself into bloodlust, continuing head-on will only lead to my defeat—and exhaustion will claim long before that.
This new way of using mana puts too much strain on my body. Maybe I’m still too young... or my mana reserves are simply too shallow. Either way—this is still a promising start.’
I fought and retreated, my movents fluid yet cautious, constantly analyzing the results of my first true clash with a powerful opponent. The realization stunned —despite its overwhelming strength, the wolf struggled to land a solid hit or keep pace with .
Following a path calculated by perception and ntal fortitude, I suddenly sprinted forward, accelerating faster and faster until it seed as if I blinked—one mont behind, the next directly in front of the wolf.
I couldn’t afford to waste mana.
With a single thought, I activated earth elental mana beneath the wolf’s feet.
The creature froze, lifting its head and scanning its surroundings as if it sensed impending danger. Monts later, realization dawned—it couldn’t move. The sand beneath its claws had begun to sink, dragging it downward like a living trap.
I maintained my distance, prepared for any hidden abilities, continuously manipulating the earth around it to tighten my control.
The wolf howled in fury, straining against the encroaching sand, muscles bulging as it fought to break free.
And the mont I saw it immobilized—exactly where I wanted it—
I moved.
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