The First Letter (67)

Everyone swiftly responded to my sudden shout. Though they still seemed stunned by the monstrous size of the wolf, the week of grueling training had instilled instinctive reactions to sudden developments.

Celine, Seria, and I drew our swords and quickly got into a defensive formation around Elsie-sunbae. Meanwhile, the wolf remained still and merely observed our movements.

The moment I met its gaze, memories of my previous encounter within the forest flooded my mind. Considering its similarities to the previous high-rank demonic wolf, the wolf in front of us was bound to be incredibly fast despite its enormous body. However, its size should prove it difficult to traverse the crowded forest.

Should we drag the fight into the forest even if our swords would also be obstructed in the limited space?

No, it was a stupid idea.

It was clear that the wolf had already adapted to the forest. There were no fallen trees or any other traces of its movements. It most likely had a way of navigating the narrow spaces between the trees.

Therefore, the best course of action was to fight it in an open space. Having come to a decision, I raised my sword and swung it down as I fixed my stance.

Elsie-sunbae1: -sunbae is usually used to address upperclassmen or senior coworkers. Think of it as the Japanese equivalent of -senpai, start chanting!

Shield!

A burst of mana erupted from Elsie-sunbaes wand and enveloped our bodies in a layer of mana shield much like armor.

This was why it was important to have a wizard in a party. They were capable of preventing their teammates from being instantly incapacitated

Celine and Seria flanked my sides. Attacking in coordination was crucial in our plan. The basis for our main strategy was simply to hit and run. The three of us were going to weave in and out in succession, making it difficult for the beast to focus its aggro onto a single person.

Even then, there was no guarantee that our attacks would be effective. Our only hope was Seria So much so that without her, we wouldnt have any method of harming the wolf. Her dark-blue sword aura was the only thing capable of piercing through its hide.

Celine and I had to focus on disorienting the wolfs senses. We had to create openings, and even though the two of us were incapable of penetrating its hide, sensitive parts like its eyes and nose were still vulnerable to our attacks. As such, we had to make it impossible for the wolf to ignore us.

After wearing down the wolf to a certain extent, Elsie-sunbae was to finish it off with her magic. The destructive force capable of being generated from resonating the five rings around her heart was tremendous.

Even a demonic beast would be unable to endure if its weakpoints were directly assaulted by her magic..

Seria prepared to charge towards the beast, and once she shot forward, I turned back and shouted instructions to Elsie-sunbae.

Elsie-sunbae, aim for the horn!

Haste, strength.. What?

Elsie-sunbae, who had been diligently buffing us with support spells, reacted as if she was asking what bullshit I was spouting, but we didnt have the time for me to explain.

The first exchange had already begun. Seria drew a silver trace through the air as she performed a textbook-perfect upward slash. In response, the wolf raised its body and dodged her strike.

The demonic wolf had already been boasting an intimidating physique when it was laying down, and it had only become more imposing once it stood up. Its towering form gave off the feeling that a thousand-year-old tree had come to life.

How could it be so agile with that monstrously huge body?

Although absurd, the fact was that I was directly witnessing its speed, and there was no time for me to whine about it.

The wolf swung its front paws in an attempt to tear us apart as long, sharp claws protruded out.

The claws were, much like its main body, monstrously long and were comparable to the average sword. However, Seria was the most skilled swordsman among us and deftly moved against its claws.

Seria grit her teeth and swung her sword at the incoming claws.

Boom!!!

A deafening boom reverberated through the air as her sword, layered in her blue aura, clashed against the claws and parried it away.

After parrying the first swipe, Seria tried to finesse her way toward the beasts stomach. Its abdomen was relatively unprotected, and even the wolf would not be able to stay unharmed if she were to successfully deal a blow with her aura.

However, before she could even dive deeper into range, the demonic wolf swung down again with its monstrous claws. To begin with, its paw was overly large and heavy, and there was a limit to how much damage she could mitigate even if she were to parry it away.

At that moment, Celine leapt into action. A beam of light shot forward from her hand. It was her signature quickdraw.

Bang!!!

Celine successfully deflected the wolfs strike. Although her quickdraw prevented her from making a second consecutive attack, the power behind each strike was certain.

Taking full advantage of the opening created by Celine, Seria bolted right under the demonic wolf and swung her sword toward its stomach with all her might. Seria thought she would finally be able to land her first lethal strike.

Suddenly, the wolfs body contorted at an unnatural angle. It had twisted its body in the most unnatural way one would think impossible.

Its huge body stretched out as if it were a gastropod and left a trail in the air. In no time, the wolf moved behind Celine and Seria.

Shit.

It was such an absurd situation that I could only swear silently.

Even if its a demonic beast, its body is still composed of skin and bones. So how the fuck can it move like that?

The wolf was gliding through the air with its elongated body. It was a surreal sight that seemed to turn the rules of physics on its head.

It was no wonder that it was able to freely navigate between the tightly packed trees in the forest. Rather, it was more advantageous for it to fight in a complex area with densely packed trees. After all, a crowded space would limit its opponents while it could freely move through the terrain.

It was the moment I knew my decision to fight in the open field was the correct one. However, I wasnt happy about it in the least.

Both Celine and Seria were frozen in shock while the beast lurked behind them.

It was clearly a fatal situation. Without time to even run towards them, I hurriedly drew my hatchet from my waist and threw it towards the wolf. The hatchet spun through the air as it shot forward like an arrow toward the wolf.

The wolfs mouth gaped open as it got ready to pounce on Celine. In that precarious situation, my aim stayed true to its mark.

Clang!

The hatchet crashed against the wolfs teeth and ricocheted off. Teeth were by nature, quite sensitive. No matter how tough of a bastard it was, it was sure to suffer some pain from a direct impact to its teeth.

The wolf writhed its head and let out a pained growl. It had barely missed Celine and crashed onto the floor.

It was a close call. However, there was no way the beast would be downed for long only from a strike to its teeth with a hatchet.

Dodge!

Celine and Seria flinched at my shout, but immediately moved away from the beast as the beasts foreleg swiped past the space they previously occupied. The beasts leg had lengthened like a whip as it swept past.

Shwing!

There was an ominous sound as the air split apart. It was an ominous sound. The demonic wolfs head was still buried facedown onto the ground. It had clearly intended to take us by surprise with the unexpected attack.

Both Celine and Seria would have become mincemeat if they hadnt moved that instant. The two rejoined me by my sides soon after escaping the ambush.

All of us had terrified faces. We had heard that demonic beasts had unique traits, but we could never have thought that it would be to this extent.

Meanwhile, the elongated body of the beast had suddenly begun contracting back into its muscular state. It was much like watching a balloon regain its shape after being blown air.

Does anyone have a strategy in mind?

How about running away?

Celine spoke with a pale face. It was understandable for her to be emotionally shaken given she just experienced a brush with death. It wasnt as if she was a seasoned warrior either. She was merely a student with very limited practical experience.

I didnt have to think twice about her suggestion. I silently shook my head. It was obvious the beast chase us to hunt us down even if we were to run away.

Seria had, at some point, retrieved my hatchet and handed it to me. She was more composed than Celine. She had previously fought against demonic beasts and was also the most skilled in our group.

But even her complexion wasnt good. She spoke up with a grim glint evident in her eyes.

I think our only choice is to rely on Elsie-sunbae.

That sounded reasonable. In that case, I had to buy time. I resecured the hatchet to my waist.

It was then. The wolf shot towards us like a bullet without warning.

Seria successfully dodged by instinctively throwing herself to the side, but Celine remained still as if in a daze. I hurriedly pushed her out of the wolfs attack but ended up getting hit instead.

The impact shook my entire body as it was struck by a massive force.

Come to think of it, the previous high-rank demonic wolf that I presumed to be this beasts offspring, had attacked me in a similar fashion. Both of their body slams were so terrifyingly fast that it was difficult to sense or react to their movements.

It felt like the puzzle pieces were coming into place. The beast could shrink and stretch its body at will. It was obvious that it could even contract its muscles to the point they were barely visible.

My body slammed into several trees, toppling them, before crashing onto the ground. The sound of trees collapsing onto the ground echoed in my ears.

Ugh

It felt like my airways were blocked as I gasped for air. The impact had penetrated through the mana shield and shook my insides.

Hey, are you alr..!

Dont worry about me. Keep, ugh focusing on the fight!

Elsie-sunbae seemed concerned, but there was no time to waste. Celine and Seria were both already engaged in battle against the beast.

Once again, the wolf freely altered its body as it attacked us in unpredictable ways. Although the shield had saved me from dying instantly, my insides were still churning.

Ptui!

I spit out the blood that climbed up my throat. A single blow was all it took to put me in such a state.

I forcibly steadied my trembling arm with my other hand and rushed back to the battlefield.

Ian-oppa, are you oka!

Im alright, so focus on the fight!

Elsie-sunbae had begun casting her magic. Although some time had passed, we still needed to stall for more time, and we no longer had any shield magic to protect us while she was casting.

I focused my senses as much as I could and chased after the elongated tail of the wolf. Then, I plunged my sword into it with all my might.

Tuk.

Although I felt my sword connecting, there was no sensation of piercing its leather hide. Nonetheless, the beast howled in pain and displayed an opening for Seria to slip beneath its chin and strike with her sword.

A small amount of blood spattered. As expected of Seria. Her aura was capable of injuring even a named beast.

For the first time, Seria had managed to deal a proper blow to the wolf. Meanwhile, I had managed to stab its rear. The beast looked confused as to which one of us it should attack first. At that moment, Celine found a gap in the beasts defenses and struck a heavy blow.

Boom!!!

Although it hadnt managed to pierce its skin, the force from her sword and mana was enough to be considered a blunt weapon. A loud boom reverberated from the impact.

The beast howled in pain and kicked out its hind legs to throw Celine off its waist.

Kyah!

The beasts claws dug into her mana shield, causing her shield to shatter with the sound of a cracking whip.

As Celine rolled across the ground, we heard Elsie-sunbaes voice echoing from behind us.

Keep it from moving at all costs! Im heading over now!

Celine was currently collapsed on the ground, so there were only two of us who could carry out the order.

Seria and I locked eyes. Then, we simultaneously kicked off the ground and charged toward the beast as it glared at us with even greater ferocity.

It was over if I was struck again, but the only way out was to take down the beast. To that end, we had to fight more aggressively.

The wolf began contracting its body again. I could now understand why it returned to its tough, muscular body.

It was preparing for another body slam. Once again, Seria and I looked at each other and nodded.

We both understood that we couldnt fire Elsies magic until we stopped that body slam.

Seria immediately stepped in front of me. It was the most rational action she could take to minimize the risk since she still had some shield magic left on her.

Bang!

Shortly after, a deafening blast resounded as the compressed air burst out, causing my hair to wildly whip around. It seemed like even Seria had difficulty stopping the momentum from that monstrous body as her body was forcefully pushed back.

The demonic wolf suddenly came to a stop. Sensing that something was wrong, it tried to stretch its body, but it was already too late.

I rocketed off the ground and threw my body at the wolf. I was already at a range that was too close for its arms to reach me.

I pulled the hatchet out from my waist and raised it high above its snout. The wolf didnt seem to have grasped the situation, and I swung down my hatchet with all my might before it could even have the chance to react.

The hatchet embedded itself into its flesh. I had wanted to drive it all the way down to its chin, but it was impossible considering how immensely tough its body was.

Blood spurted out from its face.

Having completed my mission, I threw my body to the side. The wolf threw its head back from the sudden pain.

The hatchet flew into the air following its head movement. Blood spewed out and drew a crimson arc along the axe blade much like a bloody rainbow.

A pitiful scream rang out with overwhelming intensity. I had to cover my ears from the scream, and the next moment-

The world turned white.

It wasnt a metaphor or a joke. The landscape was erased away like a blank white canvas as my senses of sight and sound also collapsed.

It was a lightning strike A spear of lightning lit up the world in blazing white.

The ground exploded and the intense heat withered the trees. A shockwave shot through the area in the aftermath, and I was sent tumbling back across the ground.

It was Elsie-sunbaes magic Judgment of Light, a 5th circle lightning magic.

It boasted tremendous power. It was a magic specialized in penetrating through a single point, but the impact on the surrounding area was as if a bomb had gone off.

When my hearing returned, the ringing in my ears pierced my brain like a needle. I staggered to my feet.

Even the most fearsome monster would not be unscathed if this kind of power were to directly strike at its weakpoint.

With that conviction, I grasped the hatchet that had been rolling on the ground. Although it acted as a conductor for the electricity, I tightened my grip.

Then, the beast finally came into view.

The wolf was motionless with its head still raised. It was as if it had become a statue.

The remnants of the lightning strike crackled through the air. Seria and I observed the demonic beast with nervousness evident on our faces.

Suddenly, the beast lowered its head and glared in our direction.

The wolfs horn radiated a brilliant blue light. The energy in its horn seemed to surge through its eyes, coloring its previously black eyes into the same striking shade of blue.

No matter how I looked at it, it didnt look like a beast on the verge of death. If anything, its lively eyes were closer to those of a predator anticipating its prey.

Elsie-sunbaes shrill voice rang out while I was staring into the beasts eyes.

It has lightning resistance! That bastard is resistant to lightning!

Well shit, this isnt good.

My mind went blank. I had come this far only believing in the fact that the beasts weakness was its horn and that we would somehow be able to succeed if targeted the horn.

The horn looked tough even at first glance. It might have been a different story if it was something like its leather hide, but the horn looked impossible to cut off with aura.

So, why

At that moment, time came to a standstill as the beasts blue eyes met my own. I carefully scrutinized its horn.

I meticulously examined the beasts forehead with my vastly heightened senses.

There, I saw it. Between the horns and the skin a crack.

Time started flowing again. I clenched my teeth and rolled on the ground to avoid the wolfs claws.

I didnt care a single bit for something like pride or dignity. I rolled across the ground until I was covered in dirt.

Elsie-sunbae was clearly in a panic. Her teeth were grinding against each other and she seemed to have judged that there was no way we were winning.

.

I yelled.

Elsie-sunbae, one more time!

Despite my urging, Elsie-sunbae meekly lowered her head as a voice dyed in fear escaped her lips.

W-w-what are you saying!? T-that bastard is resistant to lightning! Its pointless no matter how many time I Hieeek! Alright, I-Ill do it! I just have to do it, right!?!?

I didnt let Elsie-sunbaes rebel for long. I revealed the hatchet I had picked up again while rolling on the ground

However, I must not have been very persuasive. Not only Elsie-sunbae but also Seria and even Celine were looking at me curiously.

What was I going to do?

Celine, Seria! Buy me some time!

I was going to do what I became good at during the week that had disappeared from my memory.

In other words, I was going to pull something crazy.

Footnotes:1: -sunbae is usually used to address upperclassmen or senior coworkers. Think of it as the Japanese equivalent of -senpai