The Amber Sword

Everyone watched it drag the body into the white mist helplessly.

“How did you let it approach us! Are you fools!?” Austin roared at the knights.

[Mist Wolves! They are descendants of the Misthowler!]

Brendel watched the dying noble kick his legs feebly a few times as it disappeared into the mist. His eyelids twitched as he realized the identity of the Warg he was facing. He immediately raised his hand and shouted:

“Everyone, move closer to each other! These damned wolves turn invisible when they are in the fog!”

Before his words ended, two swirling currents of fog suddenly rushed at the youths.

“Watch out!”

Quinn raised his bow with lightning reflexes and shot three arrows consecutively. The arrows tracked its prey beautifully in the air like silver threads. Two spurts of blood fountained out in the white fog, with one arrow missing its targets.

A silver wolf emerged from the fog by jumping into the air, apparently dodging the arrow, and it landed onto the ground lightly. It pounced onto one of the youths with incredible speed, and when they finally reacted, the wolf had already lodged its fangs onto the youth.

There was a gut-wrenching wail as the youth was nearly broken into halves. The monster had bitten hard enough to shatter his bones and crush his flesh into pulp. The youth’s eyes were wide open, as though he could not believe he would die here, and his bloody body fell forward.

“Clancy!” His companions called out his name in bitter rage. Anger consumed them and they lost their heads, and they rushed at the silver wolf with their swords to take revenge for him.

Brendel’s reaction was much faster than them. Even though he knew that they would be casualties, he was still furious to see one of the youths die before him. Ten beams of light shot down from the sky at the wolf, creating several holes in it despite its attempt to flee.

At the same time, he suddenly had an idea, and the beams were used to form a wall of light, preventing the invisible creatures that were circling in the mist from approaching the youths.

But the ambassadors and centaurs were on their own. Even though the Mist Wolves were rated as weak Silver-ranked monsters, they were powerful assassins in the fog and would retreat into it after attacking. This allowed them to get the first strike all the time.

In addition, they functioned as a pack and attacked with coordination. Even if their enemies possessed stronger combat strength, they would still be at a great disadvantage.

It did not take long for the group of knights to lose half their numbers, either injured or dead. The Centaurs lost ten-odd men as well, with each centaur attacked by at least two or more Mist Wolves.

Confused yells and pained screams filled the vicinity for a while.

The place was starting to become hell. Wolves tore apart the men who were pulled away. Bones and flesh were ripped apart by force; an uninjured knight was turned into a pile of bones in the blink of an eye.

Amandina was so afraid that she held her breath. Her face was pale and her hands trembled but she stood resolutely. Faena was just as frightened, but Rono was quick enough to show off the discipline of a Kirrlutz’s Combat Alchemist. He threw down several vials and strange vegetation quickly grew around them, isolating a space around them that denied the fog from entering. Elman had a grimace, but he pulled off his sword and stood beside Faena, occasionally forcing the silver wolves that revealed themselves and tried to invade their space.

The fog was becoming thicker, and the other wolves were beginning to join in the attack. It was clear to the everyone that it was just the beginning. Despair was starting to seep into their minds.

[A little longer. Just hold on a little longer. The Warg needs to be lured in a little closer—]

Brendel was standing in the open, exposing himself. He controlled the Dragon Knights System to protect the youths while looking out for the Warg at the same time.

[Got you. You’re finally moving closer to us—]

“Dia, Felaern, Wall of Wind!” Brendel shouted as he smacked away several Mist Wolves. Even if they were unable to harm him, they will eventually charge through the beams and kill the youths. He brought them to get XP, and not become food for the wolves.

Felaern immediately grabbed her younger sister and moved to the center of the army. With the Dwarven Treasure Vault attached to the Mercenaries of Lopes, the two sisters became powerful Silver-ranked Elementalists. Creating a spell of the second circle was simple for them.

The sisters cast the spell and created an air current on their fingertips.

“Wind, spread your wings!” Felaern shouted, and the current expanded by a thousandfold.

A hurricane was formed around them. An endless doleful roar wormed into their ears as the Wall of Wind extended over a hundred meters. The spell was used to counter physical projectiles and was not very useful, but it was certainly a counter to the Misthowler’s passive Element Power.

The hurricane started pulling the fog away and caused it to dissipate in seconds.

Several spots started to ripple like water and silver wolves near the hurricane were revealed. They appeared slightly confused, not understanding what had happened. Brendel did not waste any more time. With a point of his fingers, the beams of destruction turned ten-odd silver wolves into dust.

“A wonderful idea.” Quinn lowered his bow and praised.

He had lived for two centuries and heard the rumors of a wolf that spewed out mist, but he truly admired Brendel to come out with a clever solution so quickly.

The Mist Wolves were just slightly stronger than the Black Wolves after losing their advantage in the fog. The centaurs could easily drive them back when the wind lifted the fog. But Brendel knew that the Wall of Wind was just a temporary solution and the main problem still needed to be solved.

“Ser Kodan, I’ll leave the command to you temporarily. Carglise, you’re the vice-commander.”

“I’m the vice-commander?” Carglise jumped a little.

What orders could he give to defend against the endless wolves? Could he keep the casualties to a minimum? He had no guarantee. But how could he answer Brendel’s trust if he did not dare to face these wolves? He bit his lips and nodded hard: “Not a problem.”

Brendel gave a thumbs up to the youth, but Kodan frowned and asked: “What are you trying to do?”

“I’m obviously going to kill the Warg. Scarlett, cover me.”

The red-haired girl was using a shortbow to kill the wolves that retreated out of the hurricane. When she heard Brendel’s words, she turned around and swiped her stray hair back with her left hand, and tossed her shortbow to one of the youths. She wielded the lightning halberd on her back and walked to Brendel’s side.

“Are you fine with it, Scarlett? It’s risky,” asked Brendel.

“It’s not the first time anyway,” she answered.

“Mister Quinn, are you fine with following us?”

“Not a problem.” Came the light reply.

Brendel nodded. He thought of taking Ropar, but the latter was mainly a Strength-type warrior and was unsuited for this battle. He took a deep breath and started moving forward, but a hand reached out and grabbed him.

He turned around to see Amandina’s deeply furrowed brows. She spoke to him through gritted teeth:

“My lord, have you forgotten your promise? You’re now a lord who carries the responsibilities of countless lives, why are you risking yourself yet again!”

Brendel was slightly taken aback, but he pulled off her hands: “This battle isn’t because of me wanting to be a hero. It’s because it’s necessary. Don’t worry, I am confident of the outcome.”

Amandina’s lips parted and closed a few times, but she gritted her teeth and swallowed her other words.

“Understood,” she lowered her head and said.

Brendel did not know what she was thinking, but he did not lie. Staying here for too long would only get the Warg to call for more reinforcements, and by then they would all be surrounded and killed.

[It would probably end up as a death sentence for others if they go. The Warg is too cunning for them. Since I’m the only one who has a strategy for him, it has to be me. I might even be able to take it down in one blow. That’s the advantage of another soul’s memory—]

“But how are you going to reach it?” Kodan asked: “The wolves outside the hurricane are endless. It won’t be easy to cut a path to the Warg.”

“Do you need the centaurs to do so?” Quinn said.

“No.” Brendel shook his head. He raised Halran Gaia and yelled: “Hear my command, separate to my left and right!”

The armies under Brendel were momentarily quiet.

The Centaur Elder, Wydall, looked back at the youth puzzledly, but he knew that a military command could not be refused. Even though he had a mind full of questions, he raised his lance.