Chapter 168 Combined Attack

Chapter 168: Chapter 167: Combined Attack

Grek clutched the oozing wound on his side and staggered backward.

But the Gnolls began to press forward more aggressively.

Just when he could barely fend them off, a slight tremor ran through the ground beneath his feet. A series of sharp spikes erupted from the earth, precisely blocking his pursuers. The Gnolls were forced to detour, and their assault slowed.

’Was that the Mage?’ The thought flashed through Grek’s mind.

Before he could give it another thought, a blue Energy Ball whistled through the air, flying straight toward the foremost Gnoll.

The Gnoll was clearly well-trained. Just as its leader had taught it, it nimbly hopped half a step back and to the side, attempting to dodge the seemingly slow attack.

Its only answer, however, was a dull THUD!

The missile had unexpectedly altered its trajectory at the last second, smashing squarely into its chest. It staggered backward, choking on a mouthful of foul-smelling, bloody foam.

Seeing this, Grek couldn’t help but let out a low cry, "Nice!"

His cry had barely faded when he heard Hayley murmur beside him, her tone filled with undisguised admiration, "Just as you’d expect from Galen Mage!"

He instinctively glanced at Hayley and saw her gazing intently in Hesia’s direction. Her profile, framed by her short, chestnut hair, glowed with a brilliance that the heavily painted nightingales back in town could never hope to match.

The sight sent an inexplicable pang through his heart.

A wave of emotion—he couldn’t tell if it was embarrassment or irritation—surged through him, and the fist he had just unclenched as the battle turned in their favor quietly tightened once more.

’Damn it! That detestable Mage!’ he grumbled to himself.

Before he could fully process the sour feeling, a second and third blue Energy Ball arrived in quick succession, precisely bombarding the same target.

The Gnoll was knocked from side to side and let out a few agonized growls. Finally, its knees buckled, and it collapsed to the ground with a THUMP, unable to rise again.

The remaining Gnolls were stunned by the sudden, precise barrage. They faltered, then instinctively drew closer together.

They stared warily in Hesia’s direction, no longer pressing forward as recklessly as before.

With no time to think, Grek seized the precious opportunity and looked to Hayley.

"A... a heal! Heal me, now!"

Gripping her warhammer and keeping a wary eye on the Gnolls ahead, Hayley replied quickly without turning her head, "I’m sorry, Mr. Grek... I haven’t yet mastered the full prayer for mending wounds."

"You’re a Priest..." Disbelief washed over Grek’s face. He opened his mouth, about to demand, ’What kind of Priest can’t heal?’ but the words caught in his throat.

Because at that moment, this was the very Priest who "couldn’t heal," and she was shielding him securely behind her small yet resolute frame.

Besides, the formidable combat prowess she had just displayed left him with no grounds to question her.

Fortunately, a soft, warm white light shone from behind them, enveloping Grek.

As the white light touched the wound, the bleeding slowed noticeably, and the sharp, stabbing pain lessened considerably. However, a dull ache still throbbed deep within the injury, a clear sign that it hadn’t fully healed.

It was Priest Hughes.

He gave Grek a nod from a distance, signaling that this would only stabilize the injury for now.

"Go to Mr. Hughes for proper treatment," Hayley’s voice called from ahead. "I’ll handle the front."

As she spoke, instead of retreating, she took a step forward to face the massive Jackal Wolfman Leader alone.

At almost the exact moment she stepped forward, another golden halo emanated from Hughes’s direction and gently enveloped her.

The light seemed to drape her in an invisible veil, and she began to exude a reassuring aura of resilience.

From a distance, Hesia watched Hayley advance, admiring her courage while also worrying for her safety.

The other Gnolls were now coordinating with their leader, forming a half-circle around her.

Hayley, however, seemed completely unfazed.

She completely ignored the spears thrusting at her from the sides, focusing all her attention on parrying the Jackal Wolfman Leader’s powerful, heavy cleave.

The ordinary Gnolls’ spears struck her, ringing out with a light CLINK CLINK, as if hitting solid Plate Armor. They couldn’t penetrate at all, leaving only faint white marks.

Still, the harassment did affect her ability to deal with the leader.

The Gnoll leader seized an opening. The Long-Handled Blade in its grasp traced a cold, sharp arc as it viciously hacked at Hayley’s left arm!

The blow split her arm guard, but the result was completely different from the strike that had landed on Grek.

The expected gash, deep enough to show bone and gushing blood, never appeared. The blade merely left a shallow cut on her snow-white arm.

Even more astonishingly, the bloody line appeared for only a moment before closing and healing at a rate visible to the naked eye. It left behind only a faint red mark, as if she had never been injured at all.

At the same time, Logan the Stalker, who had been lying in wait in the shadows, finally made his move.

He materialized like a ghost behind one of the Gnolls, plunging his dagger into its lower back.

The Gnoll’s body went rigid before it collapsed limply to the ground. It twitched a few times and then fell still.

Logan’s sneak attack made the remaining, already wary Gnolls even more timid. They glanced at each other, their eyes filled with hesitation and fear.

Seeing this, Hesia couldn’t help but breathe a secret sigh of relief.

Magic Missile was effective, to be sure, but a single cast consumed nearly a quarter of his Magic Power. Finishing off one Gnoll with a three-shot volley was already an ideal outcome.

Although his [Earth Affinity] had already restored half of his Magic Power in that short time, Hesia decided to wait until he was full before unleashing another three-shot volley. He also had to reserve enough Magic Power to handle emergencies and to refresh his [Mage Armor] whenever necessary.

However, while he needed to recover his Magic Power, he could still send Bruce in to help.

"Mr. Hughes, what was the effect of that blessing you gave Hayley?"

"It temporarily raises the Physique Attribute." As Hughes replied, he had already subconsciously pointed his Small Magic Staff at Hesia.

"Please cast it again, on my dog."

Hughes had already begun preparing to cast the spell upon hearing the first half of Hesia’s request, only to be cut short by the second half.

A flicker of astonishment crossed his face, but his good breeding kept him from asking any questions. He simply did as requested, turning his Magic Staff toward the eager Bruce at his side.

An identical golden halo enveloped Bruce.

Through the lens of his [Assessment Skill], Hesia saw that Bruce, who was already level 11 after waking up thanks to the Attribute bonus from the [Sleepy Knight’s Wristband], instantly became level 12 after receiving the blessing.

Furthermore, with his [Thick Hide] trait, the boost to his Physique Attribute also enhanced his ability to negate physical impact.

Hesia stepped forward and patted the dog’s head, simultaneously transferring [Shadow Escape] to Bruce.

Unfortunately, [Shadow Escape] brought Bruce up to his limit of four traits; otherwise, Hesia would have even considered temporarily giving him [Wild Charge] as well.

"Ignore the big one. Circle around to the side and find a way to ambush the regular Gnolls."

"WOOF!" Bruce let out a low bark, and his figure swiftly blurred, melting into the forest mist.

A few moments later, a Gnoll attempting to ambush Hayley from the side suddenly let out a howl of pain!

Bruce had appeared out of nowhere behind it, one of his paws wreathed in crimson flame. He swiped it squarely against the joint of the Gnoll’s hind leg!

The stench of burning fur and the searing pain from its injured joint made the Gnoll instantly lose its balance. It shrieked as it tumbled to the ground.

His strike successful, Bruce didn’t linger. His form was once again cloaked in shadow, and he swiftly vanished from the enemy’s sight to await his next chance to strike.

Only after Bruce had joined the fray did Grek, gritting his teeth against the pain, finally limp over to Hughes’s side.

His face was a mixture of lingering fear and embarrassment. He began sheepishly, "Mr. Hughes, my injury..."