Chapter 169 Crimson Raid

Chapter 169: Chapter 168: Crimson Raid

Hughes nodded without a word and began to focus, chanting the prayer for contact healing.

A gentle white light bloomed in his palm, covering the horrific wound on Grek’s abdomen.

The mangled flesh squirmed and knitted together at a visible rate. A hint of color returned to Grek’s face, which had been pale from blood loss, but his eyes, fixed on the front line, were still filled with terror.

On the front line.

Thanks to Logan’s phantom-like backstabs and Bruce’s assault with his flaming Sharp Claws, two Gnolls had already crumpled to the ground.

Of the two remaining, one had its arm broken by Hayley. It was now just a crippled beast, baring its fangs and swinging its claws with its one good arm.

Yet, no one dared to let their guard down.

The thick scent of blood seemed to congeal in the air.

All eyes, as if by unspoken agreement, converged on the tall figure—the Jackal Wolfman Leader.

It showed no panic at the loss of its underlings.

The mocking expression it wore before had vanished.

In its place was the focus of a predator assessing its prey.

Its dark red eyes darted back and forth.

CLANG!

The Long-Handled Blade once again parried Hayley’s warhammer as she tried to press the attack. Sparks from the impact briefly illuminated its claws, which were covered in coarse, stiff fur.

The claw of its left hand, gripping the rear of the haft, pulled back slightly, while its Right Hand, gripping the front, twisted the shaft.

The heavy blade tilted at a slight angle, catching the greyish-white light of the overcast sky.

It took a step forward, its heavy paws landing silently.

A diagonal slash!

The blade flashed like a bolt of grey-white silk, aimed straight for Hayley’s throat!

SNAP!

A faint but sharp cracking sound rang out.

The delicate chain around Hayley’s neck snapped.

The emblem that held her Faith jumped slightly before falling limply.

Above the falling Holy Emblem.

The cold glint of the blade followed, slicing across her snow-white neck.

A red line appeared.

Crimson beads of blood immediately welled up, trickling down the curve of her neck.

But that was all.

The sharp blade seemed to strike an invisible yet incredibly resilient barrier. It couldn’t penetrate any deeper, leaving only a thin, shallow line.

The very next second, as the blade pulled away, the shallow cut healed in a faint, almost imperceptible white glow, leaving only a smear of blood to prove it had ever been there.

The Jackal Wolfman Leader’s dark red eyes narrowed, its pupils contracting into dangerous slits. It seemed to have finally confirmed a suspicion.

As it withdrew its blade, its long snout opened and it let out a low, short howl:

"AWOO! Get over here! The female! Pin her down!" (Gnoll language.)

At the command, the two remaining Gnolls, including the one with the broken arm, let out menacing growls and lunged forward recklessly. They completely tied up Hayley, who had been about to charge, preventing her from breaking away.

Meanwhile, the Jackal Wolfman Leader used the recoil from its swing to take a step back with its powerful frame.

The instant it completed the backward step, Hesia felt a prickle of unease.

It was the same feeling he’d had when it launched its first ambush.

As Hesia’s gaze locked onto it, its dark red eyes seemed to pierce the distance, staring right back at him.

’Is it targeting me?’

’No...’

’Its gaze is fixed on something... farther back!’

"Mr. Hughes! Watch out!" Hesia blurted out, Magic Power already surging within him.

The Jackal Wolfman Leader’s rear paw slammed into the ground.

Its knotted muscles tensed and unleashed their power in an instant.

A small crater of turf and dirt exploded outward.

Like a blood-red boulder launched from a catapult, it began its Charge, aimed directly at Priest Hughes, who was catching his breath after his Spellcasting!

After a running start of a few steps, the thick muscles in its hind legs bulged to an absurd degree as it pushed off again with tremendous force!

A great leap!

Airborne!

The ridiculously burly creature displayed astonishing agility and Explosive Power that completely defied its size, leaping directly over the other Gnolls, Hayley, and the others in the middle!

A caravan guard instinctively looked up, only to see a shadow fall over him.

Silhouetted against the gloomy sky was the Jackal Wolfman Leader’s massive, contorted body. It stretched out in mid-air, the Long-Handled Blade in its grasp trailing behind it. The edge of the blade glinted with bloodlust, like a death knell pendulum about to swing.

Its dark red eyes glared down from mid-air, locked on Hughes, whose face was just beginning to register his shock.

’Now’s my chance!’

’It’s in range of the Enhanced Earth Spike Skill.’

Hesia’s pupils contracted. He thrust out the Magic Wand he had held at the ready!

No incantation, only the force of his will and a surge of Magic Power—

SHUNK!

A thick Earth Spike erupted from the ground directly in the Jackal Wolfman Leader’s path, thrusting upward at an angle!

The instant the Earth Spike broke through the ground, the creature’s dark red eyes shot wide open. The intense fluctuation of Magic Power and the sharp, piercing sound from below made it instantly realize how devious and dangerous this attack was.

It suppressed its shock, and its airborne body twisted at an impossible angle, as if yanked by an invisible rope.

SCRRRAAPE—!

The lethal Earth Spike shrieked through the air, scraping past its back and tearing a bloody gash across its Thick Hide.

Its dark red eyes shot a venomous glare at Hesia—the Caster who had thwarted it time and again.

But none of this stopped its descent.

Its massive body was already succumbing to the pull of gravity.

It adjusted its posture in mid-air, its gaze sweeping below. It instantly locked onto a caravan guard who was staring up in horror, instinctively raising his iron-banded wooden Shield.

The wind howled in its ears, mixed with the searing pain on its back.

It fell.

The moment its body reached the perfect angle in its descent, the muscles in its thick arms, shoulders, and back worked in concert like a killing machine.

The haft of the Long-Handled Blade, which had been trailing behind it, slid briefly and smoothly along its bulging back.

Using its shoulder as a pivot, its Right Hand, gripping the end of the hilt, whipped the blade diagonally forward—

The long, narrow blade swung up from its side in a whistling, deadly arc!

At the same time, its left hand shot out like lightning to grab the middle of the haft as it swung forward, and with the force of both claws—

It brought the blade down!

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

From the guard’s perspective, he saw only a rapidly expanding shadow, followed by the chilling gleam of a blade that swung up, then brutally chopped straight down!

The iron-banded wooden Shield he raised in a futile gesture was split silently in two, like a piece of deadwood, the instant it met the blade.

The flesh-and-blood body behind it offered no resistance at all.

SCHLICK—THUMP!

A sickening, wet tearing sound rang out.

The blade met almost no resistance as it sliced diagonally into the guard’s shoulder, cleaving through his chest and abdomen before exiting at the opposite hip.

The guard’s body froze, a look of terror and bewilderment still etched on his face.

The next moment, the upper half of his body slowly slid away along the smooth, terrifying line of the cut, warm viscera and blood spilling out like a burst dam.

Only then did the Jackal Wolfman Leader’s feet land heavily on the ground, kicking up a ring of dust.

As the dust slowly rose, thick, syrupy drops of blood pattered down like rain.