Chapter 171 - 170: What’s the Deal With This Team?

Chapter 171: Chapter 170: What’s the Deal With This Team?

Time seemed to freeze the instant Logan’s head went flying.

The headless body stood frozen for a moment. The world lost all sound.

A second later, as if suddenly waking, the neck gushed a fountain of hot blood before the body crumpled to the ground.

"LOGAN!!!"

The color drained from Grek’s face and his mind went blank. Then came the rage, the humiliation of being played for a fool!

’That Jackal Wolfman Leader had broken free from the taunt Combat Skill long ago!’

’It had even sensed the presence of the Stalker who’d been shadowing it all along!’

’And yet, it had been acting the entire time!’

’It pretended to be completely focused on Grek, waiting for the perfect moment to strike!’

Its long snout opened, and a gurgling sound came from its throat.

Then, in a halting but understandable Common Language, it spoke:

"Gorke, strong." It brandished its dripping Long-Handled Blade. "Practice, very good."

"Guh... kekeke..." A triumphant, low cackle escaped its throat.

It pointed to the corpses of the ordinary Gnolls on the ground. "You, kill." Then it pointed to Logan’s fallen body. "I, kill you."

With that said, it began to drag its injured hind leg and move back the way it came, as if to say it was letting them go.

Fury instantly consumed Grek’s reason.

The Warrior clearly had no intention of letting it leave just like that.

This wasn’t the first time he’d seen a teammate fall to a Demon. He’d only known the Stalker, Logan, for a year, having met him when they shared a table at a tavern.

And Grek sometimes had the feeling that Logan liked to use his glib tongue to egg him on, pushing him to try more dangerous and reckless things.

But his eyes reddened with fury all the same.

After all, in their precarious lives as adventurers, Logan was one of the few people who got his crude jokes and knew just when to hand him a mug of ale while he was boasting.

When you’re struggling to survive at the bottom, some things are more important than life itself.

Like that little bit of honor they had left. A Warrior’s final, inviolable dignity.

"ROAR!"

His roar drowned out all thought. He charged, resolute, at the massive form that had made him tremble just moments before!

CLANG!

The explosive clang of metal on metal made Grek’s ears ring.

His all-out swing slammed into the Jackal Wolfman Leader’s hastily raised blade—

His Broadsword went spinning, landing point-first in the mud nearby.

The force sent Grek stumbling backward until he fell, landing hard on his rear.

He stared blankly at his trembling hands, helplessness and humiliation flooding his heart.

The difference in their Power was utterly despairing.

When it charged, his weapon was sent flying. When he charged, the result was the same.

Gorke, the Jackal Wolfman Leader, gave a low, hoarse sneer, clearly enjoying the sight of his prey in such a pathetic state.

It dragged its injured leg, closing in slowly, its Long-Handled Blade raised once more. Its dark red eyes locked onto Grek, who was sitting on the ground.

Grek could even see the still-wet blood on the blade—Logan’s blood—slowly trickling down the edge.

Just at that critical moment—

CLANG!

A crisp metallic ring echoed!

The blade that had driven him to despair was stopped, held fast by a warhammer wreathed in Holy Light.

Sparks flew. Grek looked up and saw the familiar chestnut-colored short hair, and... the profile he had kissed countless times in his dreams just last night.

At that moment, he suddenly felt his less-than-noble fantasies were a desecration of the Holy Light before him.

"Grek," Hayley’s clear, gentle voice pulled him from his stupor. "Please pick up your weapon."

Her eyes were locked on the Jackal Wolfman Leader, which growled in frustration at being blocked, but her voice was remarkably calm. "It’s badly injured and has used up a lot of stamina. If we hold it down together, we can create an opening for Mr. Gailen."

Before she even finished speaking, a familiar whistling sound cut through the air!

Hesia’s Magic Missiles followed close behind!

Gorke instinctively raised its long-handled blade to block, but it seemed to instantly recall the effect of the strange blue lights. It froze mid-motion and refocused all its attention on Hayley.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The orbs of blue energy slammed into its body, producing a series of dull thuds.

The impact made its powerful frame shudder, and its movements faltered for a split second.

In the instant the Jackal Wolfman Leader faltered from the pain, Hayley, who had been poised to act, shot her left leg forward. Her core tightened, and in one fluid motion, she twisted and swung!

The warhammer, wreathed in an orange divine glow, traced a short arc. It bypassed the shaft of the blocking blade and slammed squarely into Gorke’s chest.

BAM!

Gorke’s massive body shuddered violently. It let out a muffled grunt, and a spray of blood foamed from its long snout.

But its ferocity was undiminished. Even as it was hit, it backhanded with its Long-Handled Blade, swinging at Hayley.

A glint of steel flashed, just like before.

The Sharp blade sliced through Hayley’s arm armor. But when it reached the skin beneath, it was stopped again, leaving only a shallow cut that bled for a moment before healing instantly.

A flash of brutal impatience crossed Gorke’s crimson eyes. Ignoring the searing pain in its right leg, it violently parried Hayley’s next hammer blow, then launched itself with its powerful legs, leaping back toward the dense forest.

It had just staggered a few paces away when a burst of fiery red light erupted from the shadows to its side!

Bruce’s form materialized from the Shadows as he opened his mouth and spewed a scorching ray of flame!

A wave of searing heat washed over it!

"YELP—!"

Thick fur fears fire.

Gorke instinctively ducked and twisted, trying to dodge the devastating attack. Wisps of smoke were already rising from its singed fur.

Just as it dodged the ray of fire, a flaming dog’s paw shot out from the shadows on the other side.

This Demon—which maybe, possibly, probably shared some of its bloodline, yet could control fire—terrified it to its very core.

It dodged to the side without a single thought of counter-attacking, pushing off with its feet and leaping deeper into the forest.

The moment it landed, Grek was already charging again, dragging his Broadsword behind him!

This time, however, the panic in Gorke’s eyes was gone, replaced with pure confidence.

It had seemingly already labeled this repeatedly-defeated Warrior as "weak."

Grek used his momentum to bring his Broadsword down in a powerful overhead chop. Gorke didn’t dodge or evade. With a deft flick of its wrist, it swept its Long-Handled Blade upward—not to block, but to precisely lay the back of its blade against the descending sword!

CLANG!

The instant they connected, Gorke’s wrist gave another subtle twitch. The back of its blade slid down Grek’s sword, and with a push of its crossguard, it trapped the Broadsword like a grappling hook.

Grek felt an unexpected, skillful force, and his Broadsword was wrenched uncontrollably to the side!

’He’d never encountered such a precise disarming technique!’

He was disarmed again!

And this time, the enemy followed through, and his Broadsword ended up in its grasp.

But Gorke didn’t spare the trophy a second glance. The instant it seized the sword, it used the momentum to deftly slide back and to the side, putting distance between itself and the dumbfounded Grek.

Then, without hesitation, it casually tossed the captured weapon behind it without a look. Dragging its injured leg, it turned and bolted into the depths of the forest!

Grek stood frozen, staring at his empty hands. He watched his Broadsword—the sword he valued as much as his own life—get tossed aside, as the massive enemy fled into the forest, dragging its injured leg.

But just as its figure was about to be swallowed by the mist—

A swift figure shot past him with a rush of wind!

It was faster than even his own Charge at full strength!

Grek instinctively focused his gaze, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

’That charging figure... that simple white Cloth Armor... was that the Mage, Galen?!’

’Was that a Magic Wand he was swinging? Or a warhammer? Whatever it was, he didn’t recognize it.’

’First, he was being protected by the Priest who was supposed to need protection, and now there was a Mage charging with a warhammer...’

The image was so shocking, Grek felt like his sense of reality was being ground into the dirt.

His mouth hung open. He felt like his brain had been hit by a goblin’s rock-sling and had completely shut down, leaving only a jumble of disorganized thoughts buzzing inside.

And then, an even more stupefying scene unfolded.

He watched as the fat dog, Bruce, clawed at the ground. Then, with a POOF, a jet of fire and black smoke shot from its rear. Like a lit rocket, it went howling after its crazy master, moving at a speed that was both comical and astounding!

Grek’s dazed eyes followed the man and dog as they vanished into the distance, then drifted back down to his own empty, trembling hands.

The muscles in his face twitched, finally settling into a baffled expression that was a mixture of absurdity, helplessness, and a general ’what is even happening to the world’ confusion.

"...Fucking hell," a whisper that was almost a groan escaped his dry throat. "This party... what the fuck is with this party?"

...

"Fucking hell, how can it still run so fast when it’s injured?"

Hesia cursed under his breath, staring at the figure ahead that, despite stumbling, wasn’t losing any speed.

The Jackal Wolfman Leader’s resilience was beyond his expectations.

Fortunately, the speed bonus from [Wild Charge] was significant, and the distance between them was rapidly shrinking.

If Hayley had let it go earlier, Hesia never would have given chase.

But now that he knew it was severely wounded, Hesia had no intention of letting it escape.

’Such a powerful Jackal Wolfman Leader... If I could turn it into a controlled Undead and have Slag’s soul inhabit it...’

Hesia couldn’t even imagine how many Frogmen a creature like that could slaughter.

Feeling the power from the earth beneath him flow into his arms, Hesia kept his eyes locked on the towering back ahead.

’Now!’