Cunning Jackals

A wounded lone wolf, with a treasure chest beside it—this was practically a gift from the Gods.

"Perfect opportunity!"

He lowered his voice, calculation gleaming in his eyes.

"Brother Broom, draw its attention from the left. Ella, get your magic ready and hit it hard. I'll circle around from the right and deliver the killing blow! Remember, move fast!"

After the simple tactical arrangement, the three of them charged out at once!

"Roar!" Startled, the jackal spun around, its murky eyes instantly locking onto Ella, who looked the weakest.

With a kick of its hind legs, it pounced with a gust of stench!

Ella went pale with fright, her mind blank as every spell she knew vanished from her head.

Just as that foul, drooling maw was about to bite down, her instinct to survive made her scream. Eyes shut tight, she swung the Oak Staff in her hand like a club with all her strength!

Bang!

With a dull thud, the staff struck the jackal squarely across the bridge of its nose!

"Awooo—!"

The jackal let out a shrill, miserable howl. Its charge came to an abrupt halt, its entire head smashed senseless as it staggered about in a daze.

Squelch!

Seizing that perfect opening, Kelvin's curved blade pierced precisely into the softer side of the jackal's neck.

Broom's Battle Axe came down at the same time, hacking heavily into its spine.

The battle ended with astonishing ease.

Kelvin pulled out his curved blade and looked at the twitching jackal corpse on the ground, unable to stop himself from bursting into laughter. "Hahahaha, little sweetheart Ella, well done! That blow to the head had the flair of a Dwarf Warrior. I think you ought to switch careers and become a warrior."

Still shaken, the girl's little face was deathly pale. She stared at the staff in her hand, as though she still had not realized what she had just done.

Broom grinned as well. "Haha, little Ella, that was one powerful swing!"

Kelvin rushed impatiently toward the decaying wooden chest, pried open its rusty clasp with his curved blade, and flung the lid open—

There was no glittering treasure inside as he had imagined. Instead, it was covered in a thick layer of Moonlight Moss that gave off a soft, moon-white glow, dotted with several dark-green translucent stones like congealed Swamp water.

"We've struck it rich! We've struck it rich!"

Kelvin ecstatically grabbed a handful of Moonlight Moss, its gentle radiance illuminating his face, twisted with excitement.

"Look, Ella! Broom!"

"I told you the guidance of 'Miracle' Yano was real! Take these to Iron Boot Town—no, take them to the Royal Capital—and just how many Gold Coins could we get for them?!"

He danced about, spittle flying, already imagining a life of drunken luxury after paying off his debts.

Ella, too, was swept up in the joy of their haul. She crouched down to carefully inspect the rare magical plants, while Broom stroked his beard and calculated how much fine tobacco and ale the money could buy.

Just as the three of them were immersed in the wild joy of getting rich, their guard lowered to its weakest point—

"Awooo—!!!"

"Awoo awoo awoo—!!!"

Shrill, dense wolf howls brimming with bloodthirsty frenzy suddenly surged like a tidal wave from behind the ruins!

A pack of Corrupted Jackals with festering fur came roaring out like demons pouring up from hell.

"A jackal pack!!"

The dwarf's battle instincts made Broom immediately assume a defensive stance, but even his expression turned extremely grim in the face of enemies flooding in from all directions.

The ecstasy on Kelvin's face froze instantly, turning into ashen terror. Immense despair drowned him like an icy tide.

It was over! It was all over!

He seemed to be back in that desperate afternoon, beneath the shadow of the Bear Goblins!

Run! He had to run!

That was the only thought in his mind!

"Captain, I'll hold them here! Take little Ella and go!"

In that critical instant, it was as though time itself had stopped.

Kelvin saw Ella frozen in place with terror, her face white as paper. He saw the dwarf Broom bravely standing in front of them.

Inside, he screamed at himself to run!

Just like that bastard captain back then.

Cold Blood! Blinded by greed!

That was the law of survival!

...But... but... they... were just like... him and that foolish kid back then...

The captain's resolute back as he fled, the despair in his companion's eyes before death—those images remained deeply carved into his memory.

Pain and guilt intertwined.

"Ah—!!!"

Kelvin let out a roar that barely sounded human. It was not a scream of fear, but the resolve of someone driven into a corner.

"To hell with your cold blood—I can't learn that!"

He abruptly stopped running. He looked at the jackals charging madly toward them, at the leather armor on the Dwarf Warrior being torn open by claws and the blood seeping out, at the girl's terrified, helpless eyes...

"Broom! Take Ella and go!! Go—now—!!!"

Kelvin's eyes were wide with fury, his voice warped and hoarse from overwhelming emotion. He had completely forgotten fear, forgotten Gold Coins, forgotten his cold-blooded philosophy of survival.

Like an enraged lion, he gripped his scimitar in both hands and charged headlong at the jackals lunging for Broom and Ella, heedless of everything else.

In the darkness, Chen Yu blinked in confusion.

Hmm?

A pack of jackals?

"There doesn't seem to be a pack of those stinking jackals in the script."

These Corrupted Jackals had most likely wandered over from the Death Swamp to the south.

They actually dared trespass into his territory. They clearly had no regard for him, the Slime Lord!

Seeing how dire things had become, Chen Yu could no longer worry about playing the "director." He fired a Lesser Arrow Technique straight at them.

Bang!

The Lesser Arrow Technique unleashed with mid-stage cultivation was astonishingly powerful. Two jackals were blasted away by the water arrow's immense impact, their corpses left hanging from the trees.

This sudden, precise strike made the frenzied pack of jackals freeze at once. A flicker of instinctive fear passed through their murky red eyes.

That damned slime had come!

"Whine..."

A low whimper rose from the pack. The remaining jackals abandoned their attack without hesitation, tucked their tails between their legs, and fled with mournful howls, swiftly vanishing into the dense woods.

Elsewhere, after escaping a considerable distance, the three survivors collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.

Though they looked utterly bedraggled, there was no doubt about it—they had survived.

Bracing himself on his scimitar, Kelvin knelt on one knee. His whole body trembled faintly, his face pale, cold sweat soaking through his undershirt.

That desperate charge had nearly drained all his courage and strength. As the fear ebbed away like a receding tide, what remained was relief—and an inexpressible shame...

At the critical moment, he had abandoned the cold-blooded rule he believed in.

Kelvin, what kind of hero were you trying to be?

"C-Captain..."

"Thank you! If it weren't for you..."

Ella's voice was choked with tears, yet filled with reverence.

Broom, too, panted heavily. Enduring the pain, he burst into laughter.

"Well done, Captain! This Broom Stonefist truly accepts you today!"

"You've got guts! You're a real man! Damn, you've got loyalty!"

Hearing his companions' sincere gratitude and praise, seeing their faces after surviving the ordeal, a little color slowly returned to Kelvin's pale face. Embarrassed, he gave a light cough.

"Ahem... Please. Just a few jackals too blind to know better—how could they possibly be a match for Kelvin?"

Once the three members of the Rookie Squad had caught their breath, they dared not remain in the dangerous swamp. Taking the good fortune while they had it, they withdrew.

Chen Yu poked his head out from behind an oak tree. Only after their figures had completely disappeared did he turn and hop away.

"Cunning jackals."

They dared invade his territory in broad daylight. He did not even dare imagine what they might try next.

He had to strike hard.

He would let them know whose territory this swamp really was.

Yano seemed to be returning soon. Perfect—Chen Yu could have him lead the newly formed Castle Guard south to investigate the Death Swamp.