Gale Wolves

Three years ago, Locke graduated from the magic academy and was conscripted into the Fifth Legion of the Frost Snow Legion, becoming a field mage for the Fifth Legion.

However, a week ago, the chief mage of the Frost Snow Empire's Fifth Legion was defeated and fled during his battle against the Temple of Light's Chief Inquisitor, leaving the entire Fifth Legion exposed to the Chief Inquisitor's attack.

A Saint Domain-level forbidden spell had crippled the entire Fifth Legion.

Relying on the few tricks he had mastered, Locke fled all the way here.

These thirty-odd knights of the Temple of Light were not the first group to pursue him.

Nor would they be the last.

With the Frost Snow Empire's Fifth Legion defeated, unless Locke escaped into the territory of one of the other four legions, the Frost Snow Empire would not have enough troops or powerful experts to stop the Temple of Light's invasion.

"Alas..."

With a faint sigh, Locke took out some seasonings from his Space Ring and sprinkled them over the rabbit roasting above the fire.

After eating his fill, Locke waved his magic staff. A cloud of mist immediately enveloped the bonfire, extinguishing it in an instant.

After getting his bearings, Locke continued toward the Frost Snow Empire.

To be honest, Locke did not like war.

Especially not a great war between Overgods contending for faith, one that swept across countless planes.

If he had a choice, Locke would rather find a quiet, undisturbed place to cultivate, pursue the vast laws, and experience a life he had never known before.

But he had no choice.

The Overgods of this era had only a shallow understanding of how to seize faith.

The gods they sent to countless Material Planes all used the same method to contend for faith: unify the land, then forcibly demand that the people under their rule believe in a certain Overgod.

As for followers of other Overgods, there was only one word for them—kill!

To these gods, anyone who did not believe in their Overgod was a "heretic" and deserved to die!

Locke did not know how long this battle on the Vakanda Plane would last.

Nor did he know whether, sometime in the future, more gods under other Overgods would come to this plane to join the struggle for the Power of Faith.

All he could do was grow amid the cracks of this war and give his parents and younger brother in this world a better life.

Forget that nonsense about having memories of a past life and therefore feeling nothing for one's parents in this life.

People could call each other sworn fathers after only a few days in a small room with three bunk beds. How could the two elderly people who had selflessly cared for him through the three years when he had been at his weakest and most helpless not be considered his true parents?

Unless the transmigrator was naturally cold-hearted and selfish, believing that others being good to him was only right, while even the slightest kindness he showed others was some sort of reward.

As night deepened, rustling sounds began to fill the forest.

Those were the hunters of the night, quietly advancing as they watched their prey.

Suddenly, Locke stopped.

More than a dozen magical beasts with red-glowing eyes had appeared before him.

Level 2 pack-dwelling magical beasts—Gale Wolves!

Gale Wolf packs always numbered more than ten and were led by a Level 3 Gale Wolf King.

A Gale Wolf pack was even more dangerous than some high-level magical beasts.

After all, wolf packs needed far more food than high-level magical beasts.

Anyone encountered by a Gale Wolf pack would almost certainly be attacked and turned into food.

And now, Locke had been targeted by this pack of Gale Wolves.

"Water Mist!"

As a mage, Locke naturally would not allow himself to be forced into a passive defense.

With a thought, thick mist immediately spread out, completely shrouding the hundred-meter area around him.

"Heavenly Dance Treasure Wheel!"

"Vision Deprivation!"

"Hearing Deprivation!"

Locke showed no mercy. His Soul Power spread with the mist, instantly depriving the dozen or so Gale Wolves of both sight and hearing, turning them into blind, deaf beasts.

"Awooo! Awooo—"

"Awooo! Awooo—"

Having lost their sight and hearing, the Gale Wolves immediately fell into chaos and fled in every direction. Green wind blades shot from their mouths, severing nearby trees, slicing open their companions' legs, or cutting their companions in half at the waist...

Within only a few breaths, half the Gale Wolf pack had been crippled, and the other half was not much better off.

"Ice Blades!"

Locke waved his magic staff. Three ice blades condensed within the mist and, guided by his Mental Strength, slaughtered the Gale Wolves completely.

Sweeping the area with his Mental Strength, Locke immediately shook his head.

More than a dozen Level 2 magical beasts, yet not a single one had a Magic Core.

Fortunately, magical beasts above Level 3 possessed Magic Cores without exception.

Picking up a green crystal from the Gale Wolf King's shattered skull, Locke placed it into his Space Ring.

A Level 3 Magic Core was worth about one gold coin, enough to cover a family of three's basic living expenses for a month.

A day later, three soldiers from the Temple of Light arrived at this place.

Very quickly, one of the Temple of Light's knights used his extensive experience to determine the direction Locke had gone and led the two mages after him.

At dawn, Locke woke from meditation.

During this period of fleeing, Locke had almost entirely replaced sleep with meditation.

The constant tension had focused his mind as never before, and the effects of his meditation had improved severalfold.

Locke believed that at most, he would need half a year to break through and become a Level 7 Grand Mage.

After comprehending a trace of the Profound Mystery of Illusionary Fog, Locke only needed to merge his Mental Strength with the Profound Mystery of Illusionary Fog between heaven and earth to enter the state of Unity of Heaven and Man, allowing that strand of Profound Mystery to slowly temper and enhance his Mental Strength.

Unfortunately, while in the state of Unity of Heaven and Man, Locke's Mental Strength would be continuously consumed in enormous amounts, making it impossible to maintain for long.

While on the run, Locke did not dare enter the state of Unity of Heaven and Man at all, for fear that he would not be at his peak if pursuers found him.

A night of meditation had completely restored Locke's Mental Strength and Magic Power.

After walking out of the cave, Locke had barely stretched when his expression suddenly changed.

The traps he had set before sleeping last night had been triggered!

One, two, three...

They're so fast!

At the very least, none of the Rank 6 Warriors Locke had encountered before possessed such speed.

I can't escape.

That was Locke's second thought.

At this person's speed, it would not take long before he was caught.

Rather than waste a great deal of stamina running, he might as well take advantage of his current peak condition and see whether he could carve out a path to survival.