"It's almost over! Be careful of a surprise attack! They're outside my mental perception range, so I don't know the results!"
While carrying out the Sweep, Dean began shouting warnings after angrily firing off for about fifteen seconds. Even at such a close distance, under cover of the massive explosions, they could barely make out what he was saying.
As long as the Azure Wolves weren't stupid enough to attack while the Sweep was beginning, they definitely wouldn't launch a surprise attack. But once the Sweep ended, it would be time for them to bare their fangs!
These magical beasts had fought desperately until now, showing no concern for casualties among the pack. They certainly wouldn't give up so easily!
Sure enough, as the final two Fireballs shot out and the Floating Three-Dimensional Magic Array gradually dimmed and dispersed, three figures suddenly leaped out of the dense smoke and dust, pouncing toward Dean one after another!
Two Three-Star Alpha Wolves were among them! Although several patches of their fur were scorched and thin trails of blood marked their bodies, judging by their movements, they clearly hadn't suffered injuries severe enough to affect their actions!
The remaining one was also a Two-Star Wolf Guard!
Xuan Ye stared at the three Azure Wolves that had leaped out for an instant before his expression changed slightly.
"These three are from the group in front when they split into three waves. There are still two groups on the flanks. Everyone, be careful!"
The fact that only three had appeared first didn't mean that only these three remained among the eleven Azure Wolves! These were merely the three from the Central Army's first wave! At most, it meant that one Two-Star Wolf Guard had been killed or seriously wounded!
"Hmph~"
Before Xuan Ye could finish speaking, Aitiya, who had always been at the very front, took a step forward and cut into the middle of the three wolves. She shoved the Heavy Shield in her hands, nearly as tall as a person, fiercely toward the front.
A dazzling beam of light shot from the ornate Heavy Shield, spreading in an arc until it enveloped all three wolves ahead!
Class Skill—Shield Flash!
After the flash, the fur on all three wolves' bodies became slightly curled, as though it had been scalded by intense heat!
But they had just endured a bombardment, and compared with that, this level of heat seemed laughably weak and utterly powerless. It was merely...
'Whine~'
'Awooo~'
'Roar~'
Three pained murmurs came from the wolves struck by the light, as though all of them were suffering terribly!
That's right! The purpose of Shield Flash's intense light wasn't to inflict damage, but to blind!
The extraordinarily powerful beam was enough to pierce through their eyelids even if they closed their eyes, causing blindness. The instantaneous exposure was enough to leave any creature blind, dizzy, and ringing in the ears.
It was an extremely practical Class Skill of a Paladin!
Although the control duration wasn't long, it was already enough for Aitiya, whose overall strength was equally formidable!
'Clang~'
After the Heavy Shield, nearly as tall as a person, flashed its light, she immediately swung it around and smashed it into the shoulder and neck of the female Alpha Wolf. The tremendous force, combined with the shield's weight, sent the calf-sized Azure Wolf flying! Several frightening cracks of breaking bones could clearly be heard!
With the Heavy Shield Bash clearing the obstruction before her, she swung her greatsword with her other hand. A Two-Star Wolf Guard was cleaved in half from head to crotch!
The power of a Class Skill was astonishing. By taking advantage of a single opening, she had overcome superior numbers, killing one powerful enemy and wounding another!
The two Azure Wolves that had appeared belonged to the strongest group! At this moment, only a recovered Three-Star male Alpha Wolf remained before Aitiya!
Xuan Ye was so stirred that his blood boiled. Victory was within reach!
Yet the situation that followed still caught Xuan Ye somewhat off guard. The Paladin girl, who had easily eliminated two wolves at the start, failed to display any obvious suppression against her lone remaining opponent.
At most, she held a slight advantage. The male Alpha Wolf, having recovered from the effects of the Glue-like state, relied on its terrifying speed and Dexterity and showed no fear of this Paladin!
If not for the Heavy Armor protecting Aitiya, she would already have been injured!
It seemed that her initial strike had relied entirely on sudden explosive power and surprise. Using such a powerful Class Skill had also consumed some of her strength. Besides, she had already cast Blessing on everyone at the beginning, which itself was another drain.
She was also fighting a nimble Azure Wolf while carrying such heavy equipment. Even with the excellent stamina of a knight-type fighter, all she could do was maintain the current situation!
Under normal circumstances, magical beasts of the same level were theoretically stronger than human experts of the same level! Aitiya's performance was already dazzling enough!
As soon as the strongest fighter was tied down, several more figures quickly emerged from the smoke that had yet to disperse!
Two Wolf Guards! Four Subordinate Wolves!
In other words, aside from the one Xuan Ye had shot, Dean's astonishing bombardment had actually killed only one Wolf Guard and one Subordinate Wolf! All the others had merely been wounded!
Sure enough, they had been trapped in the most awkward position...
Aitiya hadn't activated her Agility Inner Mansion. In heavy armor, being entangled by an Azure Wolf Alpha, whose greatest strength was agility, made it difficult for her to provide further support. Meanwhile, the enemy still had six opponents comparable to Class-rank fighters!
After using his ultimate move, their own Dean had almost completely lost his combat ability. All they had left were Axe Man Ye Man, who was protecting him and needed to conserve most of his strength, Guardian Aide, and several members of the Scavenger Squad!
Only three Class-rank fighters remained! Even counting all the Senior Knight Attendants who had received Blessing, they could barely break even!
"We're going to have to risk our lives. This time, we've really gone too far. If we make it back alive, I need to take a proper two-month vacation."
Looking at the six Azure Wolves that had already surrounded them, Luo Luoji's expression grew extremely solemn. His naturally bushy beard only made his face look even gloomier.
"Hey, don't say such discouraging things. Absorbing the Essence from killing so many Azure Wolves across a level will let me take another step toward becoming a Ninth-Grade Attendant. I'm a man who intends to make it back alive and successfully change classes!"
Jack had also thrown caution to the wind. Clutching his steel saber, he slowly moved closer to Luo Luoji.
Dragging his still-numb arm, Xuan Ye could only follow behind them with a tearful expression. He barely half-drew his bow again and took up a guarded stance. No matter how he looked at it, their side had the worse odds. All he could do was hope that Axe Man, that idiot, could erupt like the Paladin girl had.
Don't worry about conserving your stamina. Get past this hurdle first.
Before Xuan Ye could pray a few more times in his heart, the six Azure Wolves that had appeared divided their targets and launched their attacks at once!
Two Wolf Guards and one Subordinate Wolf pounced toward Ye Man, Aide, and Dean, who had almost completely lost his combat ability. The other three Subordinate Wolves locked onto the rabble on this side, led by Luo Luoji.
Although Aide clearly had a chance to forcibly tie down another wolf, he didn't use the Guardian's Class Skill—Aid. Instead, he waited beside Dean, conserving his strength until the three wolves arrived.
Even though the three wolves Xuan Ye's group faced were considerably weaker, they were still three Azure Wolves! In a one-on-one fight against a One-Star magical beast, even Luo Luoji, who had activated his Bloodline Power, couldn't handle one!
After all, human Bloodline Power had been derived from magical beasts. Humans had no innate advantage at the same level!
This was especially true for a commoner expert like Luo Luoji, who surely had no decent skills!
"Your attack power isn't enough. Give it everything you've got!"
When the three wolves pounced toward him, Luo Luoji's eyes reddened with bloodlust. With a furious roar, he charged straight at them!
As the Guardian who had been the first to activate the Qi and Blood Inner Palace, Luo Luoji wore no armor at all aside from a half-wrapped animal hide. His bare flesh held an irresistible lure for beasts. Combined with the surging Qi and Blood, it easily drew the attention of all three Subordinate Wolves.
Their calf-sized bodies didn't look particularly large beside Luo Luoji's over-two-meter-tall frame. They pounced directly onto him, their claws and fangs leaving bloody gashes across his body!
One even sprang onto his back and bit toward his neck. Luo Luoji barely dodged the vital spot by ducking his head, but even so, his body was instantly drenched in blood!
Skin of Steel!
Having awakened his Bloodline, Luo Luoji unleashed this Bloodline Power that perfectly matched his class. His bronze-colored skin immediately turned gray-white, clearly reducing the Azure Wolves' damage.
Not only that, he had also gone berserk, roaring as he raised both hands and firmly hooked the head of the Azure Wolf biting his neck from behind. The muscles in his arms bulged as he used brute force to lock down the Azure Wolf, which wasn't known for its strength.
He forcibly absorbed the attacks of all three Azure Wolves by himself, creating an excellent opening for the relatively weaker Xuan Ye and the others to attack!
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