White Heat

"It's almost over! Watch for their ambush! I can't sense them with my mental perception, so I don't know the results!"

As he continued his 'Sweep', Dean, after about fifteen seconds of furious cursing, began to shout warnings. Even at this close range, amidst the massive explosion's cover, his words were barely distinguishable.

Unless the Azure Wolves had been kicked in the head, they wouldn't launch an ambush during the 'Sweep'. But the moment it ended, that was when they'd bare their fangs!

They'd fought tooth and nail to this point, even accepting losses in their pack—these Magic Beasts wouldn't give up easily!

Sure enough, as the last two Fireballs shot out and the Floating Three-Dimensional Magic Array dimmed and dissipated, three figures suddenly leaped from the churning smoke and dust, charging straight at Dean!

Two Three-Star Alpha Wolves were among them! Though their fur was scorched in many places and their bodies bore traces of blood, their movements showed no injuries severe enough to hinder them!

The remaining one was a Two-Star Wolf Guard!

Xuan Ye stared at the three Azure Wolves that had burst out, his expression shifting slightly after a moment of focus.

"These three are from the front wave when they split into three groups earlier. Watch out for the two Flank groups!"

Only three had emerged at first, not because only three of the eleven Azure Wolves remained! This was just the first batch from the Central Army! At best, it meant one Two-Star Wolf Guard was dead or severely wounded.

"Hmph~"

But before Xuan Ye finished speaking, Aitiya, who had been at the very front, stepped forward and intercepted the three wolves at their center, shoving her man-high Heavy Shield forward with force.

A blinding light burst from the ornate Heavy Shield, arcing to envelop all three wolves ahead!

Professional Skill—Shield Flash!

After the flash, the fur on the three wolves' bodies showed a slight curling, as if singed by high heat!

But having just endured a bombardment, this level of heat seemed pathetically weak and ineffective...

'Whine~'

'Howl~'

'Roar~'

Three pained cries came from the irradiated wolves, as if they were suffering greatly!

Right! The purpose of Shield Flash's intense light wasn't to kill, but to blind!

The super-strong beam, even through closed eyelids, could pierce and cause blindness. The instantaneous exposure was enough to induce blindness, dizziness, tinnitus, and other side effects in any creature.

It was an extremely practical Professional Rank skill for Paladins!

Though the control time was short, it was more than enough for Aitiya, whose overall strength was equally formidable.

'Clang~'

After the man-high Heavy Shield flashed, it swung around and slammed heavily into the female Alpha Wolf's shoulder and neck. The massive force, combined with the shield's weight, sent the calf-sized Azure Wolf flying! The crunch of bone-breaking was clearly audible!

The Heavy Shield bash cleared the obstruction in front of her, and with a reverse swing of her Greatsword, a Two-Star Wolf Guard was cleaved in two from head to crotch!

The power of a Professional Skill—using just one move's advantage, she defeated two strong foes with fewer numbers, killing one and wounding another!

The two Azure Wolves that appeared were among the strongest! Now, only one recovered Three-Star male Alpha Wolf remained before Aitiya!

Xuan Ye watched, blood boiling and spirits lifted—victory was within reach!

But what followed still caught him off guard. The Paladin girl, who had easily dispatched two wolves earlier, now showed no clear dominance against this single opponent!

At best, she had a slight upper hand, locked in a stalemate with the recovered male Alpha Wolf. Its terrifying speed and agility made it unafraid of this Paladin!

If not for Aitiya's Heavy Armor protection, she would already be wounded!

That first strike was likely entirely reliant on a sudden burst and surprise. After using a powerful Professional Skill, she had some consumption. Plus, she had already cast Blessings on everyone, which itself was a drain.

Wielding such heavy equipment to fight a nimble Azure Wolf, even with her excellent Endurance as a Knight, she could only maintain this much!

Theoretically, under normal circumstances, a Magic Beast of the same level was stronger than a human of the same level! Aitiya's performance was already outstanding!

As soon as the strongest combatant was pinned down, several more figures quickly emerged from the still-dispersing smoke!

Two Wolf Guards! Four Subordinate Wolves!

That meant, aside from the one Xuan Ye shot, Dean's exaggerated bombardment had only killed one Wolf Guard and one Subordinate Wolf! The rest were merely wounded!

As expected, they were stuck in the most awkward position...

Aitiya hadn't activated her Agility Inner Mansion. In heavy gear, entangled by the agile Azure Wolf Alpha, she could no longer provide support. The enemy still had six opponents comparable to Professional Rank!

On their side, Dean was nearly combat-ineffective after his big move, leaving only the axe-wielding Ye Man protecting him (and conserving most of his strength), the Guardian Aide, and a few from the Scavenger Squad!

Only three Professional Ranks remained! Counting all the Senior Knight Attendants with Blessings, they barely matched!

"This is do-or-die. We really overdid it this time. If I get back alive, I'm taking a full two months off."

Looking at the six Azure Wolves surrounding them, Luo Luoji's face grew grim, making his already bearded visage even darker.

"Heh, don't talk defeat. Killing so many Azure Wolves above our rank will let me absorb enough Essence to take another step toward Ninth Grade Attendant. I'm a man who's going back to change jobs!"

Jack, now fully committed, gripped his steel blade and slowly moved closer to Luo Luoji.

Dragging his still-numb arm, Xuan Ye could only follow them bitterly, half-drawing his bow again in vigilance. The odds were clearly against them. He could only hope that axe-wielding idiot would have a burst like the Paladin girl.

Forget conserving strength—just get through this first.

Before Xuan Ye could finish his silent prayer, the six Azure Wolves that had appeared launched their attack with clear division of labor!

Two Wolf Guards and one Subordinate Wolf charged toward Ye Man, Aide, and Dean, who had nearly lost his combat ability. The other three Subordinate Wolves set their sights on the motley crew led by Luo Luoji.

Even though Aide clearly had the opportunity to forcibly hold off one more beast, he didn't use the Guardian's class skill—Assistance. Instead, he stayed by Dean's side, conserving his strength and waiting for the three wolves to arrive.

Even though the three wolves facing Xuan Ye and the others were relatively weaker, they were still three Azure Wolves. Against a one-star Magic Beast in a one-on-one fight, even Luo Luoji, with his Bloodline Power activated, couldn't take one down!

Wasn't human Bloodline Power derived from Magic Beasts? Inherent gaps meant that fighting at the same rank offered no advantage!

Especially for a commoner powerhouse like Luo Luoji, who definitely didn't have any good skills!

"My attack power's not enough—you lot better put every ounce of strength you've got into it!"

Seeing the three wolves pounce, Luo Luoji's eyes turned bloodshot. With a wild roar, he charged straight into the fray!

As a Guardian of the 'Qi and Blood' Inner Palace, Luo Luoji wore nothing but a half-wrapped animal hide—not a single piece of armor. His bare flesh held an irresistible allure for the beasts, and with the surging Qi and Blood, he easily drew the attention of all three Subordinate Wolves.

Their calf-sized bodies weren't all that imposing next to Luo Luoji's two-meter-plus frame. They leaped onto him, claws and fangs leaving bloody gashes across his body!

One even climbed onto his back and lunged for his neck. Luo Luoji ducked his head just in time to barely avoid a fatal bite, but even so, blood was soon streaming from his wounds!

Skin of Steel!

Having already awakened his bloodline, Luo Luoji activated this Bloodline Power that perfectly matched his class. His bronze skin immediately turned ashen gray, noticeably reducing the Azure Wolves' damage.

Not only that, but with bloodshot eyes and a furious roar, he raised both hands and locked them around the head of the Azure Wolf biting his neck from behind. The muscles on his arms bulged as he used brute force to clamp down on the wolf, which wasn't known for its strength.

He single-handedly absorbed the attacks of all three Azure Wolves, creating an excellent output environment for Xuan Ye and the others, who were weaker!

Please help me climb the rankings, ask for collections, ask for recommendations, ah.

Ahem. Normally, it's two updates a day. Mom's asking me why I'm typing these words while kneeling on the keyboard.