The lead stag was especially alert. Every few seconds while drinking, it lifted its head, its wary eyes sweeping the surroundings while its ears twitched constantly, catching any suspicious sound.
Everything around them was normal. There was only the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze and the occasional birdsong from afar.
Then, amid this peaceful atmosphere, a vicious roar suddenly rang out from a thicket several dozen meters from the riverbank!
"Roar!!!"
The roar instantly shattered the tranquility, and the sika deer reacted at once.
Normally, sika deer were timid by nature. They should have bolted immediately and vanished into the depths of the forest.
Yet something bizarre happened.
The lead stag had just been about to sprint when its body suddenly stiffened. Then, as if all strength had been drained from it, it collapsed onto the riverbank with a thud.
The other young deer suffered the same fate. They panicked and tried to flee, but their limbs would not obey them. They could only slip and fall helplessly in place, utterly unable to take effective action.
Watching this scene, Zeliel nodded slightly from within the bushes.
"Not bad."
[Malicious Words]
Magic School: Mental School
Structure Type: Single-Layer Spell Structure
Magic Level: Level 2
Effect Description: The caster channels mana to release an intensely malicious roar. The target suffers a mental shock, causing feelings of panic.
Malicious Words possessed no physical destructive power. It was a purely control-oriented spell, highly effective against creatures with weak willpower or low intelligence, and could temporarily render them unable to act.
However, when facing opponents with strong mental resolve, Malicious Words' control effect was greatly reduced. At most, it could make them appear slightly sluggish or hesitant in their movements, and might even have no effect at all.
Note: Malicious Words was not