Chapter 57

At that moment, the Black Ink Wolf leaped out of Karina’s shadow, true to its name.

“Kheuung!”

It swung its Battle Axe with great force, aiming for a perfect sneak attack on Karina, who was busy dealing with another Black Ink Wolf. It seemed like an unavoidable strike.

But Karina didn’t even glance at the wolf. Before she could pull out her Hand Axe to smash its head, an arrow pierced the monster’s skull as if it had been waiting for the wolf to appear.

“Leave the rear to me!”

“Thank you, Miss Marisia!”

“The incantation is ready! Everyone, watch your eyes!”

And then, Serena’s magic was ready.

Though they were in a forest, preventing her from using her signature fire magic, even in a small-scale battle, a Mage’s presence alone was an overwhelming force.

“Ready!”

“Blast them away!”

“Here goes! Rising Flash!”

*Flash!*

Serena’s magic, though not destructive, emitted an intense light from the ground around her.

But in this battle, its effect was exceptional.

The monsters they were fighting were the Black Ink Wolves, the very targets of their quest.

These wolves had unnaturally black fur that absorbed all light, unlike normal creatures whose fur would reflect some light.

The Black Ink Wolves were monsters that had altered their bodies to exist somewhere between matter and darkness, allowing them to merge with shadows for short periods.

This made them tricky foes, capable of blending into shadows and even moving through others’ shadows, striking fear into the local wildlife.

Moreover, their bodies, partially existing in shadow, would melt away over time after death, leaving only their magic stones.

Thus, they were useless as cooking ingredients, which naturally didn’t interest Kurt.

As Serena’s magic activated, the intense light scattered the shadows of the Black Ink Wolves.

With their shadows blurred, the wolves’ primary strategy of hiding in shadows collapsed. Without this ability, their weak bodies were no match for the group.

What followed was a one-sided hunt.

Initially, protecting Serena during her incantation put Mari’s group at a slight disadvantage, but once the spell was complete and the wolves’ main strength was sealed, their individual combat power was no greater than that of an Iron-rank monster.

The Black Ink Wolves panicked, trying to find shadows to hide in, but with the ground emitting light, all shadows had faded, leaving them no place to hide. Karina’s Hand Axe and Mari’s arrows began to strike the panicking wolves.

Thanks to Serena’s magic, the once-confident pack of Black Ink Wolves was now reduced to less than half.

“Krrrrr…”

“Ha… Ha… You’d think they’d give up by now. This is strange.”

“Indeed, these monsters are acting oddly.”

“Kyaaa!”

At that moment, the blinding light from the ground faded, and the magic’s effect ended. The Ink Wolves immediately melted back into their shadows.

This was their signature technique, Shadow Hiding, which had earned them a Silver-rank threat level.

But unlike the start of the battle, Karina wasn’t fazed by the wolves hiding in shadows.

The time a Black Ink Wolf could stay merged with shadows was mere seconds.

Moreover, while in the shadows, the wolves were completely disconnected from the physical world, unable to perceive their surroundings.

Thus, when they moved through shadows, they couldn’t actively choose their destination but had to pre-select a spot before merging.

In a chaotic melee, this might be hard to predict, but in a standoff, even someone less experienced than Kurt could anticipate their moves.

Knowing where they’d emerge, Karina didn’t hesitate to throw her Hand Axe toward Serena a few seconds after the wolves disappeared.

“Wh-what are you… Kyaa!”

*Thud!*

*Thud!*

Though aimed at Serena, she wasn’t hurt. Instead, a Black Ink Wolf that had emerged from her shadow took the hit, as if protecting her.

The wolves’ strategy was easy to read.

Serena’s magic had turned the tide against them, so they foolishly believed that taking her out would reverse their fortunes.

But even that naive plan had been anticipated and crushed by Karina.

With the last wolf falling to Karina’s Battle Axe, the pack that had ambushed them was finally wiped out.

.

.

.

After the battle, Mari’s group rested and cleaned up.

“Hey! Throwing your Hand Axe like that was dangerous! I almost got hit!”

“But you didn’t, did you? If I hadn’t thrown it, you’d have been in trouble.”

“Ugh… That’s true… But at least warn me next time!”

“I’ll keep that in mind. But that’s not the important part.”

“Hey! You’re dodging the issue!”

Though Serena thought Karina was deflecting, Mari agreed with her.

“She’s right. When we took this quest, something felt off. After fighting these monsters, it’s clear. Something’s wrong.”

“Mari, you too… Wait, what’s wrong?”

Hearing Mari, Serena stopped being angry and turned serious.

“From what I know, Black Ink Wolves are nocturnal. Their shadow-hiding ability works best at night.”

“Not just that. Wolves are intelligent creatures. Even as monsters, Black Ink Wolves are cunning and persistent, attacking from shadows. That’s their nature.”

Serena’s face hardened as she realized what they were saying.

“But they attacked in broad daylight, the worst time for their abilities. And they didn’t ambush us—they charged head-on. That’s not like them.”

“Exactly. And they fought to the last one. That’s not natural.”

“So something must have driven them to act this way.”

Serena concluded gravely.

“Either a powerful monster has taken over, or someone deliberately drove these wolves into a frenzy…”

What they thought would be a simple quest had turned into something far more complicated.