Chapter 74: Surprising and alarming

There was no further explanation from the system. Before Kai could ask what the warning meant, the team captain suddenly shouted,

"They’re here!"

A low rumble rolled through the cavern.

"Grey wolves!" the spear wielder warned, already drawing his weapon and settling into a combat stance.

"Troy, cover my left. Rem, make an opening."

The mischievous sorceress from earlier sprang forward. Flames gathered in both her hands, burning brighter with every passing second before she hurled three fireballs straight ahead.

Kai’s eyes narrowed.

’Hmm?’

The sheer heat of the flames caught him off guard, but what surprised him more was the way the projectiles behaved.

They split apart in midair.

Each fireball abruptly changed direction, curving toward a different wolf as though guided by an invisible hand.

BOOM!

One wolf was struck directly and collapsed without another movement. The other two managed to evade the brunt of the explosions, suffering only grazing burns. They recovered almost instantly and, together with the remaining three wolves, charged toward the group.

"Kira! Separate them!" the captain roared.

The woman who had been casually reading on her phone finally lifted her head.

She sighed, almost as though the interruption was an inconvenience, before plucking several strands of hair from her head.

Then she blew them into the air.

Kai’s brows rose.

The strands twisted in midair.

Within seconds, they transformed into several fully formed people, each one bearing an uncanny resemblance to Kira herself.

The clones moved without hesitation.

They scattered across the battlefield, darting between the wolves and drawing their attention. Every time one of the monsters attempted to change targets, another clone would rush past it, forcing the creature to give chase.

The formation of the wolves broke apart almost immediately.

"Troy!" the captain barked.

The spear wielder moved.

He stepped into the path of one of the charging wolves and thrust his spear forward with precise timing.

THUNK!

The spearhead drove into the creature’s neck.

The wolf twisted its head at the last instant, preventing the strike from reaching a vital point. Its body followed the movement, twisting violently around the embedded spear before wrenching itself free.

Blood sprayed from the wound.

Yet the monster barely slowed.

It lowered its head and charged straight for Troy.

"Yeah, like hell I’m letting you do that."

Troy sidestepped the snapping jaws by a hair’s breadth. As the wolf rushed past him, he used its momentum against it, drawing a knife with his free hand and driving the blade straight into its eye.

CRACK!

The knife sank deep.

The wolf convulsed violently before collapsing onto the ground.

"Troy!" the captain called.

The man immediately understood. He ripped his spear free from the wolf he had just killed and turned toward the staggering creature the captain had already wounded. With a swift thrust, he drove the spear through its exposed side.

The wolf collapsed.

"Behind!" Rem shouted.

A fireball streaked past Kai’s shoulder.

The ambushing wolf barely had time to react before the flames slammed into its face. It recoiled, blinded and snarling as the captain spun on his heel despite his heavy frame.

"Got you."

He swung his club with both hands.

BAM!

The spiked weapon smashed into the wolf’s ribs and sent it skidding across the ground.

On the other side of the battlefield, several of

Kira’s clones had surrounded another wolf.

"Grab. Grab. Grab. Grab."

One after another, they lunged onto the creature, grabbing its legs, torso, and tail. Their combined weight slowed the wolf’s movements considerably.

The monster thrashed violently.

It bit down on one clone and tore through another with its claws, their bodies bursting into strands of hair the moment they were destroyed. But before it could break free, more clones rushed in to replace them.

One fell.

Another took its place.

Then another.

The wolf was slowly buried beneath an endless swarm of identical women, each one clinging to it with little regard for their own safety.

"Tch, for fuck’s sake."

The captain’s patience finally snapped.

He leapt into the air and brought his club down with all his weight behind it.

BOOM!

The spiked head crushed the wolf’s skull against the ground.

"Hey!"

Kira cried out, rubbing the top of her head.

"That was rude."

Kai’s brows lifted.

He looked from the destroyed clones to Kira, who had apparently felt the impact despite standing several meters away.

’So she’s still connected to her clones, and some of what they experience is transmitted back to her.’

Kai’s interest deepened.

’Nice spell.’

Not only that, their understanding and coordination were surprisingly impressive. Despite the chaos of the battlefield, none of them seemed to get in the others’ way. Every movement had purpose, every attack flowed naturally into the next, and they reacted to danger almost instinctively.

Just then, Rem looked around.

"Where’s the last one?"

There had been five wolves at the start.

They had already dealt with four.

"Kei! Watch out!"

Troy’s warning came from the side.

Kai turned sharply and saw the black-haired young man glance over his shoulder.

A wolf was already in the air.

It had concealed itself behind a nearby boulder, waiting for the right moment to strike. Now it lunged toward Kei with its jaws wide open, its claws extended as it aimed straight for his back.

Kai was close enough to intervene.

His body tensed, and he was just about to reach for Kei when he heard it.

Click.

The quiet sound of steel leaving its scabbard cut through the battlefield.

Kei had already drawn his sword.

Kai barely caught the movement.

A thin streak of steel flashed through the air.

The wolf landed.

Its body remained suspended for a brief moment, almost as if it had yet to realize what had happened.

Then its head slid from its neck.

Blood erupted from the severed stump, splattering the ground as the head rolled across the dirt.

Kei calmly lowered his blade.

The ambush had been over before it truly began.

Turning towards Kai, he asked, "Are you alright."

Kai slowly nodded. "Yeah..." The system clearly warned him about the boy, and now Kai was realising why.