“They’re here!”
Empowered by Lucifer Kentest’s enhanced perception, Modley Hadas had already sensed danger rapidly approaching.
“Humans! Always you insatiable humans! Wasn’t the last lesson enough? There are far fewer of you this time, hmph! Are you mocking this king?!”
The newcomer was an enraged Azure Wolf. Standing before Modley Hadas, it towered over him by half its body length.
It even possessed the ability to speak human language. Yet, despite its linguistic prowess, it seemed to harbor an intense hatred for humanity at that moment.
“A Sacred Beast?!”
Lucifer Kentest and his two companions had never imagined this mission would involve a Sacred Beast.
When they accepted the task, the quest giver had not mentioned that their opponent would be a Sacred Beast. Had they known, they would never have taken on such a perilous assignment.
No one dared to issue quests to hunt Sacred Beasts, and even if they did, it wouldn’t be a simple B-rank mission. Such a task would typically be A-rank or higher, as Sacred Beasts were, at minimum, A-rank entities.
“This time, this king will make you pay a heavy price. Not a single one of you shall escape!”
With those words, the Azure Wolf slammed a claw onto Modley Hadas’s shield. The impact sent Modley Hadas, shield and all, stumbling back over a dozen steps.
Had Lucifer Kentest not previously enchanted him with magic, that single strike would have surely sent Modley Hadas flying. The disparity in their power levels was simply too vast.
Though Modley Hadas was a B-rank warrior, in the face of an A-rank Sacred Beast, his strength was merely enough to cling to life for a fleeting moment.
“Damn it!”
Modley Hadas reeled from the blow, his entire body trembling. The hand gripping his shield had begun to shake uncontrollably.
“Modley! Are you alright?”
Lucifer Kentest, watching from behind, felt a surge of worry for Modley Hadas. Just as he prepared to rush forward and check on him, Modley Hadas waved him back.
His reason was simple.
“It’s too dangerous here. Don’t come closer.”
“Humans, you are the most dangerous ones. Instead of worrying about others, perhaps you should worry about yourselves.”
With that, the Azure Wolf’s claw descended once more towards Modley Hadas.
However, the Azure Wolf’s claw did not strike Modley Hadas. Instead, it met an axe.
The one who intervened was a Minotaur, whose height was comparable to the Azure Wolf’s, but whose power level was vastly inferior.
Yet, after the Minotaur blocked the Azure Wolf’s attack, the familiar knight drew their knight’s sword and aimed a downward cleave directly at the wolf’s head.
“Is that all? Too weak!”
The Azure Wolf snapped its jaws, seizing the knight’s sword and shattering it. With another swipe, it sent the Minotaur flying.
Just as it prepared to raise its claw again to strike the knight, an enormous fireball descended from the sky, plummeting towards the wolf’s position.
Furthermore, a barrage of fiery orbs, resembling beautiful crimson blossoms, flew in from the front.
“I… can’t move?”
The Azure Wolf suddenly realized that, at some unknown point, half its body had been frozen. A crushing, immense pressure bore down upon it.
A nimble Cat Spirit rushed to Modley Hadas’s side, whisking him away from the immediate danger. The knight and the Minotaur also retreated.
From the rear, the Sorceress cast a Gravity spell. Nearby, a Goblin, clutching a hammer, had already constructed a Rocket Turret.
Dozens of rockets launched simultaneously.
Boom~!
In an instant, the Azure Wolf was assailed by the focused attacks of numerous familiars. The sheer force caused the very ground beneath its feet to tremble.
Afterward, thick smoke slowly billowed upwards.
“Did… did it work?”
Though Modley Hadas knew Sophia Intist was powerful, witnessing her strength firsthand left him deeply impressed. He couldn’t help but marvel at the academy’s wise decision.
“Humans, have you perhaps grown too complacent?”
The Azure Wolf’s form began to emerge from the dense smoke. Once it cleared, Modley Hadas saw that the wolf was completely unharmed, as if the barrage of attacks had never occurred.
“How is that possible! Lucifer, you all must leave now! I’ll stay and hold it back.”
Modley Hadas flung his shield to the ground, seizing his sword to make a final stand.
“If we go, we go together!”
Lucifer Kentest vehemently disagreed with Modley Hadas’s proposal.
“If we don’t leave now, none of us will! Go!”
Embracing a suicidal resolve, Modley Hadas dragged his knight’s sword, unleashing the warrior skill ‘Drag Blade Slash,’ and charged towards the Azure Wolf.
“None of you shall esca— *thwack*!”
The Azure Wolf gazed disdainfully at the ant-like human before it. Just as it prepared to rip apart the one who dared to charge to their death, a sudden Holy Light Bullet struck its face like a stinging slap.
The impact instantly stripped the wolf of its kingly dignity.
“Jeanne, try casting a Holy Light Bullet over there.”
“Alright, brother.”
Yue Wu and Jeanne D’Arc behaved like unconcerned outsiders, utterly devoid of tension.
“Brother, I succeeded!”
“Excellent. You there, human, you have quite successfully ignited this king’s fury. You shall be the first one I tear to shreds!”
The Azure Wolf stomped its paws on the ground, swiftly bypassing Modley Hadas and knocking him flying.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re quite noisy?”
Before the Azure Wolf could even reach Jeanne D’Arc, a sudden hand pressed down on its head, slamming it into the ground.
Thud!
A spiderweb-like crater formed in the earth where the wolf’s head struck. The creator of this masterpiece was Yue Wu, who remained with his hand firmly pressed on the Azure Wolf’s head.
“What are you all staring at? Is there something on my face again?”
Perhaps sensing the sudden calm that had descended upon the scene, Yue Wu looked at Lucifer Kentest and his companions. He was puzzled by their expressions, as if they had just witnessed a ghost.
Their mouths hung wide open, wide enough to fit an egg.
“You!”
Lucifer Kentest could not believe his eyes. He recalled Yue Wu mentioning earlier that he was a Cleric, a profession encompassing the abilities of both a Sage and a Priest.
But what was this scene before him? Single-handedly subduing an A-rank Sacred Beast?
“Me? What about me?”
“Just now, you—?”
“Just now? That move? Wasn’t I incredibly cool?! Hahahaha~”
Yue Wu narcissistically praised himself, only to be met with Lucifer Kentest’s profound disdain.
“Wait! Is *this* what you meant by ‘output’?”
Lucifer Kentest suddenly remembered Yue Wu’s earlier claims about being able to heal, support, and “output” damage.
If *this* was what Yue Wu meant by “output,” then the Cleric class was truly overpowered.
“No, not really. That was just a casual push.”
That earlier move was indeed merely a casual gesture from Yue Wu. After all, his strength was B+ rank.
While a B-rank strength couldn’t instantly pin a Sacred Beast to the ground, Yue Wu’s B+ rank strength meant it was double that of someone with B-rank power.
Furthermore, an A-rank Sacred Beast didn’t necessarily possess A-rank physical strength.
“Damn you, human!”
At some point, the Azure Wolf had managed to break free, putting a considerable distance between itself and Yue Wu.
Though it hadn’t sensed any danger from Yue Wu before, that single move had made it realize the potential for harm.
This individual was, by far, the most inscrutable among all of them.
“That wasn’t a Cleric’s ‘output.’ *This* is.”
“Holy Light Spear.”
Yue Wu casually raised his hand. A spear of pure energy, radiating holy light, materialized above his head.
He then tossed it away with an almost dismissive flick.
Boom!
The spear landed a considerable distance from the Azure Wolf. The sheer power of that single spear was astonishing.
It had punched a massive hole through the ground, leaving behind enormous, spiderweb-like cracks and indentations.
“What in the world was that power?!”
Modley Hadas was so terrified by the attack that he completely forgot the pain in his body.
“That last strike truly did encompass the powers of both a Sage and a Priest.”
After his initial shock, Lucifer Kentest felt as though he glimpsed the future of the continent, and his own aspirations for the Cleric profession.
As for Sophia Intist, while she had sensed the horror of that attack, its explosive force had brought tears to her eyes.
She huddled in the arms of her familiar Sorceress, seemingly terrified by what had just transpired.
“Hey, we’re just here to collect some things. Don’t interfere with my objective, or I’ll beat you up.”
Yue Wu drew his staff. In that instant, the magical energy emanating from his body became increasingly palpable.
The Azure Wolf stared at Yue Wu in disbelief, a single question surfacing in its mind: Was the person before it truly human?
It wasn’t just the wolf pondering this; Lucifer Kentest and the others were wondering the same.
“Since you don’t intend to obstruct me anymore, we’ll just take what we need and leave.”
At some unknown moment, a pristine white robe had draped itself over Yue Wu. No one could discern his intentions.
“Of course, as compensation, I can help you reshape this area, providing a habitat for your kin.”
“Wind of Healing.”
“Ring of Truth, Triple.”
A magic circle, glowing with holy light, appeared at Yue Wu’s feet. Subsequently, three green rings successively floated above the magic array.
“Super Magic! Revival of All Creation.”
Raising the staff in his hand, the spell activated. The magic circle’s range rapidly expanded outwards, with the three rings growing alongside it.
A brilliant green light erupted from the magic array, drifting upwards.
“Spring brings not just a new season, but the revival of all things.”
“What do you all think?”
After about ten seconds, the formerly barren plain instantly transformed into a lush, thriving forest. Their current position was at the very center, the nexus of the spell’s activation.
Whether Yue Wu intentionally prevented trees from growing there or for some other reason, the area was bathed in excellent light, making it ideal for peaceful habitation.
“Hmm, I could build a small cabin here someday.”
Yue Wu genuinely considered building a small wooden cabin there. However, it was merely a thought; whether he would even remember this place in the future remained to be seen.