Strategic Retreat

A sharp, piercing sound of slicing wind rang out—

Followed immediately by miserable wails and furious roars.

Although the wind blades couldn’t directly kill even a single monster, their range was enormous!

What had originally been a forward-facing crescent slash was expanded more than threefold in Ye Yousheng’s hands.

He thinned its thickness, stretched its length, and unleashed a horizontally sweeping blade that was almost circular.

This sudden wide-area attack struck two Hellhounds and Death Knell, while the last Hellhound on the left reacted in time and leapt away.

-34!

-128!

-165!

The damage wasn’t significant—

But it created an opening.

An opening to break through the encirclement!

At that moment, the monsters’ formation lost all meaning.

With Wind Walk enhancing him, Ye Yousheng seized the chance and burst out of the encirclement!

“Alicia! Hold them off!”

“Got it!”

Having regained her confidence, Alicia pointed her staff behind them.

Her chant was noticeably faster now—her hesitation was gone.

“O earth elements, heed my command and raise a wall—Earth Wall!”

Since the labyrinth lay beneath Alana, earth elements were the most abundant here.

For a mere 30 mana, she erected a wall three meters tall, two meters wide, and one meter thick.

Its sturdiness was questionable—

But its size was more than enough.

As expected, the three Hellhounds and Death Knell were blocked behind it.

They lost sight of their targets and had to go around.

At first glance, the wall didn’t seem like much—

But in reality, it bought Ye Yousheng a huge amount of time.

More importantly, Earth Wall had a short chant, low mana cost, large area, and could be cast anywhere there was soil.

This discovery thrilled Ye Yousheng.

With this spell, escaping—or even counter-killing—might actually be possible!

Even as he calmly constructed a comeback plan in his mind, his feet didn’t stop moving.

Taking advantage of the moment the monsters were blocked—

He ran toward… the wall.

Yes.

Instead of fleeing, he ran straight back toward the monsters!

“Alicia, hold onto me and stay steady!”

“Huh? O-Okay!”

She hesitated for only a moment before tightly wrapping her arms around his neck.

Worried about hindering him, she pressed closer against his chest.

Freed hands—

Ye Yousheng climbed the wall!

Reaching the top, he shouted,

“Start chanting Earth Wall—wait for my signal!”

Though confused, Alicia obeyed immediately.

“O earth elements, heed my command—”

Ye Yousheng didn’t pause for even a second.

Gripping his dagger with both hands, he leapt—

And plunged it straight into the Hellhound that had avoided the earlier attack!

Thud!

The Hellhound never expected an attack from above.

Before it could even react, the dagger pierced its brain.

Critical hit.

Instant kill.

The moment he succeeded, Ye Yousheng shouted,

“Cast Earth Wall under us!”

Right then, Alicia finished her chant.

“—raise a wall—Earth Wall!”

A wall erupted beneath them.

Ye Yousheng and another Hellhound were lifted to the top.

But unlike Ye Yousheng, who had planned everything—

The Hellhound had no time to react.

Its abdomen slammed into the rising wall, while Ye Yousheng landed steadily on top!

Before the Hellhound could fall, he rushed forward and stabbed it repeatedly.

Brain.

Heart.

Again and again.

Then kicked it off the wall.

“Awoooo—!”

Seeing its companions die one by one, the last Hellhound howled sharply.

Its eyes turned blood-red, flames leaking hotter and darker from its jaws.

It was completely enraged.

“Keep chanting! Two left!”

Though shocked, Alicia obeyed immediately.

“Yes! O earth elements—”

Ye Yousheng jumped down from the wall.

The last Hellhound lunged at him mid-fall.

When he dropped about a third of the way—

“Cast Earth Wall on the surface!”

“—raise a wall—Earth Wall!”

A new wall jutted horizontally from the existing one.

This wall became—

His foothold.

And his booster.

Using the upward force, Ye Yousheng changed direction midair—

From falling to lunging forward!

Switching the dagger to his left hand, he grabbed the Hellhound with his right.

“Heh! How about you try my left hand this time?”

Locking its neck tightly, forcing its jaws open—

He shoved his left hand, dagger and all, straight into its flaming mouth.

A move even crazier than plunging a hand into boiling oil.

And yet—he did it without hesitation.

Then calmly said,

“Wind Blade.”

From the outside, wind blades couldn’t pierce its hide.

But from the inside—

They tore it apart effortlessly.

The blade exploded within the Hellhound’s body.

Blood burst out like a fountain.

He tossed the corpse aside casually and turned to face Death Knell.

“Now it’s just you.”

Alicia’s jaw hung open.

Moments ago, they had been completely surrounded—

Now it was two against one.

This acrobatic fighting style—

She had never seen anything like it.

Spells meant for defense had become tools for evasion, concealment, and attack.

Even earlier—

Wind Bind became a universal rope.

Wind Blade turned from a crescent into a full circle.

Yes.

The biggest difference between Ye Yousheng and people of this world—

Wasn’t mana.

Wasn’t divine gifts.

It was—

The way he thought.

“Time to settle our score.”

“Ughhhhh…”

Death Knell crushed the head of a dead Hellhound underfoot, as if blaming its useless allies.

Then it raised its massive hammer with both hands.

It was getting serious.

And Ye Yousheng?

He turned his back to it calmly.

Sheathed his dagger—

As if mocking it: I don’t even need a weapon to deal with you.

Then…

He muttered three words.

Scooped Alicia back into his arms—

And ran.

At full speed.

Yes.

He ran.

Those three words were “Wind Walk.”

Facing the Death Knell that had nearly killed him before—

He chose escape without hesitation.

Yeah… his dignity kind of hit the floor there.

But in his mind, only one thought remained—

Pull off the cool act, then run like hell.

Damn… that’s thrilling.