The Wolf Pack

“…Phew, finally muddled through.”

After being let go, Vivian’s taut nerves finally had a chance to breathe, but the back of her shirt was already slightly soaked with cold sweat, bringing a chilling sensation.

It was truly dangerous, but this also proved that Vivian’s decision to cross the defensive lines disguised as an adventurer was the correct one.

After all, a Demon Lord like her, located deep within human territory, was far too conspicuous.

If she had been careless and Garen had actually caught her, it would have been a disaster.

But even after passing Garen, she could still clearly feel his gaze following her back until she had completely merged into the darkness ahead of the squad.

But a demon was a demon, after all.

Vivian felt the stinging sensation on her body, as if burned by light, linger for a long time.

“Phew…”

It wasn’t until they had walked a considerable distance, confirming that Garen’s figure had disappeared from their sight and senses, that a series of suppressed exhales rippled through the team.

“My heavens, that scared me to death…”

“That was ‘Blade of Radiance,’ Lord Garen… His aura is terrifying.”

A young archer patted his chest, still shaken, while another warrior muttered under his breath.

Captain Barton also wiped away his sweat, turned back to look at Vivian, and said with a comforting tone, “Miss Nannali, are you alright? Lord Garen is always like that, especially wary of any unfamiliar faces, particularly after what happened to Lady Lucia and at Faro Fortress…”

“Mmm… I’m fine.”

‘A close call.’

Vivian thought to herself.

“Let’s go,” Captain Barton said in a low voice. “Pull yourselves together. The gap in the defensive line is just ahead. The view is open there, but it’s also a high-risk area for demon scout infiltration. Everyone, keep your eyes peeled!”

“Yes.”

The others responded, and the squad fell silent once more, but the atmosphere was even heavier than before.

After all, they all knew that the so-called Demon Lord of Evernight might be lurking in some unknown shadow in the darkness.

With a casual flick of her finger, their entire team could be instantly killed.

But none of them were afraid, because they all carried life-detection magic.

If they were all wiped out, an alarm would instantly be sent to the rear, which would then determine that they had been attacked by a powerful demonic beast… or a Demon Lord.

These adventurers in the night combat squads were essentially semi-official personnel, and their close coordination with each other was beyond imagination—if Vivian hadn’t been a former game player, she might have suffered a loss due to these details.

Following that, they continued to advance.

In the period that followed, Barton’s team still encountered numerous demon attacks.

Vivian, however, slacked off during the counterattacks—on the surface, it looked like she was fighting back, but most of her attacks either missed or were merely meant to restrict the enemy, causing limited damage.

She was a Demon Lord, after all.

Although she was currently in disguise, if she could avoid harming her own kind, she would try to show mercy.

To be honest, Vivian felt that her current self was very complicated.

Although her identity was that of a Demon Lord of the Demon Clan, her mentality was still that of an ordinary human.

…But it would take some time to adapt.

The moonlight struggled to pierce through the clouds, casting mottled and faint shadows on the muddy road—and amidst the gradual battles, Vivian was slowly approaching that gap in the boundary…

‘Almost there… I’ll be there soon!’

As she got closer to her intended crossing point, Vivian couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

As long as she crossed this area and returned to the demon-controlled zone, Vivian would be mostly safe.

At the very least, she wouldn’t have to hide and conceal herself anymore!

Vivian took a deep breath, her Demon Lord-level perception subtly and silently spreading out—but then she sensed it.

The Hero Garen was actually tailing their team not far behind!

“…Is this guy really that suspicious?”

Vivian couldn’t help but swallow, feeling the pressure.

Fortunately, her perception was only a minimal probe, a simple sweep of the vicinity to confirm if there were any other presences, so she probably wasn’t discovered.

But she just so happened to discover a lone individual moving behind them…

Considering the people present nearby, the only possibility was Garen.

‘Should I rush out now? Or continue to lie low for a while… but it should be about time.’

Vivian began to calculate, thinking about whether she should rush out now or continue to lie low for a while.

At the same time, she was quietly changing her position in the squad, gradually moving towards the edge.

Garen’s speed and perception were far beyond those of an ordinary adventurer.

It was very likely that the moment she broke away from the team and revealed her demon aura, she would be locked onto and intercepted.

‘No, I can’t force my way through.’

Vivian immediately dismissed the idea of rushing out directly, her brain working at high speed.

‘I must create a ‘reasonable’ ‘accident’ that the team won’t immediately notice or be able to prevent, and it would be best if it could temporarily interfere with Garen’s pursuit! Otherwise, with the power of a Hero, he might still be able to catch up to me!’

Her gaze quickly swept across the area before her—just as Barton had said, the view here was relatively open, with sparse trees interspersed with low shrubs and slippery mossy ground.

The moonlight flickered in and out, casting swaying, blurred shadows.

This open area was a double-edged sword—it was easy for the team to be on guard, but it also meant the team was more conspicuous.

Just then—

“Awooo—!!”

Several sharp wolf howls erupted from the shadows of the dense forest to the team’s front left, followed by more echoing cries!

The sounds rapidly approached, filled with bloodthirsty panting and ferocity!

‘An opportunity!’

Vivian’s eyes lit up, realizing this was her chance to escape!

“On guard! It’s a pack of Shadowmoon Demon Wolves! There’s a lot of them!” Captain Barton instantly made a judgment. “Front line, form up! Mages, prepare area control! Archers, suppress the flanks!”

The team changed formation with practiced discipline, instantly protecting their most vulnerable casters in the center.

Vivian’s peripheral vision, however, was locked onto the direction where the howls were most dense, and—her perception of Garen’s position behind them.

A few seconds later, the demon wolf pack, like a surging black tide, burst out from the shadows of the forest!

They were a size larger than ordinary wolves, their fur glowing with a strange, eerie blue sheen under the moonlight, their scarlet eyes filled with madness.

The battle erupted in an instant!

The shouts of warriors, the roar of magic, the whistle of arrows, and the biting and snarling of the demon wolves mixed together, shattering the silence of the night.

Vivian seemingly fumbled, launching a series of [Shadow Bolts], but most were dodged by the agile demon wolves or only left shallow scorch marks on their hides, perfectly playing the part of a panicked shadowmancer.

She noticed that among the wolf pack, there was a particularly large wolf with a silver crescent moon marking on its forehead!

It cunningly bypassed the front-line warriors’ blades, using its packmates’ feints to suddenly pounce towards the relatively weak right flank—the very spot Vivian had been intentionally or unintentionally moving towards