Who could tell her, just what was going on right now?
Wasn’t she supposed to have come out of the city to hunt the Silvermoon Wolf King? So why was she being carried on a wolf’s back right now?
Furry as it was, and certainly quite comfortable, the Wolf King’s strides were swift, and the forest paths were rugged and uneven. Yuli had to cling tightly to the Wolf King’s body with one hand to avoid being thrown off.
Was she the first person ever to ride a wolf?
The wind howled past her ears, and the scenery flashed by in a blur. The Wolf King carried her, dashing wildly deeper into the forest.
Behind the Wolf King, the Silvermoon Wolf pack, corrupted and infected, continued their relentless pursuit.
Not good…
During the daytime, Silvermoon Wolves couldn’t use magic. Plus, the Wolf King had to speed up to widen the gap, so there was no way to spare any attention to deal with the wolf pack.
That task could only fall to Yuli.
One person, one wolf—at this critical moment, they were working together once again.
Yuli’s left hand still clung tightly to the Wolf King to keep from being thrown off. She raised her right hand, gripping her longsword, and flames burst from her palm, quickly winding around the blade. She swung her sword at the relentless wolf pack chasing from behind.
But, it didn’t go as she had hoped—there was no roaring wave of fire, no burning leaves to block the path of the wolves.
All that came from her swing were a few weak sparks, not even enough to set the dry leaves ablaze, let alone stop the wolves in their tracks.
“Guh…”
Was her mana running low, or was it that she couldn’t focus while bouncing atop the wolf’s back?
Either way, it was terrible.
The Wolf King’s stamina wasn’t limitless. If the wolf pack kept chasing so closely, sooner or later they’d catch up. By then, with both her and the Wolf King exhausted, there was no way they could deal with the pack and the Abyssal creatures following close behind.
What to do?
Her gaze fell to her side—the little Evil God with white hair and red eyes was floating alongside her.
Sensing Yuli’s gaze, the little Evil God gave a haughty snort and immediately lifted her chin proudly.
A look that said, ‘Only I can help Yuli-chan now, so come and beg me for it.’ If she spoke, she would definitely say that.
As much as she hated to admit it, right now, she did indeed need Ilith’s help.
“Ilith…”
She had barely called her name when the little Evil God instantly scooted closer, face full of anticipation.
‘As expected, you still need me.’
That’s definitely what she was thinking.
“Ilith, teach me magic.”
“Yare yare, the wind is so loud, I can’t hear a thing~”
The little Evil God theatrically turned her ear, but her mouth curved into a wide grin.
This girl… When did she ever notice the wind?
“Ilith, teach me magic.”
She repeated herself, but this time Ilith just gave her a mischievous smile.
“Yuli-chan, what did you just say? I can’t hear you~”
This brat… she’s definitely doing it on purpose.
“Mmm… so strange, suddenly I can’t hear Yuli-chan’s voice at all~ How about this, if Yuli-chan begs me, maybe my ears will start working again.
Also, also…”
The little Evil God blinked, her gaze drifting to the Wolf King’s injured hind leg. “Looks like your animal friend can’t hold on much longer. If it runs any further, it might collapse, and you’ll be thrown off together~ But there are still so many wolves behind us—what will you do now?”
The Wolf King’s hind leg was indeed wounded. If it kept running, the injury could tear open. If the Wolf King fell, she would definitely be thrown off its back as well. At this speed, she might even be knocked unconscious by the fall.
This girl… She was definitely trying to take advantage of her.
Taking a deep breath, Yuli’s expression changed. Of course she knew what Ilith wanted.
“Great Ilith-sama, I need to learn appropriate magic—please help me.”
“Hmph~ That’s more like it.” The little Evil God snorted softly, looking like a child delighted with a new toy.
She was unexpectedly easy to coax. As long as you humored her a little, she’d change her mind. More like a kid than a so-called Evil God.
“Let me think. There’s no time to learn a new spell, after all, your animal friend probably can’t last much longer. So, I’ll help you recall yesterday’s feeling. Close your eyes now and remember how it felt to be consumed by anger yesterday.”
As she spoke, Ilith moved behind her, pressing close, and grabbed her wrist. Even though Yuli still felt no physical sensation from Ilith’s touch, the Evil God acted as if she were guiding her hands personally.
By sticking close, she could help Yuli rouse what little mana she had left.
Recall how it felt to be ruled by anger yesterday?
Back then, she’d swung her sword on instinct, unleashing searing flames that forced back the knights. Then, the rain of fire that followed stopped their pursuit entirely. By the time the flames died down, she was long gone.
Listening to Ilith’s voice right beside her, Yuli’s body gradually recalled that moment from yesterday. She could feel her mana surging to a single point within, compressing, condensing, transforming into a torrent of fire coiling around her blade. As she swung her sword, a scorching crimson wave erupted, blasting straight at the wolf pack behind her.
The Silvermoon Wolves at the very front were instantly swallowed by the explosion of flame, stumbling to a halt. Then the blast wave scattered, transforming into a violent rain of fire. The instant it struck the ground, it ignited the piles of dry leaves, setting the forest ablaze in the blink of an eye and cutting off the wolves’ pursuit.
The wolves howled in frustration. In their bones, they feared fire, and could only stop and watch as Yuli and the Wolf King made their escape.
Even though their pursuers had halted for the time being, the Wolf King didn’t slow down, seizing the chance to widen the gap even further.
The Wolf King charged on into the heart of the dense forest. Who knew how much time had passed before its steps began to slow. Finding a hidden hollow, the Wolf King stumbled to a halt, and with a thud, its massive body collapsed, sending Yuli tumbling down with it.
“Ugh…”
That fall was not pleasant.
With her mana exhausted and her body weak, the tumble nearly knocked Yuli unconscious.
Still, she struggled to her feet, swaying. At this moment, the Wolf King was sprawled on the ground, panting heavily—obviously at its limit.
The wound on its right hind leg had been torn open from the mad dash, blood soaking into the fur all around.
“Hey, hey, Yuli-chan, don’t forget your mission~”
Of course she remembered—hunt the Silvermoon Wolf King. Complete the mission, and she could leave the forest and collect five gold coins from the Guild.
Thinking of that, Yuli knelt down.
“Your animal friend’s almost done for, you know. This is the best chance you’ll get~”
Yuli ignored Ilith, instead pulling out some spare herbal medicine for treating wounds from her pouch.
Since she couldn’t afford a healing potion, this herbal remedy would have to do.
As Yuli approached the injured leg, the Wolf King’s eyes filled with caution, and it growled softly. But, realizing Yuli bore no killing intent, the growl faded into a subdued whimper.
“This might hurt a little—hang in there.”
After quickly cleaning the area around the wound, Yuli ground up the herbs and applied them to the Wolf King’s injury. The instant she did, the wolf yelped in pain—no different from a person.
Once she’d finished, Yuli took out some cloth and quickly bandaged the wound. With that done, she was out of strength herself, and slumped onto the Wolf King’s furry body.
She never expected that, having once been enemies, the two—human and wolf—would temporarily join forces against a common foe.
Exhaustion washed over her like a tide. Yuli fought to stay awake, but in the end, sleep won out.
Resting her head on the Wolf King’s soft fur, she closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.
*****
Night fell.
Yuli was the first to wake. She built a campfire near the Wolf King, then set out alone to scout the area. If any danger appeared, she’d need to rouse the Wolf King immediately.
Fortunately, things were safe for now.
On the way back, she caught a wild rabbit. When she returned to camp, she was greeted by a strange sight.
The once mighty Wolf King—who could have snapped her up as a snack—was now lying on its back, belly up like a big dog, letting Ilith pet it as she pleased.
Whoa… Ilith’s ability to dominate.
Wait, hold on?
Could the Wolf King actually see Ilith?