Blood splashed into the air, and a scream echoed.

"Maintain the circle! Do not let them get to the healers," one adventurer shouted.

A wolfurn had snapped its jaws into one of the fighters.

But the man was still fighting. He dug his sword into the neck of the wolfurn, and the beast let out a pained howl, releasing the limb.

"Healer!"

Another cultivator stepped into the fight and began casting a combat technique.

"Leave the way!" he shouted when he was done.

A large rock lifted from the earth and morphed into a massive nail. It moved with intense speed and implanted itself into the chest of the wolfurn, tossing it back.

The short girl who had previously spoken with Reith waved her dark hair aside and knelt down by the man.

"Healing Spring," she muttered, and a glow appeared on the man's torn arm. Although it was slow, there was progress nonetheless.

Reith swallowed and moved his sword, blocking the clash of the wolf in front of him.

He did not know why, but his movements were stiff.

Was it fear?

Why was he afraid? He had stood against the villains during the Alliance tragedy. So how was this different?

Reith drew back, heaving softly.

The wolfurn stared at its prey, waving its fully grown tail. It seemed like this human was among the weakest. The beast god must have blessed it.

It especially loved the aroma leaking from this fellow.

The wolfurn's teeth were in full display. Ultimately, it knew that if it ate this one, it would gain three fully grown tails.

A loud howl erupted from the beast.

Reith gripped his staff, waiting for the wolfurn to strike.

His nerves were haywire, and he could not calm down.

The wolfurn moved in a flash.

"It is faster," Reith's eyes widened, and he jumped out of the way. The wolfurn's claws came down with a swipe, but it had missed its prey.

With a snarl, it moved again.

Reith was just about to stand when he turned and saw the wolf at point-blank range.

He instantly closed his eyes, but nothing happened. Then the silence was followed by a loud bam.

Reith opened his eyes.

"If you knew you were going to spend your time on the floor, then why did you come here in the first place?" The voice was Matchet's.

He walked forward, stepping over Reith's body, and moved to pick up his hammer that was stuck in the wolf's body.

Reith picked himself from the floor and slapped his face.

The surrounding sounds, the screaming, the yelling, the clashing of weapons and claws, seemed to fade into the background.

"Focus, Reith. Just channel that energy and save the rest," he told himself.

He raised his head and looked around. The image of the immense power he had unleashed at Kalion appeared in his head. What if he mistakenly hit the adventurers?

Max parried his sword against the wolfurn leader's claw and immediately drew back.

A large ball of fire appeared behind him. It was the common technique used by those whose path emblem had an affinity for fire. The Hail Fire Storm technique.

The ball of fire behind Max split into various smaller balls.

"I would watch you take this," Max sneered. "Hail Fire Storm."

The fireballs, each taking a different shape, shot toward the wolfurn.

Although Max knew the wolfurn had an ability, he was confident in his own technique.

"I remember when you were still an initiate," Cassia walked to his side and flicked her wrist, removing the blood from her short dagger. "You could only form one ball of fire. Now look at you." She chuckled lightly, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulders.

Max smirked and drew her body to his side. "Thanks to your help," he said, placing a kiss on her cheek.

Then he turned to face the wolfurn. On the beast's limbs, there were large, fresh cuts. Even if the wolfurn had a flame ability and three tails, the loss of blood would slow it while it tried to evade the fireballs.

Max looked back and saw the others holding their ground. It was progress. If only they could work harder, then they would leave here sooner.

Minx was already holding off the remainder of the wolfurn pack, but how long would he last?

Max's eyes landed on Reith, and he frowned.

"Hey, kid! Pick up your staff and fight," he yelled.

In that moment, his head banged, and he turned back to the leader of the wolfurn. The beast was charging straight into the fireballs.

Bang!

"Has it gone mad?" Max said as sweat pooled on his forehead. "Cassia, let us go."

The two of them moved. Cassia slipped into the shadow of the wolfurn while Max resumed his chanting.

The wolfurn's action was reasonable. It had seen no hope of winning, so the next thing was a suicide battle. If it was going to die, then it would take its prey with it.

With three tails, the wolfurn had gained a measure of sentience.

"Hurry up with the kills, everyone," Max yelled as he brandished his sword.

A short girl moved, jumping and evading every attack. Then she stood in front of Reith.

Raising her hand, she slapped him.

Reith snapped out of his thoughts and turned to the girl.

"What—"

She slapped him again. "You talked about extremity, but are you not taking your fear too far? If we need anybody, it is you, especially with your talent grade."

Reith's eyes widened. She knew about his talent grade. How?

However, this was not the time to dwell on it. Blue light sparkled in his eyes.

"Thank you," he muttered to the girl, but she had already run away.

He had been too scared to display his strength and abilities simply because of fear. The vision he had seen from that book was the cause.

Reith took a deep breath. He could fight. He would figure out how to use this weapon.

The wolfurns were getting defeated one after the other.

Matchet's hammer drove into their skulls with ferocity and anger.

Soon enough, only three were left, but most of the adventurers had been drained of their Hana. The healers were trying hard already, but regaining Hana was a difficult process.

The other adventurers were simply holding the wolfurns back, waiting for Max to finish off the leader.

If the leader was dead, then the rest of the beasts would lose the will to fight.

However, something else was happening. Max and Cassia were delivering heavy blows and attacks to the three-tailed wolfurn, but it refused to give up.

Reith decided to get into the fight, wielding his staff over his head. He did not activate his technique yet.

Although he had not mastered full control of the technique, he could still manipulate the element.

Every time he slammed his staff on a wolfurn, it left a bubbling effect that slowed the beast's movement.

Although Matchet was low on Hana, he could still swing that heavy hammer. It made Reith wonder how hard and long he had trained.

The two of them moved in rhythm.

Blood splashed on the trees and leaves as body parts of wolfurns exploded the moment they came into contact with Matchet's massive weapon.

Matchet's face carried the hint of a smile when he looked at Reith, but the boy had already moved ahead into the fight.

The ground trembled, and the wind raged. Around the biggest wolfurn's body, the air moved mightily, drawing everyone's attention.

"Is it evolving right here?" Max frowned, unable to understand what was going on.

"We cannot let it evolve, Max," Cassia stepped out of a shadow and said.

Max heavily nodded, and more fireballs formed behind him.

"Hail Fire Storm!"

It was the largest storm he had ever created, but when the balls were hurled at the wolfurn, it dodged them.

"If only it would stay in one position."

The moment the words left his lips, a large crackle exploded, spreading across the battle arena.

A thick lightning rod came from another direction and slammed into the wolfurn's body.

Max's eyes widened for a moment, but he was quick to seize the opportunity.

The wolfurn had stopped moving. It was out cold but still not dead.

Before it could open its eyes, massive fireballs pelted its body, creating gaping holes.

There was no time for celebration.

"Everyone, run forward. Let us leave this place," Max commanded, and the adventurers nodded.

They all powered up their cores and moved forward with intense speed.

Reith had just poured out all the energy in his core, and he did not even know how to run forward with Hana energy. It seemed like everyone here was experienced.

They all moved away, and while he tried to do the same, the short girl came to his side and pinched his clothes.

"You should be going along with them," Reith said, but his surprise showed when the wind slapped his face, and the scenery instantly changed.

They had left the battle arena.

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