"Something's amiss!" The Wolf King's reaction was the swiftest, and Maki Shinpu and I were not far behind. In less than a second, the clutter on the ground was kicked aside, and the three of us leaped onto the nearby trees. From our elevated vantage point, we observed over a dozen skilled warriors surrounding three small demons, their combat experience evident in their seamless coordination. Without a moment's hesitation, I flicked my fingers, releasing eighteen radiant light projectiles, and immediately launched myself into the fray.
"Do you require assistance? We are also part of the Demon Hunter Mercenary Corps training camp..." The warriors were taken aback by this unexpected turn of events. By the time they comprehended the situation, I had already soared above the battlefield, and the three small demons, already wounded, were swiftly purified beneath my light projectiles. I had just transformed my zero achievements into a commendable three-fifths, filling me with a sense of pride.
"Damn it, we don't need your help. Next time, keep your distance; otherwise, we won't hold back," one of the warriors retorted. As I had anticipated, they were ungrateful for my assistance. However, my dazzling display of skill had rendered them hesitant to turn hostile immediately. The Wolf King leaped down from the tree and sighed, shaking his head at Maki Shinpu. "Wang Lin was once a good kid, but now he has been tainted by this environment, becoming quite despicable. I was a beat behind him; otherwise, those three small demons would have been my achievements."
Maki Shinpu shrugged, saying nothing. Upon rejoining my companions, a cold smirk appeared on my face as I quietly stated, "We should relocate; we won't find any small demons here; they must have been slain by these people." The Wolf King and Maki Shinpu concurred with my assessment. After a brief discussion, we prepared to venture deeper into the dense forest in search of prey. I lagged slightly behind them.
As I raised my hands, three fingers held two cards—trophies from my conquest of the three small demons. A mere glance sent a thrill through me; the spoils were two magic cards: a Level Two Fireball Card and a Level One Ice Spike Card. "When we hunted the Swamp Dragon, we obtained nothing but a collection of dragon skins and tons of dragon meat. I never expected the small demons to drop such valuable items; magic cards are quite a high-priced commodity," I mused.
Maki Shinpu called out to me from ahead, prompting me to hastily respond and catch up while stowing the cards into my Demon Book. Suddenly, an odd sound echoed from nearby. The Wolf King quickly retreated, and I activated my holy shield. A fiercely explosive fireball struck my shield, dispersing into a cascade of flames upon impact.
"Fire-element small demons!" Maki Shinpu instantly perked up, raising his long sword, "Ancient Moon," toward the origin of the fireball, while the bone sword, "Mizukagami," was firmly gripped in his hand. The Wolf King promptly summoned the Seven Kills Polaris, adopting the perfect firing stance. After squeezing the trigger, a ghastly scream resonated from a hundred paces away.
My agility was unmatched; I executed the Flying Flower and Sweeping Leaf technique to its fullest, appearing in the clearing where the fireball was launched. To my astonishment, I found a horde of small demons gathered there instead of the anticipated solitary foe. "Damn it, we've stumbled upon a swarm of small demons, around seventeen or eighteen of them! Be cautious!" I shouted a warning while activating my holy shield. Almost simultaneously, five or six fireballs, radiating intense heat, crashed onto my shield.
The fireball spells unleashed by these small demons were over ten times more potent than my light projectiles, comparable to my amplified magic output using the Max spell. At this moment, I had no intention of conserving energy; I summoned the Seven Kills Polaris. Although using the psionic firearm was costly, it conserved my stamina, and I wished to maintain my peak combat effectiveness, making the use of tools a sensible choice.
The Wolf King was a skilled marksman; had it not been for my perfect accuracy card and dynamic vision card enhancing my target acquisition abilities, I would not have matched his military prowess. However, the outcome was different now. I fired six shots; aside from two that were deflected by the small demons' magic, merely injuring the targets, the remaining four resulted in headshots.
"I've completed my task! Wolf King, Maki Shinpu, you need to step up your game!" My taunt ignited the Wolf King's pride. Lacking the protection of my holy shield, he dared not approach the battlefield, but the power of his sniper rifle transcended distance, allowing him to effortlessly take down three small demons. Maki Shinpu, adept in both ranged and melee combat, fared even better than the Wolf King, yet the small demons were not easily subdued.
With several companions slain, the small demons recognized a tactical shift; they had initially targeted me, but the resilience of my holy shield surprised them, wasting precious time. Once they regrouped, they redirected their assault toward Maki Shinpu. Although he wielded the formidable Mizukagami, he struggled against the onslaught of fireballs, ice spikes, wind blades, and lightning bolts. After managing to deflect two or three projectiles, he was struck by a green-glowing poison spell, causing his complexion to turn sickly green. I rushed to expand the range of my holy shield to encompass him as well.
Upon expanding the shield, its effectiveness plummeted sharply. After absorbing two ice spikes and a particularly powerful fireball, I sensed the instability of the shield. This was not the time to endure; I swiftly countered with a widespread bombardment of holy projectiles, hastily ushering Maki Shinpu to retreat.
As the small demons, emboldened by their advantage, charged after us, a barrage of various magical missiles rained down around Maki Shinpu and me. The situation was perilously dangerous.
"In a jungle pursuit, I am an expert. Wang Lin, keep your communication card ready and stay in touch with me." The Wolf King concealed himself even earlier than us. I dragged Maki Shinpu along as we sprinted for our lives. Fortunately, the speed of these small demons was not as grotesquely fast as that of the Cave Hounds; otherwise, I would have had no choice but to unfurl my magical wings and escape to the skies. However, such a retreat would make it exceedingly difficult to track these small demons, and it would be a pity to lose sight of our hard-found quarry.
Maki Shinpu used a healing card, and the sickly green hue on his face finally faded. Yet, still shaken, he whispered to me, "Thank goodness it was a poison spell; if it had been a fireball or ice spike, I would have been finished." I infused him with a touch of White Radiance, casting a holy shield around him, and then murmured, "Under the onslaught of small demons, this shield can hold for no more than ten minutes. Be cautious and avoid getting hit!" Maki Shinpu nodded and promptly dismounted from my back, unhesitatingly veering off in another direction.
We fought separately, maintaining contact through our communication cards, a tactic we had long since devised. Although small demons possess intelligence comparable to that of humans, they have not had the opportunity to attend military academies or learn from the wisdom of countless predecessors from ancient times. We maintained a triangular encirclement; no matter which of us was attacked, the others would strike from a different angle, and my holy shield frustrated the small demons, causing them to focus their assaults primarily on Maki Shinpu.
These small demons are cunning creatures; they cast spells from a distance and scatter at the first sign of danger, excelling in their ability to conceal themselves within the dense foliage—true masters of guerrilla warfare. Fortunately, we had prepared long-range psionic sniper rifles and communication cards for real-time coordination; in this battle, the importance of our equipment was paramount. Warfare often hinges on resources; while tactics are crucial, in this instance, both factors tipped the scales of victory in our favor.
Once again, I employed the perfect accuracy card to lock onto the small demon that had previously deflected my special psionic annihilation projectiles. This time, I did not rush to fire; instead, I launched a silent Void Claw. Although the attack range of the Void Claw is limited and its power modest, its silent and elusive nature often catches many off guard.
The small demon had been keenly observing my movements, but the disruption caused by the Void Claw diverted its attention. As a gust of wind swept through its disheveled fur, startling its grotesque head, I gently squeezed the trigger. Through my scope, I witnessed a brilliant and sinister bloom of crimson. "This troublesome one is finally dealt with," I thought, channeling my psychic energy to retrieve three cards that the small demon dropped. I was momentarily taken aback; the four small demons I had just slain had yielded no cards, yet this one gifted me three. It seemed that luck varied even among small demons.
A Level One Wind Blade Card, a Level Six Wind Blade Card, and a Level Two Whirlwind Card. "Ah, it appears it possessed quite a repertoire of spells, and I now have a complete set of Level Three Wind Blade Cards!" At that moment, the Wolf King's voice boomed through the communication card, "Wang Lin, I have secured my achievements as well. Maki Shinpu, how fares your end?" Maki Shinpu's voice was urgent as he exclaimed, "I still need one more, but I'm currently besieged by four small demons! Hurry and assist me!"
The Wolf King and I acknowledged him and immediately dashed toward Maki Shinpu's location. However, upon my arrival at the battlefield, I discovered that others had reached it before us. The group of warriors we had encountered earlier had also arrived at this juncture. I had previously sown discord, allowing Maki Shinpu to bear the brunt of it, and now, relying on their numbers and teamwork, they had swiftly dispatched all four small demons before the Wolf King and I could intervene. The individual who had warned me to keep my distance even took a moment to gloat in my direction.
The Wolf King licked his lips and murmured, "These fellows are quite arrogant; should we deal with them?" Their battle against the small demons had relied entirely on teamwork, and their average combat prowess was likely equivalent to our strength prior to receiving support from the Locke Group. The Wolf King had identified their weakness, hence his suggestion.
"Let it be; they just saved Maki Shinpu. It would be unwise for us to turn against them now, and having more humans around is preferable to an influx of small demons," I replied. Maki Shinpu chuckled wryly, "I still need one more small demon for my record; it seems we must endure a bit longer."
After pondering, I produced three Fireball Cards, one Ice Spike Card, and one Whirlwind Card, softly stating, "Let's share our spoils; if we can gather a complete set, it will greatly aid us in the upcoming battles." The Wolf King grunted in agreement and revealed his own loot: three cards—one Level Two Ice Spike Card, one Level Three Poison Spell Card, and one Level One Wind Blade Card.
Without hesitation, Maki Shinpu discarded two cards, handing one each to the Wolf King and me. "I want the Wolf King's Poison Spell Card and Wang Lin's two Fireball Cards; I believe you both will find them useful." He offered the Wolf King a Level Three Ice Spike Card and me a Level One Fireball Card. Though exchanging one for two seemed disadvantageous for me, in our context, such trade-offs were of little concern; we were not merchants. While our camaraderie was not exceptionally close, we were still partners in arms.
The Wolf King casually placed the Wind Blade Card in my hand and took the Level Two Ice Spike Card, chuckling softly, "Wang Lin, you seem to have drawn the short straw; the Wind Blade is of little use to you." I raised my hands in indifference to our exchange. The other warriors observed us with envy, yet upon witnessing the Wolf King's menacing aura, Maki Shinpu's concealed prowess, and my earlier display of skill, they wisely abandoned any thoughts of robbery.
All were seasoned fighters, keenly aware of the dire consequences that unnecessary conflict could bring in a forest rife with monstrous threats.