The beastman ranks steadily closed in, the panicked blood wolf pack continually retreating, yet their path was ultimately blocked off by rocks and snow, rendering escape impossible.
"Awoo!"
The Blood Wolf Leader's eyes flashed a blood-red hue, and it let out a long howl towards the sky, the sound echoing through the heavens.
This was its order to the wolves,
Attack!
There was no way back, only forward to carve a bloody path.
Bam bam bam!
Upon hearing the leader's command, the wolf pack immediately gathered together, charging fiercely toward the beastman ranks ahead.
Each blood wolf bared vicious teeth, sweeping forth like a tide, ferociously attacking the beastman array in front.
Facing the charge of over a hundred wolves, if it were any other beastman tribe in the Kawa Great Forest, they might have fled in panic.
Yet these Austin clan members, rigorously trained and forged in bloody battle, stood firm as steel.
"Stab!"
As the blood wolves drew close, a command rang out, and the sharp long spears thrust forth, the leading wolves crashing into a solid wall, blood splattering as eight or nine immediately fell beneath the spears.
But this did not scare the blood wolves; the pack kept charging forward, directly attacking the beastman formation.
If it were during that night raid days ago, the wolves' relentless attack would have torn open the beastman ranks, leading them to break apart.
However, Austin had made adjustments to the beastman ranks for today's battle.
Because of the canyon's width, Austin's beastman forces were divided into three lines. The front line was a group of ten goblins.
Short goblins holding spears in one hand, and a half-person-high rattan wooden shield in the other, served as makeshift gun shield soldiers.
Given the goblins' stature, the first line was not intended to do much damage; their spears mainly deterred the blood wolves' advance, while their shields protected the lower body, blocking wolves outside the formation.
Behind them were the taller kobolds and lizardmen in the second and third rows, tasked with damaging the wolves.
The short goblins ahead did not hinder the spear attacks of the second and third lines.
Thus, the three lines intertwined their attacks, transforming the beastman army into a grinder within the canyon, exterminating the blood wolves.
Blood wolves kept charging, but hitting the collaborative killing machine, the canyon filled with blood splatter, the wolves unable to even approach the beastmen.
In just over ten minutes, more than half the wolf pack was lost.
At this point, the Blood Wolf Leader, commanding from behind, began to panic.
"Roar!!"
The Blood Wolf Leader let out a raging roar, visible airwaves rising.
The massive blood-colored figure dashed ahead, streaking like thunder over its wolf subordinates, heading toward the beastmen's formation.
At the previous raid on Dragon Nest Village, the Blood Wolf Leader almost broke open the ranks with a single strike.
This time, it intended to repeat the strategy, leading its followers to completely crush the beastman army!
Yet as it leapt high, blood-tinted phantoms flickering between its claws,
Crash!
Suddenly, a shadow fell from above the canyon, steel-like talons tearing through wind and thunder, blasting toward the airborne blood wolf.
Boom!
The Blood Wolf Leader had no time to react, being hit with enormous force, sent flying like a cannonball.
Bang!
The Blood Wolf Leader crashed heavily to the ground, rolling several times, its mind blank.
Yet at this moment, Austin seized the advantage, swooping down from above with claws tearing the air, aiming at the wolf leader's head.
Seeing their leader in danger, the blood wolves around immediately sprang up, leaping at the descending Blue Young Dragon.
With blood wolves ascending, even Austin dared not trap itself in encirclement, forced to beat its wings, lifting itself against the torrent to ascend.
The Blood Wolf Leader, crashed to the ground, also regained clarity from dizziness.
It shook its head, looked up at Austin flying above, its blood-red eyes full of murderous intent.
However, the Blood Wolf Leader refrained from madness, refocusing on the slaughtering beastman ranks advancing before it, its body trembling, emitting a low roar.
"Roar..."
Traces of blood-colored mist rose from its wolf body, the blood-hued fur now fluttering, an invisible pressure spreading, the blood wolves backing off to leave space.
The Blood Wolf Leader's entire body seemed ablaze with blood-colored flames, rising with immense momentum, mouth opening, its form growing savage.
"Is this... Talent Magic?"
The Blue Young Dragon hovering above suddenly sensed a foreboding.
"Watch out!"
Austin urgently warned, but at that instant, a sphere of yellow flame appeared from the Blood Wolf Leader's mouth, spewing forth like a cannonball.
Beastmen barely reacted as the basketball-sized fireball streaked across the sky, striking the beastman ranks.
Boom!!!
Upon hitting the ranks, the fireball erupted, igniting a three-meter-long flame, raising immense heat waves.
Although the fireball hit the goblins' wooden shields, its powerful shockwave and scorching flames blasted open a gap in the beastman ranks, nearby goblins fell, life uncertain, surrounding beastmen severely burned.
"Awoo!!!"
Successful from the strike, the blood wolves grew frenzied, charging the beastman ranks anew.
Simultaneously,
The Blood Wolf Leader opened its mouth again, blood mist rising from its body, threads of energy gathering in the air.
"Damn!"
Austin, poised to attack, saw ordinary blood wolves eyeing it as imminent threat, ready to leap should the Blue Young Dragon drop to a reachable height.
Any descent could mean those wolves pouncing without fear, tangling Austin persistently.
"Blast it!"
Austin fiercely outraged, as it prepared to descend and fight, eyeing the focused, unmoving blood wolf leader conjuring its Talent Magic, an idea suddenly sparked in the Blue Young Dragon's mind.