The clash with the wolves had been going on for ten minutes. Once again, I thrust my wand forward, weaving a barrier of light in the air.
A wolf's heavy body slammed into the shimmering wall. I poured mana into my wand arm, bracing against the impact. Once I'd steadied myself, I scanned the pack.
'So the others aren't chimeras.'
Even in the moonless, pitch-black forest, the constant flare of magic provided enough light to see. Whether from tension or the chill of the approaching dawn, my skin prickled. I bit my lip and kept swinging my wand.
'Honestly…'
I hadn't expected wolves in a low-level monster zone. And I certainly hadn't expected wolves that someone had maliciously altered.
The novel never mentioned wolves here either. The protagonist had chosen this place precisely because it was supposed to be safe for a simple survey. My own research, backed by numerous records, had confirmed its safety.
My plan was completely derailed, my life threatened… but now, I needed a shift in perspective.
'Maybe this is for the best.'
Looking on the bright side, it wasn't a completely terrible situation.
I immediately shook my head.
'What am I, insane?'
I was scared. No amount of positive thinking could fully offset the mortal danger right in front of me.
But what was done was done. All I could do was fight to survive. I didn't need to be optimistic, but I wouldn't surrender my life to regret either.
I tightened my sweaty grip on the wand.
*Crash! Thud!*
The wolves tirelessly charged the thick barrier. You'd think they'd be dazed after ramming it so many times, but they showed no sign of stopping.
I thrust my wand forward like a spear, blasting one wolf far back.
*Crash!*
[Arooooo…!]
A pained howl echoed. The thick, headache-inducing scent of blood that had been vibrating in the air was now overlaid with a fresh, metallic tang. The smell of their packmate's blood seemed to drive the remaining wolves into a greater frenzy.
I matched their increased ferocity with faster attacks. Then, something flickered at the edge of my vision.
"…!"
The space to my right flashed bright.
A pair of red eyes, like frames of film, stuttered right up to the side of my face.
*Kwaaang! Thump!*
"Ugh!"
The recoil sent me sprawling to the ground. I'd swung my wand too hastily, with no time to brace my legs.
The wolf lay still with the fallen tree behind it. Whether it was dead or not, the scent of blood grew stronger, swirling around my nostrils.
"Lucas!"
Leo's shout came from somewhere. We'd gotten quite separated while driving the wolves apart, and his voice echoed, distorted.
"Worry about yourself!"
I shouted back, veins bulging as I batted away a wolf leaping at my prone form. He had the nerve to worry about others in this situation.
I pushed off the ground and stood.
The moment I fell, I'd given the wolves an opening. I knew that well enough.
So, my next move would decide my fate.
As expected, the remaining two wolves charged at me like mad. I shut my eyes tight, gripped my wand with both hands, and drove it down into the earth.
*Kwaaaaang!*
A brilliant white light erupted from the wand, illuminating the forest.
Leo, who had been rushing to help after finishing his own fight, was momentarily blinded. Sensing his approach, I dashed toward a wolf lying further away and yelled.
"Leo, handle that one!"
Leo snapped his arm down and scanned the ground. One of the fallen wolves was twitching, trying to rise. It was clear from a glance it could barely stand, its strength nearly spent.
"..."
Leo took a step back, watching the wolf drool as it staggered toward him. It snapped at the space he'd just vacated, then stumbled again. A blast of magic sent it collapsing weakly to the side. Leo approached and looked down at the wolf as its breath faded.
'Thinking of that chimera creature…'
Someone must have done this to all these wolves too.
Letting them live guaranteed no safety for us. Even if we somehow survived, there was a chance they'd descend upon civilian settlements. They all had to die here, now. I didn't regret that decision.
But…
'What if there had been a cure?'
They wouldn't have had to suffer like this. The number of people harmed by monsters would have been significantly lower. It would have been better for everyone.
Leo placed a hand over the wolf's chest.
Channeling mana, he traced the outline of its core.
'What was that poison Lucas drank? If it's a suppressant for the core, it might be a temporary help. Ultimately, the core itself needs to be removed… so something needs to be introduced.'
Leo stroked his chin.
Perhaps I could find and add ingredients to enhance that poison.
To make it act just before penetrating the heart, I'd need to experiment species by species.
The poison spread through the body would need detoxifying after core dissolution, so I'd have to calculate the timing for administering an antidote relative to that process…
'Supplying both up to Tier 2 would be costly, though.'
Lost in thought, Leo didn't notice Lucas approaching right in front of him.
"..."
I let out a dry laugh.
Leo was deep in thought, observing the dead wolf.
'Is this what I think it is?'
Right now… it feels like I'm witnessing the accelerated birth of the contamination cure on the spot.
I plopped down beside him and asked.
"Going to make a cure?"
"Huh? How did you know?"
"It's written all over your face."
"Huh? Anyway, I'm going to give it a try. Just a try."
"Good. You'll succeed."
"Hmm…"
Leo, who had been frowning over various calculations, broke into a grin.
"Yeah, I'll have to make sure I succeed."
Seeing his growth process firsthand, knowing the man he'd become in ten years, gave me a strange, fresh feeling. In this place where nothing was familiar, facing someone I sort-of-knew felt… grounding.
'…I might have accelerated things a bit, but oh well.'
All's well that ends well.
I got up and asked.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Just a scratch on my forearm. You?"
"Nothing."
Unlike Leo, I had identity issues to consider. I couldn't afford to leave behind clues like distinctive wounds. Luckily, I hadn't sustained any major injuries.
I picked up the sack we'd brought and nodded toward the wolves.
"Alright, let's clean up and head back."
* * *
"You're back. It's nearly morning, we were starting to worry…"
The manager greeted them, then froze in place.
The sack, half-carried floating in the air, was even larger than before.
'Just how many did they kill?'
It was a monster zone, but not a dangerous one. There was no way such a quantity could be caught here. It was almost wondrous, wondering just how far out they must have gone.
His eyes, wide with shock and awe, finally landed on their clothes. Though dark and not immediately noticeable, a closer look revealed stains of blood and mud.
"Are you both alright?!"
"We're fine. We'd appreciate it if you could process these first."
Leo gathered the sacks and set them down. The manager took one, untying the cord.
"Let's see… Huh?"
The manager turned pale and stiffened.
'I knew it.'
Before his shock could deepen, I added an explanation.
"They're wolves. You'll probably need to contact the security bureau."
"W-wolves… here? That's impossible…"
This was at least a mid-tier monster.
Even he, knowing nothing, could tell that much. This was not a creature that should appear in a zone designated as low-risk.
Leaving monster tiers aside, having lived here his whole life, he had never seen wolves in these woods.
"Ah, one of them is a chimera wolf."
"Wha—?!"
"It appears someone intentionally used magic to fuse a wolf with another creature. There will likely be a gag order regarding that specific creature. Don't speak of it carelessly to the press."
It wasn't common for mages to be involved in incidents here, so media attention was likely. It would be best if they knew nothing, but since payment had to be transferred through the connected bank, word might leak.
At my words, the manager nodded vigorously, his face pale as if he'd accidentally stepped into something shady.
"Y-yes, of course."
As silence fell with the manager's panic, I promptly got to the main point.
"So, when can we receive payment? The cash on hand here likely won't cover it."
Due to theft risk, only small amounts were kept on site. Also, until now, all those receiving rewards had been non-mages, so large sums hadn't been needed.
"Ah, that…"
The manager got up and opened a desk drawer.
A communication magic tool bearing the logo of the Imperial Central Bank was revealed.
* * *
It was dusty, as if unused for a long time, but the communication tool was no mere decoration.
Less than ten minutes after contacting the bank, a new transaction appeared in Leo's account.
"N-ninety-five… thousand…"
On the way back to our initial warp point, Leo muttered, his face pale.
I agreed with that reaction. It was close to a hundred million in Korean won.
'This is insane.'
Even risking our lives, it was an absurd amount for half a day's work.
However clueless about worldly matters, Leo seemed to understand that earning nearly a hundred million in such a short time was extraordinary.
Internally raising my estimation of Leo's grasp on reality, I spoke.
"They set it at a hundred thousand phel per wolf."
Ten million won per head.
Whether they had no idea what they were dealing with and set the price arbitrarily, or they considered anyone who could handle a wolf pack to be premium talent worth that price, the reward felt surreal.
Of course, with a danger premium attached, the price made some sense. Contaminated creatures could exhibit dozens or hundreds of times their original strength, so facing them required a willingness to risk death unless you were exceptionally powerful.
"…It was an unexpected problem, but not something completely beyond handling. It's a relief we resolved it without major injuries."
Leo took out his enchanted bankbook and stared at the newly printed number.
"If we go back now, I can add functions to the items we picked out earlier and place the order immediately. With this budget, I can get you something even better."
"Thanks. Ah, don't spend half of it; keep a portion for yourself. It doesn't feel right for me to take it all."
Honestly, when I imagined fighting some trivial monsters, him saying he'd give me the full share didn't bother me. But after unintentionally putting us through a life-and-death experience, I felt uneasy taking the entire sum.
Unlike me, Leo tilted his head with a puzzled look.
"Hmm… I don't really need it."
"..."
What did he mean by 'really'? He probably said it without much thought, but from my perspective, with an effective balance of zero, it just made me sigh.
Hearing my deflated sigh, Leo belatedly started to explain.
"Ahem… It's not what you're thinking. It's better if you pour it all into stabilizing your core as soon as possible. I was the one who insisted on coming along in the first place. I said from the start I'd give you my share. And besides, there's nothing I need to buy right now…"
"I get it, you can stop explaining."
"Alright."
Leo found a suitable spot and cast the teleportation magic.
The space instantly transformed into Leo's training ground.
Leo glanced up at the open ceiling of the training hall, then tapped the door.
"Alright, let's head to the dorms now. Let's both rest tonight and meet tomorrow evening."
"Sure, you worked hard today. Get some rest."
At my farewell, Leo waved.
As I reached for my pendant to leave, I quietly spoke.
"Leo."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for today."
Without him, dealing with the wolf pack alone would have been difficult. In many ways, I felt it. To gain a good comrade right from the start… I was lucky.
At my words, Leo looked momentarily surprised, then smiled and shrugged.
"I should be the one saying that."
* * *
'What does he mean, he should be saying that?'
Typical magic fanatic.
In the end, wasn't he saying it was fine we encountered the wolf pack because we could see magic?
His passion was something else. I was starting to understand why the protagonist kept him around for ten years.
Lost in these thoughts, I gathered my books and left my room.
Before I'd even left the floor, a familiar conversation reached my ears.
"Hey, heard someone made off with 950,000 phel from the northeast forest today."
—-----------
T/N:
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