After the target

"...you got me to level 40…"

Ace pointed out with a shockingly deeply bitter expression.

"Yes, surprisingly enough, there were quite a few of Boarkin Orc Vetereans amongst the army the crowned wolf was leading… which is odd since they were much stronger than it. That couldn't have been a natural occurrence... Oh, and do not worry, I haven't handed you your win. Your prey is unharmed, although running around in disorientation at the moment, and is at level 45. Hope that helps."

Lazurii nodded but made sure to state how things were from his perspective.

"Everyone, you can go to sleep now! Tomorrow, we part ways. If you want, you can tag along and gather some of the carcasses, but that's it"

The blue-haired young man added and casually went to the tent he shared with his green-haired friend.

"Ace?"

He called out, turning around right before going inside.

"I… I will stay here for a bit longer."

"Goodnight then."

Ace cleared his throat and answered, trying to act as usual, to which Lazurii nodded with understanding and disappeared into the tent.

"Everyone! You've heard him! Finish up your chores or tasks and go to bed!"

Tarkuazi glanced at Ace with a worried expression, but then she shook her head and clasped her hands together while calling out.

Falling asleep right after experiencing something on such a scale was a truly monumental task that barely anyone could accomplish that night.

Then the morning came, and with it, the time to part ways.

"You are now stronger than average people, but do not even think about going back to the life of outlaws. If there ever be a next time, you will most definitely not encounter someone like Mister Adonis!"

Tarkuazi stood over the youngsters, packing their belongings and giving them one last lecture.

"S-speaking of which… where is lord Adonis? I… we… we would like to thank him…"

One of the girls was brave enough to speak up and ask, blushing deeply, as the others looked up to Tarkuazi, waiting for the answer.

It wasn't a secret at all that during the time they spent traveling together, the vast majority of the girls developed a big crush on the handsome green-haired young man with a cheerful and approachable demeanor despite the circumstances in which they met.

… though some of those circumstances could have a lot to do with it, actually…

"He's… hmm… ummm… Where is he, actually?"

Tarkuazi rolled her eyes but decided to go along with the wishes of the maidens, who would most definitely not encounter their first love ever again. She furrowed her brows and looked around, discovering the glaring absence of the green-haired young man who would usually stroll around the camp at the time, keen to help out in case of trouble of any kind.

"Is he still asleep…? Hey! Ace! Wake u-oh...! Good morning, Lazurii!"

Tarkuazi looked over towards the tent that Lazurii and Ace shared and called out, stopping herself mid-word at the sight of the blue-haired young man emerging from within.

"He's not here. Ace went after the Demon-crowned Wolf Lord already."

"!?!?"

Lazurii stretched and answered in an indifferent voice, causing everyone within the range of his voice to freeze up in shock.

"ALONE!?"

Tarkuazi cried out in disbelief, rushing over to Lazurii and grabbing his arms while looking up at his face.

"Lazurii, you can't be serious! You said it yourself: the Demon-crowned Wolf Lord is level 45! Monsters corrupted by demonic energy are even stronger and vicious than boss monsters! You definitively didn't let him go alone, right?! You still are connected to him via the party link or that magic link you used at night, right?!"

She cried out, shaking from worry.

"I do know his location if that will help you calm down."

"Then we have to hurry over! Before he will get himself killed!"

Lazurii rescinded calmly, which made Tarkuazi breathe out in relief, but only for a second as the very next one she turned around and tried to pull him along to an unspecified location.

But to no avail.

"Oh, no, we will not."

"Eh?! WHY!?"

Lazurii shook his head, raised his hand, and caused Tarkuazi to spin around as if she were doing a pirouette while calling out in disbelief.

"Because that would completely destroy his pride. Who do you think he is? You're talking about my best friend, King Ace Adonis. If he left without a word, it means that he decided he received enough help."

Lazurii shrugged his shoulders and declared in a strict voice that Tarkuazi's behavior was offensive to the green-haired young man.

—----

After a whole night of searching, Ace managed to track the monster down.

The creature, overwhelmed by the loss of its army and frightened by the sudden attack, ran deep into the mountains, seeking a cave or another hole to hide in.

That's when the green-haired youngster caught up to it, trapped with its back to the wall after running itself into a dead end.

Dark brown Demon-crowned Wolf Lord.

Its head was wolf-like in appearance, although its jaws seemed more like those of a fur-clad crocodile. Its jet-black eyes with eerie crimson pupils had this human-like intelligence behind them.

The monster's body was that of a robust wolf, but a wolf the size of a horse, with yellowish fangs growing out along the line of its spine all the way to the very end of a bushy tail.

Yes.

Fangs.

They weren't spines or spikes but fangs despite not growing anywhere near its mouth.

Then there were its limbs.

Not really wolf-like, more human than anything, but still not quite.

The muscles were there, the arms stuck to the sides, unlike the front legs, which should have stayed in place, and the black fangs were growing out of short and stubby but very human-like fingers.

The hind legs were similar. The paws seemed to be stuck halfway through transforming into a human foot, with even more black fangs growing out of the forming toes.

Finally, there was the crown on top of its head, although calling it a crown was a bit much.

The so-called crown was composed of truly impressive brownish-yellow fangs of differing lengths growing straight out of the wolf lord's skull, giving the monster a morbidly regal look.

Ar first scared, once the Demon-crowned Wolf Lord saw its pursuer, it stopped and turned around with its dark-brown fur bristling as it let out a low growl while its crocodile-like jaws parted, revealing enough fangs to give nightmares to even most experienced adventurers.