Encounter with Magical Beasts

Shortly after setting up camp, Jake returned to reality. He was relieved that there was no need to travel at night, otherwise, he might have been exposed.

The next morning, just before the group set out, Jake returned in time. After organizing the carriages, they resumed their journey. Jake sat at the edge of a carriage, looking around with boredom. After about two hours of travel, suddenly, a commotion was heard up ahead. The convoy seemed to be in disarray, coming to a halt. Jake jumped off the carriage and looked ahead.

"Adrian, go see what's happening," Jake instructed Adrian. Adrian quickly ran forward and returned soon after.

"Captain, we've encountered magical beasts," Adrian informed Jake.

"Magical beasts?" Jake's eyes brightened. "Let's go take a look!"

Jake had spent over a week at the camp and hadn't had a chance to hunt magical beasts. So, upon hearing the news of magical beasts, he couldn't suppress his excitement.

At this point, the commanding general of Skylark Camp had already instructed everyone in the groups with weapons to advance, while those without weapons were instructed to fall back.

Jake's squad was armed, so they were naturally moved to the forefront.

Red-eyed Wolf: Level 15. Originally a common wild beast, it turned into a fierce magical beast due to the influence of dark energy. An aggressive magical beast with high attack and agility, weak defense. Its primary methods of attack are its teeth and claws. It's a pack-oriented creature, and once they detect an enemy, they swarm relentlessly. Jake arrived at the front and used his appraisal skill on the magical beasts, obtaining the results he wanted.

"Level 15? The level isn't too high, but the pack behavior is troublesome. Luckily, I'm not alone around here," Jake thought to himself.

On the road from Hermit Village to Pergamon County, Jake had encountered magical beasts of around level 10 or more. Even though he was only level 3, his excellent equipment allowed him to handle magical beasts of a higher level with caution.

However, the red-eyed wolves were pack creatures. If Jake were to encounter them alone, he would probably have met a grim fate. Fortunately, he had many companions around him.

"Ohh..." The red-eyed wolves were confronting the supply convoy. Instead of immediately attacking, they were hissing continuously. Magical beasts affected by dark energy were more ferocious, and their courage seemed to have grown. Even in the face of Jake and his group, they didn't show any signs of retreating.

At the forefront of the red-eyed wolf pack was a larger one with a more savage expression. Its eyes were not just red; its whole face seemed to have a faint red tint, giving it an eerie appearance. The howling sounds emanated from its mouth.

Red-eyed Wolf King: Level 20. A leader-type magical beast, exceptionally fierce and aggressive. It can command a pack of wolves. It possesses a skill: Wolf Howl, which can boost the morale and combat power of the wolf pack while also summoning more wolves. Unexpectedly, it's a boss-type creature with skills!

Upon seeing the appraisal results, Jake was startled and shouted, "Not good! The lead wolf is still summoning the pack. We must kill it quickly!"

The supply convoy was suddenly blocked by the wolf pack. At first, there was panic, but as the wolves didn't attack immediately, they gradually calmed down. They wondered whether their sheer numbers might scare the wolves away.

No one wanted to fight if they could avoid it. After all, they were facing magical beasts, which were known to be extremely fierce. The people facing them were ordinary villagers with minimal combat training. If they were to engage, there could be significant casualties. Nobody wished to get hurt or killed. So, they continued to face off against the wolves, hoping to scare them off.

At this moment, Jake's sudden proclamation startled everyone.

"Who are you? If you don't know, don't speak nonsense! Don't engage! We have too few people with weapons here, and these wolves are fast. If we fight, there's a high chance of casualties. If you want to go, go ahead. I'm not getting involved," someone retorted.

Among the people present, it wasn't just Jake's squad members; there were members from other squads as well. While Brenton and the others were obedient to Jake's commands, not everyone from the other squads trusted Jake, especially in this dangerous situation. They preferred to trust their own judgment.

Despite the protests from the others, Jake's expression remained grave. He took out the longbow that Eli had given him, drew an arrow, and fired in one smooth motion.

"Swish!" The arrow flew straight toward the lead wolf. Although it was howling with its head held high, its vigilance for its surroundings never waned. As Jake's arrow approached, the wolf agilely sidestepped, narrowly evading the projectile.

The red-eyed wolf with its two crimson eyes continued to stare at Jake, mouth agape and teeth bared. Its gleaming white teeth reflected an unsettling cold light under the sun.

Ignoring the protests and confusion of the others, Jake turned to Brenton and his group, saying, "Attack with me. Form a circle and stay together. Don't split up."

Although Brenton and the others were terrified, their faces even paled, they followed Jake nonetheless. This was their first time battling magical beasts, and they had heard enough about the ferocity of these creatures. Fear was only natural at this point. Nevertheless, they gritted their teeth and moved forward, albeit with slightly panicked steps, trusting Jake.

"Hey, who do you think you are? If you're not sure, don't talk nonsense. Don't get yourself killed! Don't provoke those magical beasts!"

"Stop, don't anger the magical beasts!"

"Are you all out of your minds?!"

Jake's squad's actions weren't understood by the others. Instead, they criticized Jake, fearing that his actions might provoke the magical beasts, putting everyone at risk.

"Attention all members of Squad Three! Those with weapons, follow Squad Four and launch an attack against the wolf pack. No one is to retreat!" Eli's voice suddenly rang out. Clearly, Eli chose to trust Jake.

"Eli, what's gotten into you? Your people are acting recklessly, and now you're joining them?"

"Eli, quickly call your people back!"

"We just need to face off against these magical beasts here; there's no need to fight."

The leaders of the other squads clearly weren't pleased with Eli's orders. Eli looked at them disdainfully and said, "Scare them away? I'm afraid if we wait any longer, we'll end up torn apart and become their food! You short-sighted fools!"

With that, Eli took the lead and charged toward the wolf pack. Even though some members of Squad Three didn't understand Eli's and Jake's actions, they still followed suit in attacking.