Chapter 138: Wolf Slaughter (Part II)

Weil stared expressionlessly at the corpse lying on the ground. He freed one hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, then glanced at his own blood-soaked palm. Although Pas had claimed he hadn't used his full strength, the vast disparity in their physical prowess meant Weil was no match for a third-tier Great Soul Master like Pas. The web between his thumb and index finger had split open in several places, and the bones in his hand were fractured from the jarring impact. The intense pain caused the muscles in Weil’s face to twitch uncontrollably, and, gritting his teeth, he couldn't help but curse, "Damn it! This was a real loss!"

Hearing Weil’s remark, Peipero couldn't help but sneer inwardly. To have killed a third-tier Great Soul Master like Pas while in such a disadvantageous position, yet still claim it was a loss?

Muttering to herself, Peipero glanced at the decapitated corpse. The eerie scene of crimson blood and the pungent, cloying stench made her frown, but she quickly steadied her nerves. She looked up at Weil, her eyes filled with bewilderment and curiosity.

"That final strike... I mean, how did you manage it?"

Although she was loath to admit that Weil had defeated Pas, the fact remained that he had consecutively killed both the formidable Galey and Pas. The shocking effect of that final strike was too immense for her to ignore, forcing her to temporarily set aside her prejudices. She gestured awkwardly, stumbling over her words as she tried to ask him how he had pulled it off. Seeing her demeanor, Weil largely guessed what the girl was thinking. He gave a faint smile and asked, "Are you trying to ask how I bypassed Pas's aura during that final blow, rendering his attack and defense useless in an instant?"

"…Yes!" Peipero nodded slightly after a moment of thought.

"That is one of the unique abilities of a mage—Spatial Magic. It allows one to teleport between spaces. I simply utilized that to deal with Pas."

Weil’s answer was not entirely honest; it was simplified, and certain details were left vague or even rough. However, given that this touched upon his true capabilities, keeping his secrets was prudent. Yet, Weil did not realize that this barely plausible explanation had only served to shroud him in an air of mystery.

For a woman of Peipero’s temperament, the more mysterious something—or someone—was, the more intensely it piqued her interest.

"But why didn't you use it from the start? I mean, there was no need to clash head-on with Pas. Wouldn't it have been better to just take him out with that trick?" Peipero gestured toward his bloody hand, her meaning clear.

Hearing her question, Weil let out a bitter laugh. He shook his injured hand slightly and said, "I think you’ve misunderstood the situation. I am merely a mage. Regardless of my physical constitution, my reaction speed in close-quarters combat is nowhere near as fast as Pas’s. If I had tried that from the start, I might have killed him, but his follow-up strike would have undoubtedly hit me. Given his speed, do you think I could have dodged it? Even if I had killed him, I would have ended up severely wounded."

"But if you knew you couldn't match Pas in a physical confrontation, why did you choose to engage him that way? What if he had used his full strength from the beginning...?" As she spoke, Peipero replayed the scene in her mind. She was right; if Pas had gone all out from the start, the one dead would likely be Weil, not Pas.

Weil replied, "If you wanted to crush an ant, would you use your full strength?"

The answer was no. When one knows the opponent is significantly weaker, a sense of complacency naturally arises, leading to a lack of seriousness. Weil had seized upon this exact psychological lapse in Pas to take his life.

Weil’s words plunged Peipero into deep thought. If this was his logic, would she also fall into such a fatal trap when facing him?

The thought left her feeling shaken. Though she hated to admit it, Weil’s intellect and strategic mind far surpassed her own. Regardless of his raw power, he could remain calm, push his abilities to the limit, and calculate every weakness of his opponent—their agility, the environment, and even their psychological state. These were things Peipero had never even considered.

Her own strength was clearly superior to his, yet a sense of defeat washed over her. Her mind was in chaos, replaying the battles with Galey and Pas. Though he hadn't exerted much physical force, Weil had been the one to pose the greatest threat in every encounter.

Noticing the shift in her demeanor, Weil did not interrupt her thoughts. He carefully wrapped his staff in bandages, then used some scraps to bind his injured hand. (Having already healed Rosty and then Peipero, his magic was nearly exhausted, leaving him unable to heal himself.)

Once finished, he strapped the staff to his back and called out to the dazed Peipero, "Hey! What are you planning to do next?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Peipero asked, shaken from her chaotic thoughts.

"I mean, that Galey fellow and this Pas guy—they were both from the Rotten Wolf Mercenary Corps, right? And they held high positions, too. We’ve killed them both, which means we’ve made a major enemy of the Rotten Wolf. I don't care, but what about your mercenary group?"

"What kind of question is that?" Peipero sneered, her teeth gritted in anger. "The Rotten Wolves have gone this far; are we in the Slaughter Moon supposed to just take it? Since Galey and Pas are dead here, and their 'Wolf Head' is clearly off in the North plotting against our leader, we can't go North. We have no choice but to make trouble for the Rotten Wolves ourselves!"

"Oh?" Weil grew interested. He had guessed her intent, but for some reason, he found he rather enjoyed seeing the girl so fired up. He prodded her, "According to you, the Rotten Wolf Mercenary Corps in the Mercenary City no longer has anyone left to hold the fort? Heh, so, while you have the chance, don't you want to raid their wolf den?"

"Hmph!" Peipero’s eyes flared at his words. Weil momentarily feared he’d pushed her too far, but instead of backing down, she gestured grandly and shouted with conviction, "Not only will I raid their den, but I, Peipero, swear I will not rest until I have slaughtered every last one of those Rotten Wolves!"