Chapter 143: Barik the Alpha Wolf

Everything happened in an instant. Before anyone could react, Will’s figure vanished into thin air once more. Accompanied by a brilliant, blinding flash of light, another Corroded Wolf mercenary fell into a pool of blood.

Raising his hand and bringing it down, Will’s movements were simple and fluid, flowing like water. The emerald-green staff in his hand seemed, at this moment, to have transformed into the scythe of the Grim Reaper, relentlessly reaping the lives of the mercenaries.

"Quick! Form a circle! No matter how strange his movements are, he is just a mage; he certainly cannot match us in close-quarters combat! As long as we surround him, we have nothing to fear!"

They were, after all, the elite of the Corroded Wolf Mercenary Corps. After suffering continuous casualties, a few experienced mercenaries finally snapped out of their panic and shouted at the top of their lungs. Despite this, the dozen or so Corroded Wolf mercenaries were already in complete disarray. It was precisely because of Will’s unexpected actions that the pressure on Rodin and Rosty was suddenly greatly reduced. Originally, those dozen mercenaries had barely managed to contain the two men by working together, but now, Rodin and Rosty had gained the upper hand. Watching his subordinates falling one by one into pools of blood, Baric’s face turned leaden. The fury in his eyes spread until it finally fixed entirely upon Will.

Baric took a trembling, deep breath. A trickle of strange, dark blood suddenly leaked from his blinded left eye, flowing down his rugged cheek to the corner of his mouth. Baric extended a crimson tongue and gave it a light lick, swallowing his own blood.

"Very well, very well! Joe, I never expected you to have such a trick up your sleeve! Very well, very well indeed!"

As Baric spoke, he gritted his teeth fiercely. Although his men were in a predicament and his own rage was boiling, strangely enough, Baric remained standing perfectly still, with no intention of joining the fray. He simply suppressed his anger and watched everything unfold before him.

Though the few remaining Corroded Wolf mercenaries resisted desperately, they could not withstand Rodin’s overwhelming attacks. With Will and Rosty providing support, in mere moments, more than half of the so-called elite mercenaries were dead or wounded, with only three or four capable of continuing the fight.

These few mercenaries were already battered and utterly incapable of fighting back. Seeing that their leader had no intention of helping, their will to fight vanished completely. Just then, a massive roar erupted from the nearby wolf den. The violent shockwave from the explosion tore the Corroded Wolf base to shreds; debris and shrapnel flew wildly, and the intense heat combined with crimson flames swallowed everything, instantly engulfing the entire den in a sea of fire.

To cause such an outrageous disturbance within the Mercenary City without a second thought—only Pepero would be capable of such a feat.

Sure enough, out of the sea of fire emerged Pepero, completely unscathed. She still wore her signature look of arrogance and defiance. She clapped her hands casually, and the two soft, flame-like tails wrapped around her legs flicked against the ground. Her figure transformed into a dark blur, flashing before everyone in an instant.

Seeing Pepero suddenly appear before him, the corners of Baric’s eyes twitched twice. He parted his lips, revealing a set of pallid teeth. "So it was you. At first, I was wondering if those two fellows, Galley and Pass, had simply made a mistake and let Rodin and Rosty escape. But now that I see you here... heh heh, this means Galley and Pass are dead, right?"

"It was you!"

Seeing Baric appear here, the smile on Pepero’s face vanished. A rare look of gravity crossed the young woman’s face, though her bold nature remained unchanged. She deliberately scanned the wounds on Baric’s body—wounds that could only be described as terrifying—and gave a disdainful snort. "If I’m not mistaken, the wounds on your body were inflicted by our leader, right?"

Upon hearing Pepero’s words, a flicker of murderous intent flashed in Baric’s eyes before vanishing instantly. The rugged man chuckled softly, though the wounds constantly bleeding on his face made his expression look savage and horrific. Standing two meters tall, Baric looked down at Pepero and let out a cold snort through his nose. "Pepero, I know what you’re thinking. Yes, that’s right! Every wound on my body was caused by that leader of yours. I admit that my Corroded Wolf has been largely destroyed. But! Heh heh, Pepero, what about your Moon-Slaughter? Do you even know how many people you have left? Of the six Joe took to the north, I’d be surprised if even one returned with their bones intact. And your leader, that guy Joe—heh heh—his injuries are likely no better than mine. Even if I, Baric, wait right here for him, he won't be coming! Given his injuries, let alone catching up, he’ll be lucky if he doesn't die on the road!"

Watching Baric’s mocking sneer, the rage in Pepero’s heart was ignited to the extreme. Will’s expression shifted slightly, and he whispered to himself, "This is bad!"

"Stop her!"

Almost as Will shouted, Pepero had already transformed into a ball of crimson flame, charging toward Baric like a meteor. Although Rosty and Rodin also moved, they were a beat slower than Pepero. Before they could reach Baric, the young woman had already engaged him. Crimson flames erupted from Pepero, surging toward Baric incessantly. Yet, Baric used some unknown method; no matter how Pepero’s flames attacked, they could not harm him in the slightest. By now, Rodin and Rosty had finally reached Baric. Both pushed their soul power to the limit. Facing an opponent far stronger than themselves, they abandoned all flashy techniques and desperate maneuvers, focusing entirely on releasing their combat aura. The sharp, blade-like energy aura they wielded—whether horizontal slashes or vertical strikes—looked no different from a villager chopping wood. But who cared about technique now? They attacked with reckless abandon. Yet, even so, not a trace of panic appeared on Baric’s face. He hadn't even moved his feet half a step! A ball of grayish-white combat aura appeared in his hands, and with a casual horizontal block, he perfectly deflected all of the trio’s attacks.

"Blocked!"

With a casual flick of his hand, Baric sent Rosty flying dozens of meters away. With a backhand strike, a move that looked extremely simple, he nearly severed Rodin’s entire arm. Though Pepero was fast, her speed seemed completely useless before Baric. No matter from which angle she attacked, Baric sensed it a second beforehand, dodging and counterattacking with ease. Despite the three of them joining forces, under the current circumstances, there was no way they could defeat this powerful enemy! If they continued to fight so recklessly, escaping from Baric might become the real problem!

Thinking of this, Will waved his staff. Dozens of fire-swallows swarmed toward Baric like a dense cloud. Meanwhile, Will himself moved in a flash, leaving only a faint emerald-green trail in the night before vanishing from his spot.

Given Baric’s strength, he could perceive any danger within twenty meters of himself in advance, and Will’s magical attacks were no exception. With a heavy strike that sent Rodin reeling, Baric turned his head to glance at the dense swarm of fire-swallows, then shifted his gaze to the side—to the very spot where Will had been standing a moment before.

"So, you’re not there anymore, eh?"

Baric muttered to himself. His right eye suddenly shifted, and he thrust his arm horizontally to his left. At that exact moment, Will’s figure materialized, only to be caught firmly by Baric.

"Very strange. I don’t know what method you used to do this, but if I hadn't been paying attention, you would have succeeded with that strike, wouldn't you?"

Baric gripped Will’s throat, lifting him high into the air. He sneered, intending to increase the pressure and crush this strange mage to death. But then, Will’s body flickered again. The bizarre phenomenon occurred once more: the Will that had been firmly grasped by Baric simply slipped out of his hand as if he were made of smoke!

"Cough, cough!..."

Will’s face turned flush red as he gasped for air. With his body empowered by wind magic, he retreated rapidly. He stared fiercely at Baric, biting his lips hard.

"How did you do that?"

Will took a deep breath. Although he asked Baric this, he secretly signaled Rodin and the others to retreat.

"It’s simple. You don’t know how to hide your own aura, and your speed isn't fast enough. You are so obvious that, regardless of the magical way you vanish and reappear, those two points alone are enough for anyone with a bit of strength and experience to catch you!"