"This day really can't get any worse." I murmured quietly as I saw the group of wolves.

They really were hideous. With around eight legs from different animals, Colours and even size. My mind began racing with thoughts and options. The first one was running away, yet that option was not possible.

The reasons were that since someone had set a barrier already. The reason i figured this was because he hadn't seen anyone other than the weird foreign women and detective Derrick. This meant a barrier to keep people out and these four people inside at all times.

Looking around they were on Smith street this meant near the north side of Bolton. This barrier probably affected the mind. That was why he was here to begin with. While the library i worked at was more north yet I would never take this road.

But the question was how was Miss Tracy not being affected by it? Detective Derrick was easy to answer since he was probably a Target, the Foreign woman was a Demi-Human that meant she would have some resistance to Magic in of itself.

As my mind raced, i focused on analyzing the situation. Despite the overwhelming odds, i knew I had to act quickly and decisively. Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, i began to formulate a plan.

Drawing on my training as a mage, i started to identify potential spells and tactics he could use. There were many things that i hadn't told Derrick about magic and its own set of rules.

The number one thing was that not everyone could use magic due to not having a Functioning magic core that those that could use magic had in their Soul.

These Magic Core, Generators or whatever people call these have the ability to create mana by always taking mana from the Atmosphere and making it easy to manipulate and use spells.

Shaking all these thoughts outside my head, I started to count the wolves. There were about 10 of them, this meant that whoever was using this had either created them as Puppets or was using Necromancy to keep them going.

Then again there wasn't much difference in necromancy and Puppets. The difference between them is very little but ultimately helpful. That was that Puppets were like Machines they had absolutely no will buy by programming them to a set of tasks they would complete them as they were tasked.

Necromancy on the other hand was more complicated than that. Most of the necromancy was using Curses and Summoning the spirit of the dead to ask questions such as how they died or knowledge even have them summon a dead person inside ones own body to gain some traits from them.

With a nervous smile I tried to take a deep breath and looked around for a place to run to that provided cover.

Immediately one Wolf pounced on me with a speed that was almost impossible for it. Easily clearing atleast 50 meters in a blink of an eye.

Yet I was prepared for it. I immediately finished the formula for a spell in my head and uttered the Incantation. "ᛈᛚᚨᚾᛖ ᛋᚺᛁᚠᛏ"

With almost like a glitch and static everything around me turned into foggy environment and the wolf and the Group disappeared from my sight.

It was a spell that I knew or one of the first spells I had learned at the academy. I hadn't told Derrick about the academy of magic since It was forbidden. You had sign a geas that you wouldn't mention the academy unless they already knew about the academy.

It was really bullshit since like what were they even trying to protect? Magic didn't even go poof once people figured it out. Those old basterds were really stingy.

The air grew thick and heavy, making it difficult to breathe as I navigated through the mist. Sounds became muffled, distant echoes fading into the background. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, the sensation amplified by the eerie stillness of the foggy world.

Shapes loomed in the mist, their outlines shifting and warping with each step I took. Strange whispers brushed against my consciousness, teasing at the edges of my mind like elusive shadows.

Despite the surreal atmosphere, my focus remained sharp. I could sense the presence of the wolves lurking nearby, their predatory instincts heightened by the haze that surrounded us.

Then, with a glitch and a flicker, the foggy world seemed to fragment and dissolve around me. In an instant, I found myself back in the real world, a few meters away from the wolves and beside Detective Derrick and Miss Tracy.

The transition was jarring, like being pulled from one reality into another without warning. I blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the disorientation as I assessed our situation.

As I reappeared, my heart raced with adrenaline, but I focused on the task at hand. Assessing the situation quickly, I saw Detective Derrick and Miss Tracy nearby, jumper by my sudden reappearance. Without hesitation, I whispered urgently, "Stay close and follow my lead."

Without waiting for a response, I darted forward, my senses on high alert as I led the way. The wolves wasted no time in giving chase, their monstrous forms bounding after us with frightening speed and agility.

We weaved through the maze of streets, my mind racing to find a path that would lead us to safety. Every turn, every alleyway, presented new challenges as the wolves closed in, their snarls echoing ominously in the night.

Despite the fear gnawing at my insides, I pushed forward, drawing on every ounce of magical energy I possessed to keep us one step ahead.

Detective Derrick and Miss Tracy kept pace behind me, their trust in my abilities evident in their determined strides. I spared a quick glance over my shoulder, meeting their gazes with a silent reassurance before focusing once more on the task at hand.

As we rounded a corner, I spotted a narrow alleyway leading off to the side. Without hesitation, I veered into it, urging my companions to follow. The alley was dark and narrow, but it offered a brief respite from our relentless pursuers.

We pressed on, the sound of the wolves' footsteps growing fainter as we put distance between us and them. Relief flooded through me as I realized we might just make it out of this alive.

We hurried into the nearest building, a rundown warehouse with broken windows and Fauna covered walls. As we entered, the eerie silence enveloped us, a stark contrast to the chaos outside. I couldn't shake the feeling of unease as I scanned the empty interior.

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Since this was North western side of the City Bolton we were near the port. That meant more Warehouses and such things were present.

Detective Derrick and Miss Tracy immediately took up positions near the windows, keeping watch for any signs of the wolves. Their vigilance was reassuring, but the emptiness of the building still unnerved me.

Without voicing my concerns, I retrieved a small vial of white chalk from my pocket. With practiced precision, I began to draw a circle on the dusty floor, my movements fluid and deliberate. The chalk glided smoothly across the surface, leaving behind a perfect circle etched in white.

This was one of the Skills one had to learn as a Mage since we learned a lot of Ritual magic that used creating circles.

Detective Derrick cast a wary glance in my direction, but I offered him a reassuring nod.

"Don't worry about this just some precautions I am taking."

"Is it?" A voice spoke just behind me. My spine tingled as the Voice didn't belong to detective Derrick and was bit more composed then Miss Tracy.

Immediately I moved forward and away from the voice and saw the foreign woman covered in blood as she stood there in the shadow.

The woman emerged from the shadows with an ethereal grace, her presence commanding attention despite the eerie stillness that hung in the air. Her blond hair cascaded in waves around her shoulders, gleaming faintly in the dim light of the warehouse.

Pale skin, almost translucent, contrasted sharply against the darkness of her attire—a sleek black dress that clung to her slender form, accentuating every curve. The fabric seemed to shift and ripple as if alive, lending an otherworldly quality to her appearance.

But it was her eyes that held the most mesmerizing allure. They were a striking shade of gold, reminiscent of molten metal, and seemed to gleam with an inner fire. There was an intensity to her gaze, a depth of knowledge and power that sent shivers down my spine.

Despite the blood that stained her hands and clothes, there was an air of calm confidence about her, as if she were untouched by the chaos that surrounded us. It was as though she existed outside of time, a timeless enigma in a world of uncertainty.

As she stepped forward into the faint light, her presence seemed to fill the room, casting a spell of both fascination and apprehension. I couldn't help but wonder what secrets lay hidden beneath her serene facade, what mysteries she held within the depths of her enigmatic gaze.

I squared my shoulders, trying to match the woman's confidence despite the unease creeping through my veins. "Who are you?" I demanded, my voice tinged with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity.

The woman regarded me with a cool detachment, her golden eyes piercing through the shadows with an intensity that made my skin crawl. "I am but a traveler passing through," she replied smoothly, her voice a melodic cadence that sent a shiver down my spine. "And you, dear mage, seem to have stumbled into quite the predicament."

"You can call me Melmorna dear Mage." The woman now named Melmorna said.

Her words sent alarm bells ringing in my mind, but I refused to show any sign of weakness. "What do you want?" I asked, in a calm voice as if I was closing a business deal.

Melmorna's lips curved into a faint smile, a hint of amusement flickering in her eyes. "Oh, nothing much," she said cryptically, her voice dripping with honeyed sarcasm. "Just a bit of information, perhaps a small favor in return for your lives."

"We don't owe you anything!" Surprisingly it wasn't me who said that but Miss Tracy.

Melmorna's smile widened at Miss Tracy's defiance, her golden eyes glinting with amusement. "Ah, but you see, dear girl, everyone owes something to someone in this world," she purred, her voice silky smooth yet laced with an underlying threat. "And right now, you owe me your lives."

Detective Derrick shifted beside me, his hand subtly inching towards his holster. His gaze remained fixed on Melmorna, his expression unreadable yet poised for action if necessary.

"Why do we owe you our lives?" I interjected my voice firm as I met Melmorna's gaze head-on. "If you mean the Wolves I have that under control."

Melmorna's smile widened, her eyes glimmering with a knowing gleam. "Ah, but you see, dear mage, controlling those wolves is merely a temporary solution to a much larger problem," she said, her voice dripping with honeyed persuasion. "You may have some skill in the arcane arts, but I know you're not suited for dealing with creatures of that caliber."

Her words sent a chill down my spine, a cold realization settling in the pit of my stomach. Despite my best efforts, it was true—I was outmatched and outgunned in this situation, and Melmorna knew it.

"But fear not," she continued, her tone almost reassuring as she circled around us with predatory grace. "I'm not here for the wolves. I'm here for something far more valuable—information about Merodach."

The mention of the name sent a jolt of confusion through me. "Merodach?" I repeated, furrowing my brow in puzzlement. "I'm afraid I've never heard of such a thing."

Melmorna's smile faltered for a moment, a flicker of irritation crossing her features before she composed herself once more. "Curious," she mused, her gaze narrowing slightly as she regarded me with renewed interest. "It seems my sources were mistaken. No matter. I shall find the information I seek elsewhere."

As Melmorna turned to leave, she paused, casting a lingering glance back over her shoulder. "Oh, and one more piece of advice, dear mage," she called out, her voice carrying a cryptic undertone. "If you seek to summon a familiar, remember this: use your own blood."

Her words hung in the air, carrying a weight of significance that left me feeling unsettled. I nodded slowly, committing her advice to memory even as a shiver ran down my spine.

Before any of us could respond, Melmorna vanished into the darkness, leaving us to ponder her parting words in silence. The implications of her advice lingered in the air, planting seeds of doubt and curiosity in my mind as I contemplated the mysteries that surrounded us.

As Melmorna's presence faded into the shadows, leaving us alone once more, I felt a surge of determination coursing through my veins. Despite the cryptic warning she had left behind, I remained resolute in my decision to continue the ritual and summon my familiar.

With steady hands, I retrieved a small dagger from my pocket, the blade glinting faintly in the dim light of the warehouse.

"Oi, Waluge what the hell's are you Doing?" Detective Derrick asked as he put a hand on my shoulder stopping me from Cutting a bit of my blood out.

I paused, acknowledging Detective Derrick's interruption with a brief nod. "I'm summoning a familiar," I explained calmly, my voice devoid of emotion as I continued to focus on the ritual at hand. "Or at least attempting to."

My hands moved with practiced precision, the blade slicing through my palm with a controlled efficiency that belied the gravity of the situation. Blood welled from the wound, dripping onto the floor in a steady rhythm as I traced the arcane symbols with deliberate care.

With a final Thing rune done I started on the next set of preparations. It was mostly just finishing the final touches. It was to lay down candles but since I didn't have them so instead of using the broken pieces of boxes around the warehouse, i ignited them and put them at four different locations signifying North, South, West and East.

"I call forth a Creature that walks the Astral realm, a Creature who will help in my time of need, a Creature friendly to humans, if you agree to this Contract then come forth and Serve my Will."

With each word I uttered my body grew more and more hot as the mana Core generated more mana to the Ritual creating a Gateway to the Astral world and connecting Me to a Creature.

As the Circle started to glow with a bright light. The door to the warehouse started to be pounded again and again with force as if a group of people were hitting it with many large items.

Immediately everyone was on High alert. Detective Derrick tried to block the big door with boxes with Miss Tracy being a bit slower but she also started to help with boxes although it was clearly evident that she was scared and praying to her God.

Boom.

Yet a window was shattered when a wolf burst through the window without any injury.

The wolf immediately locked its eyes with mine since I was basically showering in mana. It leaped towards me with speed faster than most Humans.

Yet before it could take a bite out of me a shadow ran and tackled the wold out of the air and they both rolled towards the side.

It was detective Derrick that threw himself on the wolf. And pinned the wolf to the ground. His Green eyes filled with determination and grit as he Continuesly hit the wolf over and over again without any care just to buy me time.

Yet it was all for not since the wolf kicked the detective away from its body and immediately went on the attack and bit into the shoulder of the detective as the detective let out a scream.

"Detective Derrick!" I screamed yet didn't move as the ritual was still nearing its end.

Damnit. I couldn't do anything yet and due my fault that detective would die. Why was this always the case and I couldn't do anything again.

But just before the wolf could move to kill the detective. The detective started to glow and grew brighter and brighter until he was covered in light.

As Detective Derrick's body was engulfed in a radiant yellow light, his form seemed to shift and blur, his features obscured by the intensity of the glow. The air crackled with energy, the warehouse bathed in an ethereal brilliance that seemed to repel the encroaching darkness.

The wolf recoiled, its instincts overridden by a primal fear as it faced this unforeseen manifestation of power. It growled menacingly, its feral eyes narrowing as it prepared to launch another attack.

But before it could make a move, Detective Derrick surged forward, his movements fluid and precise as he closed the distance between them in a blur of motion. With a swift motion, he raised his hand, and from the radiant glow emerged a spear of pure light, its luminous form shimmering with otherworldly energy.

The wolf hesitated, uncertainty flickering in its eyes as it faced this formidable adversary. It took a step back, but Detective Derrick was relentless, his resolve unyielding as he pressed the offensive.

With a mighty thrust, he lunged forward, the spear of light slicing through the air with deadly precision. The wolf snarled, its claws flashing as it attempted to deflect the blow, but Detective Derrick was too swift, his movements guided by an otherworldly grace.

The spear struck true, piercing through the wolf's defenses with a blinding burst of light. A howl of pain echoed through the warehouse as the wolf staggered back, its form writhing in agony as the radiant energy consumed it from within.

But even as the wolf faltered, it refused to yield, its primal instincts driving it forward in a final act of desperation. With a savage roar, it lunged at Detective Derrick, jaws snapping with relentless fury.

Yet Detective Derrick was prepared, his senses honed to a razor-sharp edge as he met the wolf's attack head-on. With a swift motion, he sidestepped the creature's assault, his movements guided by an otherworldly grace.

In one fluid motion, he spun around, his spear of light arcing through the air with devastating force. The wolf let out a pained yelp as the radiant energy struck home, its form engulfed in a brilliant explosion of light.

As the glow subsided, the warehouse fell silent once more, the echoes of battle fading into the darkness. Detective Derrick stood alone amidst the wreckage, his form bathed in a soft golden light as he surveyed the aftermath of the encounter.

His breathing was Heavy, his gaze unwavering as he took in the scene before him. The wolf lay motionless at his feet, its form shrouded in an aura of fading light.

With that the detective fell face first on the ground as he covered in sweat and blood.