The four swordsmen battling at the front had already figured out the best way to weaken these undead creatures—severing their limbs rather than aiming for the head or heart.

However, in the heat of close combat, even a well-trained mercenary squad couldn’t completely avoid exposure to the ghouls’ deadly venom.

Though the four swordsmen had higher poison resistance than most humans, they were still no match for the toxin.

At last, the first one collapsed.

The remaining three barely managed to protect their fallen comrade while fending for themselves, but the situation was rapidly deteriorating.

Meanwhile, archer Cecile noticed the danger her teammates were in. Without hesitation, she called out to the blue-robed mage—she was certain he had a plan.

"Austin! Robin and the others are in trouble!"

Austin, the blue-robed mage, furrowed his brows, quickly formulating a strategy.

"I can freeze the ghouls around me for a short while. During that time—can I ask you to go help them, Guardian Bear?"

Austin observed the already injured beast, uncertain whether this unfamiliar fighter—who didn’t belong to their mercenary group—would follow his command.

After fending off two lunging ghouls, Shinya seized a brief opening in the fight and said, "I can't help them. I can’t cure poison. The only thing I can do is clear a path for their retreat."

"Thank you," Austin nodded in acknowledgment before issuing a warning. "Once I begin chanting, stay away from me, or you’ll be caught in the spell’s effect."

"Don’t worry about me," the bear rejected the warning outright, as if he had something else in mind. "I’ll try to draw them toward you and keep you from getting hurt. Archer, you assist me. You know the timing of his spell, right? Just escape from the casting range at the last second."

Cecile nodded. "I do, but if we do it this way… wouldn’t that mean…?"

"If you want them to live, do as I say!" Shinya cut her off, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Austin had already begun channeling the ice-based control spell, "Frost Dominion." A pale blue magic circle formed around him, its intricate runes glowing with an icy brilliance.

The creeping chill rising from the ground signaled the impending danger, but the ghouls—low-intelligence creatures of darkness—failed to recognize it as the harbinger of elemental magic.

They acted purely on instinct, following the bait laid out by Shinya and Cecile, drawing themselves deeper into the range of Frost Dominion.

Finally, Austin completed the last incantation. At that very moment, Cecile executed a swift roll, escaping the spell’s area just in time.

A surge of frost erupted from the magic circle, crackling ice forming with a crisp, resonant sound.

Austin stood motionless at the center, his face showing clear signs of exhaustion.

Surrounding him were several ghouls, frozen solid—and a single, ice-encased bear.

Cecile got back on her feet.

Just as she had suspected, the bear never intended to escape Austin’s casting range.

Under normal circumstances, ice-based control magic could be dispelled by breaking the frozen layer. However, Frost Dominion was different.

Until the spell’s effect wore off, anyone who stepped into its range would be instantly frozen. Rushing in recklessly would be nothing short of suicide.

Fortunately, Cecile was an archer—she didn’t need to enter Frost Dominion to free the bear.

She immediately raised her bow, drawing her string in Shinya’s direction.

But the question gnawing at her mind remained—

There was no doubt that this shot would break the ice and release the bear, but if he failed to escape Frost Dominion in time, he would simply be frozen again.

Cecile quickly calculated how many shots it would take—how many times she would need to break the ice to help him escape the spell’s range.

Would the bear even have time to reach Robin and the others at this rate?

She had no answer.

The only thing she knew for certain—she couldn’t hesitate.

Her first arrow flew steadily toward the frozen layer encasing the bear.

But at that very moment, a surge of dense mist burst through the ice, shattering the bear-shaped shell in an instant.

From within the dissipating frost, a towering, muscular human-like figure emerged.

To call him human didn’t seem entirely accurate.

He had the fierce, lupine head of a beast, with powerful limbs and razor-sharp claws, yet he stood upright like a man. His entire body was covered in thick, deep blue fur, the kind only a wild beast would possess—yet he was clad in finely crafted leather armor.

He carried no weapons.

Yet the sheer presence he exuded was enough to inspire fear.

With a simple lift of his hand, he snatched Cecile’s incoming arrow as effortlessly as catching a mosquito.

"I told you not to worry about me."

Shinya snapped the arrow in half with an impatient flick of his fingers, his deep violet eyes gleaming with an eerie chill.

Before his words had even fully settled, his form vanished into the swirling mist—

And in the next instant, a gray-black horned owl took flight.

The swift raptor darted out of Frost Dominion’s range in an instant, breaking free from its icy grasp.

It soared toward the crippled swordsmen, leaving behind a stunned Cecile and Austin.

“...Werewolf…”

“...Shapeshifter…”

The moment the horned owl landed, it morphed back into a towering bear, placing itself between the ghouls and the wounded swordsmen.

“Leave now! Find the town’s priests for the antidote!”

Leaving those words behind, the bear charged straight into the enemy horde.

Robin, the lead swordsman, along with another companion, could still move—barely. But the other two had already lost consciousness, the ghouls’ venom creeping further through their wounds.

Robin knew that once blackened veins covered the entire body, there would be no saving them.

He cast one last glance at Austin, who was struggling to maintain Frost Dominion, then clenched his teeth and made the painful decision to retreat.

"Take the archer with you as well. If she can’t use another skill like that Shatterbolt, there’s no point in her staying here. Just me and the elemental mage will be enough."

Another command came from the bear.

Robin, carrying one of his poisoned comrades on his back, glanced at the towering bear standing before them.

Only now did he notice—beneath its formidable stance, the beast was already covered in wounds, bleeding profusely. What was keeping it standing?

Robin had always believed that mercenaries like them—willing to risk their lives for the sake of others—were already a rare breed.

Ghouls weren’t exactly within their specialty. When facing such dark creatures, knowing when to retreat wasn’t cowardice—it was survival.

There was no shame in that.

But then there was this bear.

It didn’t just fight without fear of the ghouls' venom—it faced their attacks head-on, deliberately drawing their aggression toward itself.

That sheer recklessness—no, that determination—was like someone intent on perishing alongside these monsters.

Robin didn’t understand, nor did he have the time to dwell on it. His only priority now was to get his injured, unconscious comrades to safety and find a priest for the antidote.

“Robin, I have a question…” one of the swordsmen beside him asked, his voice unsteady. “Since when can wild beasts talk? Or… am I just hallucinating from the poison?”

Robin, walking ahead with a comrade slung over his back, suddenly froze in realization.

Turning back toward the battlefield, he stared in shock at the lone bear still fighting against the ghouls.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

How had he completely overlooked something so unbelievable?

Just then, another thunderous roar erupted from the other side of the inn.

Robin clenched his teeth and forced himself to look away.

“Doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a beast. Our priority is saving our poisoned comrades. That big guy looks like he can hold out for a while longer.”

Robin and the last swordsman still able to move carried their two wounded comrades, making their way toward the barrier.

No one noticed the large, jet-black bird that had silently perched itself on the railing leading to the second floor.

It watched the battlefield unfolding in the main hall below, tilting its head as it blinked curiously.

-SECOND-FLOOR CORRIDOR-

Molly and her two staff members had successfully evacuated all the stranded guests through the kitchen stairway. Now, standing in the corridor, they spotted the black bird perched on the railing.

"What the hell is that thing?"

"Looks shady as hell."

Molly tensed and gestured for the two to stay quiet. Then, using hand signals, she pointed toward the kitchen stairwell, indicating they should retreat from that direction.

The two employees didn’t dare make another sound and quickly followed Molly’s lead, sneaking away.

Molly had no idea what that bird was, nor did she have the time to figure it out.

All she knew was—if priests didn’t arrive soon, this place wouldn’t hold out much longer.

-FIRST-FLOOR HALL-

The effects of Frost Dominion were beginning to fade.

Austin had already poured a tremendous amount of mana into extending its duration, but his magic and stamina were not limitless—he couldn't hold the spell indefinitely.

Had Robin and the others made it out safely…?

Fatigue blurred his vision, and sweat soaked through his robes.

At that moment, he felt his connection to Frost Dominion sever.

The first thing he saw was a ghoul breaking free from the shattered ice, lunging straight toward him.

Damn it!

There was no time to cast a defensive spell.

For an elemental mage, taking a ghoul’s attack head-on was no different from suicide.

The ghoul’s claws were just a fingernail’s width away from his throat.

In that life-or-death moment, a sharp metallic clang rang out before him.

At the same time, crackling blue currents surged like a binding net, paralyzing the ghoul, leaving it frozen in place.

A paralysis trap? When did Cecile set it…?

The archer had no time to explain. She was already swinging her sword, fending off the other approaching ghouls.

Luckily, the ghouls that had just broken free from Frost Dominion weren’t as fast as before—but Cecile knew that wouldn’t last forever.

And like Austin, she had also noticed the black bird perched on the second-floor railing.

Her battlefield instincts screamed at her—

That thing was no ordinary bird. And it was not an enemy to take lightly.

"Cecile!"

Robin had made it near her, holding off the ghouls for a brief moment before issuing his command. "It’s time to retreat."

"But…" Cecile hesitated for a second before her resolve hardened. "If Austin stays, so do I."

Robin didn’t waste any more breath trying to convince her.

He swung his sword with all his remaining strength, severing a ghoul’s knee, but the moment he did, his vision blurred, his sight growing increasingly dim.

He was already poisoned—if he kept pushing himself, he might not make it out alive.

"Then hold the line. I’ll be back soon."

With that, he led his injured comrades toward the exit. But a dark cloud loomed over his heart.

"If the priests can reach me in time to cleanse the poison, that is."

-OUTSIDE THE BARRIER-

As they crossed the light shield and stumbled out of the inn, they saw a figure dressed in white rushing toward them.

A middle-aged priest.

She wore the signature white-and-blue robes of Dawn Prayers, yet her demeanor carried the air of a scholar.

Upon seeing Robin and the others, she gradually slowed her pace.

Raising her staff horizontally, she began channeling a large-scale cleansing spell—a purification ritual to neutralize the venom in their bodies.

The pure golden aura not only cleansed them of the ghouls’ deadly venom but also boosted the morale of those around them.

Some who had initially abandoned the fight suddenly found renewed courage, emboldened by the priest’s arrival.

Robin and the others stood within the priest’s large-scale healing spell, "Luminous Insignia", their previous exhaustion and weakness completely wiped away.

Feeling reinvigorated, Robin even found the energy to joke with the unfamiliar priest.

"Took you long enough! I was starting to think I’d grow old waiting."

"My apologies, everyone."

The priest briskly stepped to Robin’s side, checking to ensure that everyone had fully recovered before coming to a halt in front of the protective barrier.

As someone who specialized solely in support and healing magic, she technically had no need to step onto the front lines.

Standing outside the protective barrier was the wise choice.

She continued chanting incantations of holy magic, invoking one divine blessing after another—gifts bestowed by the Goddess of Light, Hekarian.

Holy Light descended, its radiant glow mending the wounds of the guardian bear, Cecile, and Austin, while also revitalizing Robin and his group, allowing them to rejoin the battle.

The arrival of a single priest had completely turned the tide.

The sight filled those who had escaped the inn with hope and renewed spirit.

"…Vanessa… You finally made it. Thank the gods."

Seeing that everyone was safe, Molly’s nerves finally gave way, and she collapsed onto the ground, utterly drained.

On the second-floor railing, the black bird’s violet eyes reflected the image of the priest outside the barrier.

It tilted its head as if contemplating something.

Then, suddenly—

The shadow beneath its feet began to melt.

The pitch-black darkness tore through its body, and from within, several clawed hands emerged.

More ghouls poured forth.

The guardian bear roared, throwing itself into the fray once more.

As long as it stood, Austin could safely prepare another spell.

The elemental mage, using the last of his remaining mana, began channeling an advanced ice spell, aiming to completely destroy the black bird’s portal.

At the same time, Vanessa, while still casting healing magic, cautiously activated a simple detection spell.

Two orbs of radiant light drifted through the hall, illuminating shadows untouched by the shattered crystal lamps.

That’s when she saw them—

Several worm-like, translucent creatures had gathered around the black bird, positioning themselves in front of it.

Under the effects of the enhanced detection spell, Light Hunt, their partially invisible forms were revealed.Their very presence distorted the shadows cast by the black bird and its portal.

Vanessa finally remembered what they were—

Nether Leeches.

Low-tier creatures from the Realm of Shadows, spoken of in legend.

Slow, dull-witted, and barely intelligent—these creatures survived for two reasons:

First, in dim lighting, they could remain completely invisible, only revealing themselves under detection or illumination magic.

Second, and more importantly—

They could reflect elemental magic.

Vanessa’s eyes widened in realization.

The black bird was using the Nether Leeches as a shield!

"Mage, wait—!!" she shouted.

But it was already too late.

A howling storm of ice shards surged forward at blinding speed, tearing through the hall toward the black bird and its portal.

The piercing blue spikes impaled the first row of ghouls, shredding them to pieces.

The plummeting temperature froze the remains into brittle fragments, shattering their bodies into nothing.

The entire inn felt like it had been cast into a frozen abyss, as layers of frost crept silently across the walls.

This was Austin’s strongest ice spell—Azure Tempest.

With a powerful priest supporting him, he dared to use such a devastating spell, knowing that afterward, he would be too drained to cast another.

If even this spell couldn’t defeat the enemy, he had nothing left to give.

The spell collided head-on with the Nether Leeches—

And vanished into their bodies, as if swallowed by an endless void.

Not even a single scratch reached the black bird or its portal.

The black bird let out a strange, eerie screech, its cry laced with mockery.

A chilling silence fell over the battlefield.

Vanessa didn’t waste a second.

With practiced speed, she cast a defensive spell—Divine Ward—along the path where Azure Tempest had just passed.

Because she knew—

Reflected magic was about to come right back at them.

Austin stood frozen in disbelief.

As the glacial blue light burst out of the Nether Leeches’ bodies, he realized his fate.

His own Azure Tempest—

Had not harmed the enemy.

Instead—

It was coming straight for him.

No one understood its power better than Austin himself.

As he watched countless ice lances and unstoppable winds tear through Vanessa’s protective barrier, he wasn’t surprised.

Becoming a mercenary, he had imagined a thousand ways to die.

Yet not once had he ever considered dying to his own spell.

For a powerful elemental mage, there could be no greater irony.

At that moment, a bitter smile crossed his lips.

So I really was that strong, huh?

Strong enough that even those "Apostles of Light" couldn’t stop my magic…

As he prepared to bid farewell to his fate,

A colossal figure stepped before him—

Like an unshakable mountain.

The ice lances pierced deep, embedding themselves into the guardian bear’s body.

The howling winds tore apart its already shattered armor.

Blood mist sprayed into the air.

From beneath the broken plating, torn muscles and exposed bone were laid bare.

And yet—

The bear did not fall.

Not until the ice completely encased its body.

The red-stained frost froze solid, sealing the unbreakable beast within.

Vanessa’s heart sank.

Did it just block Azure Tempest—using its body?!

Whose battle pet was this?!

She had no time to dwell on it.

Nor did she have time to admire its strength and unwavering loyalty.

All she could do—

Was cast the strongest Holy Light she had.

She wasn’t capable of resurrection magic.

If the bear died from this, there would be no bringing it back.

But as long as it still had a single breath left—

She swore she would not let it die here.

The warm glow of Holy Light melted the ice away, slowly closing the bear’s wounds—

But the guardian beast had lost all strength.

Overwhelmed by the force of the attack, Shinya lost consciousness.

He couldn’t hear.

He couldn’t see.

Within the empty void, only a faint sliver of light carried the fragmented echoes of distant voices—

"Hey! Big Bear!! Wake up! You can’t die here!! Wake up—open your eyes!!"

Austin felt a surge of gratitude—and panic.

If the guardian bear died here—

How could he ever repay this debt?

Robin and the recovered swordsmen returned to the battlefield.

Alongside new reinforcements, they stood protecting the fallen bear, battling against the ghouls.

Cecile, now among them, turned to Austin in the brief lull between strikes.

"This isn’t the time for fear or sorrow!" she shouted. "Austin—stay strong!"

Austin understood.

But now—his mana was depleted.

The only spell he could cast was the lowest-tier ice arrow.

Meanwhile, the black bird was unaffected by elemental magic.

And with more ghouls pouring in, they couldn’t even get close to it.

If they couldn’t destroy the portal—

The creatures of darkness would never stop coming.

Vanessa knew this too.

But as a priest of the Praise Hymns, she could not use offensive divine magic.

Just as the battle reached a stalemate—

The thunder of galloping hooves echoed from the distance.

Outside the barrier, the onlookers instinctively parted, making way for the approaching figure.

A man in the same white-and-blue robes as Vanessa rode forth—

But his robe was tattered, stained with dirt and blood, as if he had barely escaped a grueling battle.

A gray Blossom Feather emblem adorned his chest.

The sight of it disheartened those watching.

"A LOW-RANKING PRIEST?"

"Yeah… a low-ranked priest from Dawn Prayers."

"Even Vanessa is struggling. What good is he going to do?"

"I doubt he’ll be of any help."

Yet the rider ignored their doubts.

The wind swept through his golden hair, but his gaze never wavered.

He leapt from his horse, paying no mind to the whispers.

Passing Vanessa’s side, he stepped into the barrier.

His footsteps were calm and firm.

His hands held no weapon.

But wherever he walked, rippling golden waves spread beneath his feet.

The ghouls shrank back, screeching in terror—

As if they had just seen their greatest enemy.

Yet the man spared them no glance.

His focus was locked ahead—

On the black bird’s portal.

When he was just meters away, he finally stopped.

Raising his left hand toward the sky,

He grasped something unseen—

A power so great it burned a mark upon his finger, where a silver ring once sat.

Then—

A radiant halo descended from above, slamming into the ground.

A tidal wave of light surged outward, consuming the ghouls, reducing them to ashes.

Standing at the center of the storm—

He swung his left hand forward.

Though empty—

Blades of divine light materialized mid-air.

They pierced through the Nether Leeches—

And struck straight through the black bird and its portal.

The bird twisted its head, letting out a final shriek—

Before vanishing into the golden radiance.

All the dark creatures it summoned disappeared with it.

As the light-forged swords dimmed, fading into nothing—

Silence fell over the battlefield.

Everyone stared, stunned by the man who had single-handedly ended the fight.

His true identity became the only thing anyone could talk about.

"That was Solar Blade! I've seen it before!"

"I thought priests couldn’t use attack magic?"

"Haven’t you heard of Exorcists?"

"Exorcists… the ones specialized in fighting dark creatures?"

"An Exorcist?!"