"Let's be quick about this, we need to set up camp before sunset. Vera, Maxwell; we'll each fight four grey wolves and one Sonic Wolf."

"Sounds like a plan." Grinning from ear to ear, Maxwell hoisted the mighty hammer from his shoulder and rested its head on the ground.

He readied himself for battle by grasping the end of the weapon's long handle and tensing the muscles in his toned forearms.

"Okay!" Drawing her spatha from its leather sheath, Vera too prepared for battle.

Her earlier fatigue had diminished somewhat during the brief interlude between the confrontation of the arbor abomination and the approaching magic beasts.

"Don't use any large spells, and spill as little blood as you can. Engage!" With his bare hands loosely clenched, Adonis advanced toward his adversaries, his eyes reflecting a blend of both sadness and pity.

'I'm sorry...'

***

Having effectively divided the large pack into three smaller groups, Adonis, Maxwell, and Vera were able to fight with greater efficiency, showcasing their tactical prowess and battle awareness.

With great speed and aggression, all four Grey Wolves lunged at Vera with sharp ferocity, while their leader remained at the rear, searching for the perfect opportunity to deliver the decisive blow.

Temporarily ignoring the beast that didn't pose an immediate threat, Vera swung her spatha constantly, using it to fend off the approaching beasts.

She managed to keep them at bay, buying herself time to formulate a viable strategy to pick them out one by one.

'I don't want to use a large spell since that'll attract more beasts and could drain a lot of mana... But unlike Goblins, Grey Wolves fight as a unit meaning it'll be harder to catch them off guard.'

Growing impatient, the Grey Wolves pounced immediately, instinctively avoiding Vera's spatha that wildly swung towards them.

"AARR"

The wolf that Vera identified as the most imminent threat aimed for her neck with its razor-sharp teeth, designed for tearing flesh.

'It's acting as a distraction.'

Despite the life-threatening danger she faced, Vera remained composed.

With graceful precision, she executed a beautiful arc with her blade, instantly decapitating the menacing creature.

Although their bredrin had met a swift and gruesome death, the determination of the remaining wolves did not waver. They continued to coordinate their attacks as a single unit, launching themselves simultaneously.

One lunged at her lower thigh, using its sharp claws to target her groin.

Another attempted to bite her sword arm, trying to eliminate the threat of a counterattack.

The third beast aimed directly for her throat with its menacing jaws leaking transparent saliva.

At first glance, Vera appeared to be in grave peril, facing the very real possibility of death. However, there was a single crucial factor that virtually guaranteed her victory.

The beasts that dared to confront her, were put simply... too weak.

Practically speaking it would take at least fifteen of them attacking simultaneously to even make her break a sweat. Even taking into consideration the constraints imposed on her, such as mana conservation; she was still able to dispatch the magic beasts.

And she did exactly that...

Coating her trusty blade in Earthly Aura, her dominant hand accelerated towards the wolf that pounced at her throat, creating a fatal wound to its belly.

However, the spatha's trajectory didn't merely stop there; instead, it continued at its deadly trajectory, slashing through the remaining grey wolves with relative ease.

SPLURT

This encounter lasted only a few seconds, culminating in their swift defeat.

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"AWOOOO!"

Before it could even look its way, the White Rank Sonic Wolf that acted as the alpha unleashed a deafening wave from its mouth.

The attack caused the air particles to vibrate violently, and the devastating attack surged forward, catching the first year off guard and striking her squarely in the abdomen.

The impact was so strong that it sent her hurtling through the air, crashing into a nearby tree as she struggled to keep her sword in her tight grasp.

"Ah!"

Refusing to rest, Vera dislodged herself from the imprint in the tree she'd created involuntarily.

'That attack is fast, but fortunately, it has a cooldown period... I have seven seconds till it's able to use it again.'

Using her time wisely, Vera pressed forward, her spatha now stained with the blood of her previous, less formidable opponents.

As she approached, her gentle face bore an expression of absolute concentration as she prepared for her next move.

Stealing the initiative, the magic beast lunged at Vera on all fours, its claws slashing toward her upper chest. The beast threatened to shred both her lorica hamata (chainmail) and the skin that hid beneath.

SHING

In the face of real danger, Vera's facial expression contorted from a confident solid visage to a soft frown that accurately depicted her inner thoughts.

'It's fast!'

CLANK

At the last second, Vera used her spatha to deflect the beast's attack, resulting in a tense standoff between human and beast.

Introducing her right leg with precision, Vera executed a front kick at the beast's abdomen forcing it to stumble a few meters backwards.

"HAARHH!"

"Blaze magic: Flash Grenade!"

Summoning a crimson flame in the palm of her left hand, Vera hurled the fiery projectile at her adversary with alarming velocity.

With its monstrous senses further elevated by adrenaline, the beast was able to effortlessly evade a direct blow by stepping to the side.

"BURST!" With her voice hoarse from both fatigue and panic, Vera let out a high-pitched scream, triggering her spell to fulfill its initial purpose.

As the ball of flames harmlessly passed by the beast's fur, it detonated with devastating force upon command.

BOOM

The explosion inflicted a critical injury on the wolf, encouraging it to release a pained and anguished howl.

'This is my chance!'

Coating her blade in Earthly Aura, Vera acted on her temporary advantage and swung her blade at the beast's throat, intending to end the fight immediately. Alarmed by the proximity of Vera's blade, the Sonic Wolf unleashed a second howl at the girl.

"AWOOO!"

Given the short distance between them, the beam carried significantly more force and lost less speed compared to their initial encounter. The attack left Vera no opportunity to evade, mercilessly striking her in the face.

"Ahh!"

She cried out in pain, propelled backward by the force of the relentless attack.

As she flew through threw air, it used its claws to deliver the second blow, a sharp thrust towards her lower abdomen.

This onslaught caused Vera's armor to rupture upon contact and luckily only inflicted a shallow but excruciating wound in her gut.

Vera's flight ended with a painful collision against a nearby tree, filling her mouth with the familiar taste of blood.

Because of the previous attack, her abdomen began to leak the same scarlet liquid, making her groan from agony.

"I was too slow," she voiced, her vision growing blurry.

With both her and the magic beast now seriously injured, the battle was finally reaching its climax.

"I need to finish this now, or I'll die"

Determined, Vera dashed forward at a much slower pace than she was capable of, her abdomen rapidly oozing her blood, her consciousness leaving her along with her blood.

The beast, unwilling to let Vera have the initiative, lunged forward with offensive intent, preparing to go blow for blow.

It's attack took the form of a vicious slash aimed at her throat, it's intent to kill evident.

Vera, with her spatha coated in a thick layer of Earthly Aura, thrust her blade toward the beast's undefended head.

While she held the reach advantage due to her sword, the beast maintained the speed advantage due to its injury being less severe. Therefore the result of the clash was still a coin toss.

*Extra Information:

Magic beasts and monsters don't lack the innate ability to use Aura and Magic. Instead, their limitation stems from a lack of intelligence and the mental capacity to comprehend the intricate concepts of magic, as well as the spiritual awareness required to manipulate Aura. These creatures do indeed possess mana cores within their bodies, but they remain unable to harness them.

Magic beasts and monsters house magic crystals within them, which serve as both their mana core and a fragment of their spirit. When absorbed by magic knights, these crystals empower them and bring them closer to advancing to the next Tier of magical abilities. However, as magic knights absorb more magic crystals, the impact becomes progressively weaker.

There's a significant risk involved when magic knights absorb magic crystals, particularly those from beasts much stronger than themselves. This risk increases the potential for damage to their mana core and spirit in the process.

Magic items such as the spatial ring and finance necklace are powered by magic crystals from monsters and magic beasts. Many of the magic beasts and creatures in the forests and dungeons within the Caelum Empire are well documented in creature encyclopedias which is why the students can easily identify them.

Magic- Soul

Aura- spirit