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Chapter 45: Too Lame

“Go support Miss Nia!”

No need for Hex to shout; everyone present had already jumped into action the moment they heard.

If Nia fell, there would be no chance of surviving against the Wolf King, and fighting with all might was the only choice left.

Whether loyal to the court or seasoned adventurers who were used to danger, no one was a coward in the face of the brave elven girl; everyone was compelled to act.

Low-level adventurers surged forward, holding back the remaining mid-tier giant wolves to allow other mid-tier fighters to focus on supporting Nia.

The ground shook.

Hex was the first to charge ahead, like a massive war chariot rolling over the rocks.

The incredible impact scattered the Shadow Wolf King’s form entirely, but alas, it simply transformed into shadow and avoided the physical damage.

Reforming, the Wolf King cast a cold glare, as if staring down at annoying ants, causing Hex to shiver with unease.

But just as the Wolf King was about to show its fangs, Hex’s partner leaped down from a branch.

The curved dagger sank into the Wolf King’s back, and Joe cheered too early: “Success…?!”

With fur as black as night and flesh as tough as steel, the black-steel forged dagger only penetrated the wolf’s hide without hurting it in the least.

Before Joe could celebrate, the Wolf King casually tossed him off with a strength he could not possibly withstand.

At the same time, arrows swirling with a storm of wind came rushing in.

Eyes, throat, chest, joints—every shot was lethal, with impossible angles, and the arrows sliced through the darkness like a streak of light.

Unlike Hex, who was limited to heavy melee strikes, or Joe, who was quick and stealthy, Natasha’s bloodline, Storm Hawk, combined power with wind-element extraordinary power for speed, and as elemental attacks, even shadow forms couldn’t defend against them!

However, the Shadow Wolf King didn’t even glance back, twisting its body and performing several backflips with acrobatic precision, dragging along shadows to barely dodge the incoming arrows.

A smirk appeared on the Wolf King’s face.

It was clear that it sensed Natasha’s presence long before she made her move and was already prepared.

“Damn it!”

Natasha hurriedly nocked another arrow, wanting to pursue, but the Wolf King would not give her that chance, swinging a shadow-element attack back at her.

Shadow Claws.

A basic shadow-element attack, but fueled by high-tier power, it unleashed a torrent of shadows, ripping apart the ground and shattering rocks, sending Natasha flying.

In a mocking tone, the Shadow Wolf King even seemed amused.

To it, mid-tier humans were merely the prey in a hunting game.

And it was supposed to be that way.

A howling gale, a sharp cold light, and a strike faster than lightning came from the blind spot.

Until the second before the blade flashed, it did not sense any aura.

Driven by a sense of crisis, the Wolf King kicked off the ground and leaned back sharply.

Green wind blades flashed through the darkness.

Starting from Nia, a vast swath of trees was sliced in half, crashing down.

The unstoppable Wolf King finally stumbled back, a mocking smirk replaced by a trickle of red blood running down, leaving a deep wound visible to the bone.

Be it an A-rank adventurer or the strongest at Tier 5, nobody lasted more than a few seconds under the Wolf King.

Even with a sneak attack, wounding the mythic being to such an extent was more than enough to feel proud at Tier 5; but right now, Nia couldn’t afford to feel proud—sweat poured from her.

“Tsk, too shallow!”

She had aimed for the Wolf King’s eyes, successfully evading its perception using the Wind Whisperer ability.

Nia understood that mid-tier beings couldn’t defeat high-tier ones; it made more sense to exploit weaknesses created by hurting the opponent.

But in that last instant, she was still detected.

And she wouldn’t get such an opportunity again.

“ROAR!!”

The pain of humiliation ignited the Wolf King’s fury, turning the hunting game into a slaughter.

Shadow Storm!

The colossal aura, no longer restrained, swept outward like a black hurricane, knocking adventurers over like rag dolls, sending them crashing to the ground.

Whether it was Hex in his rock-solid armor, Joe, quick on his feet, or Natasha, who tried to retreat immediately, let alone other low-level extraordinary beings, no one could withstand the extraordinary storm unleashed by the Wolf King and were all sent reeling, heavily injured.

Once the shadow storm passed, only the elven girl stood her ground.

At the critical moment, she quickly retreated using Transform Wind into Shadow, avoiding most of the damage and preventing a severe hit.

Even so, she was not unscathed.

A short sword was lost somewhere, blood dripping from her left arm, and her right leg was bruised from the impact, making it nearly impossible to stand straight. She was barely holding herself up.

“High-tier, so strong indeed…”

The girl chuckled bitterly but clenched the little short sword she had left, ready to face the formidable foe.

The Wolf King’s narrowed eyes, perhaps angry from pain or cautious of striking its prey, did not hold back this time and launched a crashing blow with its claws mixed with shadows!

Covered in blood, Hex struggled to lift himself, and Joe, about to step forward, collapsed again due to his injuries. Natasha anxiously raised her bow, but it was too late to draw.

Moreover, facing the insurmountable gap between mid-tier and high-tier, even if they had the chance, what could they possibly do?

In that moment, looking at the elven girl shimmering like she was engulfed in flames, despair rose in everyone’s heart.

In the face of life and death, compared to fear, what flashed in Nia’s mind was a thought so absurd it made even her chuckle.

Not heroically slaying dragons, nor cutting down a cult.

Not even walking side by side with him.

Not even doing that sort of thing.

Ah, if I’m going to die like this, that would be way too lame.

From both the perspective of an adventurer and a girl, it was truly pathetic.

If Roy saw me like this, he would definitely laugh at me, right?

The terrifying shadows, menacing claws, and the foul stench of the deathly maw compelled Nia to close her eyes, trembling.

Yet the pain from being torn apart by claws never came; instead, she felt a dizzying swirl.

“Awesome.”

“To fight with a high-tier to this extent, you’ve really tried hard.”

Warm words danced in her ears, and when she opened her eyes, she saw that reliable figure.

“Ro…?!”

The black-clad swordsman with flowing robes radiated a tremendous aura that even made the Shadow Wolf King retreat, no longer as domineering as before.

But for Nia, it was a moment filled with countless points of confusion.

No, why is it the Sword Demon that showed up?!