As the only caster in the team, Mint's role leaned more toward support; she wasn't like the stereotypical mage who would casually blast out a few fireballs.
However, her contribution was far from insignificant.
Setting aside post-battle healing, her performance in just those few dozen seconds was enough to demonstrate the value of keeping her protected.
So far, three Temple Night Wolves had been killed.
Mint had been directly involved in two of them.
Of course, to Xia Nan, those vines and thorns weren't particularly impactful. After all, his instantaneous speed and explosive power were far superior to those of the wild wolves.
Regardless, the assist definitely went to Mint.
On the other side, the reason Kash had been able to find an opening to reduce the enemy numbers while facing the onslaught of three Night Wolves simultaneously was largely due to Mint's crowd control.
Even on the three wolves currently locked in combat with Vris, scars left by the entangling thorns were visible.
Clearly, the girl had provided support to her as well, though the effect had been mediocre.
At the same time, maintaining high-frequency casting across three different battlefields was precisely why her face was currently so pale.
Vris, Kash...
Everyone knew the importance of a caster to a team. They also knew that compared to the others in the squad, Mint's melee capabilities were frail.
The wolf pack knew it too.
Xia Nan didn't know when the Night Wolves had discovered them or how long they had been lying in ambush in the surrounding brush.
But he could clearly sense a "sense of planning" in the way these beasts operated.
From the initial stealthy observation to the sudden ambush upon discovery, the distribution of numbers into groups of 3, 3, and 2, and finally utilizing Vris's combat style to split their formation—it all gave the impression of a temporary commander directing them.
Xia Nan couldn't help but heighten his vigilance.
Meanwhile, the others in the team noticed two wild wolves that had slipped through the gap left by the Drow half-elf and infiltrated their formation.
*Swish!*
A blue-grey stone spear thrust out violently, nearly leaving an afterimage in the air.
However, only a few severed hairs remained at the tip of the spear.
Kash instinctively stepped back, allowing the massive wolf—which had leaped from a blind spot aiming for the vital area of his neck—to leave only a scratch on the scales of his chest armor.
From the corner of his eye, he saw two ferocious figures rapidly closing in on Mint.
"Fuck!"
He let out a low curse and prepared to move in for support.
But as if sensing his intention, the moment Kash shifted a single step toward the center of the formation, the two Night Wolves circling him suddenly accelerated their attack frequency.
Under normal circumstances, in a one-on-one fight, Kash was certain he could take down the Night Wolf before him within a few minutes.
But when the number of these beasts became plural, their combat power increased geometrically.
He knew clearly that as long as he could drive his spear into the wolf's body, he could use the resulting injury to quickly tip the scales of victory in his favor.
Yet every time he tried to exert force, another Night Wolf would haunt him with an attack from the other side, forcing him to abruptly pull back his strength to defend and dodge.
One feinted from the front, while the other ambushed from the side.
Like sharks that had smelled blood in the ocean, they circled him in a probing siege.
The distant howls of wolves and the screams of a young woman echoed in his ears.
Kash grew increasingly anxious.
But it was futile. It only resulted in a few more deep gouges on his armor.
As for Vris...
The mixed-race Rogue with slightly dark skin and two poison blades in her hands had long since fallen into a bitter struggle.
There were no obvious wounds on the surface of her skin-tight leather gear, but under the intentional pressure of the wolf pack, her positioning was being pushed further and further away from her original spot.
The toxins were taking effect.
One of the white wolves, which had sustained more injuries, was already dripping thick, pale-purple saliva as it panted.
Its long limbs were still powerful, and its movements remained agile and swift. It was still far from the point where its physical mobility would be impaired.
She had, of course, noticed the wolves breaking through.
But just as she was currently shifting and dodging under the Night Wolves' attacks only to be pushed further away, she was willing but unable.
...
*Rip!*
Mud splattered.
Green vines erupted from the soil like tentacles, wrapping around the limbs of a white wolf.
The high-speed body stuttered for a moment.
Before the vines could tighten, they were torn apart by the muscles swelling and undulating beneath the thick fur, leaving only a few bloody streaks and fragments of plant fluid.
Facing the two Night Wolves that had breached the defensive line, Mint behaved as normally as ever.
First came a moment of panic.
As the two ferocious figures approached rapidly, her body tensed, and the expression on her face froze instantly. She stood rooted to the spot.
But in the next second, the girl with the smooth short hair reacted.
Knowing she was absolutely no match for these two monsters at close range, Mint stepped back quickly while a faint green light ignited at the tip of her yew staff.
Vines and thorns sprouted from the ground, attempting to delay the Night Wolves' approach as much as possible.
She knew that to break the deadlock, she had to wait for support from her teammates. Until then, she had to stall for time.
Mint's approach was perfectly correct. To some extent, it was even the optimal solution at this moment.
However, what she didn't know was that the two veteran adventurers of the Sea Thorn squad were currently deep in their own struggles and unable to break free.
If she wanted support, there was only one person left...
*Awoooo—*
An ear-splitting wolf howl suddenly erupted from behind her.
Mint's retreating body paused, her expression one of shock.
"Another one?"
"How is that possible? There should only be ten in total!"
Chaotic thoughts flashed through her mind.
Then, she suddenly realized something was wrong.
This... didn't seem to be the howl of a Night Wolf.
While it possessed the piercing quality characteristic of a wolf's howl, this sound was noticeably higher and more prolonged.
If the cry of a Temple Night Wolf was a dangerous phantom echoing in the night, then this howl, which nearly shattered her skull, was an ice storm raging across a desolate snowy plain.
Time and space seemed to freeze in that instant.
The two Night Wolves before her remained in their chasing posture, only a few meters away. She could even see their cloudy eyes filled with violence and bloodlust, and the saliva spraying from their mouths.
But in the next second.
A massive wolf head composed of swirling grey mist, fragmented leaf seeds, blood, and moonlight opened its hideous maw of iron-grey fangs at a speed far exceeding human reaction.
It snapped shut!
*Boom!*
A fierce gale carrying a heavy scent of blood rushed toward her, causing the girl to instinctively close her eyes.
She could faintly feel a warm, viscous liquid splashing onto her along with the wind.
When she opened her eyes, the two ferocious Night Wolves and the illusory wolf head that had swallowed them had vanished.
In their place were two headless wolf corpses, riddled with holes and pumping blood.
And a sharp figure holding an iron-grey longsword.
With a casual flick of the wrist, the figure spun the sword to shake off the remaining blood.
Xia Nan's gaze swept over the mangled wolf corpses on the meadow, then glanced at the girl, Mint, who stood motionless as if stunned.
His gaze moved over her pale, sweat-covered face and her trembling hands gripping the staff.
He found nothing suspicious.
He subtly shifted his body, increasing the distance from her blind spot to eliminate the possibility of a backstab from that angle.
Only then did he give her a slight nod.
He looked toward the other two battlefields.
As the core combat skill that currently defined Xia Nan's fighting style, [Fang Hunt] might be replaced by [Gravity Control] in the future.
But for now, the exaggerated mobility and explosive power it granted were things he relied on deeply.
Roaming support, sudden strikes, and retreats... the versatility of this skill was immense.
Combined with Xia Nan's respectable endurance, he was essentially a weapon of mass destruction on the battlefield.
Paired with [Whirlwind Slash], facing enemies weaker than himself was like cutting through vegetables.
He had no intention of hiding his strength too much; the revelation of [Fang Hunt] had been part of the plan.
Seeing that Mint was unharmed, he shifted his footing as a wolf howl quietly rose, intending to support his other teammates.
Unexpectedly, however.
The thought had only just arisen in Xia Nan's mind and had not yet been put into action.
The Night Wolves circling Kash and Vris suddenly seemed to receive some kind of command.
They howled twice and retreated in unison.
It wasn't a flight of terror, but rather a retreat to a subtle distance—one where they could either charge forward again or turn and vanish into the forest at any moment.
They lowered their bodies, arched their backs, and let out threatening low growls.
The two who had been released from the high-pressure state panted as they quickly closed in on Xia Nan to reform their formation.
They had, of course, heard that sudden, high-pitched howl.
They had even witnessed the entire process of Xia Nan, shrouded in a wolf-shaped current of air, crossing the battlefield in the blink of an eye to decapitate two Night Wolves.
Many thoughts immediately surfaced in their minds.
But given the special circumstances, it wasn't convenient to communicate. They merely glanced at the wolf corpses on the ground a few more times before withdrawing their gaze with strange expressions.
"What do we do? Should we retreat?"
Her chest heaving violently with every breath, Vris asked breathlessly.
She hadn't sustained any major injuries, but her stamina seemed significantly depleted; the silver-white strands of hair on both sides of her cheeks were damp with sweat, clinging to her ears.
"Out of those five Night Wolves, three are poisoned," she added, her two short daggers reflecting a purple-green eerie light under the moonlight. "If we stall a bit longer, the poison will fully take effect."
Kash didn't make an immediate decision.
Looking somewhat disheveled, his scale armor was covered in claw marks.
He suddenly turned and looked at Xia Nan.
"What do you think? Should we retreat?"
Xia Nan didn't know what the two were thinking, but he had been judging the situation on the field since a moment ago.
Out of ten Temple Night Wolves, only five remained.
Under normal circumstances, unless they were driven mad by hunger, a retreat would be inevitable after such losses.
No!
Based on Xia Nan's understanding of predatory animals in nature, let alone five—if even a single wolf in the pack were injured and the humans proved to be a sufficient threat, these agile and cunning beasts would not have stepped forward as they just had.
Weighing the benefits against the risks, they would have run long ago.
Yet now, they maintained such discipline, prowling the surrounding woods and staring at them hungrily.
There was only one reason left.
He suddenly narrowed his eyes, looking past the wolf pack toward the deep, lightless void shrouded in the night.
A flash of grey light flickered in his dark eyes.
[Heart-Leading Vision]!
Mental energy drained rapidly like a floodgate opening, leaving his head spinning.
In an instant, the world before him was reduced to primal black and white.
Illusory lines symbolizing gravity ripples collided and intertwined silently, constructing a massive, lithe figure within the brush and dense forest.
His gaze locked on!
[Heart-Leading Vision] deactivated before his mental energy was over-exhausted.
Xia Nan stared straight in the direction he had just sensed.
*Rustle...*
Sensing the gaze, the creature finally stopped hiding.
Accompanied by the rustling of leaves and the whimpering of the wolf pack in submission and awe, a massive Night Wolf, entirely silver-white as if bathed in moonlight, stepped slowly out from the woods.
Its size was significantly larger—by at least two sizes—than its kin.
If one stood close to it, they would have to tilt their head back just to meet its eyes. Its shoulder height likely reached two meters.
Yet, despite its massive frame, it didn't look bloated. In fact, it looked leaner.
Its four long, powerful limbs touched the ground lightly, as if a slight exertion of force would allow it to fly.
Under the night sky, framed by the moonlight and the dark forest, it possessed an indescribable sense of elegance.
"Didn't you say there was no alpha?"
Xia Nan frowned slightly, staring intently at the silver wolf, and asked without turning his head.
"That's what the mission information from the Association said." The sudden change left Kash feeling uncertain as well. "And normally, if the pack size is only ten, the conditions for an alpha to be born aren't met."
"It takes at least fifteen."
Hearing this, Xia Nan's heart tightened, fearing there were more ambushes.
Fortunately, through his perception, he knew there were no signs of other large creatures active nearby, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Should they retreat?
Or rather, *could* they retreat?
The air was thick with fog, making it difficult to even discern direction. The dense environment of the forest further limited the effectiveness of [Fang Hunt].
They might be professionals, but the Misty Forest was the natural home turf of the wolf pack.
Setting aside other dangers they might encounter in the dead of night, they might not even be able to outrun these wolves in a straight sprint.
Not to mention the fatal issues of exposing their backs and the ease with which a loose formation could be broken during a retreat.
As for climbing trees...
Even ignoring their current position, the pressure from the wolf pack during the fight had already quietly pushed them into a forest clearing where trees were sparse.
If that alpha possessed long-range attack methods, the Sea Thorn squad in the trees would simply be sitting ducks with no means of counterattacking.
"We can't retreat."
Across the spatial divide, dark eyes met the cold, ghostly wolf eyes from the depths of the forest.
On the surface of the iron-grey blade in his hand was the reflection of the moonlight from the heavens above.