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nAs Howard stepped outside, he saw Skor, bloodied and staggering, approaching from a distance under the moonlight.

nHoward quickened his pace but stopped a few steps away, recalling the mysterious attacks by the Lionheart Mercenaries and the eerie Wolf Cavalry.

nCautiously, he called out, “Skor?”

nSkor was usually stoic, his face rarely showing emotion.

nObserving him, Howard couldn’t be sure if this was the same Skor who had saved him.

nSkor looked at Howard, a chilling glint passing through his eyes.

nHoward stepped back, gripping his spear.

nIf it hadn’t been for Skor’s previous aid, he wouldn’t have risked approaching.

nHe had seen a murderous intent in Skor’s eyes but still hesitated to attack.

n“Skor, do you still know who I am?” Howard asked, scrutinizing him.

nSkor’s injuries were severe, the worst being a piercing wound on his left side.

nAfter a moment’s pause, Skor spoke in a cold tone, “Of course, I know who you are. Seeing you with a weapon, I thought you might have turned against us.”

nHoward lowered his spear and hurried to support Skor. “I want to survive, but I’m not ungrateful. What happened?”

nSkor replied, “I went out to look for Tina and the captain and encountered a Night Demon. Stay in the cave; don’t go out. It’s dangerous outside. Haven’t they returned yet?”

nHoward furrowed his brow, “Let’s get back to the cave first and talk.”

nWhen Howard returned, Catt, who had previously disappeared, was standing at the entrance of the cave, his back to everyone.

n“Catt, have the captain and Tina come back?” Skor approached to ask.

nSuddenly, Catt spun around, his hand lashing out and gripping Skor’s throat tightly.

nBefore Howard could react, a sickening snap echoed as Skor’s neck broke.

nSkor was dead in Catt’s hands…

nHoward turned and ran. By vanishing from Catt’s sight just in time, he avoided immediate danger.

nCatt, after scanning the area briefly, stood motionless.

nHiding behind a tree, Howard glanced at Skor’s lifeless body on the ground, mourning silently for a few seconds.

nSkor…

nHoward had been completely caught off guard.

nIf Skor hadn’t approached Catt first, he would have been the one lying there.

nIn a way, Skor had saved his life again.

nRegrettably, there was nothing he could do to save Skor, not even retrieve his body.

nHoward was no match for Catt.

nSurveying his desolate surroundings, Howard knew he had to make a choice: wait for Kellman and Tina or leave alone.

nUnfamiliar with the area and unsure where safety lay, he realized Tina’s map was still in the cave.

nSurviving alone seemed a daunting task…

nSighing, Howard decided to wait a bit longer.

nIf Kellman and Tina didn’t return by dawn, he planned to retrieve the map from the cave and head towards a safer location.

nOutside the cave, the cold night air made him long for Tina’s blanket.

nRemembering Tina’s smiling face and her gentle, caring demeanor, a glimmer of hope flickered in Howard’s eyes.

nHe earnestly hoped she was safe.

nIn the depths of the forest late at night, as Howard struggled against his exhaustion and was on the brink of sleep, a bloodthirsty Night Demon suddenly emerged.

nHoward sensed the danger and snapped his eyes open, finding himself face to face with the Night Demon that had stealthily approached.

nThe creature resembled a giant bat, with its crimson eyes blinking coldly in the darkness.

nIts fangs were exposed in a gaping maw, and it exuded a sinister aura all over.

nHoward could feel the fervor and bloodlust deep within it through the cold gleam in its eyes.

nAfter a moment, the Night Demon moved rapidly, circling around Howard and stirring up fierce gusts of wind.

nIt seemed poised to pounce at any moment.

nHoward, spear in hand, stood guard warily, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

nSuddenly, the Night Demon launched a fierce attack.

nHoward gripped his spear tightly and faced the onslaught head-on.

nRetreat was not an option; despite his lack of strength and inability to use magic, he refused to resign himself to fate.

nExerting all his might, he thrust the spear toward the Night Demon.

nThe Night Demon evaded the strike, and Howard swung his spear with lethal precision, his eyes filled with determination.

nThe Night Demon dodged swiftly, weaving through the air, seemingly searching for an advantageous angle to strike and seize Howard’s throat.

nHowever, Howard wasn’t fooled by its movements.

nWith his extensive combat experience, he anticipated the creature’s intentions.

nStabilizing his stance, Howard thrust his spear toward the Night Demon, ready to confront whatever came next.

nThe Night Demon suddenly attacked from behind Howard with lightning-fast speed, catching him off guard.

nHowever, Howard quickly adjusted and thrust his spear backward with force.

nThe Night Demon, disregarding its own safety, charged towards Howard, but the spear had already deeply penetrated its body, causing green blood to flow unreservedly.

nWith a helpless howl, the Night Demon lost its ability to resist, its body gradually weakening.

nHoward, not taking any chances, thrust his spear through its head, ensuring its end.

nAlthough victorious, Howard’s injuries had worsened.

nAnd now, he had attracted Catt’s attention…

nCatt was a formidable warrior.

nAccording to Tina, he had once faced ten opponents without sustaining a single injury.

nEven against Night Demons, he could take them down with a single punch, far more effortlessly than Howard, who had struggled to kill just one.

nMoreover, Howard was now utterly drained of energy to fight.

nWhen Catt charged at him, Howard didn’t know what to do.

nRun?

nHe couldn’t outrun Catt, whose speed was incredibly fast.

nIn a moment of desperation, Howard braced himself and aimed his spear at Catt.

nHe had always suspected that everything he was experiencing was a false illusion or a dream.

nIf that were true, why fear death?

n“Come on!” he shouted.

nJust as they were about to clash, Catt was suddenly cleaved in two by a giant sword.

nHe was dead…

nThe one who saved Howard was Kellman, the leader of the Frostwolf Mercenaries, who had killed his own team member to save Howard.

nBeside him stood Tina, tears streaming down her face.

n“Catt turned out this way too? When we went out, we encountered a Night Demon, and then, inexplicably, that guard suddenly attacked me. I was caught off guard and got stabbed in the side by that damn creature,” Kellman said, panting.

nPerhaps accustomed to death, his face didn’t show much sorrow for Catt and Skor’s demise.

nSeeing the Night Demon’s corpse beside Howard, surprise registered on Kellman’s face. 𝘳𝑎.𝒸ℴ

nWhether or not Howard had been a magus, he certainly had the potential of a warrior.

nTina stepped forward to support the weakened Howard.

nDue to the fierce battle, Howard’s wounds had reopened.

nTina led him back into the cave to redress his injuries.

nKellman went outside to deal with the bodies of the Night Demon, Catt, and Skor.

nIt was necessary, both out of respect for his companions and to prevent the scent of blood from attracting more danger.

nThroughout the night, Kellman and Tina took turns keeping watch, sparing Howard due to his injuries.

nThough he felt guilty for not offering to stand guard, he knew his current condition didn’t allow for any bravado.

nThe night passed peacefully, and Howard finally had a chance to recover.

nTina, who seemed no longer engulfed in sorrow, smiled at Howard and said, “There must be something unusual about your body. How can such severe injuries heal so quickly?”

nHoward responded with a smile, not saying a word.

nKellman looked towards the rising sun in the east. “Let’s set off. Once we reach Holy Light City, we’ll be safe.”

nAfter a night of hardship, the team had been reduced by half, but fortunately, Howard had survived.

nHe asked Kellman how long it would take to reach a safe place, and Kellman informed him that at best, it would take three days.

nIn such a perilous region, three days seemed an eternity. .

nEven Howard found it challenging, let alone Aurelia. A

nll Howard could do for her now was to silently pray.

n“Do Night Demons only appear at night?”

nHoward had not seen any Night Demons for a long time, yet nearly everyone in the team had encountered one the previous night, suggesting that these creatures were both numerous and easily encountered.

n“Yes, Night Demons only emerge at night. Encountering a few scattered ones is manageable, but if we run into a pack of Night Demons, even at the peak strength of our mercenary group, we would pay a heavy price,” Kellman explained to Howard.

nTina added, “But don’t worry too much. Encountering a pack of Night Demons is rare, and one or two of them can’t pose a serious threat to us. So, we can be optimistic. We’ll definitely survive.”

n“To be safe, we must find a secure place before nightfall,” Kellman said gravely. “After all, it’s not just the Night Demons we have to worry about at night… but also those humans who, for some reason, have gone mad.”

nHoward thought back to the Lionheart Mercenaries, the empire’s Wolf Cavalry, and then to Catt and the guard.

nIn the night, aside from Night Demons, what else could have caused them to turn like that?

nThere must be a significant number of humans affected, so it was best to find a safe place to hide at night and not venture out.

n𝘳𝘦.𝒸𝑜𝘮

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