According to the plan, Gauss should have released the snowstorm to force out the Jackal-Wolf People by now, then returned to the main battlefield to ambush the fleeing Jackal-Wolf troops.
After so long working together, they all knew Gauss was the type to strictly execute plans, never acting impulsively.
So...
Gauss not returning could only mean something unexpected happened.
Something in the woods was delaying his actions.
"I’ll go!!!"
Albena swung her giant axe with a whooshing sound.
Her hair scattered down, making her look exceptionally fierce.
She glanced towards the depths of the woods.
A sense of urgency sprang up in her heart.
She needed to obliterate the enemies here as quickly as possible and then swiftly go to support Gauss.
"You annoying monsters! All of you, die!!!!"
A Jackal-Wolf blocking her path was smashed into pulp by her axe on the spot.
Faster!
Even faster!
Ordinary Jackal-Wolf People stood no chance against her and Ying.
Even those stronger Jackal-Wolf People, with unknown evil red mist surging in their bodies, couldn’t withstand a few continuous slashes before succumbing.
"Die! Die!"
As Albena split the last few Jackal-Wolf People controlled by Aaliyah into halves.
The group panted heavily, scanning their surroundings.
Once assured no Jackal-Wolf People survived, their gaze unanimously turned to the depths of the woods.
...
In the forest canyon.
The scene before Gauss abruptly shifted.
It was as if he was suddenly pulled into a blood-colored world, surrounded by crimson.
Upon closer inspection, the scene below, though seemingly different, was still the same forest, just shrouded in a bloodthirsty mist.
The stone in his pocket released an unbearably dazzling light.
Clearly, the changes around him were from the Demon Lord Yenogu’s power.
He tried to fly out of the area, but only found endless similar crimson scenes around him.
"No need to panic."
Gauss told himself.
The Demon Lord’s main power on this land had long been driven away, and what’s left was just a minor force.
Otherwise, if Demon Lords could freely channel their power here, the world would have been in chaos by now.
He was not unfamiliar with demons.
Last year, during the winter hunt in Gray Rock Town, while defeating the beast tide gathered by an ogre wizard, he killed several timid demons summoned by that wizard.
Timid demons are among the weakest demons in the Abyss.
Yet, even the weakest demons are still demons.
Their power, when appearing on the main world, is further weakened; these creatures look terrifying but remain mortal, and can be "killed".
His gaze continuously locked onto the blood-mist-covered forest below.
He smelled a gradually intense stench.
Something was wandering in the woods.
"Magic Missile!"
Gauss’s eyes burned with intensity as he invoked the dragon tongue.
Blue missiles shot out instantly, piercing through the fog and shadows to hit the ground.
An empty shot.
But Gauss became even more certain the enemy was hiding below and seemed to be watching him.
Since the enemy wasn’t in a hurry, Gauss wasn’t eager to strike either.
He believed once Albena and others dealt with the Jackal-Wolf People, they should come to join him.
Maybe then, some external help could be provided.
As he silently remained vigilant, the red woods below started shifting.
"Can’t hold back any longer?"
Gauss slightly focused.
The blood mist rolled rapidly, as if stirred by an invisible hand.
A massive and distorted figure slowly emerged from the fog.
It was a black-red beast resembling a wolf and a dog.
Standing on four legs, its body covered in scars, with black spikes on its back, its eyes burning with ghostly green flames.
Is this a projection of some power of the Jackal-Wolf King Yenogu, or its minion?
Gauss pondered in his heart.
"Awooo!!!"
The black-red wolf beast howled towards the sky, rings of red energy pouring out from its bloodthirsty mouth.
Around it, the blood mist surged, several black wolf dogs dragging shadows floated beside it.
Capable of attacking from the air?
Gauss took the initiative, instantly shooting out several enhanced Magic Missiles.
The Magic Missiles hit with precision, piercing through the newly formed black wolf dogs and dispersing them into black mist.
But the next moment, the black fog absorbed energy from the environment and reformed the floating wolf shadow.
"An indestructible summoned creature..."
Gauss roughly understood the situation with these little wolves.
He cast his gaze upon the gigantic wolf beast.
At the same moment, the wolf beast was looking at him as well.
Those ghostly green eyes emitted pure bloodlust and a desire for brutal slaughter.
Truly a spawn of Yenogu, the Bloodthirsty Evil Beast.
Legend has it that Yenogu craves slaughter and destruction, aspiring to turn vibrant worlds into wastelands, and the sorrow, fear, and despair born from the death of beings are the sweetest desserts for Yenogu.
"Roar!!!"
The wolf beast opened its mouth wide.
A dot of black light lit up deep in its throat.
It continued to gather energy, absorbing the surrounding evil bloodthirsty force to strengthen itself.
In almost a blink of an eye, it completed its concentration.
"So fast!"
However, Gauss had already been prepared.
He uttered "Dagger Cloud".
The cloud flew rapidly, only expanding when it was close to the wolf beast.
"Sizzle sizzle sizzle!"
Countless daggers struck the already scarred body of the wolf beast.
In an instant, numerous small cuts were made, and blood gushed out from these wounds.
Did it succeed?
Noticing this scene, Gauss’s mind wavered slightly.
But the next moment, he dismissed the idea that had just emerged.
No! It wasn’t affected at all!
Or rather, the speed at which the Dagger Cloud created wounds couldn’t keep up with its self-healing speed from absorbing surrounding energy.
Despite appearing wounded, the wolf beast’s self-healing ability was terrifyingly immense.
And the surging red fog energy beneath it seemed inexhaustible.
"Boom!!!"
The black light in the wolf beast’s throat completed its concentration and was released in Gauss’s direction.
A straight black beam shot out from its throat, instantly crossing dozens of hundreds of meters to reach Gauss.
In fact, Gauss had already dodged in advance, but that beam still locked onto him as if tracing its target.
Fortunately, he had a second preparation for this.
A small blue water shield appeared instantly in his hand.
The water shield, rippling and appearing fragile, stood in front of the beam.
"Sizzle sizzle sizzle!"
The collision of the two forces instantly released a terrifying energy.
Gauss adjusted his direction, leveraging the rebound force to fly sideways out of the beam’s straight attack.
"As expected..."
Gauss’s hypothesis in his mind was confirmed.
This "Water Armament" blessed by the Lake God was Holy Water, capable of effectively countering the powers of these demons, as incompatible as water and fire.
He had predicted during his journey that it would have special effects against demonic powers.
Part of the reason he was willing to accept this commission was his possession of the Water Armament.
"Does that mean, if the weapon forged from the Water Armament cuts into its body, it might limit its self-healing to some extent?"
Gauss speculated further, not without reason.
During the brief contact and leverage earlier, he felt that the power released from the water shield was obliterating that beam.
Therefore, had he not been thinking about conserving the energy within the water shield, he could have fully blocked and nullified that beam attack without dodging.
"Awwoooo!!!"
As he flew sideways out and pondered,
The few black floating wolf hounds lunged at him, aiming to bite.
The protective layer of the Moonlight Robe released defensive energy.
Soon the wolf hounds’ mouths, which tried to bite, emitted a burning white smoke.
"Light Spell!"
Gauss uttered in dragon language.
The water shield in his hand instantly transformed into a slender Water Sword.
The Light Spell cast upon the blade made it shine with more dazzling brilliance.
"Slash!"
Gauss swung the sword downward, slicing the floating wolf hound in half.
"Awwoooo!!!"
The floating wolf hound howled.
The surrounding blood fog energy continued to surge towards it.
But the wound from the slash just now was entwined with a deeply rooted corroding energy, stopping it from absorbing energy to regenerate and recover.
My thought was correct!
Now, evil creature, can you withstand my assault?
His sight fell upon the wolf-like, dog-like evil beast.