An injured lone wolf with a treasure chest nearby—this was practically a gift from the gods.
"What a perfect opportunity!"
He lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming with calculation.
"Brother Bloom, you draw its attention from the left. Elara, get your magic ready and hit it hard. I'll flank from the right and deliver the finishing blow! Remember, be quick!"
After the simple tactical arrangement, the three charged out simultaneously!
"Roar!" The jackal was startled, whipping around sharply, its murky eyes instantly locking onto Elara, who appeared the weakest.
It kicked off with its hind legs, charging straight at her with a foul, bloody wind!
Elara was so terrified her face went pale, her mind completely blank, forgetting all magical incantations.
Just as that foul, drooling maw was about to bite down, her survival instinct made her scream, swinging the oak staff in her hands like a club with her eyes tightly shut!
A dull thud echoed as the staff connected solidly with the jackal's snout!
"Yeeeooowww—!"
The jackal let out a piercing, miserable howl, its charging momentum abruptly halting. Its entire head was rattled, leaving it dazed and disoriented on the spot.
"Schluck!"
Kelvin's scimitar seized the perfect opportunity, precisely piercing the jackal's relatively softer neck from the side.
Bloom's battle axe descended simultaneously, heavily cleaving into its spine.
The fight ended surprisingly easily.
Kelvin pulled out his scimitar, looking at the twitching jackal corpse on the ground, and couldn't help but burst into loud laughter: "Hahahaha, well done, sweet Elara! That head-on blow had the spirit of a dwarf warrior! Maybe you should switch careers and become a warrior."
The girl was still shaken, her small face deathly pale. She stared at the staff in her hands, seemingly not yet processing what she had just done.
Bloom also grinned widely: "Haha, little Elara, that was one solid whack!"
Kelvin eagerly rushed to the decayed wooden chest, pried open the rusted lock with his scimitar, and flung the lid open—
Inside weren't the glittering treasures they imagined, but it was filled with a thick layer of Moonlight Moss emitting a soft, moon-white glow, dotted with a few deep green, semi-transparent stones that looked like solidified swamp water.
"We're rich! We're rich!"
Kelvin ecstatically grabbed a handful of the Moonlight Moss, its gentle glow illuminating his face, twisted with excitement.
"Look, Elara! Bloom!"
"I told you the guidance of 'Miracle' Yano was real! Think of how many gold coins these could fetch in Ironboot Town, no, even in the royal capital!"
He danced about, spittle flying, already fantasizing about a life of luxury after paying off his debts.
Elara, infected by the joy of their haul, crouched down to carefully examine the rare magical plants, while Bloom stroked his beard, calculating how much premium tobacco and ale this money could buy.
Just as the three were immersed in the ecstasy of their newfound wealth, their guard at its lowest—
"Yeeeooowww—!!!"
"Awooo awooo—!!!"
Piercing, dense howls filled with bloodthirsty frenzy surged like a tide from behind the ruins!
A pack of Corrupted Jackals with festering fur surged out like demons escaping hell, roaring as they charged.
"Jackal pack!!"
The dwarf's combat instincts made Bloom immediately adopt a defensive stance, but facing enemies swarming from all directions, his expression turned extremely grim.
The ecstasy on Kelvin's face instantly froze, replaced by ashen-gray fear. Overwhelming despair flooded him like icy water.
It's over! All over!
He felt as if he were back in that desperate afternoon shrouded by the Bugbear's shadow!
Run! Must run!
That was the only thought in his mind!
"Captain, I'll hold them here! You take little Elara and run!"
In that critical moment, time seemed to freeze.
Kelvin saw Elara frozen in terror, her face deathly pale, and saw the dwarf Bloom bravely blocking the front.
His mind screamed at him to run!
Like that bastard captain did back then.
Cold-blooded! Greedy for wealth!
That was the law of survival!
...But... but... they... were just like... himself and that foolish lad back then...
The captain's resolute retreating back, the despairing look in his companion's eyes before death—these memories remained deeply etched in his mind.
Pain and guilt intertwined.
"Raaaagh—!!!"
Kelvin let out a roar that sounded almost inhuman—not a scream of fear, but a desperate, cornered resolve.
"To hell with cold-bloodedness, I just can't learn it!"
He abruptly halted his fleeing steps, looking at the madly charging jackals, at the leather armor on the dwarf warrior instantly torn open by sharp claws and the blood seeping out, at the girl's terrified, helpless eyes...
"Bloom! Take Elara and go!! Go—now—!!!"
Kelvin's eyes were wide with fury, his voice distorted and hoarse from extreme emotion. He completely forgot his fear, forgot the gold coins, forgot his own cold-blooded survival philosophy.
Like an enraged lion, he gripped his scimitar tightly with both hands and recklessly charged back towards the several jackals lunging at Bloom and Elara.
...
In the darkness, Chen Yu blinked his eyes in confusion.
Huh?
A jackal pack?
"The script doesn't seem to include these stinking jackals, does it?"
These Corrupted Jackals had most likely strayed from the Death Swamp to the south.
How dare they intrude into his territory, completely disregarding him, the Slime Lord!
Seeing the critical situation, Chen Yu could no longer maintain his "director" role. He fired off a Little Arrow Technique directly at them.
"Boom!"
The Little Arrow Technique released with mid-stage cultivation power was astonishingly powerful. Two jackals were blasted away by the water arrow's tremendous impact force, their corpses even getting stuck in the trees.
This sudden, precise strike made the frenzied jackal pack instantly hesitate. A flicker of instinctual fear showed in their murky red eyes.
It was that damned Slime coming!
"Grrr..."
A low growl came from within the jackal pack. The remaining jackals immediately abandoned their attack, tucked their tails between their legs, and fled with mournful howls, quickly disappearing into the dense forest.
Meanwhile, the three survivors, having fled far away, collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
Though they looked utterly disheveled now, there was no doubt—they had survived.
Kelvin leaned on his scimitar, kneeling on one knee, his entire body trembling slightly. His face was pale, and his underclothes were soaked with cold sweat.
That desperate charge had almost drained all his courage and strength. The feeling of fear slowly receded like a tide, leaving behind relief and an indescribable shame...
He had actually abandoned his cold-blooded principles at the critical moment.
Kelvin, what kind of hero were you trying to be?
"Cap... Captain..."
"Thank you! If it weren't for you..."
Elara's voice was choked with tears, yet filled with reverence.
Bloom also gasped for breath, enduring the pain, and laughed heartily.
"Well done, Captain! I, Bloom Stonefist, truly respect you today!"
"Bold! Manly! Damn decent of you!"
Hearing his companions' sincere gratitude and praise, seeing their faces after surviving the ordeal, a bit of color slowly returned to Kelvin's pale face. He coughed lightly in embarrassment.
"Ahem... Just kidding. Mere jackals with no eyes are no match for me, Kelvin."
After catching their breath, the rookie team trio didn't dare linger in the dangerous swamp. Knowing when to quit, they withdrew and left.
Chen Yu poked his head out from behind the oak tree. Only after their figures had completely disappeared did he hop around and turn away.
"Cunning jackals."
Daring to invade his territory in broad daylight—he couldn't even imagine what they might try next.
He had to strike back hard.
Make them understand who truly rules this swamp.
Yano seemed to be returning soon. Perfect timing to have him lead the newly formed castle guard south to investigate the situation in the Death Swamp.