"A spellcasting profession of fifteenth level or higher — while I'm not without methods to deal with such a thing, that's far beyond the bounds of reason..."
Leilin gazed at the Beastkin priest before him with a slight headache.
His current identity was still only that of a twelfth-level Mid-rank
However, his spiritual power, which far exceeded that of an ordinary wizard, combined with the Chip's scanning function, still allowed him to detect a faint fluctuation of magical energy.
He sidestepped sharply, turning left to dodge a green long arrow that had materialized out of thin air.
Tsss tsss! The corrosive arrow, its momentum undiminished, sliced through the body of a Beastkin, instantly reducing it to a heap of foam.
[Advanced Poison Arrow!]
Leilin's expression grew grave. The Mage Armor woven into his robes had already activated in full.
"Why did you leave the Black Blood tribe? What exactly are you out here for?"
"Heh heh... That's none of your concern, because your head will soon become my trophy!" the priest across from him sneered.
"Ah... Aolan!!!"
At that moment, the situation below shifted once more.
Another high-ranking Beastkin burst out from the side, launching a surprise attack on Aolan!
A dagger infused with terrifying black corrosive energy plunged deep into his chest. Seeing this, Lavinia erupted with powerful, radiant battle qi that seemed to carry a burning effect, causing the surrounding Beastkin to recoil in screams as she pulled Aolan into her arms.
"Do you see? Your leader is finished! Give it up! Renounce your faith, swear an oath in the name of the Hunting God to join us, and I'll spare you..."
The Beastkin priest's words dripped with a commanding force — perhaps it had already realized how troublesome Leilin was. While it could defeat him, the man would likely slip away.
"Hmm..."
Leilin smiled. And at that very moment, the priest's expression changed dramatically.
The moment Leilin saw the glow of a Message spell light up on the other's body, he knew his preparations had succeeded.
While the Beastkin priest's face was still twisted with indecision, Leilin flew backward, activating the spell scroll he had prepared in advance.
[High-level Spell Barrier]!
[Entangling Thorns]!
[Summon Guard]!
A powerful magical barrier instantly materialized, creating a pocket of sanctuary that enveloped Leilin and his companions. At the same time, a thicket of thorns erupted from the ground below, and clumps of earth assembled into the forms of heavily armored soldiers, standing in opposition against the remaining Beastkin.
"What happened?" Seeing the Beastkin priest land, the other leaders immediately crowded around.
"Our camp is under attack. It must be these cunning humans' scheme!" the priest snarled.
The other Beastkin's faces turned pale. "What do we do?"
The high-ranking Beastkin studied Leilin and the others inside the spell barrier. Though most were wounded, they clearly still retained some fighting capability, and with the magical protection, breaking through and eliminating them wasn't impossible — but it would take time...
And during that time, their camp might genuinely fall to the enemy! But splitting their forces without knowing the attackers' strength would be extremely risky, and Leilin's group was no pushover either.
Compared to their mission, these hateful humans hardly mattered.
Though Beastkin were synonymous with mindless brutality, those who had risen to the rank of leader clearly possessed a measure of intelligence.
"Let's go!" The Beastkin leader waved his hand, and the others began pulling back.
"But they—" Another Beastkin seemed reluctant, but was immediately shoved to the ground. "Use that stupid head of yours and think — is our camp more important, or these humans?"
"We'll meet again!"
The Beastkin priest also supported this decision. As it departed, it cast a long, deep look at Leilin.
"I look forward to it!" Leilin replied with a faint smile.
The Beastkin retreated swiftly, vanishing almost entirely within seconds.
[Mage's Eye]!
After casting several detection spells, Leilin nodded in certainty. "They've really left. No traps remaining..."
"Oh! We made it!" "Haha... I'm alive!" "I knew it — I was never going to die so easily!"
The overwhelming thrill and joy of surviving against all odds threw the remaining soldiers into chaos. Many simply broke down in tears.
After the initial elation faded, looking at the devastated camp and the heavy toll among their companions, someone was the first to sob — and then the wailing erupted all at once.
"Lei— Leilin!" Aolan's chest bore a massive wound. Even with Jinxi's hands pressed firmly against it, pouring out the milky-white glow of divine magic without pause, she couldn't stop the blood from surging. The vivid red stained the priestess's white robes, a horrifying sight.
"I'm leaving my brothers to you! Promise me — bring them back alive to Silver Moon City!" Aolan's lips were cracked, his face looking like a traveler on the verge of dying of thirst.
"What do I do? What do I do? A wound of this severity needs at least a [Cure Serious Wounds]! I've used all my divine spell slots for today..." Jinxi's voice was choked with tears. A cleric who had exhausted her divine magic was even more useless than a wizard who had burned through all her spell slots.
"I promise you!" Leilin nodded gravely.
"Then... I can rest easy..." Aolan's hand fell, and his eyes gently closed.
"Captain! Captain!" Jinxi burst into tears.
"He's not dead yet!" Leilin pushed Jinxi aside, slightly exasperated, and a spell scroll materialized in his hand.
[Create Water]! [Freeze]!
After the brilliant flash of magical light, Aolan was now encased in a massive block of ice on the ground, like a frozen insect, a faint expression of surprise still lingering on his face.
"This might keep him going a bit longer!" Leilin said, his expression grave.
"Jinxi!"
"Here!" The young priestess looked up, startled.
"I have an important task for you." Leilin gazed at her steadily. "I need you to escort Aolan back. You're the only cleric we have besides him, so do everything you can to sustain his life... As for your safety, I'll send a few people to escort you."
"Understood!" Jinxi wiped her tears and agreed readily. With Aolan gone, Leilin had already assumed command.
"Wait — aren't you coming back with me?" Jinxi finally realized, speaking with some surprise.
"Go back? Do you want to end up before a military tribunal? Kaslai certainly won't let us off..."
Leilin's expression was somber. "I'm staying behind to complete the mission!!!"
In that moment, Leilin radiated a powerful aura that could only be described as heroic, and it thoroughly moved Jinxi.
"Sob..." The priestess's tears flowed once more. "Don't worry... I will complete the task and report everything about you to the Church..."
As a cleric, Jinxi was the least likely person to face retribution, and she naturally assumed Leilin had given her this chance to live — she was completely and utterly moved.
Leilin then casually picked out two relatively intact soldiers to escort Jinxi and the other critically wounded back.
Once Aolan departed, the entire team fell completely under Leilin's control.
In fact, with the cleric gone, this group was entirely free of any surveillance and could act without restraint!
"This method... will it really work? I've never heard of anything like it..."
Watching the enormous cart loaded with ice depart, Lavinia stood beside Leilin, confusion in her eyes. "Can freezing really slow down the progression of injuries?"
If such a method existed, the temples' business would surely improve considerably, and wizards would take an even greater interest in ice magic research — but Lavinia had never heard of anything like it.
"Mm! In theory, yes! In practice, I haven't actually tested it yet..." Leilin nodded.
"In theory..." the young knight shrieked.
"Well, it's still a hope!" Leilin answered with a complete lack of accountability, clapping his hands to gather the remaining soldiers.
Standing atop a raised platform, Leilin gazed down at the sparse crowd below. The original squad had numbered fewer than fifty, and after the previous night's battle and today's evacuation of the wounded, only a dozen or so remained — a genuinely wretched sight.
"You must be wondering why I don't go back..."
Leilin's voice was low and steady. With the death or departure of the squad leaders, his rank had become the highest — the only legitimate commander remaining.
Of course, Leilin only needed the title. Actually relying on this ragtag band of stragglers? He'd rather smash his head into a wall.
At the same time, in order to win over these soldiers, Leilin laid out the entire history of the mission, including his personal grudge against Kaslai.
After finishing, he could clearly see the light of despair in the soldiers' eyes.
"That's right. With Kaslai around, the moment we go back, we'll be branded deserters and sent straight to the military tribunal... Don't even think about running, because your citizenship papers and your families are all in Silver Moon City..."
Leilin's voice carried a strange, compelling power.
"So this battle isn't for me — it's for yourselves! For your futures! We have to take down those damn Beastkin! At the very least, we need to bring back some victories so we can return without facing severe punishment..."
The soldiers below were first gripped by confusion and fear, but gradually, a small flame appeared in each of their eyes.
Watching this scene, Leilin smiled quietly to himself.