Wolf’s confidence surged. By properly deploying two spells, he turned an apex predator into a bizarre, dizzy mess.

The Pureflame Salamander dazedly stared at Wolf as blood oozed from its terrifying maw.

Offense is the best defense. Wolf didn’t want to give the flaming lizard any time to gather its wits. He was already casting his defensive Subtle spell, but he believed that there was only one way to keep the initiative.

Wolf kicked his feet off the ground, sending a spray of earth behind him. He dashed towards the Pureflame Salamander, attacking with the same energy conserving combination of maneuvers he'd used on the Rockcrusher Python.

Wolf held his sword parallel to the ground, mimicking a bull’s horn. He stabbed at the Pureflame Salamander’s flank, executing the Charging Bull’s Pierce.

A wave of heat seared Wolf’s face, overwhelming Protection from Elements. Wolf grit his teeth against the pain and stabbed with everything he had. Sizzling sounds filled Wolf’s ears the moment the icy blade touched the scorching scales. A horrible cracking sound followed the impact, and for a moment, offense and defense reached an equilibrium.

The standstill lasted for a fraction of a second. Then, scales fractured, and Wolf’s sword sunk into the Monster Beast’s flank by a finger’s width. However, the blade stopped before drawing blood.

Wolf then continued the chain with his second attack. Internal Energy surged through his arm and into the sword as he executed Mighty Slash. With a screeching akin to nails clawing at glass, a handful of shattered red scales scattered through the air as Wolf freed his sword. Despite the seemingly impressive display, the First Order maneuver also failed to bloody the Ninth Order Monster Beast.

Unlike Rockcrusher Pythons, Pureflame Salamanders weren’t known for their defense. However, the difference of two Orders was enough to make its scales much sturdier than those of the giant constrictor.

Weapon Splitter! Wolf executed the Sixth Order maneuver, slashing at the scaly hide.

The iced blade of his silver-hilted sword flashed with Internal Energy, and Wolf cleaved at the saurian’s flank with all his might.

The horizontal slash landed. Scalding blood splashed towards Wolf’s face as scales tougher than steel split and exposed softer flesh. The icy blade sizzled as it severed a rib, but by the time it struck the second one, it had lost most of its momentum and got stuck.

Not good, Wolf thought while blood as hot as boiling magma flew towards him.

He focused and stored the boiling splash of red into his Ring of Holding, saving his face. However, that tiny maneuver almost forced Wolf to fumble the Subtle Mass Fire Immunity he was casting.

The Pureflame Salamander howled in pain and rage. It shook its giant head to dispel its dizziness, then its body started to shine.

Crap. But before Wolf could do anything, the Pureflame Salamander let out a blast wave of sulfur-smelling vapor. For a moment, Wolf thought about enduring the force pushing him away, but then realized he could benefit from this move.

Wolf didn’t resist. He firmly gripped his long-sword, then sent a surge of Internal Energy into his legs and leapt back. Wolf used the force of the blast wave and his jump to yank out the icy sword from the Monster Beast’s rib.

Wolf somersaulted as he soared through the air to stabilize himself. Meanwhile, the Pureflame hissed in pain once more.

The giant saurian turned and trained its bloodshot eyes on Wolf. It snorted, then shot a pair of fist-sized fireballs from its nostrils.

Wolf’s feet touched the ground. He was about to dodge out of reflex, but then realized he didn’t have to. Twin balls of fire spun unsteadily through the air. One of them veered off to the left and crashed into the ground after barely covering five meters. It exploded on impact, leaving behind a patch of baked earth.

The other fireball got closer. It struck a pine half a dozen meters to Wolf’s right. In an instant, the compact ball of flame turned into a miniature sea of fire, engulfing the tree and its surroundings. A moment later, the flames disappeared, leaving behind ashes and coal.

It’s because its snout is broken. Wolf understood Pureflame's plight.

However, even if the Salamander’s aim wasn’t off, Wolf wasn’t afraid of the pure fire attack. He had finished casting Subtle Mass Fire Immunity while midair. Originally, Wolf prepared it to protect himself and the gang, but under the circumstances, it was a waste. This was a Seventh Order spell. If Wolf had prepared it only for himself, he could’ve cast it at Fifth Order even after it became Subtle.

Thus, Wolf countered Pureflame's strongest weapon. The only way the flaming lizard could threaten him was through tooth and claw. However, Pureflames weren’t famous for their melee ability.

The Salamander didn’t know that. It charged towards Wolf with all it had, while Wolf started casting Subtle Swiftness. The Pureflame didn’t switch tactics because of the problem with its nose. No. It charged because it wanted to tear the loathed kidnapper into shreds with its own bare claws.

The deformed maw opened. Wolf saw three rows of obsidian black triangular teeth dancing and distorting from the heat haze. The sight would’ve been even scarier if most of Salamander's front teeth weren’t broken or missing from the head-on collision with the Wall of Soul Force.

The jaw snapped shut and blood splashed. Wolf easily dodged in time, but the violent motion aggravated Pureflame's jaw injury.

Salamander whined, and its eyes teared. It knew it shouldn’t bite Wolf. Meaning the only weapons it had at its disposal were the fierce claws and the whip-like tail.

After taking a moment to suppress its pain, the Salamander pounced again. The giant lizard dashed forward. It jumped, and Wolf dodged to the side.

However, the Pureflame was ready. As the monster ran past Wolf, it whipped its flexible tail towards him.

The tail tore through the air, letting out a sharp whistle, similar to the sound of a steel blade slashing at Wolf’s flank.

Wolf fell to the ground. Then, using inertia, he rolled to the side.

The tail, which was horizontally swatting towards Wolf, suddenly twisted midair, trying to turn and strike its target.

*Boom!*

The tail slammed into the ground, spraying earth. Still mid-roll, Wolf felt the shockwave with his back. Then he stood up. As the soil rained down on his head and shoulders, Wolf saw a giant crater, not two meters away.

It couldn’t have made such a hole just with physical strength. That means it must have used Internal Energy, or whatever the Monster Beast equivalent is called. Could it use maneuvers?

The situation was serious and Wolf knew he was in genuine danger, but random thoughts still assailed his mind. He wanted to charge and hack at the Pureflame’s neck with Weapon Splitter. He could get lucky and hit an artery. However, the Salamander wasn’t accommodating.

The searing hot tail swished through the air, clearing away the dust cloud it had raised. With cat-like agility, the Pureflame spun and faced Wolf.

Wolf caught his reflection in those reptilian eyes. Somehow, he found the hatred and fear in the Pureflame’s gaze familiar. It reminded him of Archibald. It reminded Wolf of the hatred and fear he saw in his father’s eyes years ago, when that dragon-blood bear showed up out of nowhere.

The youth froze, and the giant Salamander erupted with speed. In what seemed like a moment, the Monster Beast appeared before Wolf.

Wolf regained his senses, but it was too late.

In a slowed flow of time, he watched the Internal Energy imbued talon move with impossible speed as it neared his chest.

I can’t dodge this, he realized, and grit his teeth.

In an attempt to parry, Wolf slashed forward with his ice sword.

With a hiss, the icy blade struck the blazing talon.

*Crack!*

Hearing the sharp sound, Wolf’s face twisted. The parry exhausted half the blow’s momentum, then Wolf’s treasured sword exploded into pieces, and icy shrapnel showered Wolf and Salamander alike.

Glimmering bits of ice flew everywhere. Wolf’s magic was dispelled and ice crystals rapidly turned back into metal. Sharp shards bit into Wolf’s flesh, but he hardly noticed them. His eyes were wide as he watched the claw grow closer.

He wanted to use the clash’s energy to back away, but it wasn’t enough. Wolf had to give up on dodging. Instead, he tried to wrap his body in layers of Internal Energy. But before the first layer formed, three nails sharper than blades and hotter than lava raked his chest.

Blood didn’t splatter. There was no sound of cloth being ripped. Instead, Wolf’s tattered uniform soundlessly burst into flames before turning into ashes.

Fire Immunity protected Wolf’s body, but when the three talons sliced his flesh, they created a temporary flaw in the spell.

Wolf’s flesh sizzled and hissed. His blood turned to vapor. Thankfully, the second layer of Internal Energy shielded Wolf’s internal organs, but the invasive heat threatened to burst it like a bubble. Then, a fraction of a moment later, the invisible layer of protection from Fire Immunity stabilized and protected the rest of Wolf’s body from the unbearable heat.

A split second later, Wolf felt the claw scratch his ribs, then the blow sent him flying like a rag doll. World spun as Wolf felt weightless. He slammed into a tree with a grunt and fell down to the ground some ten meters away from the Salamander.

He lay on his back. A charred claw mark branded into his chest, while the front side of his uniform was gone. The stench of burnt fabric and carbonized flesh assailed Wolf’s nose, but he barely noticed it.

Instead, Wolf gazed at the silver-hilted sword he still tightly gripped. The blade broke a thumb’s width above the hand-guard, and Wolf felt a part of him also broke along with it.

Then he shifted his gaze towards the Pureflame. Towards that pitiful slash he had made on the Monster Beast’s flank. Wolf regretted what he’d done to his poor sword. That tiny slash on the Pureflame’s side was the last attack he’d ever make with this weapon.

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s my fault. A tear rolled down Wolf’s cheek. For a moment, he had completely forgotten about his enemy. But the Pureflame wouldn’t give him the time to grieve for losing his favorite weapon and oldest companion.

The Monster Beast already rushed towards Wolf, but then its grotesquely bulging eyes went wide and it froze mid-step, skidding on the ground.

Before it, in Wolf’s outstretched hand, lay its offspring.

The Pureflame Salamander’s face was bashed in from charging into the Wall of Force. Its eyes protruded, like those of a fish. And yet they bulged even more as anger and hatred swelled inside the flaming lizard’s heart.

The Monster Beast sneered threateningly, revealing broken teeth and leaking blood and drool out of its malformed jaw.

At that moment, blood ran down Wolf’s chin as if mirroring the Pureflame.

The man and monster stared at each other. They had similar wounds on their chests. One from a fiery claw, which charred human flesh, the other from a frozen blade, its unnatural chill still invading the flaming monster’s body, causing an irritating itch.

For a moment, man and monster stood frozen. The Pureflame’s bright eyes narrowed as it stared at the despicable manling holding its offspring hostage. Meanwhile, Wolf’s mind raced.

Should I use this opportunity and cast a Subtle Finger of Death? No, I don’t want to be a person who uses someone’s offspring to kill them. Then what could I do? Maybe…

Wolf reached a pivotal thought, then reigned in his murderous intent and calmed down.

Dire Wolves never attacked us after I saved that cub.

“Look, I know you can’t understand my words, but I believe you can understand my general meaning.” Wolf breathed raggedly as he spoke. “I got this egg by accident. One of those two old farts threw it away, and I caught it. Technically, I saved your child’s life. There’s no hatred between us.”

The Pureflame seemed to ease up a bit. It still stared at the egg with fiery eyes, but its seething rage lessened. Wolf didn’t know whether this was because it understood his words, but the Monster Beast acted as if it could understand him.

“I only have this one egg. I don’t know how many eggs you had, and I don’t know how many of them those guys took. However, I know this one is safe and sound, and I wish to return it to you. In exchange, you let me and those four that were with me off. What do you say?” Wolf then stopped talking and looked at the Pureflame Salamander expectantly.

While speaking, Wolf used the Subtle Siren’s Voice, a Seventh Order spell. His words and proposals, while the spell was active, seemed more reasonable and alluring to listeners.

Wolf originally prepared for plan three. In case Tommy turned against them, Wolf would use it to talk Alfred into joining their side and fight against his friend. But apparently you could also use it to talk a giant lizard into not eating you. Assuming your proposal was reasonable enough, and the lizard was intelligent enough.

Much to Wolf’s surprise, the Pureflame Salamander nodded after thinking for a moment. He even thought he saw hints of resignation on the Monster Beast’s battered face.

What a good parent. The important thing is the child’s life. Not revenge, nor finding the culprit.

Wolf could tell that the Pureflame was unsatisfied with this result. Not because it wanted to kill Wolf, but because it wanted to get the rest of the eggs back. Wolf could imagine his parents and how they would feel in this situation. He knew Archibald would make the same call.

“I’ll see what I can do about getting the rest of your children back to you.” Wolf said after taking a deep breath.

Salamander’s dull eyes brightened. The Monster Beast was surprised, as was Wolf. He didn’t expect things would work out this way. After a moment, the Pureflame relaxed significantly.

“I can’t promise you results, but I promise I will put in the effort to see this through. If I have any success, I promise to go all the way back to your volcano and bring the eggs with me. If I don’t show up, that means I failed.” Wolf had a determined gaze and felt shackles tighten around his soul.

He left the egg on the ground and backed away. Pureflame observed his movements carefully.

After Wolf opened up a dozen meters between him and the egg, the fiery lizard nodded once again.

Then it approached the egg in a slow, non-threatening manner. It winced in pain as it gingerly opened its mouth. The giant lizard gently stretched out its forked tongue and wrapped it around the egg. It nudged the egg left and right. Then it carefully pulled it back into its mouth.

Just that careful process gave Wolf some understanding of Pureflame’s intelligence.

While Wolf felt admiration, the Pureflame shifted its gaze and looked deeply at Wolf one final time.

There was no hostility. Only hope and resigned helplessness. The monster knew it couldn’t continue its pursuit. If it smashed into something like that Wall of Force again, it would lose its child and maybe even its life.

The Ninth Order Monster Beast slowly turned around and left. Wolf stared after it in silence.

Maybe, if I had used the Call of the Netherworld while it was still stunned, I could’ve killed it, he thought.

Master, do you really think that pathetic lizard deserved to die? Silver asked out of the blue.

Probably not. But I am thinking of killing that Tommy bastard. We completed our mission and escorted them safely to where they wanted to go. If I kill him after the mission, it shouldn’t change the fact that we completed it successfully.

Master, I could be wrong, but I believe there should be some law against murder? Silver rained down on Wolf’s parade, not even letting him fantasize.