Leo quickly landed a California Smash on the wolf’s head, causing it to explode into meat chunks. The slices made him wince, but thanks to Healing Light, the wounds closed, but the pain still lingered.
Following that, he shook his head as Roxy approached with wide green eyes, ’’What the hell was that?’’
’’Monsters are lurking in the fog; stay away from it,’’ Leo said before grabbing her hand and approaching the crash site.
The soldiers salvaged anything as the princess and her fiance approached them. Leo noticed the young woman staring at him for a few seconds before she spoke, ’’We are a few day’s journey from the capital city, but it will take us at least a week to get there due to the monsters infesting the area.’’
Leo nodded before informing her, ’’There’s wolves in the fog waiting to ambush anyone who gets close.’’
’’Rank E Mist Wolves,’’ Agatha muttered. ’’They shouldn’t be too hard to deal with if we stick together.’’
Following that, the brunette organized the survivors into a circle while Leo and Roxy trailed behind, chatting as they entered the mist. The soldiers started casting spells at the approaching wolves.
Leo quickly summoned Fireballs, launching them at the monstrous wolf as they ignited the surrounding fog, casting flickering light across the battlefield. The fiery blasts illuminated the chaos, giving the soldiers a clear view.
Meanwhile, Roxy focused on her magic, her hands glowing as she channeled healing energy into Leo. He could feel the warmth wash over him, easing his injuries and bolstering his strength.
The group traveled for hours while fending off the Mist Wolves. Leo had to cast his shield around Roxy as some monsters went after her, but they were soon killed once his fist slammed into them.
Thanks to the force of his attack, the creatures backed off after killing five soldiers on the way down the mountain. When the group reached the grass below, they were in a forest, causing the people to groan.
Leo and Roxy wondered what was wrong until Agatha approached with a concerned expression and informed them, ’’Don’t stray from the group; hundreds of monsters roam this forest, and they’re strong enough to give us a problem.’’
’’Don’t worry about it. I will make sure you and Roxy get back to the city safely,’’ he said with a charming smile.
As they walked through the dense forest, the atmosphere was thick with tension, each rustle in the underbrush hinting at lurking dangers. Roxy, animated and knowledgeable, pointed out the various types of monsters that inhabited the area.
’’Over there is a Shadowfang, and that one,’’ she gestured toward a distant shape, ’’is some kind of giant snake.’’
Leo listened, surprised by her knowledge. Dealing with these creatures was straightforward for him; his magic made quick work of them almost too easy. He unleashed spells with a flick of his wrist, dispatching lurking beasts.
The group continued through the forest and lost another three soldiers when giant spiders ambushed them. Leo slumped down at the cave entrance they found to rest inside; Agatha and the others set up everyone’s tent while he kept guard for any monsters that tried to attack.
Roxy, wrapped in a cloak, spoke while glancing into the forest, ’’This place is giving me the creeps; it feels like there’s a monster staring at you from a bush.’’
Leo chuckled when hearing this before reassuring the blonde, ’’There’s nothing out there now; the magic scared away most monsters.’’
’’How do you know that?’’ she questioned.
He shrugged, explaining, ’’I can sense when creatures target us. It happened with that giant snake or weird spiders we fought.’’
Roxy nodded in understanding just as Agatha appeared with a friendly smile, ’’Your tent is set up Hereos. Get some rest while we stay on guard.’’
Following that, he agreed before dragging Roxy to the tent and climbing inside. The two of them started making love until falling asleep, which made everyone feel uncomfortable, but they didn’t care.
Leo slept soundly for a few hours, the weariness of battle slowly fading from his body. When he finally stirred, he felt surprisingly refreshed. As he climbed out of the tent, he blinked against the dim light of the forest, realizing the sun had yet to rise.
’How long did I sleep? Maybe mana is affecting me?’
Once outside the tent, he stretched, feeling the satisfying pull in his muscles, and took a deep breath of the crisp, cool air. The forest was quiet, and a peaceful calm settled around him as he approached the entrance, where Agatha and her fiance were chatting.
When the two noticed him, Agatha smiled while the young man gave him a funny look, which annoyed Leo. "Are there any more monsters?"
The brunette shook her head, ’’Nothing, it’s been quiet out there.’’
Leo nodded before slumping down as the princess’s fiance smiled, ’’I will get some rest now that you have company. Be careful.’’
He watched the young man approach his tent and climb inside as Agatha spoke up, ’’I’ve never seen strength like yours, Hero; it’s amazing and will help the empire in our time of need.’’
’Yeah, your mom is certainly aiding me in my time of need,’ he thought with a snicker before giving her his answer, ’’The goddess must have liked me to provide me with such powers, but I’ll help the empire with the monsters as your father has promised to reward me.’’
[Agatha Duskwood – 11>15%]
His eyebrow arched at her comment, but a smirk tugged at his lips as she added, ’’Thank you for your help. I hope we get along well on the journey back to the capital.’’
Leo stepped closer to the brunette, his gaze steady. She glanced up, her pink eyes meeting his with a hint of curiosity. ’’Cold, are we?’’ she asked with a playful giggle.
’’Not really, just wanted to talk to you without waking up the others,’’ he replied, causing the second princess to smile.
Following that, Leo picked up on something watching them from the mist, causing him to cast Celestial Mana Barrier as a strange-looking insect crashed into the barrier just before he cast Thunderbolt into the creature’s body.
The spell burrowed through its torso and sent it flying into the mist as more of the creatures attacked Agatha. She was shocked, but Leo kept casting Thunderbolt or Fireball, annihilating the attackers.
Dust clouds billowed everywhere, but that’s when something swooped down and grabbed him with its talon before pulling him into the sky. While the attacker flew higher, Leo punched the monster using California Smash.
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