"But how?" Elira blinked.
She had panicked as soon as she saw Liam halt in his steps, a pained expression appearing on his face, but within seconds that disappeared and he was once again able to move freely.
Was everything they were told about the forbidden forests just lies?
As if answering her question, the next second something came hurtling towards them at high speed.
Before Elira could even register what was happening, Liam had already raised his hand, and a protective barrier of swirling mana enveloped them.
A loud colliding sound echoed through the forest, immediately followed by a feral roar that seemed to shake the very air.
The barrier had held, but the force of the impact had caused it to shimmer and waver momentarily.
"It seems we've got the attention of someone or a few someones."
Liam's gaze fell on the pair of bloodthirsty eyes in front of him. Low growls echoed everywhere as more of the bloodthirsty eyes started to appear, circling them from the dark recesses of the forest.
Liam counted at least fifty glowing eyes, lurking in the shadows just beyond the barrier of the forbidden area.
"Master! We are surrounded!"
"Yes. It looks like our stay in this forbidden forest won't be as peaceful as I had hoped." Liam's eyes turned cold.
Perhaps because the elves were not allowed to enter the space, the entire forest should be teeming with powerful beasts.
He studied the beasts circling him who very much looked like wolves but it was clear that they were not simple wolves.
These were much larger, and an unsettling aura of malevolence emanated from them. They had huge spikes protruding from their backs and the air trembled with a strange electric current.
"Thunder wolves!" Elira gasped.
Liam did not have any time to study them as a bunch of beasts instantly charged at them, electrifying the air with arcs of lightning from their fangs and spikes.
"Master! It is impossible to survive against a thunder wolf pack! They are too strong when they are together! I will hold them off with my life on the line. Please run away while you still can!" Elira shouted loudly, running ahead to face the danger.
After Liam somewhat cured her meridians, she had been practicing wind elemental magic and the elf was a pretty fast learner.
Her speed was on par with Mia who was considered a true genius back on earth. Any human being would be envious of her raw talent and natural instincts.
Liam guessed that this was because she was an elf and probably was a racial trait to be able to learn elemental magic so easily. However, they too had a limit.
While they could easily learn to wield mana almost like learning to walk or talk, their progress was just as slow and difficult as everyone else. Otherwise, even the elves he had met back in that small settlement would have been just as powerful as the royal elves.
He watched as the woman unleashed blades of wind at the thunder wolves, wincing as every time an attack landed on her.
Liam saw the sincere expression on the elf's face and shook his head.
"You shouldn't throw away your life so easily and I am not that useless to let a bunch of wolves get the better of me. Come back, Elira!"
He unsheathed his black dragon sword and charged forward instead.
Liam let loose four sword attacks, each and every one of them charged with elemental essence.
Even though this was not the best version of the respective attacks as his current mana flow was lacking, to say the least, they were still powerful enough to cut through the wolves.
[Thunder wolf, Level 110]
"You are not strong enough to block my path!"
The black dragon sword roared as if it was alive and gleefully cut through the thick and sturdy flesh of the beasts.
He moved his body with ease as he continued to unleash a flurry of sword techniques, seamlessly blending them together in a dance of death. His movements were fluid, with each step and slash calculated with surgical precision.
Elira watched in awe as Liam cut through the beasts. The thunder wolves, though mighty and fearsome, seemed to hesitate under the onslaught. It was as if they sensed the indomitable will and deadly intent behind each of his strikes.
Several wolves were already down, their bodies cut clean through, while others were nursing grievous wounds. They started to fall back, their natural instincts warning them that the human before them was not to be trifled with.
The alpha wolf, larger and more menacing than the rest, eyed Liam with a mix of caution and curiosity. It growled, as if communicating with the pack, and then led a tactical retreat into the darker recesses of the forest.
Liam, panting with exertion but clearly unbroken, turned back towards Elira. His sword gleamed in the dim light, its shining blade tinged with a residual aura from the elemental attacks.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his eyes scanning her for injuries.
Elira shook her head in disbelief. "I... I'm fine, Master. That was... amazing."
"Hmmm. These were not strong. We are still on the outskirts of the forest. So these should be the weaker beasts among the ones residing in this area."
Elira nodded, her eyes still wide with awe. "I didn't know you were so skilled with the sword, Master."
Liam sheathed his sword, his eyes meeting hers. "There are many things you don't know about me. But one thing you should know is that I will never abandon a companion."
A blush crept up the elf's cheeks, her heart pounding for a reason other than the adrenaline from the recent battle.
"We should keep moving," Liam suggested, "Before they decide to come back with reinforcements. This forest is a dangerous place, and we've just made a lot of noise."