Chapter 945 - 462: The Price of Weakness Is Only...

They finally understood why, over a hundred years ago, their ancestors had dared to launch a massive invasion into the Demon Kingdom.

Gauss did not take Nira and the others to Forest Capital Barry City, which was currently on the front lines of the war. Instead, he dropped them off at a town in the northwest. After learning of their situation, the local Adventurer’s Guild assured Gauss that they would settle this group of humans who had traveled all the way from Demon territory, helping them integrate into the Human Kingdom as quickly as possible.

"I’ll be leaving now," Gauss said.

"I’ll come back to visit you later.

"Just live your lives here. If the flames of war spread this way, evacuate to the Kingdom’s interior with the others.

"Nira, study Magic well."

Having fulfilled his promise, Gauss bid a final farewell to the father-daughter pair, Nira and Zeke, before setting off.

Nira looked at Gauss’s handsome face. Her lips parted slightly, but she ultimately nodded in agreement.

"Okay."

Reality had severed the last thread of unrealistic fantasy in her heart. However, before leaving, Gauss had informed the Guild that Nira possessed decent Magic Talent. In the future, there should be a dedicated Mage to help her begin her Casting enlightenment. This was his parting gift.

Watching Gauss mount his dragon and eventually disappear into the horizon, Nira sighed softly. It took a long time for her to finally look away. She had a premonition that it might be a very, very long time before she saw him again. Perhaps they would never meet again in this lifetime.

Standing beside Nira, Zeke couldn’t possibly be oblivious to his daughter’s feelings. He just hadn’t said anything about it during their journey. A powerhouse like Gauss was destined to live in a completely different world from ordinary people like them. Meeting him had already been a stroke of incredible luck; they couldn’t afford to ask for more.

Returning to a human town and no longer having to live in constant fear was already a beautiful dream they wouldn’t have dared to imagine in the past. Furthermore, Gauss hadn’t just dumped them here. Before leaving, he had specifically instructed others to take good care of them.

Even a "primitive" like Zeke could guess the immense weight of Gauss’s words. On the very morning they arrived in town, the Guild’s staff had been thoughtfully arranging their accommodations, employment, and corresponding subsidy applications. His daughter Nira also had the opportunity to embark on the path of an orthodox Caster.

"Let’s go back," Zeke said. "You will only have the chance to stand before him again if you become stronger."

The usually taciturn Nira nodded. Hearing her old father’s encouragement, a newfound motivation swelled in her heart.

***

In the far outskirts of Forest Capital Barry, the flames of war continued to rage endlessly.

The war had already expanded from the initial large-scale legion battles into various small-scale but highly frequent skirmishes and penetration maneuvers. From plains to hills, swamps to forests, and streams to lakes, the silhouettes of fighting humans and Demons were a constant sight.

PANT PANT—

An Adventurer gasped heavily for air. Just moments ago, he had been separated from his team during an intense pursuit. Now, stranded in the woods, not a single comrade was in sight. All he had was the cold sweat constantly beading on his back. He knew he was in extreme danger. Being isolated in a war was a terrifying predicament for both Demons and humans alike.

He tightened his grip on his Short Blade and swallowed hard. It felt as if countless wild beasts and Demons were hidden throughout the forest. Of course, this wasn’t just his imagination. Just a moment prior, he had heard several unnatural howls. Those were the roars of Demons gathering. This meant that the Demon Tribe that had scattered their team was nearby, and his comrades were definitely not here to help him right now.

THWACK!

An icy arrow pierced the air with a chilling whistle, grazing his cheek before embedding itself into a tree trunk just ahead of him. The arrowhead sank deep into the bark, leaving the entire shaft vibrating violently.

"There are enemies behind me!" he realized.

Almost instantly, a prickling sensation crawled up his spine. He quickly turned around, using the surrounding trees for cover. Crouching low, he peeked his head out for a rapid glance backward. He saw a Warrior of the Jackal-Wolf People mounted on a dire wolf, casually dangling a bloody human head from one hand.

When he recognized the face on that severed head, Finley’s pupils trembled violently behind the tree trunk. He couldn’t be more familiar with that person. It was his beloved captain, Gabri—an honest, family-oriented brute of a man. Not only was he personally powerful, but he also did everything in his ability to provide combat guidance to the squad members during their daily training. He was a rare, exceptionally good captain.

Yet, such a formidable captain had been dismembered by that monster. His head, eyes wide open in an unclosed stare, was being carried around like a mere trophy.

They had fallen for a trap. The numbers of this monster tribe were far greater than what they had initially seen. The earlier display of weakness and their retreat into the dense woods had all been a ruse to lure their overconfident squad into the forest for an ambush.

Regret, hatred, panic—a multitude of unsettling emotions churned in Finley’s heart. But it was too late now. His captain was dead, and the rest of his comrades were likely being hunted down and slaughtered one by one by the Demons in the forest. And having already been discovered, there was no way he would walk out of these oppressive, dark woods alive today.

"Come out, little mouse."

Unlike goblins, the Intelligence Levels of the Jackal-Wolf People were noticeably higher across the board. Not to mention an Elite Jackal Wolfman with a Challenge Level, who was even capable of speaking a few words of the human common tongue.