Adam was about to say something, but fell silent when he heard a rustling in the bushes. With a glance, he gave a subtle signal to the two knights to get ready.
The atmosphere changed.
"Grrr…"
A low, threatening growl echoed from different directions. It wasn't coming from a single point, but from several, like a distorted echo among the trees.
They had been surrounded.
Adam frowned slightly and muttered under his breath:
"Thorn-skinned wolves..."
A common monster in the Demonic Forest. Larger and more aggressive than ordinary wolves, with rough, stiff fur, almost like spikes, which cushioned cuts and rendered ordinary weapons ineffective.
They didn't have good eyesight or a particularly keen sense of smell.
But they were susceptible to vibrations in the ground... and to mana.
That's why they hunted in packs.
And that's why they were so dangerous in an environment like that.
Thanks to his experience as a mercenary before joining the ranks of the crown prince, Adam knew the ecology of spine-fur wolves almost perfectly. He knew they would not attack immediately.
"Young master..." whispered Kevin, his hand firmly on the hilt of his sword. "What shall we do? It seems we are surrounded."
The other knight, Robert, with black hair and dark brown eyes, watched the bushes intently, his body tense. He did not like this unnatural calm at all.
Then Adam's calm voice broke the silence.
"Don't panic. These wolves can't see well or track by scent," he said quietly.
"They react to sound and mana. If we move quickly and carefully, we can break through their encirclement before they coordinate a full attack."
Kevin glanced at him sideways.
"Do you know a lot about monsters?"
"Yes," Adam replied, without taking his eyes off the forest. "But now is not the time to chat."
They both nodded.
They began moving forward cautiously, taking each step carefully.
Then it happened.
Crack.
A dry twig snapped under Kevin's foot.
The sound was brief... but enough.
"Grrr…!"
"Grrr…!"
"GRAAAAR!"
The bushes burst into motion.
The beasts emerged from the undergrowth, their bodies covered in spiky fur that glistened faintly in the filtered light of the forest. Their eyes did not focus well, but their heads turned with precision at any vibration.
Kevin reacted immediately.
His sword was covered with a thin layer of reddish mana, and with one slash, he cleared the first wolf that jumped at him. Blood splattered on the damp ground.
Robert was not far behind, moving with discipline to cover the flanks.
Several wolves fell, but others began to surround them, growling, circling.
Adam watched.
They fight well... As expected of the knights of my father's army.
But it wasn't enough.
He remembered that kind of strength all too well.
Even his father's mighty army had been mercilessly crushed by the military of Kamelot.
That wasn't enough.
"Haven't you finished off those monsters yet?" Adam asked.
"We're on it!" Kevin replied between gasps.
Then the leader of the pack emerged.
Bigger. More robust.
He raised his snout and let out a long, deep howl.
The response was immediate.
More shadows moved among the trees.
Kevin and Robert were forced to retreat and adopt a defensive stance.
"Young master!" Kevin shouted. "This is getting out of hand. I'll clear a path for us to retreat."
Adam didn't respond immediately.
He looked away toward Asterin.
"Now is a good time for you to try the mana skeleton," she said calmly.
Adam nodded.
He took a deep breath.
He began to circulate his mana just as Asterin had taught him. The flow was not chaotic, but dense and controlled. A strange pressure ran through his bone structure, as if his own bones were responding to the call.
Above his head, a dharma wheel formed of mana slowly turned.
With one movement, Adam's sword was enveloped in a layer of crimson mana with subtle black tints.
Adam moved.
Not hastily, but precisely.
Each step shook the ground just enough to attract the wolves. Bodies fell one after another, staining the earth with dark blood. The metallic stench filled the air.
The leader tried to retreat.
He failed.
When the last wolf fell, the forest fell silent.
"Ufff..." Kevin buried his sword in the ground. "That was... exhausting."
Robert leaned on his knees, breathing heavily. He had a small cut on his forearm, nothing serious, but enough to remind him how close they had come to disaster.
Adam remained standing.
His expression was calm, but inside, he felt a persistent pressure in his bones as mana began to circulate throughout his body again.
I'm still too inexperienced in manipulating mana, but thanks to my SSS-rank talent for magic, I was able to manipulate it enough to use my Mana Dharma Wheel technique.
He designed the Mana Dharma Wheel technique in his past life, when he became one of the strongest on the continent.
It served as a kind of filter that absorbed mana around it and stored it, purifying it and reducing mana expenditure. Furthermore, being purer, it was much more efficient and powerful than a normal one.
He didn't expect to be able to use it now, as it hadn't fully developed yet, and that was due to his mana bones and SSS-rank talent for magic; if it weren't for that, he wouldn't have been able to use it.
Although he has not yet reached his full potential, due to not having his former strength.
After defeating the thorn-skinned slimes, Adam and his group finally arrived at their destination: a large cave from which a large amount of mana emanated.
Standing at the entrance, several mana crystals could be seen on the ceiling.
"This is a huge mine of mana stones, young master. How did you know there was one here in the demon forest?"
Adam didn't answer and entered the cave filled with mana stones; that wasn't his main objective, but rather the object that was here.
While the knights look around, Adam searches until he sees a glint buried in the ground.
I found it, the sword of that mysterious master.
Without thinking twice, he dug it up and grabbed the hilt of the sword.
"Ughh..."
A sudden chill ran down his spine and made him let out a groan, which he quickly controlled.
"What's wrong, young master?"
"Damn old man."
"...What?"
"Nothing, I love this sword."
Adam looked at the sword in his hand; it was matte black and had a skinny blade. It had a dangerous gleam.
He swung it, creating a perfect arc in the air.
"It's a good sword... Huh?"
Then I noticed that the sword had an inscription on its blade.
Engraved there in runes were the words "Repentance."
"..."
It seemed like a word addressed to Adam.
He decided to ignore it for the moment, before approaching the knights to leave...
Suddenly, the ground began to shake.
The three looked at each other.
The entire cave was shaking; he found a hole that appeared in the ground.
And the three fell.