Chapter 181 Chaos in the Hidden Village (Patreon)

Chapter 181

Chaos in the Hidden Village

Eight black mages emerged through the cloud of dust.

Perhaps because they had forced their way into a cave, they had brought only three monsters with them.

Of course, if all three were unusual specimens, they were hardly opponents anyone could take lightly.

“So this is where you were hiding like rats.”

“Wolf-men behaving like rats. Perhaps that is worth experimenting upon as well.”

“Wolves or rats, they are all beasts. What difference does it make?”

“There are orcs and goblins over there too.”

“Hahaha! Have the monsters formed an alliance?”

“For creatures of such low intelligence to conceive of something like that... Fascinating.”

Even while facing Karath’s group and the Silver Wolf Tribe, the eight black mages continued chatting among themselves with complete ease.

What are they relying on?

They had been able to bring only three monsters through the cave.

Even if those creatures were unusual specimens, could three of them truly defeat everyone gathered here?

Karath did not know exactly how many Aura Users belonged to the Silver Wolf Tribe, but there were clearly several among the men.

According to the information he had extracted, some of the Sigmund mages had already lost their lives fighting them.

Yet these eight remained relaxed with only three monsters at their side.

Then Karath understood.

“Attack them now!”

His urgent shout rang through the cavern.

The alliance warriors, who had fought beside him for years, immediately moved.

The Silver Wolf Tribe reacted a step too slowly.

That brief delay brought about the worst possible result.

Three of the mages appeared to be controlling the unusual monsters.

The remaining five had already extended their hands.

Faint waves of mana spread from them, passing over the warriors in front and engulfing the unawakened Silver Wolf villagers behind.

“Grrrr!”

“Come to your senses, Gaon!”

“RAAAAGH!”

“What are you doing?”

The brainwashed villagers’ eyes turned red.

They began attacking their own people.

Damn it. Not everyone here is an Aura User.

Because Karath had brought only mana users on this expedition, he had been slow to remember the brainwashing magic.

He had assumed no one present could be controlled.

That tiny lapse in judgement plunged the battlefield into chaos.

“Everyone, come to your senses!”

The Silver Wolf Aura Users looked completely shaken as their own people attacked them.

“G-Grand Chief, what should we do?”

Karath’s subordinates were equally uncertain.

The atmosphere had become friendly only moments earlier.

Even if the villagers were brainwashed, killing them outright would be difficult.

“Knock them unconscious! Do not kill them!”

Karath wanted to preserve a friendly relationship with the Silver Wolf Tribe.

Their strength could greatly benefit the alliance, both in the immediate battle against the black mages and in the future.

Yet there was another, more important reason.

“Woof! Woof!”

Buddy was fighting in the middle of the Silver Wolf villagers.

Before the mages appeared, he had been surrounded by residents worshipping him.

Dozens of those same villagers now attacked him under the effects of brainwashing.

Despite that, Buddy was desperately trying to subdue them without causing serious injuries.

The awakened warriors also had to knock the villagers unconscious rather than kill them.

Even without aura, the wolffolk were quick and agile because of the blood flowing through their veins.

The unbrainwashed warriors accumulated countless small wounds as they struggled to restrain them safely.

Even so, it looked possible to subdue everyone without suffering major casualties.

It would have been possible if the black mages’ unusual monsters had not entered the melee.

“GROOOAAAR!”

“GRRRR!”

BOOM!

The enormous creatures swung their limbs at the unbrainwashed warriors with monstrous force.

The Aura Users could barely evade.

The brainwashed villagers could not.

More accurately, they chose not to.

Crunch!

Rather than avoiding the monsters’ attacks, the controlled villagers threw themselves toward the blows while trying to seize the warriors.

“Please, dodge!”

“No!”

Crunch!

Their bodies were crushed beneath the monsters’ attacks.

Each repetition of that horrific scene tore anguished screams from the Silver Wolf warriors.

They were not the only ones crying out.

“Awooooo!”

Buddy released a deafening howl.

His eyes had become completely bloodshot.

Slice!

Crunch!

Ignoring the wounds the brainwashed villagers inflicted upon him, he charged directly at the monsters.

“Support Buddy!”

Karath immediately commanded his subordinates.

The alliance warriors followed the silver wolf, who rushed forward without caring about his injuries.

“Ice Wall!”

Karath cast the Fourth Circle spell at the perfect moment.

A massive wall of ice erupted from the ground.

“An orc using magic?”

“The other orcs and goblins are stronger than expected as well.”

“That wolf is strange too. Hahaha! This place is overflowing with excellent experimental subjects.”

The black mages’ revolting conversation carried through the sounds of battle and the screams of the Silver Wolf Tribe.

“Fight the monsters with Buddy!”

Karath ignored them and issued his orders.

“What will you do, Grand Chief?”

“I will help the Silver Wolf warriors knock out the villagers. Keep the monsters away from them until we finish!”

The alliance warriors moved in perfect order after receiving Karath’s command.

More accurately, only the alliance’s warriors followed it.

“Awooo!”

The people who had worshipped Buddy had been brainwashed into attacking him.

The mages had even thrown those same worshippers into the monsters’ path and slaughtered them.

Buddy had already lost himself to rage.

“GRAAAH!”

Mana began raging violently around his body.

“Wh-what is that?”

“Could it be?”

The black mages stared in shock.

As though answering their disbelief, a compressed Water Jet Breath erupted from Buddy’s mouth.

ROOOAAAR!

The enemy was not foolish.

One of the three monsters released a breath of flame to meet Buddy’s attack.

“Hobgoblins, target the other monsters!”

While the two breath attacks clashed, Krog shouted to prevent the remaining creatures from joining the struggle.

The moment he gave the order, Berners and the other four hobgoblins fired at the other two monsters.

Thud!

The bows Karath had created, strengthened further with aura, drove their arrows easily through the creatures’ hides.

“Krahahaha!”

“We will kill them all!”

Following behind the rain of arrows, Krog and the other four orc warriors charged.

Buddy held one monster alone.

The ten alliance warriors divided themselves between the remaining two.

If the battle continued in that form, they should have been able to kill all three without serious difficulty.

“Fireball!”

“Icicle Lance!”

“Electric Shock!”

The monsters were not their only enemies.

Three black mages completed their spells first and launched them at Buddy and the orcs.

“Graagh!”

The warriors, fully focused upon the unusual monsters, were caught in the attacks.

The mages trusted their monsters’ magical resistance and cast without distinguishing between friend and foe.

Fortunately, they used only Third Circle spells.

Even then, the warriors might have suffered fatal wounds without the armour Karath had crafted from Twin-Headed Ogre hide, Wyvern Lord scales, and drake scales.

“Hobgoblins, target the humans! Do not let them cast!”

Krog finally remembered that the enemy could use more than brainwashing magic and issued another urgent command.

“What about the monstersh?”

Berners turned his bow toward the mages as ordered but shouted his question.

“We will only delay them! You do the same and keep those humans from casting!”

“Understood!”

At Berners’s glance, the other hobgoblins simultaneously aimed at the black mages.

Whoosh!

Crack!

Five arrows collided with the magical Shields surrounding the mages.

“Guh!”

“A goblin’s arrow broke through a Shield?”

The barriers shattered, and the black mages cried out as the arrows continued toward them with dangerous force.

“Another volley is coming!”

“Cast Shields!”

“Damn it! I am busy controlling the monsters!”

“I am already occupied controlling this pack of dogs!”

For the first time, urgency replaced the black mages’ leisurely expressions as the hobgoblins’ arrows continued raining down.

The archers were hardly relaxed themselves.

We need to finish this before our aura runs out.

Because they shared their thoughts, the same concern passed through every hobgoblin at once.

Their aura was not infinite.

More importantly, with the hobgoblins suppressing the mages, only five orc warriors and Buddy remained to hold back the three unusual monsters.

“Do not overextend! We only need to delay them!”

Without archers drawing attention and inflicting damage, the burden upon the orcs became immense.

One glancing blow from those monsters could kill them.

“ROOOAAAR!”

“Dodge!”

Every swing of an arm, sweep of a tail, or snap of enormous jaws created a deadly crisis.

Awakening aura had made the orcs faster and stronger.

It did not make them capable of surviving a fist or tail as large as their entire bodies.

“Krahahaha!”

“This is fun!”

Naturally, the orcs were not afraid.

“Stop getting excited!”

Krog was the only one suffering as he tried to prevent the others from charging recklessly.

If even one orc warrior died, the entire balance of the battle could collapse.

The hobgoblins were locked in a standoff to keep the black mages from casting.

The orcs were walking a tightrope while facing the unusual monsters.

Still, Krog was not worried.

“We only have to buy time, just as the Grand Chief ordered!”

They needed to endure only a little longer.

Karath would finish his task and come to resolve the battle.