Chapter 38: The She-Wolf Bows Her Head

Having made thorough preparations, Zohan quickly hurried toward the outskirts of the town.

Four corpses lay on the bridge. On both sides stretched dense forests, thick with vines and thorns, while below the bridge flowed a turbulent stream. This was the only passage leading south out of Red Hazel Town. Among the four bodies, two were children; their small frames were covered in wounds, their eyes filled with despair, perhaps holding a final glimmer of hope directed at their parents.

It was a pity that ordinary people were simply no match for the magic wolves. The parents, who were usually the pillars of their world, were no longer able to provide protection. These parents had made the wrong choice—most people in town believed that staying meant certain death, but leaving meant they would definitely die. Zohan sighed softly. He was generally indifferent to matters of life and death, but these were children, after all.

Carefully avoiding the corpses, Zohan felt magical fluctuations everywhere. As long as mages and magical beasts were alive, they were perpetually accompanied by these fluctuations, much like infrared signatures. Mages could sense these fluctuations with their mental energy; the more powerful the mage, the wider and more distinct the range of their signature. Of course, one could not detect them without actively using mental energy, which made ambushing an enemy difficult, though not impossible. After all, a mage could not maintain mental detection every waking moment—it placed a heavy burden on the brain, and excessive mental exhaustion could cause a mage to fall into a coma.

Had it been mentioned that Zohan’s mental energy was exceptionally strong? It was a level of strength certified by Yormungand.

The magic wolves were scattered about, standing motionless at their respective posts like soldiers under strict discipline. Zohan had every reason to suspect that these wolves had once been soldiers; even if their temperaments had been twisted beyond recognition after their transformation, their rigid discipline remained etched into their souls. An army with such strict discipline must be a formidable force. To have such an army and yet waste it by transforming them into magical beasts—what a damn shame, Zohan couldn't help but think.

Zohan slipped past the magic wolves silently. He counted over a hundred of them, far exceeding the number seen near the camp. With such numbers, Red Hazel Town could never hold its ground relying solely on the manor. But why hadn't these wolves launched an attack yet? It felt as though they weren't simply trying to force an unequal treaty on Red Hazel Town; there was something else at play.

Behind several particularly tall hazel trees ahead appeared a tent with a distinct military style: the color of snow, a sturdy frame, and reliable materials. The tent flap was open, and several magic wolves were moving in and out. Zohan waited a moment before silently slipping inside.

There was no fire burning in the tent, yet the atmosphere was heated. A female magic wolf was kneeling in a submissive posture, while beside her, a gaunt man with his mage’s robe half-unbuttoned was fondling the beast with an expression of ecstatic indulgence. Mahat sat nearby, seemingly struggling to control his facial expressions and emotions. His gaze swept over the body of the magic wolf before landing on the staff the gaunt man had tossed aside.

Truly, one must travel a thousand miles after reading ten thousand books; such a scene was never mentioned in his teacher’s travelogues!

The female magic wolf was tall, standing around two and a half meters—slightly shorter than the males, but still imposing compared to humans. Its body maintained the proportional structure of a human physique, with slender limbs and arms, especially the curves of the waist, hips, and chest, which closely resembled those of a human woman. The facial features of the female magic wolf were relatively soft, exuding a gentle feminine aura, and her chest lacked the multiple mammary glands found in canine animals.

*Only two.*

The female magic wolf’s lower body was covered by a skirt, so even as the gaunt mage’s hands roamed freely, Zohan could not tell if she had undergone the same alienating mutations as the males.

"Now is not the time to study these things," Zohan pushed aside the thoughts sparked by such salacious and bizarre revelations.

Mahat took a deep breath, the air seemingly carrying the chill of the Grandis Mountains, lowering the temperature inside the tent. Seeming to sense something, the gaunt mage squinted at him, then slapped the female magic wolf’s rear, signaling her to turn around.

"Female magic wolves are indeed enticing and quite fun, though their mouths are of no use," the gaunt mage said with a touch of regret. He extended a finger and parted the female werewolf’s lips, revealing a set of sharp, interlocking canine teeth, each one like a gleaming, razor-sharp dagger.

"Lord Beaumarchais, they were not born to be playthings," Mahat said coldly. "Their mouths are meant to bite into the throats of enemies until blood spurts out, not to provide you with amusement."

"Hahaha... Mahat, you are truly humorous. Even a serious person like me cannot help but laugh." Beaumarchais laughed, stroking the head of the female magic wolf with a beaming smile.

"I hope you will accept my suggestion: the six female magic wolves should also participate in the battle. They were born as soldiers and underwent transformation for the sake of war. They should not be reduced to your playthings." Mahat ignored Beaumarchais’s flippant attitude and continued.

Beaumarchais shook his head. It seemed Mahat did not understand the true value of the female magic wolves. As a well-traveled mage, even he was captivated and charmed by them, let alone those noble lords. Most importantly, they could be used to expand his network; for the nobility, possessing such a transformed magic wolf as a plaything was a tremendous status symbol!

Not a single one of them could be harmed!

"The rise of the magitech industry has made the mineral deposits of Red Hazel Town unprecedentedly important, and the previous primary mineral separation process was so crude that it wasted a massive amount of high-quality associated ores," Mahat continued, struggling to contain his impatience. "Our operation determines whether the Clement family can achieve a new leap in capital. The massive resources they invested in us were not for us to play with!"

Zohan couldn't help but feel puzzled. The magitech industry? Things like magic scrolls, potions, and weapons crafted by mages could be called magitech, but an "industry" implied a large-scale, assembly-line operation. Was that even possible? Were they making mages sit together and tighten screws? It seemed even his teacher had never heard of such a thing. What exactly had happened in the outside world during the dozen years he and his teacher spent on Y-Lantis Island?

As for the minerals of Red Hazel Town having new value, that was not surprising. With the progress of the era, many things once considered useless were frequently discovered to have special properties, causing their value to skyrocket.

Beaumarchais lazily raised his head. "Mahat—this is your hometown. Even if you've become a bad person, wanting to bathe your hometown in blood is a normal mindset. But with over a hundred transformed magic wolves, we could easily surround the entire town and slaughter it so thoroughly that not even a fish could swim out of the river."

Inside his concealment barrier, Zohan was dumbfounded. What kind of worldview did this Beaumarchais have? Why would he think it normal for someone to want to massacre their hometown just because they had become "bad"?

"I do not intend to massacre Red Hazel Town. If everyone is dead, who will mine the ore? The people here have mined and smelted for generations; they are all skilled hands. They cannot be killed." If it weren't for the need for Beaumarchais to coordinate and command the magic wolf army, Mahat would never have wanted to work with him. High-level mages were becoming increasingly scarce, and those who had risen in recent years were even rarer; this was likely why someone like Beaumarchais had become so arrogant and insufferable.

"Fine, fine, it was just a joke." Beaumarchais glanced at Mahat, who seemed to be reaching his limit, and smiled calmly. "How about this: you lead all the male magic wolves into action, and I will lead them to hold the perimeter and provide support when necessary."

"People must die in some measure to provide deterrence. But do not kill indiscriminately, especially the men. Like the ore, they are vital to the Clement family." Mahat finally took a step back, admonishing the lecherous and brutal mage.

Beaumarchais stretched and waved a hand to signal Mahat to leave. He still planned to have some fun with this most compliant female magic wolf before launching the final assault.

At that moment, the female magic wolf sniffed the air, her expression turning alert. She looked around, baring her teeth.

"Hmm? It seems there is still someone in the tent." Beaumarchais immediately understood what she meant and hurriedly unleashed his mental energy to scan the area.