The bonfire was very red and vigorous, with occasional crackling sounds bursting out vigorously. Just like everyone's enthusiasm.

  This transaction was a great success, with the artworks and other specialties selling for higher prices than expected. Then, they slaughtered a dwarf merchant at a low price and purchased many fine weapons. They also obtained a large quantity of top-grade wood from Ainfast's southeast, which is highly sought after in the noble society of the Western Continent. The key point is that it was said that an unprecedented pagan **** had completely destroyed the forest where this wood was produced, making this batch the last. Under the circumstances, the value of these woods is simply immeasurable. Although they already have mercenaries, due to the large quantity and high value of the goods, the Ulf side also sent out three wolfmen and a Kodo beast to help transport and escort their merchant team. Many big-eared monsters who couldn't stand Ulf's system declared independence and roamed the wilderness, returning to their old profession as bandits. Ulf's manpower is not enough to maintain law and order throughout the highlands, and considering the emotions of those big-eared monsters who joined Ulf, it's not good to slaughter their compatriots who have returned to their old ways.

  But once there were three werewolves in the team, this worry completely disappeared. From leaving Oufu, the merchants have been very happy. Almost every night's camping in the wilderness became a bonfire party, and the three werewolves in the team guaranteed the source of meat. Now they had already reached the edge of the Barbaric Highland, and it would take only two more days to return to Elasia. So tonight, the merchants brought out their treasured wine and invited the mercenaries to drink together.

  Of course, the three werewolves in the team still refused to drink. The EUFA had a rule that did not allow beastmen to come into contact with this exciting beverage.

  But others were different. Wine and meat brought the excitement to an extreme. The sounds of teasing, chatting, shouting and yelling intertwined with each other, making this originally desolate forest lively and extraordinary.

  Under the influence of alcohol, mercenaries are definitely the most talkative. And there are many topics for them to discuss. There have been too many major events in this year. Among them, the one that can evoke people's discussion and imagination is naturally the wanted man. This Mr. 5,000 gold coins has enough charm to make people mention him in their mouths and hang him in their hearts.

  "If I find out where that guy is hiding, I won't make a sound. First, I'll go and get close to him. I'll pretend to be a very honest and friendly person, get close to him, let him have a good impression of me, and then he will let his guard down." A mercenary uglier than an orc and more ferocious than a troll was digging his nose, with saliva flying everywhere as he talked about his plan to hunt someone down. "You guys should know that people who are on the run must be very lonely deep down inside, so as long as you move their heart, they will consider you a friend. Hiccup~~" He looked radiant and refreshed after belching, raised his empty hand in a knife-holding gesture, and stabbed forward. "I can give him a stab in the back, and then I can... Hiccup, hahaahaha! Abin, aren't you looking for a fine steel sword from Karendo? I'll give you ten of them. Haha. Aimee, once I have money, those bastards at the Tower of Teeth who are mixed-blood mages... Hmph, with just one gold coin, Hiccup... do you think they will still dare to expel you? I can also go learn that labor magic thing..."

  "Haha, this guy is daydreaming again." The mercenaries and merchants by the campfire burst out laughing together.

  A warrior laughed and shouted: "Zhen, I remember that when you were eighteen years old, you said you wanted to go to Niger underground to kill the dragon. Then at thirty years old, you planned to say that you wanted to go to Mount Sandefjord to open a magic jade mine. You're forty-five this year, right? And now you've come up with this idea of capturing a fugitive again. Your plans are getting smaller and more petty, really, you're becoming more and more worthless."

  "No. He's becoming more and more promising. Because he's becoming more and more down-to-earth. Probably by the time he's eighty, he can plan to go get Queen Catherine."

  "Haha, might as well find a way to become a Cardinal then. That's more practical."

  The Great Han's face turned red with embarrassment amidst the crowd's laughter, and he shouted: "Do you think I'm bragging? I already have a detailed plan and steps, if you don't believe me, I'll tell you...".

  "Indeed, there has been progress. There has been progress. After returning to El'goroth, I will apply to the Grand Cathedral. No, let's change our plans and head to Seren tomorrow instead." The crowd erupted into laughter once more. Even the three werewolves cracked a smile. Although they may not have fully understood the humor in the language, they could clearly sense the lively and friendly atmosphere of the group.

  A handsome young man with a red headscarf on his head, sitting next to the big Han, patted his back: "I appreciate your kindness in helping me buy a sword. Let's not talk about your character, just look at your appearance, even a monkey wouldn't dare to be careless in front of you."

  The girl in the magician's robe standing next to the young man had a face full of wind and frost, but couldn't hide her extraordinary beauty. Her similar appearance to the young man revealed that they were siblings. She also smiled at the half-drunk mercenary: "Last time, a rich man wanted to buy a high-ranking wizard title for his son in the Ivory Tower, so he took 500 gold coins to find the master of the Flame Tower. As a result, Master Aisley melted those 500 gold coins into liquid and burned both of his hands. How much money are you planning to take?"

  The big man seemed to want to argue for his own ambition, but seeing the crowd's laughter, he felt that it would only add some jokes. So he sat down reluctantly and angrily.

  The young man continued to pat the big man's back, laughing and saying: "Even if you're lucky enough to see that person, and he's not on guard against you, and he even turns his back on you, can you really kill him? That's the guy who assassinated Bishop Ronis and Duke Mlak, and then broke through tens of thousands of guards. And he also knows death magic, with just one spit, he can turn you into a zombie."

  "Cut the crap. What death spirit magic. That guy is using the Death Spirit Guild's name to swindle people, no need to be afraid." The big man angrily plucked out a nose hair and said with a scowl. "The Death Spirit Guild has already put out the word, could those guys still be lying? Even several old-timers from our guild have been mobilized for this, that guy is definitely done for."

  Some time ago, the leaders of several major organizations on the continent, including the Thieves' Guild, Adventurers' Guild, and Tower of Teeth, received a letter made of gold foil paper with words inscribed in silver thread. The exquisite letter was also embedded with a small magical amethyst skull. The content of the letter stated that the fugitive who had been wanted across the continent had nothing to do with the Necromancers' Guild from start to finish. Moreover, due to this person's extreme depravity and damage to the reputation of the Necromancers' Guild, anyone who could capture or discover the whereabouts of this person would receive thanks from Deya Valley.

  This is the first time in so many years that Diya Valley has openly expressed its intentions to the outside world, and it has caused a huge shock. It can be confirmed that this news is not a prank by others. The reason is not only the luxury and mystery of the letter itself, but also the way it appeared. The leaders of those guilds and organizations are scattered all over the continent, thousands of miles apart, but they all saw an owl carrying this notice flying in front of them on the same night.

  If the bounty on Ainz Ooal Gown was a spark, then this announcement by Yggdrasil is a barrel of oil. It has eliminated people's original concerns that this wanted criminal might be from Yggdrasil, and stimulated a large number of people who did not care about gold coins. The Death Guild is not just a synonym for terror and evil, but under the mysterious and terrifying veil, there are unimaginable magical items, legendary scrolls, and perhaps secrets of dark magic and death magic. Those who dream of joining the most mysterious organization on this continent are not in the minority, but unfortunately, Yggdrasil's unfriendliness to visitors is as notorious as its reputation. However, now that an open path has been provided for outsiders to touch it, like a shadow hidden under a dangerous black veil suddenly stretching out a jade finger and a slender arm, all passions and hot blood have boiled over with this announcement for those countless people who walk in the dark and are also interested in darkness itself.

  However, there is a more subtle point that these mercenaries know but did not pay much attention to. That is, it is said that His Holiness the Pope also received such a letter. Although the church has not made any statement in this regard, many times not making a statement is already a kind of statement.

  "I heard that on that day, in the imperial capital of Ainefasuto Empire, he rode a stolen two-legged flying dragon to descend from the sky amidst thousands of soldiers and horses to rescue his lover at that time..." The magician girl Eime looked at the bonfire, trying hard to imagine the magnificent scene at that time, with a somewhat dazed expression on her face. "This is simply like a legendary story...."

  "Calm down, beautiful lady. Remember that's not a fairy tale and the protagonist isn't some white knight prince. The person he saved was just bait to begin with. That duke's daughter was only pretending to be nice to him in order to catch the wanted criminal."

  The young man with a headband patted his sister's head, chuckled and raised the cross pendant on his chest, which was actually a magical accessory that only clergy members of the church were supposed to wear. "Lord, please forgive that noble lady. Sacrificing one's body for justice is truly a magnificent spirit... I heard that duke's daughter is extremely beautiful..."

  There are mercenaries shouting: "This little guy is in heat. Brother Elasia invites you to open the banquet..."

  "When calling out to the Lord, one must be sincere." An old man among the merchants glared at the person who had shouted blindly and looked seriously at the young man.

  "Yes. Grandfather Lelas." The young man, Yabin, smiled slightly and nodded, putting down the cross.

  The old man sighed, he had always wanted to cultivate this child into a holy warrior since childhood, but it seemed that the character aspect was not something that could be cultivated with just a few words. His sister Aimee was also like this, she had finally sent her to the Tower of Teeth on the Eastern Continent to study magic, but recently felt sorry for the other party and secretly let an escaped prisoner go, resulting in being expelled and sent back. If he could get his hands on a high-level magician's certificate and then go to the monastery, maybe after a few years he would be able to go to Serenest to further his studies.

  Raelas the elder was once a priest of the Erathian church. He was later defrocked and excommunicated after offending Celeste's emissary during a meeting about personnel changes, but his devotion to the Light God did not waver as a result. The two siblings were orphaned children he took in and adopted after being expelled from the church.

  "Hey, have you guys ever seen that guy in person? I heard that the peace treaty between Eufaula and Ainfras was signed by him when he was at the Magic Academy representing the Emperor." He had been to Eufaula three times already and was getting used to dealing with these huge, furry beastmen. He didn't really care about those old events that happened before he was born, but from his personal experience, these wolfmen were actually quite easy-going, even a bit simple-mindedly honest.

  "We've never seen it." The three werewolves all shook their heads.

  Yabin also shook his head and sighed, saying: "To say that this guy is really good at mixing in Ainefast, if he has a little patience, after Ronis retires as the bishop, he may be able to mix into the position of a red-robed bishop. I don't know what's going on in that guy's head." He simply walked over to the werewolf and sat down beside him, asking: "That person was actually able to steal a two-legged flying dragon from under your noses, isn't he a bit too formidable?"

  "Bipedal flying dragon... is a semi-beast... human and lizard people... raised, we... don't know." The werewolf stuttered with difficulty in response. Their mouths speaking the human language was indeed a bit forced.

  "May the Lord cure your stutter. Hehe." Yabin smiled and held up a cross to a werewolf, who let out a loud snort.

  Rai Ras scowled at Yabin and said, "The Lord says, 'I am the only God, there is no other.' So those who are not the children of God are heretics. These savage beasts will never be able to bask in the glory of God. What you're doing is really too rash."

  Although he had been a merchant for many years, Rellas' devout faith was not tainted by money. Such occasional outbursts of seriousness often made his companions feel somewhat out of place. Especially last month, the Pope suddenly began to express dissatisfaction with Oufu, this city that obviously could not have a church, saying that those barbaric beasts and children of God sitting together in harmony was simply blasphemy against God. The merchants didn't care much about these things, after all, the glittering gold coins were not given by God, and the Pope's words were just empty talk. But Rellas took the Pope's holy words to heart. If he weren't also a member of the merchant guild, he would resolutely refuse to go to this barbaric and filthy city.

  "The master says that all living beings are equal." Yabin smiled at him. Lelas old man shook his head and sighed. Yabin patted the wolf's thick, hairy back and said, "Please don't mind."

  Sister Aimee also walked over and said to the werewolf, "My grandfather is actually a very good person, you will know if you stay with him for a long time." Although it was her first time in Oufu and her first time seeing these giant beastmen, she didn't find them scary at all.

  "The old man is too serious." Someone in the merchant guild laughed. For Pastor Relas, being expelled from the church was a great shame, so he never mentioned his past experiences to anyone. To the people in the merchant guild, he was just an ordinary old man who was more devout in his faith.

  The werewolf flashed what might have been a friendly smile, but the fangs revealed at the corners of his mouth made it look more like a snarl. "No worries. Our lord says... everyone has freedom... of faith, freedom of speech."

  "May God bless those who can say such things." Yabin smiled slightly.

  Just then, three werewolves suddenly stood up from the ground.

  The werewolf's movements were swift and fierce, as if he had been stabbed with a knife. Even the hair on his body stood up, and three pairs of eyes emitting green light stared straight at the forest.

  Everyone else was stunned. Following the werewolves' line of sight, but in human eyes, it was just a pitch-black area, and the bonfire, even if it was burning brighter, could only illuminate a small area in this wilderness forest. Moreover, there were no sounds or strange feelings around. This place is already close to the border of Erasia, and there are three werewolves in the team, so the big-eared monsters shouldn't be reckless. And in this region, there is nothing that can make the werewolves vigilant.

  "What's wrong?" Yabin asked the werewolf.

  "You... didn't hear? What thing..." The werewolf replied, and the three werewolves all picked up their weapons. The massive meteor hammer was enough to intimidate any beast or enemy under their arm strength.

  "What thing? What thing?" Yabin and his companions strained to gaze into the darkness, but their line of sight was only filled with darkness and silence.

  "You... don't move, we... go take a look..." The three werewolves walked into the dark forest. Their silhouettes quickly disappeared from the range of the firelight and vanished into the darkness. It was as if the footsteps of the werewolves were too light, dissolving into the silent darkness of the forest like they had never existed. The three werewolves left no trace or sound behind, disappearing from people's sight and perception. The dark forest ahead seemed to have become a huge monster, quietly swallowing them up.

  The people left by the bonfire were a bit at a loss. No one spoke, they just looked at each other. The bonfire was still so vigorous, with occasional crackling sounds bursting out, but the sound that seemed to be full of vitality earlier now burst out in silence and felt a little eerie.

  "Huff". The Kodo beast let out a heavy breath, startling many people.

  "These three guys... nothing's wrong, right?" The big guy called Da Zhen scratched his nose stupidly. "Are they going to the toilet together or something..." Seeing no one responding to him, he shouted again. "I get it."

  "What?" Several mercenary companions looked at him.

  "Think about it, what is something that they can feel but we can't?" Da Han smiled mysteriously and said: "It must be that these three guys all smelled the scent of a mother wolf, but were too embarrassed to say so in front of us, so they used this method to slip away."

  "Go to your mother." Someone immediately threw a mud over. Some people also laughed. The atmosphere eased a lot. In the laughter, people also felt that it was probably nothing big, and the wolf man's nerves were also sensitive, and it was impossible for a group of monsters to come out of nowhere.

  People relaxed again, only old Relas walked over and whispered to Yabin: "Did you feel any magical fluctuations?"

  "Magical fluctuations? None at all." Yabin was taken aback. "Did you sense it?" Although Lelias had long since left the church, he still maintained his daily meditation and contemplation in his room without interruption. The people in the merchant guild may not have known, but Yabin was clear that his cultivation was no lower than any pastor in the church, and white magic required a more sensitive perception of magical fluctuations than any other school of magic.

  Leras' old man sniffed his nose, as if he wanted to smell something unusual in the air, but finally shook his head, frowned and said in a low voice: "Am I too sensitive..."

  "I'm Aimee, shall we combine our powers and cast a scrying spell?" Yabin said softly.

  "Never mind. It's probably just my imagination, I'm getting old." The elderly Relas shook his head. He didn't want the others in the merchant guild to know that he and Yabin practiced magic, and white magic at that. Using white magic outside of the church was a considerable taboo in the devout nation of Elyria.

  A faint rustling sound came, and the figures of three wolfmen finally appeared within the range of the bonfire. Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

  "Hahaha..." The big Han laughed loudly, picking his nose as he walked towards the werewolf. "How's that? Are you satisfied...?"

  The leading werewolf suddenly flew up with a fist. A fist that was not much smaller than the head of this nonsense speaker slammed into his face, making a dull thud mixed with a cracking sound.

  Da Han's body flew back to the bonfire under the force of his head and face being pulled, his fingers digging into his nostrils thoroughly entered his own head, his palms completely shattered and became mushy along with his facial features, which were also sunken into his head. One eyeball flew out and hung from the side of his head. His neck was also torn off by this force, at least becoming half as long as it originally was.

  Everyone was initially stunned. Then several people shouted: "Isn't that too much? He's just joking."

  A shrill, wild, and bloodthirsty howl suddenly rose from the ground. The ferocity and savagery in that howl overflowed beyond the realm of hearing, even the skin could feel it. This sound seemed not to come from vocal cords, but was purely an illusion condensed from these beastly natures. The silent and endless wilderness forest was instantly pierced by this sound, filled to the brim. All the horses were startled, frantically struggling and moving about. Even the notoriously dull-witted Kodo beasts let out a loud bellow.

  Three werewolves lay on their backs, but there was no moon in the sky. The cloud layer at the edge of the high ground obscured the light from above. The werewolves were howling hysterically, their bodies trembling and convulsing with each cry.

  Everyone was shocked, and they could all tell that this didn't sound like a joking cry.

  The howling suddenly stopped, and the werewolf rushed towards the crowd. Under the firelight, those green eyes that were shining with a fierce glow were actually all bloodshot, the sharp white fangs were like daggers inserted into the bloody mouth, the bright red tongue was hanging from the corner of its mouth, and saliva kept dripping down. This was absolutely not a joking face.

  The people's screams had just begun to mix with the wails. The werewolf's movements and ordinary human reactions were worlds apart, and before the five merchants could even dodge, they flew out under the meteor hammer's swing. Three of their heads had already shattered like eggs hit by a heavy impact, one's chest was completely open, with ribs and internal organs spilling out, and another was almost cut in two at the waist.

  The mercenaries instinctively picked up their weapons to resist, but in the face of werewolves, especially those who seemed to have gone mad, ordinary humans were as fragile as insects. Cries and wails rang out one after another.

  Yabin also raised the sword in his hand to charge forward, but was pulled back by Lelras. The priests of Erasia, who were often on the battlefield, had rich combat experience that could not be compared with their peers from the peaceful and tranquil magic academy on the Eastern Continent. Moreover, the old man also saw where the key was. He said in a low voice to Aimee: "Quickly cast weakness and slowness on them."

  Aimee hastily made gestures and recited incantations, but her eyes fell on the several corpses with strange and cruel deaths beside her, and her voice and hands were trembling. She usually didn't even dare to watch when killing chickens.

  "Merciful Lord, please comfort that troubled soul." Yabin's hand grasped his sister. A wave of pure and gentle white magic swept over Eime's mind, although it was impossible to completely dispel the fear and panic, but she herself also concentrated her mind and continued to recite the incantation.

  The three werewolves' movements suddenly slowed, and the mercenaries barely managed to hold their ground. Being able to simultaneously subdue three werewolves, it seemed that the training at Fang's Tower had not been wasted.

  Leras muttered incantations under his breath, then stretched out a hand towards the werewolves. A white glow enveloped the three werewolves from head to toe.

  After the white light, the werewolf didn't seem to have suffered any harm, but his attack stopped immediately, and his expression changed from frenzy to numbness.

  The remaining mercenaries and merchants finally breathed a sigh of relief, but they were more astonished. It was unbelievable that the unremarkable old man Lelias in the merchant group turned out to be a magical master who could miraculously control the situation at this time.

  "Huh?" A faint, barely audible voice came out of the darkness. The sound was so small and light that if the werewolf hadn't stopped, people would have been too stunned to make a sound, and this extremely subtle voice would not have been noticed at all.

  "Ah." Abin, who had not moved until now, drew his sword and rushed in the direction of the sound. After being held back by Old Man Relas and seeing the magic he used on the werewolf, he had already figured out what was going on. The old man had used a white magic "Purification" spell on the werewolf. It was meant to dispel negative magic, but it had stopped the werewolf in its tracks, which undoubtedly proved that the werewolf's frenzied attack was due to the influence of magic.

  "In the name of the Lord, grant me the blade to vanquish evil." The long sword hummed, its voice chanting like a dragon, and the snow-white light in Ah Bin's hand solidified into a beam of light. Ah Bin leaped over a werewolf still in a daze, his movements as agile as an eagle. "The blessing of the Lord, grant me blessings."

  "Yabin, come back quickly!" Old Relas shouted. His voice was hoarse from tension.