133: a plan within a plan

Three werewolves charged towards the carriage, one of them directly targeting the scrawny Flora.

Another one locked onto the two pack horses.

The remaining one, using its momentum, leaped up.

It wanted to tear apart the dazzling light on the carriage roof.

These three werewolves had clear divisions of labor and precise plans, evidently having undergone some training.

"Dream on, you damned beast!" the Sheriff roared, swinging his longsword to force back the werewolf that intended to attack the horses.

The werewolf dodged the longsword, crouched on all fours, and let out a threatening growl.

Its 황색 eyes stared intently at its enemy, searching for an opportunity to bypass him.

On the other side, the werewolf that attacked Arthur was grabbed by its tail by Drax and forcibly pulled down.

It immediately bit and clawed, leaving numerous wounds on Drax's body with its sharp claws.

But the Beastkin paid no heed, snatching up his axe and chopping it down towards the hideous monster.

The werewolf twisted its body sharply and opened its mouth to bite him.

"Drax, don't let it bite you!"

Arthur, seeing the berserk Beastkin seemingly intending a suicidal attack, quickly warned him.

He could heal wounds, even regrow severed limbs, but he couldn't cure Beastkin transformation.

And the most terrifying aspect of Beastmen was that their bites spread this disease.

Drax's movements abruptly paused, the descending axe suddenly stopped, blocking the werewolf's bite.

Only then did he recall Arthur's warning to them before they set out.

Among the three-pronged attack, Flora's situation was the most challenging.

That werewolf underestimated the frail girl; it followed its hunting instinct, choosing what appeared to be the weakest target.

With a crisp "crack" of bone shattering.

The werewolf let out a mournful howl; its arm had been snapped clean off by Flora.

Immediately after, its chest was struck by a powerful elbow, the force like a heavy hammer, directly sending the werewolf flying.

At the same time, a beam of light descended from the sky, but the werewolf attacking the horses dodged it by shifting its body.

The Sheriff seized this fleeting opportunity, stabbing his sword into the creature's arm.

The werewolf cried out in pain and immediately lashed out with its other sharp claw at the Sheriff.

The Sheriff instinctively ducked, while simultaneously thrusting his sword again, hitting the werewolf in the waist.

As time passed, this sudden attack came to an end.

All the attackers were eliminated, but the howls of the wolves did not cease; instead, they became even more frequent.

Movement was heard again from the forest, and everyone immediately took up their stances, preparing for the next round of assault.

"It seems these Black Blood People don't intend to let you off so easily, Baron," the Sheriff said.

Arthur frowned, waiting for reinforcements.

If his prediction was correct, today would certainly not be his demise.

Just then, five more werewolves emerged from the forest.

Unlike the werewolves that had attacked them earlier, these five were all clad in light armor and carried weapons.

It seemed that the previous three werewolves were likely just cannon fodder used to test them.

These five in front of them were the true killers.

The leading werewolf howled at the sky, but before it could finish, a hammer suddenly flew out from the forest behind the carriage.

It directly smashed the werewolf's head, splattering brains and blood everywhere.

Before the attackers could react to what had happened, Wild Dog Duke had already led his Beastmen charge out.

First to charge was a massive Bearman.

He knocked a werewolf flying with the shield in his hand, then snatched up the hammer from the ground and slammed it into another.

The remaining two werewolves, seeing the unfavorable situation, turned to flee, but it was too late; the Beastmen had already begun to surround them.

Wild Dog Duke did not join his companions in the pursuit.

He strode over to Arthur and said, "You're still alive, Baron, it seems."

"If you had arrived any later, the outcome would have been hard to say."

Arthur jumped off the carriage and immediately began casting healing spells on the injured Drax.

"We need to help you clear out the enemies on the other side first," Wild Dog Duke said, "You know, when a wolf pack hunts, they never miss any direction."

After healing Drax, Arthur asked, "Aren't you going to participate in this hunt?"

"I'm quite sure these guys are the prey you've been looking for."

Wild Dog Duke picked up the hand of a dead werewolf and sniffed it, muttering, "Newborn cubs."

Then he said, "He's not here. I'm not hunting these things."

"So, your plan failed?" Arthur asked, "You used me as bait, trying to lure Rage Claw out, but you didn't succeed."

A grim smile appeared on Wild Dog Duke's face as he stared at Arthur and asked, "Baron, why do you say that?"

Arthur shrugged and replied, "Isn't it obvious enough?"

"You eagerly delivered the witness into my hands, wanting me to bring down Joshua."

"By the way, it's not that easy to deal with a local gentry with just one damned witness."

"Because of this, you actually owe me a favor."

"But I won't hold it against you."

"You want to hunt Rage Claw, but you need bait that can hook him, and I, a foreigner, naturally became the best choice."

"Go on, Baron," Wild Dog Duke responded with interest.

"Rage Claw had Joshua spread rumors that the Night Outcasts killed the mayor, all to prevent you from joining forces with Mist Town."

"And I, on the other hand, neither reject cooperation with you like the locals, nor do I understand the intricacies as they do."

"Moreover, I desperately needed an achievement to establish myself here, so I naturally became the perfect bait."

"It's just a pity that you initially thought Rage Claw would be enraged by the disruption of his plan and come to hunt me, but unexpectedly, he held back this time."

Wild Dog Duke let out a few soft laughs: "Very good, very good, Baron."

"Since you've seen through everything, why didn't you hide in town?"

"If they could kill the mayor, they could certainly kill me," Arthur said, "I have to let Rage Claw know who my collaborators are."

"I see. You want to use our strength to intimidate those Black Blood People."

"That's a good idea, but don't forget, they're all lunatics, they won't give up easily."

"The hunter will always follow the tracks of the prey," Arthur replied calmly, "If they insist on taking my life, then you will have a reason to stay here."

"If they give up, you will naturally hunt them down."

"The hunter can also become the hunted," Wild Dog Duke added.

That's why I'm so eager for the Pioneer Group to come here, Arthur thought to himself, after all, no matter when, relying on others is not as good as relying on oneself.

"This can be considered repayment for your favor in helping me contact the Pioneer Group," Arthur changed the subject, "Now we're even."

"Next time, if you want me to be bait, it won't be this price."

"You still owe me a favor, don't forget who handed the murderer over to you," Wild Dog Duke corrected.

"I said, how about we call it even on that matter?"

"Your scheme was really too shallow; it wouldn't have succeeded without my refinement."

Wild Dog Duke's face showed displeasure as he slowly walked towards the Baron: "You made a pact with the Beastmen; if you want to go back on it—"

Arthur motioned for his subordinates not to panic, and he too walked towards the Duke: "If you kill me, you'll lose an important bait."

"Besides, I have more important things to deal with, damn it. If you really want to kill me, you'll have to wait."

The Beastkin turned his head towards the plantation, sniffed, and a grim smile reappeared on his face: "If you can come back alive, we'll talk properly then."

With that, he turned and quickly walked into the forest.