Chapter 26: Wolf Tide [Part 2] “Sh*t!” Marcus cursed out loud as more than a hundred wolves streaked past him. He knew that it was impossible for five men to hold back the unstoppable wolf tide on their own. John was holding his ground against the Thousand-Year Beast and keeping all its attention on him. The rest of the senior Shepherds were mauling the wolves with their weapons as corpses piled around them. Just like Marcus, they were doing their best in order to survive the onslaught. Seeing that they were losing their ground, Marcus charged towards his comrades in order to save them. Thunder snorted as its body grew in size. The wolves that stood in its way were impaled by its sharp tusks and were carried along with its charge. Standing four-meters tall, the Wild Boar easily reached the other shepherds and allowed them to mount its back. It then made a hasty retreat in order to regroup with the children who were about to be overtaken by the wolf tide. - “Ice Armor!” “Ice Armor!” “Ice Armor!” “Ice Armor!” “Ice Armor!” “Ice Armor!” “Ice Armor!” A shroud of blue mist surrounded William, Ella, Ava, Theo, and the rest of the children. William could see the wolves closing in on them and decided to prepare for the inevitable battle. Ava summoned two short swords and prepared to stand her ground. Wind blades circled around her as she floated in the air. “I’ll buy you kids some time,” Ava announced. “William, I leave the rest to you!” “I’ll do my best!” William nodded his head. “Don’t die, Aunt Ava!” “Silly boy, these are just wolf pups. How can they possibly kill me? Stop dawdling and go!” Ava ordered. The kids nodded their heads and made a wild dash towards the forest. This was the last hurdle they had to pass before they reached the main road leading towards the town of Lont. Ava knew that it would be a miracle if the kids could escape the forest unharmed. Gripping her weapons, she increased the number of wind blades around her. She would buy as much time as she could. As for whether the kids would survive or not, she could only pray to the Gods for their mercy. William also knew that it would be impossible for them to escape the forest with their speed. Out of desperation, an idea suddenly popped inside the boy’s head. “Theo! Take the others and climb that tree!” William ordered. “Make sure to go as high as you can and don’t make any sound!” The kids were surprised at first, but they were not stupid. They understood what William was trying to tell them and ran towards the tall tree in the distance. “What about you?” Theo asked. “Don’t tell me you are going to face those wolves alone? You’re not their match!” “I know, but if we don’t do something, all of us will die here,” William replied with a serious expression. “Don’t worry. I’m too young and too handsome to die. These wolves will not be able to hurt me. Besides, my Mama is here to protect me.” “Meeeeeh!” Ella bleated. She had a determined look on her face as her horns started to glow bloody red. “Fine! Please, be careful!” Theo knew that William was right. This was a moment of life and death and if they hesitated, all of them were going to die. William watched as his friends climbed the tallest tree in the forest. He didn’t know if wolves could climb, but he was sure that they would be more attracted to the plump sheep than the four scrawny human brats. - Name: William Von Ainsworth Race: Half-Elf Hit Points: 1950 / 1950 Mana: 1,280 / 1,350 Job Class: Shepherd (Lvl 28) Sub Class: Ice Mage (Lvl 8) [ Strength: 20 (+2) ] [ Agility: 30 ] [ Vitality: 20 (+2) ] [ Intelligence: 54 (+2)] [ Dexterity: 10 (+20) ] - William looked at his pitiful stats and took a deep breath. “System, I need your help,” William said. [ Waiting for the Host’s order. ] “Is it possible to use mass bestow on the herd under my command?” [ It is possible. ] [ Creating Special Skill…] [ Host has learned skill: Mass Bestow ] - Mass Bestow (500 Mana Points) — Increase the stats of all creatures assigned to your herd by 10. — This skill cannot be upgraded. — Skill Duration: 2 Hours - “Mass Bestow!” William used the skill without batting an eye. He watched as his mana points decreased dramatically. The fifty goats that were part of his herd glowed as their stats were increased. William sighed as he looked at the pitiful mana points that remained in his mana pool. “Mana Regeneration, I’m counting on you!” Due to William’s low intelligence stat, his mana regeneration only increased by one every two seconds. One mana every two seconds might seem fast, but during crucial moments, it would not be enough to turn the tide of battle. William observed the goats under his command and checked their stats. Thanks to the Mass Bestow, Way of the Shepherd, and Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. The Angorian goats were now slightly stronger than the average Dire Wolf. - Race: Angorian Goat Hit Points: 580 / 580 Mana: 260 / 260 [ Strength: 2 (+24) ] [ Agility: 3 (+25) ] [ Vitality: 4 (+25) ] [ Intelligence: 2 (+24)] [ Dexterity: 2 (+24) ] - William knew that his meager army was not enough to contend with the hundreds of Dire Wolves that were about to descend upon them. He also felt pained knowing that with the exception of Ella, his entire herd would be wiped out. Even so, he gritted his teeth as he ordered the goats to run towards the retreating sheep in the distance. Soon, the ground trembled as hundreds of wolves entered the forest. Their ferocious howls made the hairs on William’s neck stand on end. His breathing became ragged as his senses sharpened. “Battle Formation!” William ordered and the Angorian goats stood in a V formation. He had dismounted from Ella long ago and climbed a tall tree not far from them. He knew that keeping her with him would only hinder her from going all out. Although it was a risky move, he believed that this was the best course of action that they could take. All the goats lowered their heads as their horns pointed outwards. Ella’s majestic form stood in front of them like a general leading her men to battle. A few seconds later, the Dire Wolves came into view. Their ferocious appearance coupled by their viscous teeth made William shudder. If not for his hands firmly holding the tree bark, he might have already fallen from the tree due to the shock. ‘Mama, please, be safe,’ William prayed. He didn’t believe in Gods before, but after meeting Gavin, Issei, Lily, and David, his outlook changed completely. The raging wolf tide charged towards the fifty-one goats with bloodshot eyes. They had traveled for many miles in search of food. Although they had caught some prey along the way, it was not enough to feed thousands of them. The goats in front of them looked very plump, especially the goat with red horns on its head. Like the crazed beasts that they were, they lunged at the goat herd with fervor. “Meeeeeeeeeeh!” Ella gave the signal and the goats under her command charged forward. A collision of teeth, horns, and claws, marked the start of a battle between the hunter and their prey. Blood sprayed in the air as both wolves and goats started to slaughter each other. In that initial clash, ten goats died in battle. While sixty Dire Wolves were impaled to death. [ Exp Gained: 18,000 ] William saw the notification and felt bitterness. If this was a regular situation, he might have danced in happiness due to the massive experience points that he had gained. However, watching the goats that he had personally raised, and cared for, die in front of him, in exchange for experience points made his heart ache. His tears fell like raindrops, but they couldn’t be compared to the river of blood that was currently dying the ground red. He had prepared himself for the sacrifices, but his heart still bled at the reality that had presented itself in front of his eyes.