"Based on the dwarves' fondness for forging iron, the information about Blackrock Mountain should refer to an iron mine. There's an abandoned mining site in the eastern part of the Neck Mountains that used to produce large amounts of iron and tin. Let's start our search there," Frieren suggested as she studied the map.
Shane found it reasonable.
He stuffed the last bag of food into his backpack, checked all their supplies, and nodded. "Then let's go. Ti to hunt for treasure!"
The two of them walked out of the inn one after the other.
But the mont they stepped onto the street, chaos erupted near the town gate ahead.
A sudden burst of frantic hoofbeats rang out, accompanied by the screams of bystanders.
Shane instinctively turned his head. A driverless carriage was charging wildly toward the center of town. The carriage, its wheels, even the reins were all sared with thick, sticky blood. It flung droplets everywhere as it raced forward, the heavy stench of blood instantly filling the street.
The horrifying scene sent pedestrians into panic, and the once peaceful street descended into chaos.
Shane and Frieren exchanged a glance, both feeling a chill in their hearts.
Several guards rushed over, trying to maintain order while struggling to stop the rampaging carriage. Soon after, officials arrived on the scene, calming the townspeople one by one and informing nearby rchants that the trade route through the Neck Mountains would be closed starting imdiately.
From their fragnted explanations, Shane quickly pieced together the situation: this was the second demonic attack the town had suffered this month.
Both incidents were identical. rchant caravans traveling through the Neck Mountains had been ambushed by demons. Not a single survivor.
After the first incident, the town had already sent scouts and requested aid from Gostan City. However, Gostan City had been under attack at the ti and couldn't spare any forces, which was why the situation remained unresolved.
Shane frowned.
The one who attacked Gostan City had been Solitär, clearly targeting the sage magic inside the dungeon. Moreover, the timing didn't match the first attack on the rchant caravan. It didn't seem like the work of the sa individual.
"Could there be other high-ranking demons nearby besides Solitär?"
Frieren thought for a mont and shook her head.
"When we were searching for clues about the dwarf helt in the nearby forests, I carefully checked the surroundings. There were no signs of demons."
"Then that's strange. Could it be that the attackers weren't demons?"
Frieren frowned slightly but said nothing. Instead, she crouched down and lightly tapped the bloodstains on the stone pavent with her staff.
Imdiately, faint blue traces appeared on the ground, extending out of the town toward the east.
This was Tracking Magic, capable of following the lingering aura and traces left behind by living beings.
Shane instantly understood her intention—they were going to track down the one responsible for the massacre.
Following the magical trail, the two of them headed out of town.
…
The trail stretched far.
After chasing for over an hour, they finally discovered another abandoned carriage deep in the forest.
The reins had snapped, the horses were gone, and the carriage lay tilted by the roadside. Like the one that had rushed back into town, it was covered in blood. The scene was grueso.
Yet there were no signs of a struggle. Not a single corpse.
It was as if the rchants had vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the bloodstains to silently tell the story of the tragedy.
Suppressing his nausea, Shane checked the inside of the carriage.
The goods were still there.
This wasn't a robbery.
That left only one answer—demons.
Frieren activated Mana Detection and carefully sensed the surroundings before shaking her head at Shane.
The two continued deeper into the forest, following the magical traces.
Before long, they found another carriage. This one was completely different from the previous two—it had been smashed to pieces, and the ground was filled with signs of magical destruction.
Frieren imdiately stopped.
Her magic circle snapped toward a direction—
Without hesitation, a spell shot out instantly, piercing through the trees and bushes and striking its target with precision.
A magic wolf's skull was pierced, and it died silently.
Then, three more magic wolves erged from the undergrowth, forming a triangular formation and surrounding the two.
Shane and Frieren stood back to back, watching their surroundings warily.
"I'll take the front. You support ."
As he spoke, Shane drew the longsword at his waist and dashed forward, activating [Nurical Mirroring] at the sa ti.
He had wanted to test this attribute for a long ti. Now he finally had the chance.
In an instant, a tingling sensation surged up his spine. He could clearly feel his body undergoing a strange transformation—
His previously average physique swelled with muscle, his strength surged, his movents beca incredibly agile, and even his senses sharpened. He could clearly hear the wolves' breathing and even sll the stench of demons drifting from kiloters away…
So this was the power of [Nurical Mirroring].
Matching his physical stats to those of the magic wolves—it was unbelievably effective.
Shane felt a surge of excitent. This kind of cheat-like boost without any training felt incredible!
The magic wolf lunged at him, jaws wide open, its steel-like claws slicing through the air toward his face. Thanks to the agility granted by [Nurical Mirroring], Shane easily sidestepped and raised his sword high.
Crackle—
Silver-white lightning erupted from the blade, carrying the force of thunder as it slashed down toward the wolf's head.
Like a god descending to the world.
Behind him, Frieren's originally tense expression gradually relaxed. It seed she didn't need to support him after all.
In just a short mont, all three magic wolves were beheaded by Shane.
Their bodies dissolved into magical particles, slowly dispersing. Standing at the center, Shane sheathed his sword with ease, looking completely composed.
Frieren was quietly surprised. Shane's growth rate exceeded her expectations—he was already capable of fighting magic wolves on his own.
She stepped forward, about to praise him, when she suddenly saw his body seem to "deflate" for a brief mont.
Hmm? Was that just her imagination?
"Haah—"
Shane let out a breath. The sudden loss of that boosted state felt oddly uncomfortable—like a strange emptiness after an intense burst of energy.
Recalling the direction where he had sensed the "demonic stench," his brows slowly furrowed.
"Frieren, it seems there are demons heading toward that abandoned mine as well."
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