Chapter 54: Prey upon the Predators

Because of a single sentence from Felix, the warriors and mages who had been fighting together to resist the orc wolf riders suddenly fell into chaos. One by one, they lost all will to defend and instead frantically searched for ways to escape. In an instant, what had been an impregnable defense collapsed. Apart from the warriors at the very front, who continued to fight while retreating, the mages and archers scattered in panic in all directions.

Bryan grabbed Vannie and Lisa by the wrists, forcefully pulling them as he dashed at full speed toward the area where the warhorses were kept. Behind him, Gene led the other necromancy students, following closely in Bryan’s wake.

After several brushes with death, Bryan no longer faced danger with the panic of youth. As he moved swiftly and calmly, he silently considered his next move to escape.

Those retreating with Bryan were mostly mages and archers. If any of them blocked his path, he would shove them aside without hesitation. In the jostling crowd, the speed of the archers and mages was inevitably limited, but with Bryan—serving as a human shield—clearing the way, they soon broke to the front.

Within a quarter of an hour, Bryan, still holding onto Vannie and Lisa, with Gene and the others trailing at a distance, finally reached the stables. The owner had gone to the southern street to assess the commotion, leaving only an old servant to watch over the horses. Bryan kicked open the door without hesitation, dragging Vannie and Lisa toward the back of the stables.

“What are you doing? What do you want?” The elderly servant leapt up in alarm as Bryan charged into the stables, shouting furiously.

“The orc wolf riders have already broken through! If you stay here, you’re doomed. We’re just here to retrieve our horses. If you want to live, pick a horse and escape now!” Bryan called back as he ran, his voice calm amid the chaos.

The old servant, having heard the growing turmoil outside, stood frozen for only a second before dashing after Bryan, apparently convinced by the suggestion.

Bryan released Vannie and Lisa’s hands, his gaze quickly sweeping the stables before fixing on a magnificent warhorse. Without a word, he leapt onto its back, drew his dagger, and sliced through the rope tethering the horse.

Turning, he saw that Gene and several students from the Light School had arrived, gasping for breath as they, too, searched for their own horses.

“Are you all idiots? The wolf riders will be here any minute, and you’re still searching? And those horses we left here last time—second-rate stock at best—there are only six. Do you all have a death wish?” Bryan finally snapped, unable to contain his frustration.

His shout echoed through the stables, stunning the necromancy students and faculty, who stood frozen in disbelief at having been called idiots.

“So what should we do?” Lisa asked, dazed, looking to Bryan for guidance.

“Pick the best, strongest horses! One each! The fate of the others is none of our concern. If you want to die, keep looking for those inferior horses!” Bryan’s voice was cold and resolute.

It was a simple truth, but these necromancers had always lived by strict rules; obeying them was second nature, and it never occurred to them that, in a crisis, rules could be set aside. Bryan’s blunt words jarred them out of their hesitation, and, after a brief pause, they began to consider his advice seriously.

As the chaos outside intensified and the threat of death loomed, they quickly made up their minds. No longer hesitating, they ran for the finest steeds in the stable.

Once the necromancy students and faculty, spurred by Bryan, had claimed all the best horses and galloped out, the students of the Light School and other quick-thinking mages and archers arrived.

“Damn it, they took our horses!” Irene, sharp-eyed, immediately spotted Bryan astride the very horse she once rode and shouted in fury.

But by then, Bryan and the others were already thundering out of the stables on the finest steeds, leaving only their receding silhouettes in the face of Irene and her companions’ curses.

“Bryan, which way should we go?” Vannie asked as soon as they burst onto the chaotic street.

The warriors had retreated into the heart of Doro Town, the orc wolf riders charging in behind them, blades flashing. Defenseless merchants were the first to fall, many decapitated in a single stroke.

The wolf riders, mounted on their giant wolves, did not immediately pursue the scattered warriors and mages. Instead, they began looting the shops along the street, stuffing goods into the bulging sacks slung over their wolves.

“As long as it’s not toward Zakias City, any direction is fine!” Bryan glanced around, noting that the fewest people were fleeing toward the north street. After a brief thought, he shouted, “Follow me—north!”

With Doro Town on the verge of falling, Zakias City, the most heavily defended city in the southwest of the empire, became the ideal destination for the panicked crowd. Bryan observed that nearly seventy percent of the townspeople were fleeing in that direction.

Among these, only about a dozen were mounted. Once the wolf riders finished looting, their first target would certainly be this group.

Given the speed advantage of the wolf riders, especially against those on foot, and with so many people fleeing toward Zakias, the orcs would surely send the bulk of their wolf riders after them. In all likelihood, that seventy percent would suffer the heaviest casualties.

Thinking calmly, Bryan found his mind clear. He led Vannie and the others, galloping northward as fast as their horses could carry them.

Riding gave them a tremendous speed advantage. Along the way, Bryan encountered two wolf riders already on the north street, both with bulging sacks on their giant wolves. They paid little attention to Bryan’s group, intent on looting another shop.

With a cold snort, Bryan pulled his reins, directing his horse straight at the two wolf riders brandishing their swords.

The two orcs hesitated, not expecting anyone to dare fight back. They withdrew their blades from a merchant below, split apart, and swung their swords at the oncoming Bryan.

“Bryan, are you insane? Run!” Lisa screamed when she saw Bryan change direction and charge at the wolf riders. The other necromancy students, drawn by her cry, turned to watch.

As he rode, Bryan murmured a spell under his breath. A bone arrow formed in midair and shot at one of the wolf riders. While that orc was occupied deflecting the arrow, Bryan, dagger in hand, lunged at the other.

His blade flashed coldly through the air, piercing the wolf rider’s chest and stomach with a muffled thud. Bryan’s horse charged forward, and with a sharp tug of the reins, came to a sudden halt.

With his left hand, Bryan seized the dead orc’s sword, yanked it free, and in a single motion, drove it into the head of the snarling wolf below, killing it instantly. He hooked the large sack from the fallen wolf with the sword’s hilt and tossed it onto his own horse.

Turning his horse, his face cold and merciless, Bryan charged at the second wolf rider, who had just shattered the bone arrow.

“My God, did I see that right? Bryan just cast a bone arrow spell—what the hell is going on?” Gene cried out in shock, gripping his reins tightly. The other students stared at Bryan in stunned disbelief, as if seeing him for the first time.

“Damn it, what is Bryan doing?” Vannie, who already knew Bryan could use bone arrow magic, was less surprised by the spell and more by his actions. The wolf riders were robbing the merchants, but Bryan was now robbing the wolf riders.