"ROAR!"

A deafening roar tore through the battlefield as the Winged Dogman threw its head back and let out a bloodcurdling howl.

Before the Mercenaries and Adventurers could react, it had already swung the rusty Giant Axe in its hands, its blade reflecting a chilling glint in the sunlight. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"SWOOSH!"

With a sudden whoosh of air, the Winged Dogman flapped its wing and dove like the Death God, heading straight for the most crowded part of the group.

The Giant Axe swept out, seeming to carry the weight of a mountain.

"SQUELCH! SQUELCH!"

Fountains of blood erupted as severed limbs flew through the air.

In a single exchange, a pile of mangled corpses littered the ground.

Seen from above, the Winged Dogman was like a farmer reaping a field of wheat, and the Mercenaries and Adventurers were nothing but stalks waiting to be cut down, completely powerless to resist.

A few of the faster-reacting Mercenaries and Adventurers instinctively raised their weapons to block, while several others ducked and dodged, trying to counter-attack.

However...

"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"

Their weapons struck the Winged Dogman’s scale-covered body, only to produce a few sparks. They couldn’t even leave a single scratch.

Despair spread like a plague.

"This... This is no monster we can handle!"

"Its Scales are harder than steel! Our attacks are useless!"

"Fall back! If this keeps up, we’re all going to die here!"

"Damn it, did this thing crawl out of Hell?"

Witnessing the Winged Dogman’s brutal slaughter, the Mercenaries’ and Adventurers’ morale instantly collapsed.

They dropped the loot that was nearly in their grasp and scattered in terror, leaving the battlefield in chaos.

The Winged Dogman hovered in the low altitude, the single wing on its back flapping slowly, its crimson eyes glinting with bloodlust.

Like a bird of prey toying with its quarry, it unhurriedly hunted the fleeing humans, each dive accompanied by a shrill scream.

Meanwhile, the Monster Legion, which had been suppressed by the humans, was now greatly emboldened.

They howled in excitement, brandishing their crude weapons and joining the one-sided slaughter.

As for Roland, the moment he got a clear look at the Winged Dogman, he calmly put away his Short Bow and began to quietly retreat.

His steps were light and swift, and in the blink of an eye, he was far from the center of the battle.

He turned a deaf ear to the screams coming from behind him.

’He had saved Dalko in the jungle earlier because the boy was a young noble, the only son of Baron Fosling.’

’His life and death were directly tied to Roland’s own.’

’But what about these Mercenaries and Adventurers?’

’They were just a bunch of greedy opportunists. What did it matter to him if they lived or died?’

’With his current strength, if he used Flowing Slash, he did have a chance to kill the Winged Dogman in one strike.’

’But what then?’

’Once weakened, could he really expect these desperados who lived on the edge to feel any gratitude?’

’The answer was obvious.’

’So, staying away from this mess was the wisest choice.’

’A shame. He was only three kills away from the requirement to become a Warrior...’

Roland didn’t slow his pace, his mind racing with calculations.

He deliberately minimized the sound of dry branches snapping underfoot, each step landing precisely on the most stable ground.

’But it doesn’t matter...’

’The leave Master Hawke approved is still long. At worst, I’ll just stay in Songmu Town for a few more days. With that Dogman around, the nearby Demons are bound to get restless.’

As his thoughts raced, his pace grew even swifter.

Suddenly, the clang of colliding metal pierced through the wails of despair.

Roland’s brow furrowed.

’Someone was actually able to hold their own against that Winged Dogman?’

’And judging by the frequency of the blows, they didn’t seem to be at a disadvantage?’

’It wasn’t that he underestimated those Mercenaries.’

’After fighting the Bloodscale Dogman, he knew all too well how terrifying this type of Demon was.’

’Impenetrable Scale Armor, monstrous strength far beyond a normal person’s, and now, the mobility granted by that wing...’

’Back when they faced the Bloodscale Dogman, even Regular Soldiers like John and his men had trouble fending it off. How could this hastily assembled mob possibly...’

The sound of metal clashing suddenly grew more intense, faintly mixed with the Demon’s pained roars.

But Roland’s steps did not slow out of curiosity.

’Whoever was holding back that monster was buying him precious time to escape.’

"BOOM!"

A deafening explosion erupted from behind, and Roland reflexively turned his head to look.

He saw a black shadow hurtling toward him like a cannonball, moving so fast it left a residual shadow in the air.

Seeing this, Roland’s body instinctively dodged to the side.

The black shadow grazed the corner of his clothes and slammed heavily into a tree up ahead.

The thick trunk groaned as if unable to bear the weight, and splintered bark flew everywhere.

’The Executioner?’

Though it was only for an instant, Roland had recognized him.

The Executioner’s signature black robe was torn in several places, revealing a slender figure clad in Leather Armor underneath. His pale fingertips were still clenched tightly around his iconic Foil.

Before Roland could steady himself, a bone-chilling coldness pricked the back of his neck.

His sharp combat instincts made Roland drop and roll without hesitation.

"CRACK!"

The rusty Giant Axe grazed the tips of his hair as it passed, cleaving a nearby oak tree as thick as a man’s embrace in two.

Amidst the flying splinters, Roland rose smoothly to his feet, the Iron Sword at his waist already unsheathed and tracing a cold arc in the sunlight.

But in the next moment, the Winged Dogman suddenly changed its target.

The Executioner, who had just been sliding slowly down the tree trunk, was now on his feet and striking with incredible speed at the single wing on its back.

"CLANG!"

With a whoosh of its Giant Axe cutting through the air, the Winged Dogman spun around and swept it horizontally.

The Executioner’s slender figure leaned back like a falling leaf.

The axe blade grazed the tip of his nose, then abruptly changed its course mid-swing to collide with the Foil.

"Cough!"

A muffled grunt came from under the black robe.

The Executioner dropped to one knee, his Foil digging a long trench in the ground before he could stop his momentum.

When he looked up, the Winged Dogman was already lunging at him again!

"SWISH SWISH SWISH!"

In an instant, the Foil became a downpour of silver light.

The blade’s tip accurately stabbed at weak points like eyelids, ear canals, and the wing membrane, but was completely blocked by the Scale Armor.

The Winged Dogman sneered, taking all the attacks head-on as it swung its weapon with all its might.

"BOOM!"

The axe blade smashed into the ground, instantly creating a spiderweb of cracks.

The Executioner hastily rolled aside to dodge, but the fierce shockwave tore his black robe in half, revealing a pale chin and a few scattered strands of silver hair.

Before he could steady his staggering figure, the Winged Dogman raised its War Axe again, a second chop whistling through the air as it came down on his head.

There was no escape.

The Executioner’s azure pupils contracted, reflecting the cold, sharp glint of the axe blade.

"Get back!"

At that critical moment, Roland’s shout exploded.

His figure shot out like a cheetah, his Iron Sword cutting through the air with a cold gleam, stabbing straight toward the unarmored single wing on the Dogman’s back.

However, the Winged Dogman reacted extremely quickly. With a sharp twist of its wrist, the Giant Axe that was chopping downward suddenly changed direction, turning into a vicious horizontal sweep!

"BANG!"

Axe and sword collided, sending sparks flying.

Roland felt an immense force travel up the blade, his entire arm instantly going numb. The impact sent him stumbling back several steps.

’Its Power is greater than the Bloodscale Dogman’s, and it’s faster too...’

He gritted his teeth, inwardly alarmed.

’Good thing [Adaptability Training] raised my Agility to seven points, otherwise I’d have a hard time keeping up with its movements!’

On the other side, the Executioner used his Foil as a crutch to slowly get to his feet.

Finding itself attacked from both front and back, the Winged Dogman did not press the attack. Instead, it warily flapped its wing and quickly retreated.

Its crimson eyes darted back and forth between the two men. Only when it was sure both were in its line of sight did it abruptly halt and assume a defensive stance.

’That’s...’

Roland’s gaze locked onto a white object cradled in the Winged Dogman’s left arm, and a strange sense of familiarity washed over him.

But he instantly pushed the irrelevant thought from his mind. Looking at the unusually cautious enemy before him, he couldn’t help but feel that this was going to be troublesome.

’When the Executioner was fighting the Winged Dogman just now, he’d had a chance to escape. But it was clear the Executioner was no match for this Demon. If he hadn’t intervened in time, the Executioner would probably have been decapitated by now. And if the Executioner died, even if Roland himself tried to run, he wouldn’t get far given the Winged Dogman’s flight speed and mobility. Weighing the options, teaming up with the Executioner was a better choice than fighting alone. It’s just that... a moment ago, the Executioner had been indiscriminately slaughtering Mercenaries, Adventurers, and Demons alike. Roland had to be sure this temporary ally wouldn’t suddenly turn on him.’

"Let’s take care of this Demon together. You’re not going to attack me too, are you?"

Roland asked in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the Dogman.

The Executioner’s silver hair fluttered as he shook his head.

The next second, his Foil was already drawn. He shot toward the enemy like a bolt of lightning, leaving his back completely exposed to Roland.

Seeing this, Roland immediately followed with his sword in hand.

"Attack the wing on its back! Create an opening for me!"

This confident declaration made the Executioner pause for a fraction of a second, but he quickly adjusted his footing, nimbly dodging the Giant Axe’s sweep and flashing behind the monster.

Roland seized the fleeting opportunity, his Iron Sword becoming a silver rainbow.

Instantly, the dense forest echoed with the continuous sound of clashing metal.

Perhaps because they both possessed superb combat skills, Roland and the Executioner displayed surprising synergy in battle, despite being strangers.

However, perhaps due to his previous injuries, the Executioner’s footwork grew progressively messier over time.

The Winged Dogman keenly noticed this opening, but thanks to Roland’s perfectly timed diversionary attacks, it repeatedly missed its chance to land a killing blow, the fury in its crimson eyes growing ever stronger.

And just as the Demon recklessly swung its axe to clash head-on with the Executioner...

’My chance!’

A sharp light flared in Roland’s eyes as his [Concentration] Trait activated instantly.

He stomped hard and leaped into the air, the Longsword gripped in both hands tracing a sharp, cold glint in the sunlight.

Seeing this, a hint of mockery flashed in the Winged Dogman’s crimson pupils.

It struck with all its might, colliding with the Executioner’s Foil.

After seeing its opponent spit blood and collapse to the ground, it quickly turned and raised the rusty Giant Axe horizontally across its chest.

In its eyes, the human who had leaped into the air was already a lamb for the slaughter.

A simple twist of its axe would be enough to cut him down!

"CLANG!"

However, the moment the axe and sword struck, the contempt in the monster’s eyes abruptly froze.

A terrifying force traveled from the axe handle, making its claws go numb and forcing a shrill cry from its throat.

Feeling the power surge into his arms like a tide, Roland gritted his teeth and pressed down hard with the hands gripping his sword.

’Flowing Slash!’

With an inner roar, the blood-red scales that were previously impenetrable now seemed as thin as paper.

The Longsword cut down without any resistance, sliding diagonally from the axe handle straight into the Winged Dogman’s left abdomen.

A dull thud echoed as his feet landed heavily on the ground.

The Winged Dogman remained standing rigidly in place, as if completely unharmed.

But in the next instant, a crimson line of blood slowly appeared on its body.

"SPLOOSH!"

Blood gushed out like a fountain.