We continue advancing through the dungeon the next day.
From the sixth floor to the tenth, the total of wolves that will spawn is still fifty, but there will be three superior species at the end. Also, there will be five spawning at a time as before, but the time before the next batch spawns gets shorter.
We’ll have to dispatch them quickly and brace for the next batch, but considering we have multiple people who can use area of effect magic, I can’t see this being too hard.
In fact, our front line is so strong, that we wouldn’t have a problem even if we didn’t use magic.
“So I just have to draw in one wolf as planned?”
I ask, and Rurika nods.
At the end, five wolves spawn along with three superior species, and I use Provoke to get one away from the others.
While I fight it, the others, mostly Shizune, take the rest down.
We’re doing this so Elsa and Alto can get combat experience.
They’ll be facing a wolf, so Mia casts support magic, and I cast a shield on them.
And both stand next to me.
“Are you all right?”
I ask while repelling the wolf with a shield, and Elsa nods after a deep breath. She’s holding a spear, and Alto a dagger.
Apparently the maid that Leila sent, Taliyah, taught them mostly how to use a broom (pole) and kitchen knife (dagger).
…Let’s not think about it too much.
“Let’s go.”
I activate Presence Concealment, and use a light spell to dazzle the wolf.
When it closes its eyes, I use Concealment and get away from Elsa and Alto.
Once the light settles, the wolf looks around for its target. I figured it might smell me, but it doesn’t. And once it gives up on finding me, it settles on the other two as targets.
It groans, and runs towards Alto.
“Alto!”
Elsa yells, probably not intentionally, but Alto dodges without panicking.
But still, that big leap really shows that this is his first time fighting a monster.
If it was Hikari or Rurika, they’d use as little movement as possible while still staying close, and would’ve cut the wolf down right after.
But of course, that’s asking for too much.
The wolf turns right after landing, and this time jumps at Elsa. She also dodges, but swings her spear too. It’s thanks to its long range that she’s able to attack, but since she attacked while dodging, and didn’t hit with the edge, the wolf doesn’t take a lot of damage.
Still, since she was able to counterattack while dodging, the wolf stops attacking recklessly.
This time, it’s Elsa and Alto who move forward.
First it’s Elsa, who uses the long range of her weapon to attack it. She delivers a sharp thrust, but the wolf dodges it. But it looks like it didn’t expect it to be that fast, because it loses its balance after rushing to dodge.
And then, perhaps because Alto knew where it would land, he slashes at it.
The wolf can’t handle it, and its front leg is slashed. It yells with pain, but there’s still light in its eyes. It’s bleeding, but the cut doesn’t look too deep.
“Alto, get back!”
Alto is going for another attack, but Elsa tells him to put the brakes.
Alto steps back, and the wolf attacks right where he was. If he stepped forward instead, he would have crashed against the wolf, or suffered a counterattack.
It was close, but that danger creates a chance.
The moment it lands, its body is pierced by the spear from the side… And it disappears.
Elsa just stands there, looking at where the wolf was.
Hikari and the others run towards her, and after they praise her for defeating the wolf, she lets out a sigh of relief, probably because it hits her that it’s over.
“You knew the wolf would attack there at the end?”
I ask while praising them too.
“I wasn’t sure… But I just felt danger.”
She sensed it from the wolf’s movements. And she says that it’s because Taliyah, Hikari, and the others always told her to watch the monsters’ movements closely.
Alto on the other hand looks disappointed, but he was nervous about his first fight, so he shouldn’t worry.
And the others tell him the same thing.
We repeat this on the other floors, and by the tenth, their moves are way better than they were on the sixth. And I don’t think it’s just because they’re leveling up.
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It’s great that Elsa and Alto earn some combat experience. Thanks.