Precarious Situtation

Gasps for breath could be heard in the forest as a group of adventurers ran in the direction of the city. They were riddled with numerous scratch wounds as the demonized hounds chased after them. It had already been like this for the past half an hour. They would kill the beasts that came after them one after the other only to be replaced by another. The only factor keeping them alive was the fact that these beasts were originally Low Knight-class. Thus, the adventurers could still make use of their higher cultivation to power through the packs.

"Dalt! Kark! Are you two still alright back there?" Alia's voice was tinged with worry as she turned around and asked.

Both warriors in the back were littered with more injuries compared to the rest as they fended off attacks that came from the most concentrated area.

"Yes! We can still last," Dalt slammed his shield on a beast before speaking. "How about the front?"

"It's alright. Shadow and I had been dealing with the beasts we encounter from time to time."

"That's good. Keep going!"

Akt sighed in relief hearing this. To be honest, he was quite worried. As a newbie in this world, he did not have a full grasp on cultivators' stamina at the Meridian Opening realm. If these seniors could not last any longer, then that would mean that he also would not make it. He had been debating if he should let go of the loot he was carrying and fight but decided otherwise. It was still not the time to use his strength

'I should save my stamina...'

Akt knew that the group would not last for long if they continued like this even if they had exceptional stamina. The small injuries on their bodies would also accumulate. And at some point, those wounds would break out and drain them out of their energy. He could only hope that they could hold on until they reach the vicinity of the city.

As they ran, a bunch of thoughts flitted in his mind. Why was it that the only beasts coming after them were the demonized Low Knight-class wolf beasts? After going deeper into the forest, one would normally start to encounter stronger beasts like those Green Bulls that they had to deal with earlier. However, they only had to deal with these wolves. It was not as if he wished for stronger ones to come, but this situation felt a little off in his mind. It was as if someone had gathered this certain species to go after them. Still, Akt could understand that the demonization of these wolves covered up that glaring weirdness. The demonization brought their power levels up to Peak Knight-class to Low Baron-class level after all. No one in their right mind would have the time to notice this incongruity in the middle of battle.

"Argh!" A grunt sounded.

The others turned around and saw an enormous gash on Dalt's right arm. Blood flowed out and dyed his arm scarlet. The sword he held fell to the ground and was left behind the forest, leaving Dalt only with his shield.

"Captain!"

"Dalt!"

"Dalt, are you okay?!" Kark asked.

"Yes. Don't worry about me, just focus on your end. We can't afford to stop here!"

The rest of the group seemed worried. Not only was Dalt wounded, but he also lost his sword. This meant that his efficiency in holding back the beasts would decrease significantly. And what that spelled for the group was that their formation would have more openings in it.

Akt knew how dangerous the situation was. It might not affect things at the moment, but things would gradually turn for the worst as time goes by. Having to deal with additional assaults would be bad for the team,

Shadow was already preoccupied with the front. while Alia was already covering for both sides with her bow, If nothing changed, they would succumb sooner or later to fatigue and injuries.

"Kark, idiot! To your side!"

Having been distracted by the earlier's incident, Kark failed to notice a wolf beast sneaking up from his blind spot. Fortunately, Dalt was able to realize this, so he hurriedly rushed over to cover for him.

Bang!

The hound hit its head on Dalt's towering shield hard. However, this action opened up a hole in their formation. Alia could only rush back to deal with it with the dagger she had prepared for emergencies, but she was evidently more proficient with long-range battles. It alleviated the problem for a moment, but Alia was not as good with it as how close combatants were. This also left Shadow alone to deal with the front.

Alia was the first one to realize this problem after Akt. She yelled in panic, "Shit! The formation will not last long like this, Dalt!"

"No, we can still fix this, although we'll suffer in the process!"

"Dalt, I'm alright now. You should go back to your spot," Kark panted. "Alia, go back to the front now! Dalt will be taking over soon."

"Fuck. Alright!"

Soon, the formation came back to how it was earlier. However, that incident gave the beasts the momentum they needed to break the group apart. Openings became more apparent, and it was got progressively difficult to fend off attacks as time went by.

Seeing this, Akt fell into a daze. He realized that in this situation, he had two options. The first one was to let go of the loot and help out. With his [Analyze], he could definitely lighten the load for the others. However, doing so would erase his second option— take the loot for himself and escape. He could definitely escape right now along with the loot from the Green Bull. Doing so would bring him not only safety but would also solve his monetary problems for a while.

However, was he really capable of doing something like that? If he did so, he would be betraying these people that treated him kindly and even taught him a lot of things he had yet to learn. Would he really be able to face Vera if he survived and became strong in this way? The answer to that was a resounding yes. Vera would never turn her back on him. She was just that kind of person after all. But Akt would not be able to bring himself to face her if he went down that path.

Akt knew which option to pick. His grip on his scabbard tightened. Without hesitation, he let go of the loot and unsheathed his sword firmly. The aura of a veteran swordsman emanated from his body.

"Seniors, I can help the leader behind. He can shield me while I deal damage to the wolves!" Akt announced.

The others were visibly surprised about this, even worried. They knew he was only a Pseudo Knight-class cultivator. He was not even at the Center Opening realm yet,

"No, Akt! You're only at the Body Tempering realm. You would not be able to do significant damage on these demonized wolves!" Alia warned.

"That's right. Just focus on running and leave the fighting to us! You're still a rookie after all..."

They did not believe in the slightest that he could do something about their situation. The group was about to stop him, but Akt did not give them time to react. He was not a normal cultivator after all. While the others may think otherwise, Akt knew that he was capable of that.

He closed his eyes as he ran, stabilizing his mind for a moment. He reached for that hidden power residing deep in his body and called it upon. His eyes glimmered in gold as he opened them wide and muttered,

"[Analyze]"

This time, he did not scan everything in a circle. Instead, he focused his Ability on his sense of sight and hearing. It would have been better to do what he did the last time, but he could only do this to save his stamina. Still, this was enough for him to gather the information he needed— the beasts' approximate location, the flow of the battle, and the opponents' weak points.

"Senior Dalt, cover me!" Akt shouted.

His figure flashed past the stunned Dalt, releasing the muscle power he had been hiding in his lean stature.

Swish.

Blood flew in the air as he penetrated a wolf beast, immobilizing it. While it was true that he was not strong enough to kill a demonized hound with his Knight-class strength in one strike, he was, at the very least, capable of hitting one in its weak spot and disabling it. It was at this moment that his techniques shone through. He lacked the strength, but he had all the techniques he needed.

Dalt and the others were astonished in seeing this. They did not expect Akt's swordsmanship to be so accurate. It could have been a fluke, but the group saw how unhesitating this white-haired young man was when he thrust his sword into that wolf beast. Seeing that, at the very least, gave them peace of mind to leave the task to him,

Dalt snapped himself out of his surprise and quickly followed through. He could only swear as he covered for the young man,

"Damn it, Akt! You better dodge the ones I'm not able to cover or you're done for!"

"Yes!"