Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World
Chapter 182: Wolf Pack 2

TL: Etude

The pursuer leader grabbed the neck of a wolf with such immense strength that the wolf quickly rolled its eyes back, overwhelmed.

However, it wasn’t just one wolf. Another leaped onto him and firmly bit into his throat.

Several more wolves then sprang from the woods, pouncing on the leader. They tore at him, biting fiercely and relentlessly.

With despair, the leader cursed, “To hell with you all!” His curse’s intended target, however, remained unknown.

He relaxed his muscles, surrendering to the wolves tearing at his flesh, quickly losing all signs of life.

“Senior sister, get in the carriage!” Ladi urgently pulled the Duchess, who was already weak and pale, into the carriage.

Inside, a young girl, seemingly around ten years old, lay ‘asleep’ on a seat. She bore a striking resemblance to Helen and was destined to be a great beauty.

This was the younger sister of the Grand Duchess of Eton, Baroness Fennie.

Ladi firmly shut the carriage door.

The attack on the mercenary leader seemed to signal the wolves, as more of them emerged from the woods.

These wild beasts first targeted the three horses, launching a swift attack.

The horses desperately defended themselves, but eventually fell prey to the wolves’ sharp teeth.

“Hopefully three horses satiate the wolves,” said Ladi.

But her hopes were dashed as more wolves appeared, ignoring the horses and circling the carriage instead.

Their target was clear: those inside the carriage.

A wolf, unable to hold back, leaped at the carriage.

The Duchess screamed as the carriage shook violently from the impact.

Ladi handed a crossbow bolt to Helen, “Senior, if a wolf breaks the glass, stab it hard with this. Let’s hope this church carriage is sturdy.”

Helen nodded, trembling.

As if on cue, the window shattered, and a large wolf head intruded.

Ladi, with precision, thrust the crossbow bolt into the wolf’s eye.

The wolf retreated, howling in pain, and rolled on the ground next to the carriage.

The sight of its suffering seemed to deter the other wolves, who temporarily ceased their attack, continuing to circle the carriage instead.

Ladi chanted a spell, carefully measuring the carriage’s area and the distance between it and the wolves.

Finally, she whispered, “Ring of Blazing Fire!”

Soon, a strange light emitted from the ground around the carriage, forming a circle about three meters in diameter, perfectly encircling it.

With a “whoosh,” the circle of light burst into flames.

Wild animals are instinctively afraid of fire, and the wolves surrounding the carriage leaped away in fright, scattering to distance themselves from the burning ring.

Many wolves, caught directly in the flames, yelped pitifully as their fur caught fire. They rolled on the ground in an attempt to extinguish the flames, then fled with their tails between their legs.

However, the ongoing howls from the surrounding forest indicated that more wolves lingered nearby, seemingly in the hundreds.

The “Ring of Blazing Fire” spell was initially meant to erupt into flames high enough to cause significant damage to surrounding enemies. However, Ladi had adjusted the intensity of the flames for a longer duration to intimidate the wolf pack.

With their lives no longer in immediate danger, the Duchess regained her composure.

She praised Ladi. “Your mastery over magic is becoming more refined. You’ve surpassed me; I can’t even compete.”

Despite the compliment, Ladi wasn’t in the mood for modesty. She knew that the “Ring of Blazing Fire,” though she had controlled its burn rate, would eventually extinguish.

“Such loud howling, the guards at Fort Ness must have heard it. Won’t they send someone to check?” Ladi wondered aloud.

“It will only be at daybreak,” the Duchess replied. “For now, they’ll just keep the city gates tightly shut.”

“Senior, we can’t rely on others. We must think of a strategy. I can keep casting ‘Ring of Blazing Fire’ around the carriage until dawn. Do you have any suggestions?”

Mages can’t cast the same spell repeatedly without a cooldown period, which varies based on the mage’s proficiency with the spell.

If Paul Grayman knew this, he might liken it to a ‘cooldown time’ from video games in his previous life.

The cooldown duration depends on the mage’s grasp of the magic, ranging from a few hours or minutes to several days.

This “proficiency” is still a topic of debate among mages, much like measuring intelligence in ordinary people; there’s no unified standard.

More usage doesn’t necessarily equate to higher proficiency. Some mages can cast powerful lightning spells every hour but can only cast a light spell once a day, despite the latter being simpler and requiring fewer materials and a less complex incantation.

In this world, even mages are largely in the dark about the true nature of magic, with much knowledge hidden behind a veil of mystery, requiring continuous exploration.

Most mages rely on experience, understanding the ‘how’ but not the ‘why’ of their magic. They revel in this mystique, distinguishing themselves from artisans like blacksmiths or mechanics, providing solace for this misunderstood group.

Hearing Ladi’s query, Helen shook her head in shame. Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ ɴøvᴇl_Firᴇ.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“I’m sorry, I don’t have a better idea. And…”

“And what?”

“I can’t control it as precisely as you. I might… I might set the carriage on fire, maybe even the forest.”

A normal “Ring of Blazing Fire” starts small around the caster and then spreads outward.

Forced to cast it inside the carriage, like Ladi, could indeed…

“Alright, Senior. Once the flames die down, we’ll summon a clay golem again.”

“I can do that,” Helen agreed.

The two silently watched the fire diminish.

As the flames weakened, the restless wolves began to stir again.

“Start preparing the summoning… Wait, Senior, do you hear that?”

Ladi seemed to hear something and listened intently.

The Duchess held her breath, trying to catch the sound Ladi mentioned.

“It’s the wolves howling… Wait? There is something different!”

A sound, growing louder, seemed to be a ‘thump! thump!’ in the distance.

Ladi suddenly exclaimed with joy, “Muskets! It’s the sound of muskets! No wonder it seemed familiar.”

“Muskets?” the Duchess asked, puzzled.

“Yes! Senior, the crew from the Southern have come to save us!”

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