Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

"Hey, look at that, I know it!"

As a creature resembling an ugly hybrid of a bird, lizard, and bat ignored the party and ran past them, the bard predictably exclaimed, "It's a cockatrice. Any creature grazed by its beak slowly turns to stone! Challenge rating one-half, isn't it?"

"It's basically the same, but I don't know which bard wrote about 'Challenge Rating,'" Leslaufer said, using his index and middle fingers to indicate he was adding quotation marks. "Anyway, don't think about it anymore. The size of that number is meaningless except for letting your guard down and getting yourself killed."

"Also, don't shout or scream around these things. As long as you don't irritate them, you won't get into trouble."

Leslaufer stared at the terrifyingly large monster. The latter seemed to have sensed something and slowed down its pace a little, but it quickly put the feeling behind it and continued to run away.

"This kind of monster is not often seen even in the wilderness. Why did it run here? There is nothing around for it to eat." Bella breathed a sigh of relief. She was almost the only one among them who could attack the snake-cockatrice from a distance away from its beak. If they were really hit by that thing, it was hard to say whether some of them would be petrified.

They weren't really being used as food, but the petrifying poison, which lasted for about a day, was not easy for the victim and their companions, especially the latter. They either had to carry their companions and move away, risking the statue breaking, or be trapped beside it, unable to do anything.

"It looks like it's running away, but what can threaten the cockatrice? They are not afraid of anything." Vondar touched his beard. That kind of creature is distributed everywhere. Although the number is not large, its characteristics are indeed impressive.

The mercenary paused to think for a moment, then decided to avoid the possible risks. "Turn around and go around the area ahead, Bella. Let's get the squirrel to explore the surroundings. Since it's decided to come with us, it can't just eat its rations there."

The little creature squatting on the druid's shoulder trembled all over, reluctantly dropped the half-eaten food in its hand, and jumped down. However, within a few minutes, Jump came back again, chirping non-stop into the druid's ears.

"There's no need to explore the way now," Bella said helplessly, looking at Reslaufer and pointing in the direction the cockatrice had come from. "We don't need to take a detour, they're already here."

Chapter 102 Werewolf

"Who are they?"

Before Angelita could finish her words, she was dragged to the side by the mercenary next to her, more than a meter away, and a throwing weapon with a bone spear head was stuck right where she had just stood.

"Woo——"

A long wolf howl sounded from afar. In the sight of everyone, one huge wolf-like creature after another quickly grew larger and finally stopped less than five meters in front of everyone. Angelita and Daisy were protected behind them by the other three people. When they raised their weapons, the strongest wolf in the pack also stood out, bared its teeth and roared threateningly at the five people.

The ferocious face made Angelita pale. The similar appearance, the miserable death, and the bad memories flooded her mind, and the phantoms of those wild wolves still appeared in her dreams from time to time.

"Stop playing tricks and stand up to communicate!"

Bella knew that Angelita was afraid of these beasts, so she immediately stepped forward and scolded her, "Who threw the spear just now? What? You dare not admit it!"

The druid's provocation immediately produced a reaction. Among the wolves, one-third of the members began to tremble violently, as if they felt some kind of call. They, or rather their bodies, began to undergo strange changes. The muscles and bones were reshaped in an orderly manner, outlining a human-like body with thick fur and well-developed muscles. Finally, they slowly stood up, and wild eyes flashed on their huge wolf heads.

This was a pack of werewolves, accompanied by the giant wolves that accompanied them. These predators, cruel and hot-tempered, whether in wolf form, half-human form, or human form, were indeed one of the most formidable creatures in the wilderness. It was no wonder that the snake-cockaur, which was almost fearless, fled in panic when it saw them.

"I lost the spear," a wolf-man creature near the front hissed, its Imperial language unskilled. "Now, give it back to me."

"You almost hurt one of our people, unless you apologize!" Bella stared at the other party, but she was as weak as a lamb in front of these werewolves, even the females were big and strong. When she said the words "demand an apology", almost all the werewolves laughed mockingly.

"Apologize? We don't know what an apology is, little thing!" A werewolf said, "We are hunting. You are in the way. You deserve to die!"

"Hand over your luggage and get out of the way, or I'll kill you all!"

"Kill! Kill!" The other werewolves immediately joined in the cheers.

"Shapeshifters, chaotic evil, a challenge... haha," Daisy muttered to herself as she surveyed these massive creatures, each three or four heads taller than her. "Of course they'd do this. This is so classic."

"Hey! What are you mumbling about, little bitch? We have good ears!" Before the poet finished speaking, a werewolf shouted, "Damn it, I want this little lark, and no one can snatch it from me!"

"You wish!" Another werewolf roared immediately, but this one was a female. "I'm going to take this little thing home with me and have her sing for me every day! She must be very good at it. Look at that thing she's carrying, it's called a musical instrument!"

"Your daytime is yours, and mine is my nighttime!"

Completely ignoring the presence of the people in front of them, the werewolves, who had treated Reslaufer and the others as ready meals, began arguing with their own people. But this was no chance to escape. The giant wolves, who outnumbered the werewolves twice, were staring intently at the travelers who were "blocking their way." If they tried to escape, they would immediately rush over and tear them to pieces.

"These guys aren't idiots, they're surrounding us."

Vondar whispered to Reslaufer, "The dwarf noticed that these seemingly nonchalant werewolves, though seemingly quarreling with one another, were actually quietly spreading out to the sides as they moved, vaguely intending to trap them. If they were truly attacked from all sides, the danger would be far greater than those black arrows and white blades."

"Has the argument yielded any results?" Reslaufer took a step forward, sword in hand. "If so, then mark the way out. If not, get out of here. Let's sort out our own issues first."

"It looks like you are the leader?" The werewolf who had just been walking in front in wolf form spoke coldly. His wolf form was the largest among his companions, and the same was true for his half-human form.

"It's not a matter of arguing. Be smart. Women, come with us and hand over all your valuables—including your sword and armor. That way, no one will get hurt here. Do you understand?"

"I thought you were going to chase that cockatrice," Leslaufer said, looking at the werewolf calmly, showing no intention of attacking or surrendering. "I'm afraid it's still not too late now, but it's hard to say for sure after a while."

"Who would want a snake-cockatrice when there are prey like you knocking on the door?" A werewolf screamed, triggering another round of responses.

Leslaufer understood: these werewolves may have been targeting them for a long time and deliberately drove the snake-cockatrice over, but no one attacked the monster, which made these cunning hunters lose the opportunity to reap the benefits.

So they decided to take action themselves.

"Hurry up! Are you planning to let us wait here and die of boredom?" The strongest werewolf bared his teeth and threatened, "Then come and fight! The result is the same anyway, we have more people!"

Even a single werewolf is stronger and taller than Leslough. When they also have the advantage of numbers, then they really have an advantage.

"Come, fight me!"

"I'm sorry, I won't fight you." To the surprise of the werewolves, and even to the surprise of Angelita and the others, Reslaufer actually shook his head and rejected the invitation. "I will only fight the strongest among you. You are not the leader, so you are not worthy of me fighting."

"What did you say?!" The strong werewolf glared, "Of course I'm their leader! I'm the strongest one!"

"You're not," the mercenary said without a trace of probing in his tone, "Why have you been glancing at the wolves around you? I've never heard of a werewolf needing to ask a wild giant wolf for instructions on what to do – let him come out."

"Also, have you guys walked around enough? Wild animals can do these tricks, but you can at least speak human language, which should be some progress."

The werewolves who had surrounded the crowd stopped awkwardly. The dwarfs Vondar and Bella were already facing them on each side. Their siege had been discovered before it even started.

"Nonsense, I don't know what you are talking about--" The strong werewolf was still trying to argue, but he saw an old wolf next to him suddenly stand up, and transformed into a half-human, half-wolf form faster and smoother than other werewolves, stopping his compatriots.

"That's enough. He's already seen it. There's no need to hide it anymore."

Chapter 103 The weak and the strong

"Zirkan," the old werewolf stared at Raslaufer with his yellow eyes, "usually, we have no interest in exchanging names with our prey, but you may be an exception."

"Perhaps that's because you're tempted to eat something you shouldn't," the mercenary took a step forward. The strong werewolf tried to stop him, but to no avail. "A wolf pack won't simply reveal its leader unless they feel they have a sure win. Do I look like someone who's easy to eat?"

The wind in the wilderness blew up the robe that Leslaufer was wearing, outlining the outline of the armor underneath.

"Perhaps you're not, but perhaps you're the only one who isn't," the old werewolf, Zirkan, bared his broken teeth. "How about this, my tribe and I need food, so we don't have to bite your people. Hand over half of your supplies, and I'll pretend you never showed up."

The reason why Leslaufer did not act rashly was simply because he could not kill these half-human, half-wolf hunters while ensuring the safety of his other companions. For similar reasons, the werewolves remained on hold.

Possessing both humanoid intelligence and beastly instincts, they were unsure whether they could consume the meat before them with acceptable losses.

"This is the first time I've seen someone begging so tough..." Daisy muttered softly, ignoring the fierce look from the other party.

"What if my answer is still 'no'?" Ice-blue eyes fixed on Zirkan.

"Then... we have no choice but to follow the rules. What rules? The law of the jungle is the rule - wait a minute!" Qilkan was about to shrug when he saw the mercenary pick up the greatsword.

"This is the wilderness. We don't want to get too bloody and attract other hungry 'things', right? Let's resolve this with less damage."

Leslough did not put down his weapon, waiting for the old man's next words.

"I said, 'The strong prey on the weak,' so let's send the weakest of both sides to duel, and the winner takes all, how about that?"

"Very good, I'm the weakest one on our side," Bella raised her eyebrows, "May Eldas be a witness."

"No!" Zirkan shook his head like a rattle. "I know someone like you. You're a druid who can transform into all kinds of animals!"

Vondar Halfhill knocked his battle axe against the cork shield and said, "Then let me take over. I'm much shorter than you."

Although he was considered tall among the dwarves, even about the same height as ordinary humans, he was still far inferior to these beastmen.

"You're a dwarf! Don't try to fool us!" The strong werewolf shouted angrily. He looked at Daisy, "You! You look like the weakest one!"

The bard immediately picked up her harp and said, "Me? Okay, okay, which one should I play?"

Two of these werewolves could tear her to pieces, but she wasn't afraid of a one-on-one fight! She didn't even need magic. Just letting her harp hit any part of the body except the wolf's head, hitting it twice, would be enough to cripple the opponent!

She had completely adapted to rules that were completely different from what she knew these days: counter-killing with only a sliver of health was practically non-existent! And no matter how much health a creature had in her opinion, if it was hit in the vitals, it would almost certainly not survive!

"Wait! He's not the leader and has no right to make decisions for me!" Zirkan jumped up and slapped his companion on the mouth. "You're a mage, right? We won't fight you, you cunning human!"

Although he spoke cunningly, this old werewolf who had lived for quite some time was truly shrewd and calculating. He pointed at Angelita, who was fully armed but actually only wearing leather armor, and said, "Little girl, you will fight us!"

“I don’t accept—” “Okay!”

Reslaufer, who was rebuked, looked at Angarita in surprise: "Are you sure? These guys all have wolf heads."

"But they are human, aren't they?" Angelita glanced at Daisy. "Miss Daisy, I remember you told me about some of the things in the 'rule book' compiled by your bards these days. Werewolves are also considered some kind of human, right?"

"Nonsense!" Zirkan and the werewolves behind him immediately started shouting, "Who the hell wrote this?!"

"Medium humanoids, humans, shapeshifters," Daisy could only bite the bullet and say, "But Barty, they are also shapeshifters. They can turn into--"

"I understand. Druids are nothing to be afraid of." Angelita waved her hand.

The druid Bella, who was present, felt something strange: "...I feel like you're thinking of something strange, is that right?"

"Absolutely not!" Angelita raised three fingers, imitating Daisy's swearing gesture. At least in front of her companions, she didn't need to swear by any gods. "Anyway, since they picked me, let me do it."

"Anyway, if I can't win, you will definitely protect me, right, Uncle Raslaufer?"

Looking at the fearless Angelita, Leslaufer took a deep breath and said, "I will—you three will just take care of yourselves by then. Don't blame me."

To put it another way, once the situation developed into that state, he would not be able to take care of the other three people. And if we take two or three steps back, let alone Angelita, he might not even be able to take care of himself - the werewolf's life was still more important.

"Have you finished the discussion?" Seeing Angelita come out, Qi Erkan was about to step forward to fight. However, before he could take another step, the blade of the Black Flame Greatsword was already across his face. "What are you doing? Are you going to go back on your word?"

"I should be the one asking that question," the mercenary said, his expression blank as he sized up the old werewolf. "You're picking and choosing among the five of us. So, you're the one taking the lead?"

"Who else could it be?" A puzzled expression appeared on the old werewolf's wolf face. He looked around at his own tribe and said, "Look, I'm the oldest one, so of course I'm the weakest."

"A human brain, a wolf's face," said Leslough with a sardonic laugh. "I've never heard of a wolf pack choosing the weakest one as the leader. Move aside, I'll choose."

See what flower you can choose. Zirkan muttered, slowly took three steps back, and waited for Raslaufer's decision.

"First, we don't want the oldest ones. They're old but experienced and cunning, not the weakest." Reslaufer's gaze swept over the werewolves one after another, pointing the tip of his sword at each one, eliminating one-fifth of them. "Second, we don't want the middle-aged ones. They're reckless but strong and fierce, and certainly not the weakest."

"Third, don't take the smallest ones either. Although I'm not familiar with werewolves, I've killed many real wolves. Those that can follow me out hunting are either extremely powerful or extremely cunning. They're not the weakest. Finally, among the rest, don't take any that are armed. Just because they have one more means of attack than their kind, can they be called the weakest?"

As the wolves looked at each other in bewilderment, Reslaufer finally pointed out two young werewolves who didn't meet any of the four criteria. One of them was half wolf and half human (with more human features). "There are only two left. You're the weakest among them, right? Come on."

Chapter 104 Werewolf Fate

"Coward!" The werewolves erupted in angry curses, but they were helpless. The chosen werewolf actually looked much stronger than Zilkan and the other werewolves, young and old, at first glance, but Leslaufer had eliminated them right away.

"How about you pick the strongest one to fight me, you foolish wolves," the mercenary retorted, "I can give you one hand and allow you to pick two to fight me alone? Want to try?"

The werewolves were immediately silenced - if they tried, they would die. If it was a melee, of course none of them were afraid of death, but since it was a duel of selection, it would be best not to go up.

"Forget it, shut up!" Zirkan growled helplessly, completely ending the conversation among his companions. "Fate, come here."

The werewolf that Reslaufer had pointed out timidly responded and walked up to the leader. Seeing his expression, Zirkan was furious. "Put away your dog-face! We are werewolves! Do you intend to let that lady show you mercy and give you alms so you can gnaw on her bones? You've completely disgraced us all! The weakest one, huh!"

Even his painstaking disguise couldn't save it!

"I'm sorry, Grandpa Zirkan, I..."

"Stop your whimpering," the old werewolf finally scolded, and walked towards the back of the tribe. "Don't let your mother down," he said as he passed by the werewolf Fate.

"Wait, Lao Lei, let's switch to another one!" Daisy yelled immediately after seeing the atmosphere. "He buffed this guy! This is a flag! How can Angarita beat him?"

The mercenary glanced at the werewolf named Fate. The young fellow's eyes were red at the moment. Although his weakness had not completely disappeared, a sense of ruthlessness was faintly emerging.

I have to say that although eight out of ten sentences of the poet are crazy, if you think about it carefully, it seems that there is some truth to it.

"Nonsense! This is your choice, why can't you fight it again?" A werewolf immediately said, "You are just stalling for time!"

"He was the weakest before that old man spoke, but not now!" Daisy protested immediately, "This is a shady deal! A shady deal!"

"Then it's my turn, Grandpa Zirkan!" The other werewolf, who was also listed as a backup by Leslough, was already eager to try. "You step back, Fate! I'll take care of this girl!"

"Enough!" The clear voice, with its subtle authority, intimidated the clamoring crowd. "I'll fight him. Fate? What a good name."

Angelita signaled Leslaufer to clear a space for her. The princess stretched her muscles a bit, then took up a fighting stance with the Owlbear Hammer in hand. "Come on, Fate, let's see what you can do!"

"...Can I know your name?" The muscles between Fate's eyes twisted into a knot. The pressure he was under was much greater than that of Angelita. Just this one sentence earned him boos from the tribe.

Daisy had already covered her face. She was ready to use her magic at any time if this werewolf burst out with any unknown power - he definitely had two stages!

Bella and Vondar were oblivious to this, merely cheering Angrita on. While her skills were still lacking compared to theirs, they believed they could still win this round. The only thing they needed to guard against was these hungry wolves, shameless enough to keep their bellies to themselves. Reslaufer, seemingly unconcerned, stood at the edge of the clearing. Fate's head was within his grasp at any moment's notice.

On the other hand, no one on the werewolf side was willing to stand up for their own kind.

"Bati Antichi," Angrita nodded. Since disguising as a woman was so limited in effectiveness, she had completely given up on this disguise. "But knowing this won't put you in any better position."

"No, it won't." For some reason, Angelita actually saw some shyness in the wolf's head - could this happen?

"I'm ready, Miss Barty," the werewolf grinned, his fang-filled mouth wide open after a brief exchange, "the best piece of your meat will be dedicated to my mother—"

Without giving Angelita any time to react, Fate jumped up and pounced on her from the air. His right claw and bloody mouth blocked her retreat. No matter how she tried to dodge or retreat, she would be injured!