Amnos swung his hammer down on the wolf, but due to the difference in their levels, the damage wasn't significant.
Still, it was far better than when they had fought the elite giant spider. These were just ordinary monsters of the same level, and with his own level increased, the battle felt much easier.
He and Minotaur rained furious blows on the wolves, splattering crimson blood across the snow.
Meanwhile, Li En and Hill provided ranged support with their magic.
After yesterday's fishing and hunting expedition, Li En had reached Level 4, increasing his damage output.
In no time, both wolves lay dead in the snow.
[Your party has slain a White Wolf. Party EXP +10.]
[Your party has slain a White Wolf. Party EXP +10.]
Li En walked over and quickly dismantled the wolves. A flash of light later, they turned into piles of wolf meat and bones.
Storing the loot in his inventory, he turned to Amnos.
"Well done. Now, let's proceed with the plan."
"As you command, Lord."
The two yak-folk saluted and hurried back toward the camp.
Li En had Hill wait outside the cave while he ventured deeper inside.
Unlike the coal mine, this resource point wasn't shrouded in darkness or fear-inducing like the giant spider's lair. Sunlight filtered through cracks in the cave walls, and a faint magical aura permeated the air.
"Hm? No wonder she leveled up so fast. There must be some kind of power source here."
Moving cautiously, he finally reached the deepest part of the cave—and froze at the sight before him.
The wolf girl lay curled up asleep, her breathing steady as she absorbed energy from a massive blue ice crystal in front of her.
[Name: Wolf (Elite)]
[Race: Demi-human / Dire Wolf]
[Level: 13 (Tier 2)]
[Stats: Strength 38, Agility 35, Intelligence 13, Spirit 8, Constitution 30]
[Skills: Howl (Increases allies' damage by 20% for 10 sec), Rend (Causes bleeding), Charge (Three consecutive lunges for heavy damage)]
"She leveled up?" Li En was surprised. Just two days ago, she was only Level 12.
"If I don't deal with her now, she'll become unstoppable after the beginner protection ends."
His gaze shifted to the blue ice crystal, and his eyes widened.
Inside the crystal was the silhouette of a girl—curled up peacefully, as if in deep slumber.
Her faint magical energy seeped out, nearly depleted.
And her face… Li En recognized it instantly.
"Rimuru!"
This was the first slime he had ever tamed.
Which meant this entire crystal was likely her frozen body.
Just like the slimes he encountered on the first day, the extreme cold had turned her into ice, causing her energy to leak out.
Now, everything made sense.
The wolf girl must have been an outsider who drove off—or killed—the original beasts in the cave.
She had then taken over Rimuru's frozen form, absorbing her energy to power her rapid leveling.
At that moment, the wolf girl stirred.
Her nose twitched as she caught an unfamiliar scent—mixed with the smell of her fallen wolves and another creature.
An intruder.
Her eyes snapped open, locking onto Li En with a predatory glare.
"Fireball!"
Li En struck first, launching a flame at her before transforming into an owl and darting out of the cave.
(This ability came from last night's [Intimate Touch], copying Hill's hidden trait—shape-shifting.)
BOOM!
The fireball didn't deal much damage, but it enraged her. She lunged after him.
The cave wasn't deep, and Li En flapped his wings furiously, escaping into the open. The wolf girl burst out after him.
Hill: "Burn!"
Another fireball struck the wolf girl, redirecting her aggression toward Hill—who also transformed into an owl and fled.
And so, Li En and Hill took turns kiting the wolf girl, luring her toward the frozen lake near their camp.
---
Amnos and the others had been lying in ambush for a while.
They held their breaths, waiting for Li En's signal—until they saw him and Hill leading a massive wolf toward them.
The wolf girl had transformed into a three-meter-tall beast, her fangs glinting menacingly. Compared to the white wolves they had just killed, she was on a completely different level.
"Oh gods… What kind of monster is this?" The yak-folk shuddered.
They watched as Li En and Hill skillfully baited the beast, narrowly avoiding her deadly lunges.
Finally, Li En stopped in the center of the lake, reverting to human form.
He raised his staff tauntingly, firing Fireballs while Hill pelted the wolf from afar.
The wolf girl snarled and charged, unleashing her Triple Lunge skill.
First lunge:
Li En effortlessly dodged with [Slide], continuing his assault.
Second lunge:
He activated the +1 Slide effect from his new boots, barely evading her claws.
Now, [Slide] was on cooldown—meaning the third attack would be unavoidable.
But there wouldn't be a third attack.
The moment the wolf girl landed—
CRACK!
The ice beneath her shattered, plunging her into the freezing water.
(Li En and Hill's earlier fireballs hadn't been aimed at her—but at the ice itself, weakening it.)
"Amnos! NOW!"
At Li En's shout, the yak-folk emerged, bows in hand.
Though untrained as archers, their aim didn't need to be perfect—because every arrow was laced with giant spider venom.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Arrows rained down. The wolf girl, trapped in the water, couldn't dodge.
Li En and Hill alternated between Fireball and Ice Bolt, keeping her disoriented and preventing her from climbing out.
The venom seeped into her bloodstream, draining her health rapidly.
After a grueling battle, the wolf girl's struggles weakened.
Her massive form shrank back into her humanoid shape, her body limp as she clung to the ice's edge—barely alive.