Chapter 23: Perilous Rescue

Words : 1472 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 23: Perilous Rescue"Just keep pushing!" Akan and the others took the front, blocking the Rock Bullets with their thick wooden panels. Hal, meanwhile, stayed at the back, firing [Weak Mana Blasts] at the Mischievous Housesprites. He had already successfully killed one, and the remaining three were in an unwilling retreat. This particular species of arcane monsters seemed to hate humans with a passion, and being forced back by mundane townsfolk and a single young wizard was far from thrilling for them. How they wished they could smash Hal's head with a Rock Bullet. Unfortunately, while their spells remained lethal, they could only gradually chip away at the thick wooden panels, receiving numerous translucent-blue mana blasts in return. It was an unwinnable battle. At least, for the three remaining Mischievous Housesprites... They needed help from their comrades. Luckily for the monsters, Hal and his small cohort had another goal, so after a while of giving chase, they allowed the three minorly wounded sprites to escape. Hal then turned to Akan. "Let's divide into three groups. I spotted six unconscious people earlier—two on the west side of town, two in the middle, and two more on the east side. One of them on the east is quite...plump. Also, that side is being guarded by two sprites..." In the end, Hal and Akan headed toward the most dangerous side after Hal harvested the slain arcane monster, controlling his Spirit Sparrow to trail the other two groups and check on them. There seemed to be no hiccups on their side and no Mischievous Housesprite near the unconscious bodies. With a sigh of relief, Hal was able to focus on his own mission. Sneaking their way to the east side of town, Hal and Akan spotted both sprites wreaking havoc inside one of the houses, seemingly in a rush to extract mana for reasons unknown. 'Tch... should I use one Fireball charge here?' Hal contemplated. He still had four charges left, and he could see the advantage of using one now. It would not only secure the lives of the two unconscious people on the road—one of whom was bleeding rather alarmingly—but also allow them to swiftly eliminate two of the seven remaining sprites. If he could successfully take them out, then only a measly five would remain. But the larger Mischievous Housesprite made Hal uneasy. He didn't know what the darned thing was, so using one of his [Fireball] charges, especially when he might still have to face the unknown sprite leader, felt like a heavy and risky decision. 'Ahh, fuck it. Push comes to shove, I'll just use that card...' The other one he had obtained, aside from the [Mana Barrier]. And so, with a decisive Palm Thrust motion, a roaring fireball parted the air, devouring the unsuspecting sprite a few meters away. [Congratulations! You've earned 1 Chaos Point!] "Akan, go!" Hearing Hal's cue, the defender leader stormed into the house, drawing the Mischievous Housesprite's attention. It fired a Rock Bullet at Akan, but the older man blocked it with his wooden panel shield, which shattered completely on impact. Hal didn't fail his comrade. He quickly fired a [Weak Mana Blast] through the window, sending the bamboozled sprite crashing sideways into the wall, heavily injured. Before it could recover, another translucent-blue orb exploded against its face, finishing it off. Sёarch* The ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Confirming the kill was easy: [Congratulations! You've earned 1 Chaos Point!] Unfortunately, Hal had more important things to do than celebrate another kill. "Akan, I'm sorry for the selfish request, but could you please carry the two unconscious residents closer to this house? I'll harvest the cores as quickly as I can." He knew what he was doing was selfish and somewhat inappropriate given the situation. However, he couldn't just pass up two arcane cores. Despite having the Joker System, Hal knew he couldn't afford to neglect other aspects. He would still need money, academy credits, and contribution points to purchase essential items like arcane beast meat, rare herbs, and a few artifacts to arm himself and increase his total combat power as a wizard. Fortunately, Hal was already a bit experienced when it came to harvesting F-ranked arcane cores and sprite wings, so before Akan could even finish his task, Hal was already done with his. "Wait, let me check on the other two groups..." Closing his eyes to focus on the Spirit Sparrow's vision, Hal nodded with relief upon seeing that the two groups were already on their way back to the barricades. There were also no Mischievous Housesprites pursuing them. There was just one thing Hal failed to realize: the sprites had to be somewhere, and if not in the western or central parts of Greyfen Town, then... The eastern duo exited the house. Akan carried the plump young man on his back while Hal carried the middle-aged woman, swiftly making their way to the barricades. However, after taking just a few steps... WHOOSH! A Rock Bullet flew past Hal's face, narrowly missing him by mere centimeters. "AARRGH!" A roar of pain then rang out beside him. Of course, it was none other than Akan. Hal gritted his teeth as he turned to see the defender leader clutching his sore arms—his thick muscles having absorbed enough of the impact to prevent serious injury. Akan, at the very least, could still carry the plump young man. But how were they supposed to escape to safety now, with five sprites suddenly emerging from behind the trees, including the largest among them? The creatures cackled gratingly, as if mocking the two in advance for their impending deaths. 'Damn it!' Hal cursed, his body trembling slightly as he laid eyes on the sprite leader. Aside from the usual Mischievous Housesprite features, this one had a darker skin tone and two short horns protruding from the sides of its forehead. Its smile was the most unsettling of them all. 'Think, Hal, think!' He was blanking out, panic beginning to overwhelm his heart. They were cornered! But then, Akan's voice sounded beside him, filled with resolve: "Young wizard, leave us. I'll distract the bastards. You save yourself, and if possible, rid the town of these troublemakers and avenge us." The defender leader was ready to die. However, his bravery suddenly gave Hal a flash of inspiration. He had one spell card that might just possibly save them... If there was one advantage the mundane residents had over the dangerous sprites, it was their far greater familiarity with Greyfen Town. So Hal decided to bet on it. Slamming his palms to the ground, Hal summoned a thick mist that spread across the entire town, obscuring visibility for everyone. Even Hal and Akan, who were right next to each other, only saw each other's vague silhouettes. The mist was far denser than he had expected. Who would've thought that one of the cards he drew in his first batch of common draws, [Mist Veil]—a card he had once deemed useful only in limited scenarios—would prove so valuable now? He had nearly forgotten about it, having slotted it into the last card slot just in case. "Go, Akan. I'll distract them—escape to the barrier," Hal said in a low voice. The defender leader swallowed hard. He had a daughter waiting for him. So when there was a choice... why would he sacrifice himself? Akan immediately agreed to Hal's proposal, barely managing to dodge the Rock Bullets fired by the disoriented and furious Mischievous Housesprites, thanks only to sheer luck. With two people on his back and a sore right arm, the defender leader crawled forward, praying desperately to the gods that he wouldn't be discovered. Fortunately, the heavens had eyes. As Hal made noises... "Die, you damned sprites!!" ...and fired [Weak Mana Blast]s at random, the furious arcane monsters turned their attention to him, giving Akan the chance he needed to slip out of the encirclement. It wasn't easy. The unconscious bodies slipped from time to time, but fortunately, the middle-aged woman eventually woke up. With a low warning and brief instructions from the defender leader, the recently awoken resident stayed silent despite her racing heart, inching closer and closer to safety. Lethal projectiles flew. The mist thinned with each passing second. Fortunately, by the time the mist fully dissipated, Akan and his two wards were gone, leaving only a poor, exhausted young wizard face-to-face with four F-ranked creatures and one of unknown rank. Hal had somehow found a way to save the residents. But now, he had to find a way to save himself.

Chapter 23: Perilous Rescue

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