Temporary Team-Up, Target the Wolf Pack

At the tavern's bar, the old oak counter was covered in countless mug rings.

"You are saying you want to find a place with a lot of magical beasts?"

The tavern owner paused his glass-cleaning, looking at Lynch with a strange expression. "Lynch, although I know you are now a Rank Two... uh, expert. But those beasts do not have eyes. If you are lacking any medicinal ingredients or materials, just tell me, or wait for the merchant caravans to arrive and restock. There is no need to risk your life."

The owner was an honest man. In his eyes, even though Lynch had recently become unfathomable, he was still an apothecary after all.

An apothecary's hands were meant for playing with scales and holding test tubes. How could they engage in close combat with those thick-skinned magical beasts?

"Oh, boss, you misunderstood."

Lynch smiled and waved his hand, casually lining up a few copper coins on the table. "I am not trying to save a little money on materials. It is mainly because I recently learned a few small self-defense spells and want to find a place to practice."

"And look, the recent beast tide has everyone on edge. With the situation over at Black Rock Village, I figured I would clear out the area around our village before the heavy snow seals off the mountains. Killing even a few will help relieve some of our village's defensive pressure."

Lynch spoke these words half in truth and half in jest.

Practicing was true; he mainly wanted to test out his newly learned attack magic and farm some monster cores.

Clearing the surroundings was also true, for the sake of his own peace and quiet.

But to the owner's ears, this sounded like a resounding heroic declaration!

"Good! Good job!"

The owner was so moved that his eyes turned red. He grabbed Lynch's copper coins and shoved them back into his hand. "Look! Everyone, look! This is what you call awareness! Mr. Lynch is taking the initiative to attack for the safety of our village!"

"Since you are so determined, I cannot stop you. As for a gathering place for magical beasts..."

The owner thought for a moment and lowered his voice. "The pine forest on the north slope has not been peaceful lately. I heard from a few hunters that a pack of Wind Wolves has gathered there. There are about ten to twenty of them. Although they are only Rank One magical beasts, these creatures hold grudges and know how to cooperate. Ordinary adventurer parties do not dare to provoke them."

"Wind Wolves?"

Lynch's eyes lit up.

Wind Wolves were great! Their fur could be made into coats, their teeth into arrowheads, and most importantly, wind-attribute monster cores! Those were good things. Absorbing them would not only increase his experience but might also unlock some wind-attribute skills.

"Alright, I will go to the north slope."

Lynch nodded, starting to calculate in his mind.

Over a dozen Wind Wolves was quite a large number.

Even though he was currently at Rank Two and knew Arcane Burst: Modified, two fists could not fight four hands after all.

"If only I had a frontline to tank the damage..." Lynch stroked his chin in deep thought. "I am an ADC, and an AD needs someone to protect them. Soloing is still a bit risky; I need to find a meat shield."

Right at that moment.

"Um, Mr. Lynch?"

A slightly hesitant voice came from behind.

Lynch turned around and saw Asik, who had just been stubbornly working on his problems over there.

At this time, Asik had already put away the pile of parchment, wearing a reserved yet somewhat expectant smile on his face.

Behind him stood two people with completely different styles.

One was a dwarf not even as tall as a table, yet horizontally developed like a wine barrel. He carried a huge pickaxe, had a face full of stubble, and exuded the smell of coal cinders and strong liquor.

The other was a middle-aged man wearing standard leather armor, with a longsword at his waist. He stood straight and upright, looking like a formally trained guard at first glance.

"Asik? Is there something you need?" Lynch was a bit surprised.

"Cough, cough. I accidentally overheard just now that you plan to go to the north slope to clear out the Wind Wolves?"

Asik pushed his monocle, trying to make his tone sound like a professional spellcaster. "To tell you the truth, I have the exact same intention."

"You are going too?" Lynch looked him up and down. "Aren't you preparing for the unified exam?"

"It is precisely for the unified exam!"

Asik looked serious. "The entrance exam for the Royal Nine-School Alliance is not just a written test; there is also a practical combat assessment! Deriving formulas on paper is useless; I need real combat data to verify my magical theories!"

Saying that, he pointed to the two people behind him:

"This is my hired temporary assistant, Bronzebeard Amani Ironhammer, an experienced senior miner and warrior."

"I am a miner! Just pay me!" the dwarf shouted in a muffled voice, waving the pickaxe in his hand. "This thing is good for smashing rocks, and it is good for smashing wolf heads too!"

"This is my family's long-term guard, Uncle Rhodes." Asik continued the introductions. "A Rank Two warrior, responsible for protecting my safety."

The middle-aged man named Rhodes nodded slightly to Lynch, his gaze sharp.

Having introduced the lineup, Asik revealed his true intentions:

"Mr. Lynch, since our goals are the same, why don't we... form a party?"

"You see, we have a frontline, a melee damage dealer in Rhodes, and me... ahem, a crowd-control mage. Adding you, it makes a perfect standard four-person squad."

"If we act together, it will be highly efficient and safe. As for the loot, we can distribute it according to our contributions. How about it?"

Hearing this, Lynch was delighted.

Wasn't this exactly like someone handing you a pillow right when you wanted to sleep?

He had just been worrying about not having a meat shield, and here came a dwarf with a pickaxe and a Rank Two warrior delivering themselves to his door. Moreover, although Asik looked a bit too bookish, he was at least a Rank One mage and should have no problem playing support.

"Sure, I couldn't ask for more!"

Lynch agreed readily. "With you joining, I feel much more at ease. Then it is settled; we will go to the north slope and do something big!"

Seeing Lynch's delighted expression of finding someone to carry him, Asik smiled and nodded on the surface, but secretly made his own calculations in his heart.

"Hmph, agreed so quickly?"

Asik narrowed his eyes, watching Lynch's back as he turned to prepare his equipment.

"Perfect, this is an excellent opportunity for observation."

After all, an apothecary and a battle mage were two completely different concepts.

Being strong in theory did not mean one could fight.

"I really want to see what kind of attack magic a so-called Rank Two like you will use."

"Will you just throw a few soft little fireballs? Or will you only use magic to strengthen your body for close combat?"

"Lynch, oh Lynch, do not blame me for overthinking. In this cruel magical world, only after witnessing your flames with my own eyes can I decide... whether to treat you as a competitor in the future, or a mentor worth following."

Asik tightened his grip on his staff and shot a glance at the two people behind him.

"Let's go! Move out!"

The group of four stepped through the snow, marching grandly toward the pine forest on the north slope.

The freezing wind howled, whipping up thousands of snowdrifts.

And deep within that gloomy sea of trees, over a dozen pairs of eerie green eyes had quietly opened, watching this group of approaching uninvited guests.