Despite my words, I felt the same thing when casting the spell just now.
'This is why practical practice outside of sparring is important.'
Balancing academic magic practice with lethal magic requires actual combat experience to be most effective.
Of course, you can't see the full effect in a place where small creatures like these usually appear, but if I can't find real combat later, I'll have to take down Pleroma.
'But...'
This is ambiguous.
I watched the fleeing rabbit and fell into thought.
Can we really say there are no dangerous creatures here?
The rabbit had run without even checking what was ahead.
Moreover, I smelled another scent of blood earlier.
'We should head back.'
The barrier we checked on the way here was a lower-level barrier. It indicated that there shouldn't be dangerous monsters around.
Even if there were contaminated animals, they'd be like the rats and rabbits we encountered earlier.
There was no need to worry much if they weren't monsters, but encountering carnivorous animals that eat humans at night was unnecessary.
I quietly spoke while examining the footprints on the muddy ground.
"Leo, prepare for defense. Let's turn back and avoid this."
"…I was going to say the same. Those are wolf tracks, right?"
We hadn't heard of wolves living around here.
However, the footprints in front of us undeniably belonged to a large animal.
Leo adjusted his grip on his wand and strengthened his body barrier.
[Grrooooo....]
At that moment, an indescribable cry echoed faintly throughout the forest.
Whatever the creature was, it didn't sound like a herbivore.
We're already too late.
I slowly took a step back.
Suddenly, two red lights formed a line and extended towards us.
[Graaaw!]
Bang―!
"Ugh!"
I crouched to maintain my balance.
It was much stronger than the rabbit.
Fortunately, thanks to following Leo's advice earlier, the caster didn't get bounced back from the recoil.
Instead...
'The barrier is cracked.'
Ordinary animals shouldn't be able to break my barrier. Given the light I saw earlier, it's highly likely that it's a contaminated creature.
I rolled the wand in my hand and transformed it into a sword.
Creating a new barrier towards the sky, I shattered it, briefly illuminating our surroundings.
'…!'
This is insane.
Leo and I both couldn't hide our shock at the fleeting scene revealed before the light went out.
"…This is..."
It wasn't just a wolf.
A solid horn had grown inside the wolf's ears. It was an unimaginable combination that left our mouths agape.
'This is crazy.'
The cracks in the barrier were probably thanks to that horn. But that wasn't the surprising part. That was still within the realm of understanding.
My gaze shifted to the wolf's legs.
Unlike its long, thick grey-furred chest, its legs were short and covered in yellow fur.
It wasn't just a matter of fur color. Anyone could see those legs belonged to another animal.
There was no more time to analyze the situation.
The wolf, reacting to our magic, started to rampage even more.
[Graaaaah!]
Bang! Bang!
I kept firing spells to distract the wolf's vision.
Then, the plants around us thickened and lengthened, wrapping around the wolf.
It was the spell Leo had used on me before. The attempt to grab its legs failed, but it managed to snag its horn.
Because it had the legs of a herbivore instead of its own, the wolf easily lost its balance.
Taking advantage of the opening, I swung the wand. The tree behind the wolf snapped in the opposite direction and fell.
Bang!
The wolf's scream was drowned out by the crash.
I didn't hold back at all, but for now, Leo didn't say anything.
Leo, pale and wiping the blood splattered on his skin, averted his gaze from the corpse.
"…It's a chimera."
"Yeah."
Connecting different animals haphazardly like that and making them move as one is generally impossible.
Only magic can make such an absurd thing possible, but even so, magic doesn't naturally fuse different animals. It was clearly a human-made result.
"I felt this in the barrier earlier too, but according to the information you found, this isn't supposed to be a dangerous area. Why is this..."
I nodded at Leo's words.
There wasn't any mention of this in the novel when the protagonist came here.
I considered the possibility of different beasts appearing due to the timing, but I didn't expect such a suspicious monster to show up.
"The barrier here was originally low-level, indicating it wasn't a dangerous area."
After confirming that the creature was completely dead, I knelt and examined it closely.
"Leo, come over here. What do you think the main body of this creature is?"
"Haa..."
Leo sighed deeply, as if he couldn't bear to look, and took a spot opposite me.
"…From the head to the chest, it's a wolf. The horn and legs seem to be from a goat. So, the main body must be the wolf."
"Yeah, I thought the same."
"Why, who would do such a thing..."
Leo's face twisted in disgust.
Shaking my head, I stood up.
"We can think about that later. Get up. This is just the beginning."
"What?"
"No matter how much of a chimera it is, its habits should follow the main body. Do you remember the footprints we saw earlier?"
"...."
Leo's face hardened instantly as he understood my words.
The small carnivorous animal footprints flashed through his mind. But those were from another creature, not the wolf we just killed.
Leo muttered softly.
"…There's no reason for a wolf to leave goat tracks."
"Right, so they would live in packs, following the wolf's habits."
"How many are usually in a pack?"
"Well, if we're lucky, it'll be fewer than ten."
I readjusted my grip on the wand.
The distinct wave of non-human magic touched my skin. It was getting closer.
[Grroooar….]
It was too late to call for reinforcements.
If we turn our backs now, they'll chase us madly. These wolves, starved for magic, won't leave a mage alone.
Even if we manage to shake them off, if they descend into the residential areas, many lives will be at risk.
'Should I attempt it with the barrier?'
No, that won't work. The barrier is just a secondary tool; it's not perfect.
Considering that rats occasionally reached residential areas, it was clear the barrier couldn't guarantee safety.
I spun the wand in my hand.
A red glowing spear formed.
"We need to deal with them all before dawn, right?"