Anna's blood turned cold. Every single fiber in her body screamed that she now stood not before one, but two very powerful beings… beings whose power eclipsed anything she had faced before.

The ferocious black wolf stood tall, with the gnome mounted atop its back, casually smoking from his pipe. No one had noticed their arrival, not even the Mana Vortex assassin behind whom they had appeared.

Seeing the blood drain from the crimson-haired woman's face, the assassin leader felt an intense foreboding feeling gripping his heart. In that instant, his grip around the dagger tightened.

And yet… he could still feel no presence behind him. But judging by Anna's expression and her line of vision, there was definitely someone standing behind him.

For a brief moment, the leader even entertained the notion that perhaps Anna was playing the oldest trick in the book... pretending that someone stood behind him, so that when he turned to look, no one would be there, leaving him open to her attack.

But it was at that moment, the assassin leader finally sensed the thick smoke in the forest clearing. All this while he was under the assumption that the smoke was a result of the pyre blazing at the center of the clearing. But only now did he realize… that it wasn't.

The smoke was magical in nature. But by the time the assassin leader or any of his men realized that, it was already too late.

Berger slowly raised his hand, and then…

Snap!

The smoke came alive, transforming into writhing tendrils that slithered around the assassins, binding their limbs and locking them in place before any of them could react.

The sudden change sent a jolt of panic through the assassin leader. His first instinct was to drive the dagger deeper into Rowan's neck!

Yet, it was already too late.

Far too late.

In the blink of an eye, the smoke coiled around the assassin leader's hand, preventing him from doing anything to Rowan. Then, the smoke entered the man's nostrils, his mouth, his ears, and even his eyes.

And before anyone knew it… the dagger fell from the assassin's hand, clattering on the ground.

Rowan, who thought that he was going to die along with his family, suddenly found his eyes widen in shock and fear as he saw the dagger at his feet.

Then came a dull thud.

Followed by a dozen more thuds.

One by one, the assassins fell to the ground, their face drained of any color and their eyes completely lifeless. Even their leader shared the same fate.

There was no wound, no blood, nothing. One moment they were alive, the next… they simply died. Snuffed out, as if their very existence had been erased.

Anna and her entourage watched in horror at the sudden turn of events. A dozen assassins at the peak of the Mana Liquefaction Rank and their leader, a Mana Vortex Magus, died with a simple snap.

Rowan, on the other hand, could not stop his body from trembling. He involuntarily reached out for his wife and kids and hugged them tightly. As tears trickled down his pale face, he murmured in a shaky voice:

"W-we're… alright. Everything is fine now… everything is fine."

The poor man had faced death on two separate occasions ever since leaving Ravenfell. What he had thought to be a vacation had instead turned out to be a nightmare.

Each step away from the city dragged him and his family deeper into peril, as though fate itself was determined to remind him that there was no escape, no sanctuary, not for him nor for those he loved.

But every time he was saved. First by Adam's serpents, and this time… by his mentor.

He slowly turned around, wanting to see just who it was that came to his aid. But the next moment, he immediately turned back around, his heart beating rapidly.

All he saw was a giant black wolf.

"Everything is fine… everything is fine…" He kept mumbling the same phrase as he tightly hugged his family.

Kaspar finally snapped out of his shock. He instantly rushed towards the princess, shielding her behind him. He then cast a fearful glance at the ferocious wolf, then at the gnome mounted on top.

He nervously gulped, then placed a hand on his chest and gave a light bow. "Lord Magus… you have our deepest thanks for saving us."

Berger, of course, ignored the old man. He casually smoked from his long, wooden pipe, his gaze locked on the crimson-haired princess. Blowing a plume of smoke to the side, he asked in a deep voice:

"Girl, what is your name?"

Being spoken to directly by, who she could only assume was a mighty Mana Core Magus, Anna couldn't help but feel nervous, her body instinctively tensing under the weight of his—as well as Blackie's—presence.

At last, she said in a low, yet steady voice:

"Anna Fireborne."

The moment those words left her lips, Berger's expression subtly changed. Blackie too shifted, gazing at the crimson-haired princess more intently now.

Noticing this change, Kaspar's heart sank. He couldn't help but ask, "My Lord, is… is it fine if we leave now? Of course, we are very grateful for what you've done for us—"

Right at that moment, Blackie interrupted him with a low growl. "Human, you talk too much."

The moment the beast's gaze landed on him, Kaspar felt someone had tightly gripped his heart. His back was instantly drenched in a layer of cold sweat.

Such a reaction… just by attracting the wolf's attention!

In that moment, Kaspar realized the truth. The giant black wolf radiated an aura of danger far greater than even the gnome perched so casually atop its back.

While Kaspar was struggling to even stand straight, Anna gazed back at Berger and Blackie without even flinching. There was no fear in her eyes. Instead… there was only regret.

Berger appreciated Anna's dauntless nature. And so, he praised, "You are brave."

Anna remained silent for a few moments, then asked, "Are you going to kill us?"

The gnome took a slow drag from the pipe, savoring the flavor of tobacco. His lips curled into a faint smirk, and he said:

"No, I've been sent here to save you."

"Save me?" Anna frowned.

The other three Magi behind her also displayed perplexed expressions. After all, who could possibly send a mighty Mana Core Magus to save them? They didn't know anyone with that kind of influence.

"Who?" The crimson-haired princess asked, her voice laced with doubt.

Berger exhaled a lazy puff of smoke before speaking. What he said sent a jolt of shock racing down Anna's spine, leaving her thunderstruck.

"The man you call your little brother. The man… known as the Dark King."

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