A few minutes later, the caravan had arrived at the narrow valley entrance.

Finn, the most experienced in the guard team, sensed something amiss. He suddenly raised his hand, and the sharp whistle of warning cut through the valley's silence: "Careful! Gray Rock Hyenas on the left hillside ahead! Prepare for battle!"

He evidently possessed a special perception ability, though its range and sensitivity were less than that of the Eye of Darkness. Yet at such close range, he could still detect the aura fluctuations of those lurking demons.

The caravan fell into brief chaos, with drivers hastily pulling on the reins and handlers frantically seeking cover or picking up their clubs.

Hawke, who was relatively calm, had seen such scenes many times over his years of trade journeys. He shouted, "Guard team! Move up! Protect the goods and animals!"

The well-trained guards sprang into action immediately, over twenty of them quickly forming a loose defensive formation in front and on both sides of the convoy, aiming their spears and swords toward the hillside.

Bal let out a low growl, stepping forward to the frontline, and slammed his massive tower shield into the muddy ground with a thud, like a solid wall.

His muscles bulged, and a faint, thin layer of earth-yellow glow rose from his skin, probably one form of his awakened ability.

Finn disappeared like a ghost from his original spot, the next moment appearing on a higher rock on the convoy's right side. His short sword unsheathed, his hawk-like gaze firmly locked on the right hillside, as he commanded loudly, "There's movement on the right too! Be careful of encirclement!"

The caravan's few archers immediately drew their bows and shot arrows towards the left hillside direction Finn had indicated.

Arrows whistled into the bushes, provoking several angry and pained wolf howls.

"Awoo—!"

A howl full of violence and bloodthirst came from the hillside, like a horn of attack.

In an instant, a dozen gray figures shot like arrows from the bowstrings, rushing down from the bushes and rocks on both hillsides.

These were Gray Rock Hyenas, larger than ordinary wolves, with fur the color of rock gray-brown, exposed fangs, salivating, and cruel green light flashing in their eyes.

Their claws kicked up the dirt as they ran, incredibly fast, turning them into streaks of gray shadows.

Bal became the focal point of the caravan's formation, anchoring himself firmly at the very front like a rock.

A particularly robust and ferocious alpha wolf roared as it lunged at him, its sharp claws whistling through the air towards his face.

Bal did not dodge, instead he roared back, crashing the massive tower shield into the wolf claws with great force.

With a dull thud, the strong hyena staggered back from the collision.

Bal seized the opportunity, bringing down his heavy war axe with a whooshing sound.

The alpha wolf reacted swiftly, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow, but the axe still tore open a deep, bone-revealing wound on its shoulder blade, splattering blood.

Hurt, the alpha wolf became even more ferocious, lunging once more to grapple with Bal.

Bal's strength and defensive prowess were on full display, though not quick in action, each block and counter carried tremendous force, keeping the hyenas trying to breach his line at bay.

Meanwhile, Finn weaved through the battlefield like a phantom.

His figure appeared and disappeared amidst the chaos, with each reappearance bringing a precise stab of his short sword into the eyes, throat, or soft belly of a hyena.

His agile footwork allowed him to navigate the wolf pack skillfully, often dodging their lunges at the last moment and delivering a deadly counterattack.

A hyena attempting a side ambush on the convoy was silently approached from behind by him, two blades stabbing into its nape, killing it instantly.

Each time Finn took down a hyena, a wisp of black gaseous energy would drift from its corpse and be absorbed by Finn.

Yet there was not much joy on Finn's face, as there were many hyenas, and the energy he could absorb was sparse. The immediate priority was to resolve the current predicament.

The number of hyenas was overwhelming, and they were extremely cunning and fierce.

They avoided the guards' main force, specifically targeting the weakly defended flanks and rear.

Finn and Bal could only hold off the primary offensive forces of the Gray Rock Hyenas; they couldn't protect all areas.

The remaining hyenas could only be handled by the ordinary guards, whose robust physiques were no match for these demons, forcing them to rely on teamwork to barely hold them at bay.

These guards were very seasoned, knowing how to handle such demons, and they quickly established a defensive line.

However, ordinary people remained ordinary; against regular wolves, they might manage, but facing true demons was another story.

Duke stood atop the carriage, observing the guards' condition, knowing they couldn't hold out much longer. He had to act; otherwise, there would be casualties.

A few guards wielding swords and shields were struggling to support themselves against two Gray Rock Hyenas, constantly adjusting their stances to fend off attacks. They needed to stay fully alert, as the hyenas' claws could easily wound them if they let down their guard for even a moment.

A moment later, energy surged within one of the hyenas, its speed exploding as a red glow flashed in its eyes.

A guard stood just before this demon, his body quite robust and experienced in numerous battles.

At this moment, every muscle in his body tensed as he sensed danger. The hyena's claws enlarged in his eyes, moving seemingly in slow motion, yet he couldn't escape.

He realized he was likely going to die, unable to evade this attack.

Then, in that brief but interminable moment, a yellow arrow appeared instantly, piercing through the hyena's brow and deeply into its body.

The arrow carried such immense force that it flung the entire Gray Rock Hyena into the air.

The hyena rolled over several times upon landing and lay silently, without even a whimper.

This abrupt scene not only halted the wolves' offensive temporarily but also stunned the guards, leaving them unsure of what had just happened.

Soon after, more yellow arrows flew out, each one precisely claiming the life of a Gray Rock Hyena.

The arrows were so unnervingly accurate, ignoring the hyenas' lunging paths, bypassing rocks and fellow wolves as cover to hit the wolves with the most oblique, lethal angles, penetrating their eye sockets, throats, hearts, or the junction of vulnerable spines.

A hyena leaping high at a wounded fallen guard was shot through in mid-air by a flash of yellow light, its body crashing beside the guard, spraying mud in all directions.

Another seemingly stronger hyena, trying to command the remaining pack, let out a low growl, only for a monstrously large arrow to smash through it like a battering ram, exploding its head and part of its body into a mist of blood.

This was no longer a battle; it was a one-sided slaughter, efficient to the point of suffocation.

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