Mage And Wolf
Chapter 280

Chapter 280: Chapter 280

Over the next few days, Karl and Elder Song made three more of the robots with directions to use them as back line artillery and protect them from destruction, as they’ll be nearly impossible to replace unless we’re all here.

The mage type cultivators caught on quickly to the creation of magical ammunition though, so the artillery the guys created for them won’t go to waste, and they’ll also have plenty of rifle ammunition capable of defending the compound against low level monsters.

The Wolves see the value in the artillery suits, but don’t really care to be the one using them, preferring to be on foot. With the pilot positions vacant, a number of cultivators from other species who are intrigued by them happily volunteer to man them during attacks instead of joining the front lines. Today our plan is to send Hui’Jin and Lala home to Arcana, while me, Karl Song and Lelou in her human form infiltrate the Divine Transfer world and cause chaos.

Lala and Hui’Jin can’t fake being human, and non humans are currently in a very bad situation there, so it’s not safe to bring them with us this time. Plus, they’ve both got jobs to get back to. I suppose we all do as well, but we’re high enough up the ladder we can just delegate all our responsibilities to underlings.

"Do we have to go back? We could wait for you here. You know, welcome anyone you rescue and help them adapt to Earth." Lala suggests with a note of hope in her voice.

"There’s a whole werewolf pack here for that. If you don’t get back soon the pile of paperwork will get so big you’ll never catch up." Lelou points out, making the bunny pout in a last ditch effort to use cuteness to get to stay.

"Good try, but I’m too old to fall for it and you know it. Now, if you can open a portal home for us Song, we’ll send these two back to safety."

The refugees all look shocked at the faint purple oval opening up to show my suite in Arcana to the intrigued bystanders. I don’t think that all of them truly believed I was a High Priestess until they saw the signature reception room that the clergy has made standard across hundreds of worlds.

"Now, let’s go find us some werewolves. I’ve been working on this really great new Deception Inscription that should make the wards at the Camp think nothing has changed, assuming they’re not using an anti cultivation energy barrier instead. We will be able to grab them all without anyone noticing for days."

That Inscription could be useful in a lot of situations. Even for simple things like pretending to be at work, or hiding the number of defenders in an area.

Elder Song decides to open the next portal near the suspected location of the camp where the wolfkin are being kept, not so close we might alert the locals, but not so far as to be an annoying distance to walk. The exact location ends up being a stand of trees in between a pair of neglected corn fields. They’re almost mature, but patchy, and there is a lot of old growth fallen in between the stalks, so this wasn’t planted, but grew from the previous crop that never got harvested.

If it’s been that long since anyone lived here, it doesn’t bode well for the condition of any surviving prisoners. The guards didn’t seem overly concerned about feeding the others, and werewolves require a lot of food.

Lelou consults the map and we begin making our way in the direction we hope the camp lies. Every few minutes at our high speed jog, more signs of life appear. First blood stains from recently hunted wildlife, then harvested crops. They’re still volunteer growth, unmaintained for over a growing season, but someone was here recently and gathered a lot of food.

Following the first road we come across, we reach a ruined village in a little over an hour. I can smell werewolves in the area, so I shift, letting my ears pop up and my tail loose, swinging from the back of my leather pants, thanks to the perfect fit enchantment placed upon them.

Once they see a wolfkin the hidden werewolves send out a representative, an older warrior well past his prime, but in early Core Formation with a strong dominant Aura.

"Greetings. I am Katrina, High Priestess of the Black Dragon. We’re looking for an interment camp full of wolfkin."

He looks shocked at my words, not having expected such a blunt greeting. "I am Fabien, elected leader of the local werewolves. There is indeed a camp with hundreds of our kind imprisoned, but we have no way to get to them. Dozens of Human cultivators guard the area, even sneaking food in to them has been difficult."

"We can take care of that. How strong are they? Core Formation or Immortals?"

"Four Immortals, plus twenty or more all at Core Formation. A number of the werewolves are Physical cultivators, so they needed actual muscle to keep them imprisoned. Limiting their energy use wouldn’t stop them."

That’s manageable. I can likely kill two of the Immortals before anyone notices. If Karl can do the same then setting everyone free should be easy.

He smirks at my doubts, having heard my thoughts through the open mental link between us. "First one to get spotted loses?"

How could I turn down that challenge? "Deal. Elder Song can you referee for us? I’ve got a very fun punishment game in mind for when he loses."

"Focus on winning first, Little Lycan. I won’t take it easy on you just because you’re my mate." Karl laughs, making Fabian signal the others out of hiding.

"It’s safe. One of the humans is the Half Lycan’s mate. Now, here’s what we know of the layout of the camp compound."

The camp is a simple design. Barracks on either side of the entrance, catwalks crossing the span between the walls so they can observe from above and a collection of tents holding the prisoners. The hardest part will be eliminating the guards up top without being noticed. Not because I would be in danger, but because I don’t intend to lose this bet.