"He's probably already become food for the undead, don't you think?"

  Evelyn's gaze drifted over the pitch-black forest below, and before she realized it, her thoughts wandered to Ryan—the somewhat reckless yet selfless Magic Apprentice who would risk his life for the villagers.

  "What a pity. Someone with such loyalty and heart… still too weak in the end." Evelyn shook her head lightly, trying to dismiss the stray thoughts clouding her mind.

  Just as she was about to channel the ultimate ice sword to accelerate, her eyes accidentally swept across the ground.

  Along a forest path, a familiar figure was walking under the moonlight with a bundle on his back, moving at an easy pace—it looked exactly like the person she was thinking of.

  Evelyn narrowed her eyes and focused her magic to enhance her vision. Under the silvery moonlight, the boy's profile became clear—it was Ryan!

  He wasn't dead. In fact, he looked even more energetic than when she last saw him in Shrouded Village. The deep-blue magic robe he wore shimmered faintly with starlight runes.

  For reasons she couldn't explain, a small and almost imperceptible spark of joy welled up in Evelyn's heart at the sight of him alive.

  She watched the figure below for a few seconds before finally suppressing the impulse to descend."Forget it. Our paths cross only by fate. May you go far on your own journey of magic."

  Murmuring softly, she activated the ultimate ice sword again, preparing to speed away.

  But before she could get far, a loud voice echoed from below."Evelyn! Evelyn!"

  Ryan had just sensed the icy surge of mana from above and looked up, immediately recognizing the familiar silhouette.

  His eyes lit up with surprise and relief. He stopped in his tracks and shouted at the top of his lungs,"Evelyn! Wait for me! Can you give me a lift?"

  He truly didn't want to keep walking through this forest—especially not at night with all the insects and biting bugs.

  But in the sky, Evelyn didn't stop. She deliberately increased her speed, knowing full well that she and Ryan were not meant to walk the same path.

  Once she reached Glacial Arcana Academy, her magic rank would soon ascend to Grand Magus.

  To her, Ryan was like a pebble tossed into a lake—he might have stirred small ripples for a moment, but in the end, the water would grow calm again, leaving no lasting trace.

  "Don't run! Evelyn! Wait for me!" Ryan shouted desperately, chasing after her fading figure."I know you can hear me!"

  No matter how loud he yelled, Evelyn never turned back. Her figure grew smaller and smaller, until it became a single point of light and vanished into the distant night sky.

  "She really sped up!" Ryan stopped, panting, and rolled his eyes at the sky."So heartless! After all we've been through—fighting the undead knight together—and she won't even give me a ride?"

  The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He muttered under his breath,"Fine! Next time I run into you, I'll secretly use that Limb Softening Potion on you. Let's see how cool and distant you act then!"

  But when he thought about being left behind, still trudging through the forest alone, the anger turned into helpless frustration."She's killed me eight times, and now she won't even give me a lift? That's just cruel!"

  Ryan stomped the ground. He knew complaining was useless—he was weak, after all. If only he could fly like Evelyn did, controlling her weapon through pure magic, he wouldn't need to beg anyone for a ride.

  After two days of nonstop travel, Ryan could no longer tell which part of the Esoth Continent he was in. Everywhere he looked, the endless stretch of black forest surrounded him.

  At that moment, he was crouched in a clearing, feeding dry branches into a fire. A skewer made of tree twigs held a magic rabbit roasting over the flames.

  The fire licked the meat, fat dripping along the stick and sizzling as it hit the embers, sending up tiny sparks and a mouthwatering aroma.

  The magic rabbit had been his morning kill—its flesh tender and faintly infused with mana, perfect for restoring the stamina he had burned through during the long journey.

  As the surface of the meat turned a golden brown, Ryan took out a small pouch of spices he had brought from Shrouded Village and sprinkled them evenly over the meat.

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  Just as he was about to enjoy his meal, the surrounding forest suddenly grew silent. Then, a chorus of howls rose from every direction.

  Ryan's grip on his longsword tightened. He could sense at least a dozen magical beasts nearby.

  When he looked up, he saw dozens of glowing eyes staring at him. One by one, muscular magic wolves stepped out from the darkness, forming a wide circle around him.

  Their fur was jet-black, and their fangs gleamed coldly in the firelight. These were shadow direwolves—predators known for their speed and terrifying pack coordination.

  But what startled Ryan wasn't their number—it was the creature standing at the front.

  Instead of the largest wolf leading the pack, a smaller, snow-white creature stood in its place.

  It looked like a sled dog, with upright ears and a fluffy tail—a magic sled hound, to be precise.

  Even more absurd, the hound occasionally puffed out its chest and lifted its chin, as if trying to look like a proud leader.

  The shadow direwolves gave deep, threatening growls, but the sled hound's barking was completely out of place among them.

  Ryan instantly understood. That strange howl earlier—it had come from this very sled hound. And judging from the wolves' behavior, this ridiculous creature was actually their leader.

  Ryan couldn't help laughing aloud."You? A wolf king? Did the shadow direwolves run out of candidates or something?"

  The sled hound seemed to understand his tone. It stared at Ryan in confusion.

  Every other human who had ever encountered their pack would have already fled in terror. But this one? Not only was he unafraid—he was mocking them!

  The hound barked three more times, then lifted its right front paw and waved it slightly toward the pack behind it.

  As if following an order, the wolves immediately lowered their bodies, baring sharp fangs and growling menacingly at Ryan.

  A few even started creeping forward, preparing to attack.

  Ryan looked around at the dramatic display and couldn't help muttering to himself,"If there were magic‘like' emblems, I'd give you one right now. That leadership posture is almost convincing."

  He didn't hesitate any longer. Mana surged through his body, and the aura of a Third-tier Adept Mage burst forth without restraint.

  By releasing his magical pressure, he could intimidate beasts weaker than himself and avoid unnecessary combat.

  As expected, when his mana spread across the clearing, the fierce wolves froze instantly. A flicker of fear flashed in their glowing eyes.

  They could clearly sense it—the power radiating from this human far surpassed that of their so-called leader.

  Within seconds, the pack turned tail and fled into the forest, yelping as they disappeared into the shadows, leaving only the lone sled hound standing there, trembling.

  Its fluffy tail drooped, and its body quivered as it stared at Ryan in terror.

  Ryan looked at the shivering creature, walked closer, and crouched down to poke its head."What's the matter? Why aren't you barking now? All your little followers ran off, and the great wolf king isn't going to run too?"

  The sled hound flinched at his touch but didn't flee. Instead, it carefully leaned closer and rubbed its head against his hand, as if pleading for mercy.

  Ryan couldn't help laughing at the sight of it. He waved the skewer holding the glistening roasted magic rabbit in front of the sled hound's nose."You want some?"

  The sled hound lay flat on the ground and nodded eagerly, but then quickly shook its head, its ears drooping as it put on a pitiful expression.

  "Clever thing. You really can understand human speech." Ryan raised an eyebrow.

  The hound immediately lifted its head, round eyes shining with hope, as if saying, See how obedient I am? Let me go, please.

  Ryan's gaze shifted to its broad back, and a thought crossed his mind. This sled hound was noticeably larger than the average dog, clearly strengthened by years of absorbing magical energy in the Black Forest. If he used it as a mount, his travel speed would be far better than going on foot.

  He patted the hound's back."If you want to live, that's fine. From now on, you'll be my mount. Follow me."

  Between life and freedom, the sled hound chose the former without hesitation.

  Ryan swung himself onto the hound's back, gripping its fluffy mane with both hands. The rush of wind against his face made him let out an involuntary cheer.

  Since leaving Shrouded Village, he had either been walking or relying on low-level flight magic to move around. This was the first time he had such a comfortable way to travel.

  He gave the sled hound's rump a light pat and shoved the remaining half of the roasted rabbit into its mouth. As for Ryan, he had already eaten his fill; this was the hound's payment.

  Leaning low over its back, Ryan adjusted his posture until he was practically lying flat, like a rider flying close to the ground.

  The wind howled in his ears, mixed with the crunching sound of the hound chewing. Occasionally, a few droplets of saliva flew forward, brushing past his cheek.

  He was just about to make a sarcastic comment when he spotted something ahead in the clearing—a Ram-headed Charger.

  Ryan's eyes widened. He grabbed the sled hound's ear and yanked hard. The beast let out a yelp and skidded to an abrupt halt, its large body stumbling awkwardly.

  Using the momentum, Ryan vaulted off its back and landed steadily in the clearing. Before the Ram-headed Charger could react, he drew the longsword from his belt.

  Mana surged through his body and into the blade as he swung it down in one smooth motion.

  The blade light tore across the ground, carving a deep trench as it screamed toward the Ram-headed Charger.

  The strike cleaved straight through the beast's body before it could even make a sound. With a thunderous crash, it split in two and collapsed onto the forest floor.

  The blade light didn't stop there—it kept going, slicing through more than a dozen trees before finally fading into the woods.

  The sled hound stood frozen, eyes wide, its fluffy tail stiff as a board.

  To the creature, it was clear—if this human wanted to kill it, he could have done so with a single spell.

  "Not bad. Two kinds of meat for dinner today." Ryan walked over and lifted half of the Ram-headed Charger's carcass with one hand, testing its weight.

  The flesh of the Charger contained far denser magical energy than the magic rabbit. Ryan gestured for the sled hound to come closer."Come here."

  The hound's legs trembled as it shuffled forward in tiny, cautious steps, head hung even lower than before.

  "Use your paw," Ryan said, pointing to his sword."Rub it hard along the blade."

  He had already noticed earlier that the hound's claws gleamed faintly with a metallic sheen. It must have absorbed the energy of magical ores for years, making them harder than steel.

  The sled hound didn't dare to hesitate. It lifted its right paw and began to scrape hard against the sword's edge.

  Sparks burst out with each strike, bright golden flashes scattering onto the dry grass, and soon, a small fire began to burn.