Wolf of the Blood Moon: A Blood Magic
Book 1: Chapter 84.3: Teamwork in the Mall Part III

Scarlet

Right as I’m about to focus on watching the fight between the Guardian and the demon captain, my attention is drawn to the crimson orb floating about half a meter above the ground just a couple meters behind the captain, where both of the knights I saw earlier are standing guard on the ice rink.

So that’s a core. I’ve never seen one before as no one ever takes pictures of them. Because apparently they let off a type of radiation that interferes with electric devices for some reason.

The thing is letting off a very eerie crimson glow, very much similar to the blood moon high in the sky. And that glow is only made even eerier as it reflects off of the ice rink beneath it.

My thoughts are interrupted when I hear what sounds like a bow string being released and I shout at the others, “Get down!” And they immediately do so, only for a crossbow bolt to fly straight past where Emily’s head was before striking the wall and quite literally digging all the way in down to the fletching.

We all kneel next to the balcony railing where the demons below can’t see us as Emily looks up at the bolt with a frightened look on her face. And at some point I realize she’s in shock, so I lightly tap her shoulder, making her turn her gaze to me before a few tears leak out of her eyes. So I can’t help but pat her on the head and whisper, “Don’t worry.”

Then I slowly begin walking away from the balcony while still crouched, just waving at the others indicating for them to do the same. And this seems to snap them all out of the stupor they were just in as they begin to follow after me.

Once we get far enough away from the balcony that nothing down there can see us anymore, I stand up straight again, stretching my back and arms a little in the process before turning to the others and saying, “That was close. Those ones are too strong for us, so we should focus on the demons up here that are still alive. Leave the ones down there for the Class II Guardian to clean up.”

None of them say anything in response. So I’m left blinking in confusion, not really sure what’s wrong.

Oh. Wait. Was that their first near-death experience?

Out of nowhere, Emily just steps up and hugs my arm – the one that isn’t partially shifted – leaning her forehead into my shoulder as she starts crying.

Uh, what do I do? Tar, help me here!

“Don’t ask me,” he answers, “fae don’t have the capacity to cry after all.”

Well, that’s less than helpful, even if that bit of information is rather sad in and of itself.

I turn to look at Michael, but he doesn’t help any as he just stares between the two of us, a worried and frightened look on his face as well before he says, “Thank you for saving my sister’s life.” Sᴇaʀᴄh the n0vᴇl(ꜰ)ire.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Great. Now I’m being thanked. I don’t like this situation.

“No problem,” I tell him while trying very hard to gently remove the crying girl from my arm. Very gently. But eventually she ends up removing herself before looking at me with a light smile despite the tears still staining her cheek.

“Thank you, Scarlet,” she says, speaking my name out loud for the first time.

Up till now she’s been too shy to speak much to me, only speaking randomly or when she’s distracted. But this really is the first time she’s spoken my name if I remember correctly.

“Well, anyways, let’s go,” I tell them while starting off in the direction that the other Guardians we ran into earlier went. And the others finally snap out of the awkward atmosphere that had built up, heading off after me.

Although, despite the awkwardness and the ‘me not knowing what to do during that situation’, I can’t help the faint smile that stretches across my face as I think of the overwhelming gratitude they just shared with me.

It felt… kind of nice. Warm even.

Not something I’m used to as an orphan.

And I think… that might have been the first time where I didn’t absolutely despise the physical contact. Although I still would’ve rather not had her do that though.

It only takes about ten minutes of fighting demons before the rest of them all begin to vanish into the very same red mist they appeared from, signifying that the core has been shattered. So I – along with the rest of my new team – check our System messages to see our gains.

{Level 24 Demon Spawn assist. A large EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon ten or more levels below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x11

{Level 25 Demon Spawn assist. A large EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon ten or more levels below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x14

{Level 23 Demon Spawn assist. A large EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon ten or more levels below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x16

{Level 22 Demon Spawn assist. A large EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon ten or more levels below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x9

{Level 27 Demon Spawn assist. An EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x8

{Level 28 Demon Spawn assist. An EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x6

{Level 30 Demon Hound assist. An EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x8

{Level 29 Demon Hound assist. An EXP Penalty has been extracted for defeating a demon below your own level. An EXP penalty has been extracted for assisting in the kill depending on your degree of assistance} x10

{Twenty-five Skill Points are awarded for killing over three hundred demons within ten days’ time.}

{Congrats, you have leveled up to level 36. Two Free Points have been awarded to you and your stats have been updated.}

{Congrats, you have leveled up to level 37. Two Free Points have been awarded to you and your stats have been updated.}

{Congrats, you have leveled up to level 38. Two Free Points have been awarded to you and your stats have been updated.}

[Skill ‘Life Drain’ has leveled up to level 6.]

Oh, nice! Although I can’t help but complain a little that I didn’t get any SP for any of those kills outside of that one achievement… not to mention that I killed over a hundred demons but only got three levels.

“Well, every last demon you killed with them was at least five or more levels beneath your own,” Tar explains something I already know.

Yeah, yeah. Doesn’t change how annoying it is.

But at least I should have enough SP to get Predator V. So that’s good.

“I would also recommend you purchase the recharge skill while you’re at it, since you should have enough,” Tar says before adding, “you will be getting magi-tech armor soon after all.”

Oh, right. Can’t forget about that.

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