Chapter 126: First Battle

Barty, as a formal wizard of Moonlight Forest, was stationed here as part of his duties.

However, unlike Helag and the other apprentices, he didn’t have to patrol the mountains. He only needed to stay at the station, which was generally uneventful and quite leisurely.

Early in the morning, Helag and Fred set out on horseback to patrol their designated area.

The paths in the Western Mountains were treacherous, narrow, and muddy, with overgrown vegetation often obscuring the way.

Occasionally, small snakes slithered across the path and into the bushes.

The difficult terrain slowed their progress, but they weren’t in a hurry.

Patrolling had no specific targets; they just needed to cover their area and return to the station. As Helag put it, “We’re just here to slack off.”

Helag rode leisurely, enjoying the scenery, but he remained vigilant.

Deep Blue’s environmental detection was always on, monitoring any movement within 500 meters.

“The last time I saw you, you were a first-level apprentice. Now you’re a third-level apprentice. No wonder Mr. Larry took an interest in you,” Fred remarked.

He knew Helag was Larry’s student, a fact Helag didn’t hide. Having a formal wizard as a teacher could reduce some troubles within Moonlight Forest.

“Just lucky,” Helag replied modestly.

They spent half the day in the mountains without any incidents.

Helag found a flat spot on a hilltop, tied his horse to a tree, and sat down to eat some dry rations.

After a simple lunch, Helag leaned against the tree to rest, while Fred found a large rock to lie on.

Helag made most of the decisions during their patrol, and Fred had no objections.

Fred, at twenty-five, had little chance of becoming a formal wizard. Helag, at sixteen, had a bright future with Larry as his teacher, so Fred wanted to maintain a good relationship.

Half an hour later, Helag suddenly opened his eyes and stood up.

Fred noticed and saw Helag looking west, realizing something might be happening, so he became alert.

Soon, a small red bear, covered in blood, ran towards them in a panic.

Seeing Helag and Fred, the bear hesitated, looking back and forth, unsure whether to approach.

“A Mountain Fire Bear! A rare magical creature,” Fred recognized it immediately.

Helag nodded. “A bear this young wouldn’t be alone. The mother must be nearby. Judging by the blood, it’s likely the mother’s. Someone’s hunting her.”

Fred’s expression grew serious. “Mountain Fire Bear pelts are valuable, worth hundreds of magic stones. They’re only found in the Western Mountains, so poachers often risk hunting them.”

Their task included protecting these resources, which belonged to Moonlight Forest.

Mountain Fire Bears had the strength of a Grand Knight, with even greater power and resilience.

Those hunting them were usually at least third-level apprentices.

Helag and Fred followed the bear’s path and soon heard the sounds of a fight.

They climbed a hill and saw three people attacking a large Mountain Fire Bear at the base.

The bear’s bright red fur was ablaze, but it was heavily wounded, with a massive gash in its belly, barely holding on.

“Absolute Defense.”

“Rage of the Blood Bull.”

“Unyielding Will.”

“Blessing of the Mountain Spirit.”

“Dark Energy Burst.”

Helag cast Absolute Defense and several enhancement spells on himself.

Fred saw Helag smear some blood on his palm, followed by a magical aura, but didn’t know what spells he was casting.

“Shadow Corner.”

Helag became a shadow, merging with the ground and moving silently towards the attackers.

As he approached, he cast another spell: “Dark Imprisonment.”

The three attackers froze, realizing they were under a binding spell but unable to locate the caster.

Two third-level apprentices and one second-level apprentice were attacking the bear.

Helag emerged from the ground, covered in a colorful shield, and punched the nearest third-level apprentice.

The apprentice’s mana shield shattered like paper, and Helag’s fist struck his chest, caving it in and sending him flying into a distant rock, dead.

The remaining two were terrified by Helag’s speed and power.

One third-level apprentice quickly broke his left pinky and chanted a spell, breaking free from the Dark Imprisonment.

He turned to flee, casting a mana shield, with no intention of fighting Helag.

Whoosh!

He felt a gust of wind behind him, and Helag was suddenly there.

Helag shattered his shield with a punch, grabbed his arm, and yanked him back.

Without hesitation, Helag punched his neck, driving him into the ground, creating a small crater. The apprentice’s head rolled away, separated from his body.

The second-level apprentice, witnessing this, was paralyzed with fear, his legs shaking uncontrollably, and soon wetting himself.

He had seen battles and death but never someone like Helag, who killed with such overwhelming strength and brutality.