The Scunwolf kept crawling to the ice to climb out. Its claw slipped.

Back. It turned around to see me stalking, with my daggers ready in my hands. It growled. Weak, more of a plea.

That’s a threat.

My blade grew longer. I gripped it together, growing the length, to a side-edge sword.

Something to pierce through its thick ice and furs.

I leaped into the head of the wolf. Its breath came out in a weak heave.

I released my dagger — I didn’t hesitate — gripped the other, with both gripped to put in more force.

"Time to put you out of your misery."

I raised the sword. I grunted, and stabbed it at the same spot, had injured, opening the wound wider.

I held the blade still, on one knee.

Applying more pressure as the blood gushed out, its pulse—

It whined. Breath stuttered.

Then—

Howl!!!!

The sound this time was louder, spreading throughout the forest. I heard the rustling of leaves as some bird creatures around took to the sky.

After that last cry, its breath stopped.

I held my silence, checking the area. We were still behind the walls of icicles.

It acted as a guard, but I kept my ears open for anything approaching. That last cry didn’t sound like something normal — it was an alert to the pack.

They’ll be sprinting to this area right now.

I exchanged a glance with Quinette. She took off to the sky, hovered in a spot, and scanned the area.

There wasn’t any tremble. The size of these wolves would cause a heavy tremble, but nothing — the forest was still.

Doubt the violent winds could have swallowed the sounds of the wolves approaching.

Neither did they suppress their mana.

Nothing — it’s actually coming from us. Or they didn’t hear?

Well, our plan was still to kill them one by one without them noticing, I guess. It’s in our favor for now.

"Clear. I don’t see any wolves approaching," Quinette said, in the air, still keeping her eyes open.

"Good. Then we need to keep it that way — eat at their numbers rather than fighting them all at once."

Quinette then descended from the air, her wings folding in behind.

I wrenched my sword, reducing its length back, reshaping it into a dagger.

On the good part — we killed an SS rank. I looked at the wolf. Its eyes were dilated, its body glowed.

Mana fragments, about to be released from it.

The ice around its body began to melt gradually.

I placed my hand against the ice armor, about to absorb it.

I was left in the air, my eyes widened.

Where did—

The wolf I was standing on was gone. I stared at the snow layer, earth below.

I dropped to the ground. On landing in a crouch, my force sent snow rising in a shroud.

"Uh? Walter, where did the wolf go?"

I didn’t reply to Quinette.

I tightened my jaw, rose up quickly, ran up the ice, keeping my feet on the frictionless surface with speed, till I reached the peak, and hung on the circle. My eyes moved through the forest, and its vast, snowy land nearby.

From the icicle’s towering height, it was possible, but I couldn’t sense anyone close by — the ambient mana all around clouded my senses, too much to pick up a signature from a length’s distance.

Especially since the one I was trying to pick up knew mana suppression.

The only person in this dungeon with us was Amiko, and she had spatial magic, since she was the one who had erected this dungeon.

Her mana flooded around — now I understood why she could teleport the wolf so easily.

But doing all this while suppressing her active mana in her soul —

I’ll give it to her, that was impressive. Suppressing mana while using mana isn’t easy.

"I’ll find you, Amiko. And I won’t show you mercy."

Quinette flew by, "It’s her, right?" She hovered. Eyes still scanning though the forest.

"I believe so. Annoyingly, she keeps running."

"I think she teleported the other wolves too." She exhaled.

My mind drifted away at our chances if this keeps up, if Amiko keeps teleporting the wolves.

Even after we kill them, I’ll lose all the chance to gain power.

Enough to be able to take on the dungeon boss.

Making me waste my time slaying them. While I was well aware her plan would still backfire, since it would only push us toward the method I preferred we use to get power quickly.

Which was [Dragonpotent] breeding with Quinette.

Tsk.

We had to go after her to stop this, even if doing so doesn’t close the dungeon.

She’ll no longer be a problem...

I looked at the scars on my wrist.

And finally, I’ll get my revenge.

"I think we should find out. Quinette, we’re going after Amiko."

Quinette crossed her arms. "Are you sure?"

"The cliff she jumped off." I nodded toward the trees. "We’re going there.

"You said it was a trap." She frowned.

"She was expecting us then. Now we’re going to ambush her. She wouldn’t expect us. What do you think?"

"The ambush might work if she truly isn’t expecting us... If we succeed, she wouldn’t be able to interfere with defeating the dungeon or the wolves."

"Then let’s get going."

I let go of the icicle I was hanging onto, dropping down to the ground.

Quinette then caught my hand, mid-air. "Take cover, don’t stay in the open."

She drifted into the forest, lowering down into the trees. If she was watching us, this was the best approach.

Wherever she was watching from, she’d have a hard time tracing us.

We speared through the canopy, where she then let go of me.

I used my technique, exploding ice beneath my feet, launching me ahead.

While Quinette moved side to side, slipping through the corridor of the stacked trees.

Soon we blurred past, felling trees covered in snow, a landmark of our previous chase with Amiko.

And the cliff was more visible to us. I forced her out, speed further.

The ice exploded with more force as I pushed forward.

The snow parted as I whistled by, dashing off the cliff.

It was there, it presented like a leaving smoke, clouded, just below the edge of the cliff. The abyss absorbed the little light around it.

I arched in the air, to face the abyss, lurched down without hesitation.

Quinette dived beside me. I glanced at her as we fell into the abyss. Her eyes were locked on the void with no hint of fear.

It stretched towards us like it welcomed us. It swelled in the air, like ink.

My mana surged around, cloaked me with its energy. I was ready to adapt to any repercussions that may follow.

No matter what I wasn’t turning back.

We’re settling this right now.