Chapter 56: Enveloped in White Mist

More and more Snow Shadow Wolves successfully scaled the thorny walls, landing within the perimeter of the shelter.

Their snow-white fur was now soaked in blood, with gaping wounds carved by the thorns, some even exposing their stark white bones.

Despite their severe injuries, they continued to glare at Irving with cold, indifferent eyes.

Irving felt a slight tremor in his heart, not out of fear of the wolves' threat, but out of admiration for the tenacity of this pack. Whether in games or in reality, wolves, as social animals, are among the most resilient creatures, possessing formidable teamwork and absolute obedience to their alpha.

"If I could enslave this pack of Snow Shadow Wolves, my combat power would increase significantly." Irving thought to himself. At that moment, the eerie green light emanating from the [Evil Source Wand] in his hand grew even more intense.

As a necromancer, he previously needed ample mental energy to use the "Soul Plunder" skill for control. However, the [Evil Source Wand] seemed to bypass this requirement when enslaving exotic beasts.

At this very moment, other players were also facing beast attacks within their shelters. While others were contemplating how to survive these ferocious beasts, Irving was strategizing on how to enslave them all...

Inside the shelter, nearly a hundred Snow Shadow Wolves had gathered behind the alpha. Whether it was Vicky standing on the arrow tower or Sophia guarding the turbine generators not far away, both felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Just then, little black arrived at Irving's side, leading five stone gargoyles. Their appearance gave Irving some confidence, and he knew that the next battle would no longer be fought alone. The stone giants roared low, ready to face the enemy at any time.

A piercing howl echoed, signaling the alpha wolf's command to attack. Hundreds of Snow Shadow Wolves instantly transformed into white blurs, charging towards Irving.

Little black and the five stone gargoyles alone could not fend off such a large-scale attack. As a mage, Irving's greatest weakness was close combat. If those wolves got too close, it would be perilous. Sёarᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Gravity Swamp!" Irving hastily swung his staff.

In the next moment, a ripple appeared in the air, and the charging Snow Shadow Wolves abruptly slowed down. Irving's lips curved into a slight smile. He was about to seize this opportunity to cast a mid-level [FireBall] when suddenly, a veil of white mist obscured his vision.

The mist enveloped them out of nowhere, and the Snow Shadow Wolves, visible just moments earlier, vanished!

"This…" Irving quickly realized it was a disorienting skill cast by the Snow Shadow Wolves. But he couldn't find any immediate way to counter it.

Not far away, Vicky and Sophia, their eyes fixed on Irving, saw him inexplicably lower his staff. The slowed Snow Shadow Wolves continued to approach him.

Several of the leading wolves had already reached Irving. Their eyes sparkled with a cold light, while at the same time, Irving gradually felt a powerful fighting force gathering around him.

"Irving! What's wrong? They're coming!" Vicky shouted anxiously, rushing down from the arrow tower. But it was already too late... The cold, mocking glances of the nearest Snow Shadow Wolves bore into him as they opened their bloodied jaws to tear at Irving's throat.

Not only Irving, but also Little Black and the five stone gargoyles stood motionless. From their perspective, all they could see was a layer of white mist enveloping them.

A pungent, foul stench filled the air, and Irving felt the looming threat of death. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he cursed under his breath, "Damn it, am I really going to be bitten to death by these beasts?"

The disorienting skill of the Snow Shadow Wolves was a form of mental attack, which was why they were classified as mid-level exotic beasts.

As a necromancer, Irving could control and even enslave other creatures, but he had no means to resist mental attacks. At this moment, he could sense that the pack of Snow Shadow Wolves was very close to him, but with his vision being confused, he was completely unable to lock onto his targets.

"No! Irving, watch out!" Vicky shouted, recklessly charging towards Irving. However, she tripped over a rock and fell hard to the ground, helplessly watching as the Snow Shadow Wolves leaped towards Irving's throat, unable to do anything.

On the other side, Sophia, noticing something was amiss, also ran towards Irving. But as she got within fifty meters of the Snow Shadow Wolves, a layer of white mist appeared before her.

Even Sophia was ensnared by the mental skill of the Snow Shadow Wolves... In this state, her attack and defense abilities greatly decrease, and even her reaction became sluggish.

"Ding!" At that moment, a system prompt suddenly echoed in Irving's mind.

[Hellhound's auxiliary skill: Shadow Guard, activated!]

[Shadow Guard skill provides additional defensive bonuses for the player. The shield amount increases with the bond intimacy between master and servant...]

Just as the Snow Shadow Wolves were about to sink their teeth into Irving, their bodies suddenly froze in mid-air. Immediately afterward, a dark purple light enveloped Irving.

It was the shield provided by Little Black's auxiliary skill, [Shadow Guard]. The next moment, the Snow Shadow Wolves felt as though they had bitten into something hard, and their bodies uncontrollably flew backward.

Irving couldn't see the Snow Shadow Wolves, but he could see the dark purple shield that had just appeared on his body suddenly vanish. He realized that the shield had just saved him from a lethal attack.

The Snow Shadow Wolves struggled back to their feet, and the rest of the pack arrived.

He couldn't see the Snow Shadow Wolves, but the oppressive feeling in his heart grew stronger. Little Black's [Shadow Guardian] skill could only be used once in a short period, and now he had to act immediately. Otherwise, death would be his inevitable fate.

If he were to die here, Vicky and Sophia would be unable to protect the shelter, and everything would be lost...

"Come with me!" Suddenly, Irving heard a familiar voice in his ear. He turned to see Sophia, her face serious, saying, "We need to leave this area quickly. Their skill has a range limit.Once we escape it, the mist will disappear!"

"Let's go!" Sophia grabbed Irving and started running towards the shelter.

This realization had just dawned on her. Initially, she couldn't understand why Irving had suddenly ceased resisting the encroaching Snow Shadow Wolves. It was only when she got closer to them that she finally understood.

"Range limitation?" Irving also comprehended the situation.

Little Black, perfectly in sync with Irving, quickly followed him as he retreated. The five stone gargoyles were left behind, continuously attacking in all directions. Although they didn't have specific targets, they occasionally managed to hit some of the passing Snow Shadow Wolves by chance.

Quickly.

When Irving and Sophia reached the stone house of the shelter and looked back, the white mist that had surrounded them finally dissipated. Some of the Snow Shadow Wolves were furiously tearing into the five stone gargoyles left behind, while another group, led by the alpha wolf, pursued Irving and Sophia. However, after being hit with the [Gravity Mire] spell, their speed was significantly reduced.

This time, Irving didn't give them any opportunity. Fireballs rained down like meteors from the sky, crashing into the pack of Snow Shadow Wolves, instantly turning them into a bloody mess.

Thick smoke billowed within the shelter, filling the air with a strong burnt stench. The previously vast pack of over a hundred Snow Shadow Wolves was reduced to fewer than a dozen, all severely wounded by the fireballs.

Seeing this, Irving shook his head in resignation. He wasn't pitying the Snow Shadow Wolves. He was frustrated because his initial plan had failed. Most of the wolves were either dead or incapacitated, rendering them useless for enslavement.

Although he could use "Soul Plunder" to control the corpses of the dead wolves, doing so would require a significant expenditure of his mental energy, which wasn't worth it.

The pitiful howls of the remaining Snow Shadow Wolves echoed through the air. The surviving wolves, now grievously injured, had lost all combat capability.

Irving stepped over their bodies and fixed his gaze on the nearby alpha wolf. The creature's legs had been broken by the fireballs, and its once pristine white fur was now dyed red with blood. Despite being severely wounded, it bared its fangs and let out a low growl, refusing to submit.

"I don't care whether you can understand me or not. This is your last chance—submit to me!" Irving stared down at the alpha wolf, his deep, cold eyes glinting with a chilling light.

[Do you wish to enslave the "Snow Shadow Wolf Alpha"?]

"Yes." Irving replied.

He knew that wolves, as a species, were generally hard to tame. But he still wanted to give it a try...