Inside the temporary camp.

"Thank you both for your help, this is your reward." Viscount Henry smiled as he handed two heavy bags of gold coins to Elise and Sulfur Vine.

"Thank you, Lord Viscount."

"Thank you, Lord Viscount." Elise slightly bowed, still puzzled, as she looked around again and asked, "By the way, why haven’t I seen Mr. Rein?"

"Well..." Benest stepped forward and said, "Miss Elise, Mr. Rein has some matters to attend to temporarily, but he should join us in at most two days."

Matters?

Elise still looked puzzled. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Meanwhile, Meredith stepped forward and whispered a few words in her ear, causing Elise’s beautiful eyes to widen as she covered her mouth in shock.

It was at this moment that Quasi-General Gregory approached Henry and quietly said, "Lord Viscount, the Griffins have arrived. Perhaps we should return to the Royal Capital; the Necromancy Crystal isn’t very safe here."

Henry nodded slightly, as he thought the same—returning to the Royal Capital as soon as possible was the safest choice.

He smiled as he looked around, nodding particularly at those close to Rein, like Elise and Laisa, and said:

"This time, thank you all for your help. I will return after the matters at the Royal Capital are settled."

After some brief pleasantries, Henry, Gregory, and a Royal Guard headed toward the direction, twenty or so meters away, where the Griffins had landed.

But just at that moment.

Suddenly!

From behind the Griffin on the very right, a figure leapt into the air. He held a shield in his left hand and a sword in his right, the sword ascending sharply, gleaming with an icy brilliance under the sun.

The next instant, a sword light flashed like lightning!

A line of blood appeared on the Griffin’s neck, followed by its head dropping off, blood spewing like a fountain!

The opponent actually decapitated a Direct Level Two Griffin with a single strike!

The key fact was that the person dared to kill a Griffin right under Gregory’s transcendent eyes. The precision and swiftness of the sword strike were clearly an act of provocation!

The attacker was none other than ’Winter’s Shield’ Olaf.

"Enemy attack!!"

This abrupt scene left most present momentarily stunned!

The Royal Guards quickly surrounded Olaf, but faster than them was Gregory in his Soladin Kingdom officer attire.

He rushed at Olaf with his sword, like an arrow shot from a bowstring!

The other two Griffins, in fear, spread their wings, trying to fly away to evade, but Olaf, having just decapitated one Griffin, landed lightly and leapt again toward the wing of the second Griffin with a Horizontal Slash.

"Slash!"

Blood splattered, feathers scattered!

"Caw!!"

This Griffin immediately fell painfully, not dead, but having lost its right wing, it was incapable of flight.

"Clang!!"

As Olaf was about to strike the third Griffin, his sword was blocked by another.

Gregory arrived to fend off Olaf’s subsequent attacks.

"You won’t kill the last Griffin!" Gregory said coldly as his blade clashed with Olaf’s.

With similarly rich battle experience, Gregory understood Olaf’s purpose the moment he decapitated the first Griffin.

Their goal was to kill the Griffins to stop them from leaving with the Necromancy Crystal.

"No need for me to kill; look to the side!" Olaf smiled with a hint of cunning.

"Ah!!" A scream echoed from the side.

"It’s the Death Cloud Spell!"

"Quick, run away!"

Initially thinking Olaf was distracting him, Gregory realized what was happening as he heard the anguished cries and exclamations nearby, quickly turning his head.

A thick, yellow-green fog, twenty to thirty meters in diameter, was rapidly approaching the center of the camp. The snow-covered ground emitted corrosive hisses.

Even from afar, a nauseating stench could be detected.

It was the infamous Fifth Level Spell ’Death Cloud Spell’.

Two already wounded Royal Guards couldn’t evade quickly enough and were engulfed by the yellow-green fog. Though they later emerged, their faces darkened, clutching their necks, unable to breathe, causing terror.

Against the Fifth Level Spell Death Cloud Spell, the mage squad known as Kreete had no great solutions. Though mages were naturally safe through evasions, as Fire Spell specialists, dispelling the Death Cloud Spell was beyond their reach.

On the one hand, the Death Cloud Spell was at Level Five, cast by a transcendent enemy mage.

On the other hand, Fire Spell lacked effective control against the Death Cloud Spell; if Wind Spell, Water Spell, or Ice Spell mages were present, the situation might be better managed.

And at this moment.

"Slash!"

A darkening ray targeted the only Griffin, which had flown over ten meters high, accurately hitting its forehead.

"Thud!"

With the black ray arcing across the sky, the last Griffin plummeted in response.

Thus, the three Griffins, newly arrived not two minutes prior, met their demise.

At this moment.

A tall figure swiftly dashed into view, heading toward Sarner, the Secret Master, it was Sword Dancer Meredith.

Benest reacted swiftly too, immediately casting the Second Level Spell ’Attribute Enhancement’ on Meredith, particularly choosing to bestow ’Cat’s Grace’.