So I Became a Witch and Started Doing Daily Quests

Chapter 404 : Shadow Direwolf

"Grr一—"The battle above the magma lake was still raging. Transformed into a 【Phoenix】, Louisto-Tulan looked like the king galloping through a world of flames. Harnessing the power of the 【Law of Burning】, he relentlessly besieged Marquell-Storm.

Marquell-Storm, who was being targeted, had long since lost the arrogance he displayed at the beginning. While struggling to dodge the splattering magma, he finally opened his mouth to beg Louisto-Tulan for peace.

"Louisto, instead of wasting all your strength on me, you’d better save it—damn it!—for the others！"

As sparks once again scorched Marquell-Storm’s feathers, the double drain of stamina and magic power filled his eyes with a murderous ferocity that was about to spill over.

"Once I finish you off, I’ll naturally deal with the others."

To Marquell-Storm’s symbolic compromise, Louisto-Tulan continued attacking as if nothing had happened, showing no intention of holding back.

At the same time, while many contestants were each using their own means to cross the magma lake, a small portion still remained coiled within the Meditation Arrays on the floating rocks. Having expended too much magic power in earlier trials, they had yet to take their next step.

"Awooo——"

At that moment, a sharp wolf howl suddenly rang out from one of the Meditation Arrays.

There appeared—without warning—a nearly two-meter-tall Shadow Direwolf. It lunged at the other contestants with terrifying speed, ripping into them mercilessly.

"It’s Hela-Helheim！"

Seeing the Shadow Direwolf that had gone mad in a killing frenzy, Matthew-Grayrock, who had dealt with Hela-Helheim many times before, quickly recognized that the wolf’s true body was none other than Hela-Helheim transformed.

"Awooo——"

Having barely expended any magic power in the earlier rounds, Hela-Helheim finally unleashed her fury in this trial. Especially against contestants whose magic power was already running dry, she advanced with unstoppable momentum.

"Hela, doing this will only accelerate your own magic depletion. In the end, none of us will escape the floating rocks！"

In just an instant, five contestants had already fallen under Hela-Helheim’s assault, triggering the defensive mechanism of their 【Anti-Magic Rings】 and being forcefully expelled from the 【Bonsai Secret Realm】.

"Ahh一—"

But Hela-Helheim paid no heed to Matthew-Grayrock’s nagging. With a single kick, she sent him flying into the magma, leaving only a miserable scream behind.

"Hmm？"

When Matthew-Grayrock’s 【Anti-Magic Ring】 failed to surface, Hela-Helheim only frowned in slight puzzlement. She quickly shifted her focus back to the two remaining contestants.

"Eliminate you two, and I’ll have eighty points."

"Run！"

Hearing Hela-Helheim’s cold, emotionless words, the two remaining contestants realized that if they lingered on the floating rock, they would only be handing her the win.

Instead of waiting for death, it was better to risk their last scraps of magic power for one final gamble. Perhaps there was still a sliver of hope.

"Everchanging Form！"

Without further hesitation, braving the backlash of magic exhaustion, the two contestants quickly transformed into birds and flew toward the opposite shore of the magma lake.

"Awooo——"

Watching their desperate attempt, Hela-Helheim did not rush. Instead, she crouched, then leapt lightly into the air.

Using the Shadow Direwolf’s powerful legs, she sprang toward the nearest contestant in midair.

"Crack——"

Just as the Direwolf’s massive jaws were about to bite down, a sharp cracking sound echoed from the floating rock.

Next, countless fractures, as fine as spider silk, spread rapidly across its surface. Orange magma gushed through the cracks, hastening the floating rock’s collapse.

"Hela, I hope you like this gift！"

Because the rock had collapsed earlier than expected, Hela-Helheim was forced to drop her Direwolf form and revert to human form to reduce her weight, landing on a still-stable chunk.

"Well done, Matthew."

There stood Matthew-Grayrock, still in the form of a pangolin covered in solid stone armor. A dangerous glint flashed across Hela-Helheim’s eyes.

"But it seems you’ve forgotten something—"

Swish一Her figure blurred like a ghost. While Matthew-Grayrock was still basking in the pride of outsmarting her, suddenly, darkness closed in. Then a stabbing pain tore into his neck.

"You—"

Staring at the terrifying wolf head snapping at him, Matthew-Grayrock’s face filled with horror.

"Watch your shadow."

Crack—

With those final words, Hela-Helheim activated Matthew-Grayrock’s 【Anti-Magic Ring】.

Matthew-Grayrock was then forcibly expelled from the 【Bonsai Secret Realm】, his screams echoing with unwillingness.

"Eighty points."

After retrieving Matthew-Grayrock’s dropped 【Anti-Magic Ring】, Hela-Helheim leapt back into the shadows, returning to the crumbling floating rocks.

"It seems this place is no longer suitable for recovering magic."

Possessing an A-level 【Dark Affinity】, Hela-Helheim’s plan had been simple:

First, take advantage of her relatively low magic consumption in earlier trials to eliminate contestants too depleted to sustain transformations.

Then, remain on the floating rocks to recover magic until just before they sank, when she could use the Shadow creatures’ ability of stealth to escape.

But Matthew-Grayrock’s interference forced her to change plans.

Thus, Hela-Helheim had no choice but to halt her recovery and leave the sinking rocks early.

"Caw一一"

Her body quickly shrank, and before long, she transformed into a pitch-black rook. With a raspy cry, she flew into the blazing sky above the magma lake··

"Damn! This place is completely surrounded by fire—there’s no way across！"

On the far side of the lake, contestants who had transformed into birds barely avoided the spurting magma. But just as they reached the shore, a towering wall of fire rose before them.

"Boom一一"

With a deafening explosion, Louisto-Tulan, who had been chasing down Marquell-Storm, suddenly turned back.

He flew straight toward the contestants blocked at the lakeshore by the wall of fire.