Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby

Chapter 223: A Failed Ambush

"Everyone, focus!" Eleanor’s voice cut through the clash of water and snarls. "Points mean nothing if we don’t survive. Jaciara... move faster!"

The urgency in her tone jolted Maíra, Joshua, and Kiara. Their scattered minds snapped back into sharp focus. Fists, claws, and bursts of water met the river beasts again and again, until they stopped counting distance altogether. The world had narrowed to the press of monsters, the small platform beneath their boots, and the need to endure.

At last, the attacks thinned. When the river finally spat them onto the far bank, they staggered forward, battered, bruised, and soaked in blood. Their stamina faltered; every breath ragged. Though the enchanted academy robes dried the river water within minutes, they could do little to mend the cuts and bruises, especially the raw scratches across their hands.

The team dragged themselves to a safe distance from the shoreline and collapsed in the grass. Silence reigned for several minutes as each caught what breath they could.

Then Eleanor’s eyes snapped open. Her senses prickled. Someone was approaching... fast. "Everyone, alert!" she ordered, already on her feet. "Someone is coming along the shoreline."

Everyone took a battle stance, claws bared, breath held. Then a familiar black wolf came into view.

"Stand down," Eleanor said firmly, lowering her stance. "It’s Ophelia."

Relief washed over the others. They eased back down, still weary but no longer tense. The wolf slowed, paws thudding against the earth, before shifting into her human form.

"Ma’am, are you okay?" Ophelia asked at once, hurrying towards her.

"I’m fine," Eleanor answered. "But why were you in your wolf form?"

Ophelia inclined her head. "You’ve moved more than a kilometre from the main troops. I crossed the river early to gather intelligence, then returned to find you. When I couldn’t see you among the cadets, I asked around. Some mentioned a smaller team drifting downstream. Wolf form was faster, so I turned and ran this direction." She said it all in one breath, chest heaving slightly.

Eleanor nodded. "Understood. Take a moment to rest... we move only at peak condition. Ah, this is Joshua Cordillera, the newest member of our team." She gestured towards Joshua before focusing her mission screen. "I’m sending you an invitation. Accept it."

Ophelia gave Joshua a polite nod, then accepted Eleanor’s invitation.

The system flickered into Eleanor’s sight:

[Status]

Objective: Kill the Troll

Eliminate the

Team members: 6

Points: 338 (Rank-5)

you want to hide the status

a thought, Eleanor dismissed the

my current physical condition?" she asked in

Stamina will require eight more minutes to recover fully. Bloodline ability will require thirty-two minutes until complete reset. Activating

surprised. "When did you gain the ability

Nora replied matter-of-factly. "I merely track your bloodline’s use, recovery intervals,

need your report on my teammates. Their fighting prowess matters

water blades and wielded them as swords. He’s highly proficient in close combat, and with a nearby water source he can project blades at range. Maíra fights hand-to-hand, using short bursts of movement that look like instant teleportation, though they’re not. She used a water shield defensively, but made no offensive use of the element. Kiara is a shooter, as my previous data suggested. In close combat

murmured, weighing the assessment. After a moment’s thought,

a swordsman. Craft something from the wood around us

They’re armed with swords, shields, and bows. Crude

blade will

far," Ophelia admitted. "The riverside is forested, and beyond that rises a mountain. I didn’t climb, but there’s a castle at its summit. That should be our destination. The dragons and fairies I saw earlier flew that way. This forest, however, is thick with orcs. They haven’t been

"Any trolls?" Eleanor pressed.

shook her head. "None. Likely

gave a slow nod. "Right. Team, listen. We have two objectives... kill the Troll King and reclaim the stronghold, and eliminate the monsters. The primary objective will hold the greater reward, but I believe each of us has a fair chance at it. Think carefully... cadets were allowed to go solo or form teams, with no cap on numbers. That means, theoretically, a single powerful fighter could clear the trial alone. If the Troll King were a one-off target, it would already have been slain by those dragons... but we’ve had no such notification. Which means the challenge is instance-based... everyone will have their own chance. If so, the

primary objective. So, we keep fighting,

kick some orc ass!" Maíra cheered, pumping

a patient look. "I like your enthusiasm. But don’t

time," Maíra said with an awkward grin. "It won’t happen again. By the way... I just

Jaciara confirmed. "The same

let’s prepare. If we linger, others may clear the

following Ophelia as she guided them towards the orc encampment. With her shadow affinity,