"Wh-where did you come from?! No, wait, we need to help Drain!"

"Oh, he'll be fine."

"Grruuugh!?"

The moment Drain's danger detection skill activated, I cast triple-layered barrier magic on him. However, it seems the individual strength of those mutant wolves isn't particularly high, as none of the Great mage's barriers were breached.

Perhaps sensing our increased vigilance, the mutant wolf backed away from Drain and glared at us. Thankfully, they weren't attacking all at once.

"Man, I thought I was a goner…"

"Drain! You're safe!"

"Y-yeah. Just when I thought it was over, a barrier appeared and blocked their attack. Was that your magic? You saved me."

"Yes, I'm glad you're unharmed. Gildart, I don't know much about these mutants. What should we do?"

"This is my first time seeing such mutants as well. Based on observation, I suspect they can increase their numbers. All the individuals seem identical in size and form. There’s likely an original among them, and under certain conditions, it replicates or splits. The worst-case scenario is if each mutant can multiply independently. If that's the case, their numbers would double rapidly, and even one escaping could lead to an endless increase."

I see. As expected of a former A-rank adventurer, Gildart's observation skills are extraordinary. To think he could analyze so much in this situation… As an Great mage, such insights are beyond my knowledge.

"I understand. To prepare for the worst, we must eliminate every single one of those mutants."

"Yes… The only saving grace is that their individual strength isn't overwhelming. Still, their sheer numbers make a frontal assault risky. You could end up in the same situation as earlier, so caution is critical."

"My apologies…"

Drain looked regretful. Considering how fast those enemies seem, it’s understandable that they’d be a poor match for a greatsword user.

"So, Masayoshi, what’s the plan? What do you need us to do?"

"We'll follow your lead, Master Masayoshi."

"I don't know who you are, but please lend us your strength. These creatures may not be strong individually, but if we rely solely on B-rank adventurers, the damage could be severe."

"Of course. I'll explain myself later."

Now then, how should I handle this? I could take them all out myself, but letting the mutants deeper in the forest escape would be a disaster.

"Can I leave these mutants to you while I handle the ones in the depths? I'll provide support."

"So there are originals or at least a few mutants deeper in the forest… They're cautious creatures. But can we handle this?"

"Physical Boost! Protection!"

I cast advanced physical enhancement and hardening magic on the six of them. Everyone but the mage, Lulune, would be engaging in close combat. With these buffs, they should have a significant advantage. If anything happens, my danger detection skill will alert me, and I can return immediately.

"Wh-what is this magic? I feel power surging through me!"

"Haha, Masayoshi-niisan’s magic is as absurd as ever."

"My enhancement magic pales in comparison. I must train harder!"

"I’ll return if anything happens. The rest is up to you!"

Using my detection skills, I pursued the mutants deeper into the forest. It seemed the ones nearby weren’t following me.

"Who… who is he?"

"Seriously, who is Masayoshi?"

"Big brother is just big brother, nya!"

"Hey, now’s not the time to wonder about that! Masayoshi-niisan entrusted this to us, so we’ve got to meet his expectations!"

"Yeah, I feel like I could take on a dragon right now!"

"Don’t get overconfident, Lilith. Stay calm and alert."

"Oops, my bad. All right, let’s do this!"

I separated from Gildart and the others, using my detection skill to track the mutants deeper into the forest. Their signals were identical, making it easy to follow. However, the mutants were cautious, spreading out in large numbers at various points.

"There you are!"

I spotted another mutant.

"Graaaaagh!"

Slash!

I struck down the charging mutant with my sword. To be safe, I stored its corpse in my spatial magic.

"Next!"

I continued searching and cutting down mutants. Even though these creatures bring only harm to people, the act of taking lives is something I’ll never fully get used to.

It seemed Lilith and the others were managing fine as well. I could sense the mutants' signals disappearing one by one from their location. Only a few remained here—about ten of them clustered together. Could this be the main group?

"Looks like I was right."

In the forest's deepest part, the remaining mutants gathered. At the center of the group was a figure identical in appearance but emanating a distinct aura. The others surrounded it protectively.

It seems Gildart's first hypothesis was correct. If I take down this original, the mutants won’t multiply further.

"Let’s go. Thunderstorm!"

I cast mid-tier lightning magic from a distance, striking the entire group. Even though I could easily overpower them with my Great mage abilities, engaging ten wolf-like mutants in close combat still felt daunting.

Crackle! Zap!

Good, their formation broke. Time to press the attack—wait, only the original is still standing. The others were completely immobilized.

Using the enhanced speed from my buff magic, I closed the distance in an instant and delivered a decisive blow to the original mutant.

"That’s that. Now for the harder part—explaining all this to Gildart."