0115 The War of So-and-So

When Mo woke from her coma, the sky was still dark. Various magical elements in the air were constantly surging toward her body, but unlike her usual cultivation, this time the elements were acting purely as a restorative force. The gaping hole in her chest seemed to have been largely mended; save for the blood still seeping from the edges, her fractured ribs and lungs, shattered during the fierce battle, had been fully repaired in a remarkably short time.

Mo moved her right arm in disbelief. This was the same arm from which a chunk of flesh had been cruelly bitten away, yet as she moved, she found it inexplicably healed. Even the destroyed skin had regenerated, seamlessly joined with the original tissue without a trace of awkwardness. Aside from a single small wound and a slight ache when extending the limb, the injured arm was otherwise fine.

Enduring the discomfort, she sat up and pushed aside the various corpses and severed limbs piled upon her. After checking her legs and confirming that her body was intact, she slowly stood. The main battlefield was now some distance from her "corpse hill." Most of the human army had vanished, but the magical beasts remained, stubbornly encircling a small squad of humans that appeared to consist of only a few people.

Mo rubbed her eyes, trying to identify the unfortunate squad while groping her way toward the direction of the First Academy to search for Lance.

Just then, one of the two people besieged by the beasts suddenly emitted a brilliant white light. Mo’s eyes, adjusted to the darkness, were stung by the glare, forcing her to shut them instinctively. By the time she opened them again, the army of beasts had vanished without a trace. The bright white light had just dissipated, leaving behind only faint, shimmering white wind-element particles. These particles lingered reluctantly around the man who had used his body to protect his companion, refusing to leave, but the man, still in a kneeling position, had clearly been dead for some time. The woman who had shone with that blinding light had failed in her attempt at self-detonation, leaving behind nothing but an empty set of clothes.

Standing beside the two was another figure. In the glow of the fading white particles, Mo could clearly see the crimson murderous aura beginning to swirl around her.

*Oh, for heaven’s sake, she’s going to lose control!* Fully understanding Huan Luo’s urge to go berserk, Mo had to pause her search for Lance to do something to assist. The moment this thought crossed her mind, another followed in her rapidly spinning brain.

One of the large-scale magic formations that Lance had forced her to memorize days ago was perfectly tailored for this situation. The full structure and requirements of the formation surfaced in her mind. Scanning her surroundings, she decided to begin drawing it.

Creating a magic formation required vast amounts of magical energy. Under normal circumstances, Mo would never have been able to complete it, but since her wounds had been healed by the influx of various elements, her body was saturated with them. These natural, pure elements lingered in her system, only to be absorbed and converted into magical energy by her body. Thus, even though she was physically exhausted, in poor condition, and still suffering from minor injuries, her internal reserves of magical energy were at an all-time peak.

A formation also required a large, clear space and an undisturbed environment. As it happened, Mo was surrounded by a desolate wasteland of corpses; the beasts’ attention was entirely focused on Huan Luo, and no one noticed that someone had just "risen from the dead" near them.

With time, place, and conditions all in her favor, Mo swiftly traced a large-scale magic formation using her magical energy. The benefits of her intensive training manifested now; with a god-like flourish, she completed the formation with breathtaking speed. She activated it just as Huan Luo made her move. To her astonishment, Mo discovered that while maintaining the formation, she still had enough strength to cast a protective barrier for Huan Luo, even manipulating it to shrink and explode at will. Huan Luo, in her berserk state, did not resist the power but instead leveraged it to slaughter the beasts with incredible speed.

This "cheat-code" performance left even Mo in disbelief. As her internal magical energy was completely drained by the formation, she looked up at the heavens in gratitude:

*The heavens have finally opened their eyes! Thank you for remembering that I am the protagonist, a fragile, first-person-perspective loser who needs a cheat code or a hack to survive! By the way, I also really need a gentle, kind, wealthy, and powerful male lead I can rely on. If it’s not too much trouble, could you help me save that idiot Lance? I really think the kid has potential!*

Unfortunately, the heavens did not manifest. They merely guided the berserk Huan Luo, after she finished off the beasts, to walk subconsciously toward Mo. She stared in confusion at the strange woman—the only person she hadn't repelled while in her frenzy. The woman didn't seem afraid of her berserk state; instead, she acted as if it were a common occurrence. Half-sitting on the ground, gasping for air, she tugged at the edge of Huan Luo’s armor and spoke weakly: "Good job going berserk today, huh? You didn't even faint; you really are getting stronger. You’re truly the woman I picked. Also, do me a favor—after I pass out, can you help me look for Lance? The silver-haired, red-eyed handsome guy. He should be buried in the pile of bodies somewhere... and I believe he’s still alive..."

Before she could finish, the strange woman lost her breath and promptly fainted.

*Yes, this is the author’s required transition point.*

What is it like to faint twice in one day for various reasons?

Mo can responsibly tell everyone that this only proves two things: one, you have a terminal illness; two, you are the protagonist.

Because every time she woke up, it marked one of the author’s irresponsible scene transitions. This time, Mo finally awoke from a long darkness. The automatic healing of the magic elements did not grace her again; her wounds had to be bandaged and medicated by hand. Since she had exhausted her magical energy and there was no longer a surge of elements to replenish her, she felt a profound emptiness within. She had experienced this deep sense of powerlessness not long ago, and she prayed it wouldn't happen a third time.

Thinking of the battle, Mo could only cover her eyes in despair.

God, could someone tell her how long a border city without a marshal or a strong army could possibly hold out against an onslaught of magical beasts?!