0138 Ambush at Ringfall

"We should be here right now," Moumou said, pointing a finger at the map, though her eyes were fixed on Huanluo. "At the very edge of this horn-shaped forest south of Ikasia. According to your map, we should follow the midline of the forest from here until we reach that lake; that will mark the victory of the first stage."

Hearing this, Huanluo abandoned her plan to scan the surrounding environment and walked over to Moumou to look at the map. Just as she bent down to get a closer look, a faint, barely perceptible sound came from behind her. A bad premonition flooded her mind. Years of combat experience allowed Huanluo to react in an instant; she lunged forward, pulled Moumou into her arms, and rolled in the direction of her dive. Before Moumou could even react, she was inexplicably dragged by Huanluo into a roll that ended beneath a large tree nearby. In a daze, Moumou heard a clear, close whistle of wind pass by her ear.

Swish.

A massive magical beast, nearly two stories tall, appeared abruptly before them. Unlike any creature Moumou had seen that resembled Earth's existing biology, it had an enormous head and mouth, with razor-sharp teeth that seemed to still hold fragments of flesh, giving it a gruesome appearance. Its dark green eyes were positioned on either side of its head, staring straight at Moumou and Huanluo with a gaze that clearly said, "You are my dinner." Its powerful, muscular hind legs, which allowed it to stand upright, and its shorter arms with sharp claws made it look extremely threatening, to say nothing of the small wings on its back that could facilitate short glides and its deep brown skin that could almost blend into the night. It was a miserable reminder of the fragility of being human.

Rip!

A familiar tearing sound rang out, leaving Moumou, who was struggling to stand, stunned in place. Huanluo, who had been the first to rise and was preparing to flee, keenly noticed the strange behavior of her companion, but in this emergency, she could not spare the effort to dwell on it. She was capable of fighting, but Moumou had placed three strict prohibitions upon her: no fighting, no bloodshed, and no intense emotional fluctuations. As the primary combatant, Moumou had already exhausted too much energy in Ikasia and was in no state to continue fighting. The only option now was to run.

Suppressing the slight irritation she felt at having to flee, Huanluo dutifully grabbed Moumou by the waist, intending to hoist her up and escape. But Moumou did not display the same cooperative attitude she had shown in Ikasia. She stood there blankly, her right hand trembling as she pointed a finger at the hulking beast, choking out the second line of dialogue for this chapter: "Damn it, my—my map—ahhhhh!"

Upon hearing this, Huanluo instinctively looked back toward the hulking beast. Sure enough, lying flat beneath its feet was the very map they had been studying just a minute ago. Huanluo could not help but place her hand on the hilt of her Dragon Fang blade. These two maps were their only guideposts in this forest. If that insolent beast dared to move again, she wouldn't mind risking the danger of going berserk to fight it.

Moumou acted faster than Huanluo. With a wave of her right hand, she fully mobilized the pale golden elemental energy used for illumination, instantly pinning it to the beast's feet. The pale golden magical elements quickly solidified against the skin of the beast's feet. However, that was all Moumou could do; because the maps were being trampled by the beast, she dared not directly connect the ground to the earth elements on the creature's skin for fear of destroying the maps. Consequently, this restrictive magical attack lost its maximum utility, serving only to cling to the beast's skin and slow its movements.

The large beast clearly felt the restraint on its feet and immediately realized how important those two white scraps of paper under its feet were to its "dinner." The massive creature gave a wicked smile, flapped its wings, and rose briefly into the air before suddenly folding them and plummeting downward. Although its feet were sluggish due to the red-haired girl's interference, its sheer mass and weight—if it landed squarely—would crush even smaller beasts, let alone the fragile papers.

Seeing that her map was in jeopardy, Huanluo no longer hesitated, drawing her Dragon Fang blade and thrusting it straight at the behemoth. The Dragon Fang sword, which had not tasted blood for a long time, did not forget to display its chilling aura under the moonlight, dutifully flashing a light it deemed quite cold and merciless. The behemoth clearly saw the young girl rushing toward it, but it did not intend to dodge, choosing instead to crash down directly.

A dull thud of metal striking hard matter echoed. The behemoth widened its eyes in disbelief, staring at the human-made weapon that had pierced its prized, tough skin. A pain like mincing meat radiated from its abdomen. The long-forgotten sensation of a wound and pain stimulated the beast's nerves. Having not encountered an opponent in a long time, the behemoth couldn't help but laugh in a convulsive manner. Its dark green eyes bulged, and it opened its mouth to let out a roar toward the sky, its wings flapping violently with the howl.

Whoosh.

It felt as if a gust of hot wind had blown past. Huanluo, who was preparing to deliver another strike to blast the behemoth away, suddenly felt a wave of heat. The brilliant red fire-elemental light forced her to close her eyes, and an unbearable burning sensation instantly enveloped her entire body. The Dragon Fang sword could no longer strike forward, yet Huanluo could clearly feel the behemoth getting closer and closer, its fishy, pungent breath palpable even through the flames.

"Stay away from my little Luo, you bastard!"

The girl’s crisp voice rang in her ears. Immediately, a cool sensation replaced the stinging pain. Huanluo felt as if she were being pulled away by a reassuring force, rapidly moving out of danger. The Dragon Fang sword, which had been agitated after tasting blood, and the murderous intent that had been stirring alongside it, slowly calmed down under the suppression of this cool energy. Having escaped danger, Huanluo managed a wry smile in the darkness.

"It seems I've caused you trouble this time."

The behemoth, which had just been ready to swallow a fresh meal, was now squinting its eyes, looking at Moumou with a dangerous expression. Red fire-elemental magic circled around the beast, and a powerful, oppressive force bore down on Moumou, as if trying to defeat her with sheer presence alone. However, Moumou made no extra moves, other than gathering earth elements around herself just as the behemoth was doing.

Everyone was looking for the perfect moment for a single, fatal strike.