Chapter 29: The Shadow Beast’s Fatal Weakness

No sooner had dawn broken on the second day than Lin, Rena, and Xia Ranxin found themselves roused by Bai Zhi and Bastet, the person and the cat, who claimed there were pressing matters to discuss.

A short while later, the four women and the cat had convened in the living room on the first floor of Bai Zhi’s residence.

Xia Ranxin appeared as if she had only just awakened, while Lin sat beside her, meticulously observing her condition. Rena, for her part, cast a slightly exasperated look towards Bai Zhi and Bastet.

“So, what exactly is so pressing? I haven’t even had a chance to prepare breakfast yet.”

“That can wait!” Bai Zhi declared, waving a dismissive hand, her voice imbued with an air of complete confidence. “This time, the matter is genuinely crucial.”

“Last night, Bastet and I engaged in a lengthy discussion, primarily concerning the Shadow Beast that has been preying on Ranxin.”

Halting mid-sentence, she turned her gaze towards the still-drowsy Xia Ranxin, her features settling into a grave expression.

“And then, we discovered a way… a method to eradicate the Shadow Beast once and for all!”

!

The moment these words were uttered, all traces of sleepiness vanished from Xia Ranxin, who had been on the verge of nodding off. Lin, previously somewhat disengaged, also became instantly alert, rising to her feet without a moment’s hesitation.

“Is this truly real? You possess a method to vanquish that malevolent beast?!”

“Naturally.”

Bai Zhi nodded without a flicker of hesitation, her demeanor radiating an air of undeniable triumph.

“But… the Shadow Beast possesses extremely vexing characteristics, rendering it almost impossible to obliterate; it can only be temporarily repelled. In the annals of the Kingdom, only Commander Jeremiah, thirteen years ago, managed to banish a Shadow Beast that had strayed into our borders, yet to this day, no one knows the precise method he employed. How, then, do you intend to…”

Rena’s brow furrowed, a flicker of concern crossing her face that Bai Zhi’s plan might be overly reckless.

“Regarding that…” Bai Zhi declared with an unnerving composure, her words dropping a bombshell. “We have uncovered the Shadow Beast’s fatal weakness, a discovery that will allow us to utterly annihilate that malevolent creature.”

Having said this, she turned her head towards Lin, a faint smile playing upon her lips.

“Indeed, we owe our gratitude to Lin for this.”

“Me?!”

Lin’s face registered utter surprise as she confusedly pointed a finger at herself.

Bai Zhi affirmed with a gentle smile, “Precisely. Strictly speaking, the credit for this still belongs to you, Lin.”

“Before you encountered us, wasn’t Ranxin attacked by the Shadow Beast?”

“That’s right,” Xia Ranxin affirmed, nodding her head, a tremor of lingering fear in her voice. “I was completely caught off guard then. It was only thanks to Lin that I narrowly escaped, though she suffered injuries in the process…”

“And there lies the crucial point!”

Bai Zhi gestured forward with an emphatic flourish.

“The key? Do you mean the incident where I was injured?”

Lin tilted her head, clearly failing to grasp the true meaning behind Bai Zhi’s words.

“While that is indeed significant, something else holds even greater importance.”

“After you, Lin, discovered and attacked it, that Shadow Beast abandoned its assault on Ranxin and frantically fled the scene!”

With that, Bai Zhi deliberately paused, her gaze sweeping over the expressions of the three women before her.

Lin and Xia Ranxin remained utterly bewildered, yet Rena, in stark contrast, had adopted a deeply contemplative expression.

“Are you implying…” Rena began, seeming to have seized upon the crux of the matter.

“Precisely, everyone! Don’t you find it exceptionally peculiar? Logically, Lin’s attacks should have been utterly ineffective against the Shadow Beast, meaning it could have easily ignored her and proceeded to consume Ranxin.”

“However, it chose not to. Instead, it opted to flee in response to Lin’s seemingly impotent attacks. There must be an underlying reason for this, one that remains unknown to us.”

Bai Zhi recounted the events slowly, deliberately allowing everyone ample space to ponder independently.

“Now that you mention it, that’s true,” Lin murmured to herself, her realization dawning.

“All my attacks at the time felt like they were striking empty air, inflicting no harm whatsoever on that malevolent creature. Yet, the beast still abandoned Lady Ranxin, turned to assault me, and ultimately even fled with its tail between its legs.”

“Precisely,” Bai Zhi affirmed, a look of satisfaction gracing her features as she continued. “To unravel the reason behind the Shadow Beast’s aberrant behavior in that specific instance, we can begin by proposing a hypothesis.”

…

The others held their breath, hanging on her every word.

“Namely, that in the precise instant Lin first launched her attack against the Shadow Beast, the creature genuinely perceived danger.

That is why it instinctively relinquished Ranxin, who was already within its grasp, and instead turned to assault Lin, who represented a threat.”

“That’s… impossible!”

Rena almost instinctively refuted this hypothesis.

“The Shadow Beast is immune to the vast majority of attacks. Only forces capable of intense illumination, such as the Holy Light, can effectively suppress it to any degree.

This conclusion was drawn over centuries, after analyzing countless accounts of those afflicted by Shadow Beasts; it simply cannot be mistaken…”

No sooner had the words left her lips than Rena seemed to remember something, her gaze snapping to Lin with an expression of utter disbelief.

“Ah! Could it be, Lin, that you secretly worship the Holy Light, and were thus compelled to wield its power in that moment of crisis?”

…

…

Lin and Rena found themselves plunged into an awkward silence.

“What a truly audacious hypothesis, ‘False God’s Devotee’,” Lin said, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Rena, a dangerous undertone in her voice.

“Are you suggesting that I would cast aside the hatred for my clan’s annihilation and instead worship the deity of my sworn enemies?”

“That’s a possibility neither Bastet nor I had considered, Rena; your mind is certainly… active,” Bai Zhi remarked, spreading her hands in a gesture of helplessness. “But regrettably, I find that scenario rather improbable.”

“On one hand, it’s quite simply because Lin’s impression of the Kingdom isn’t exactly… friendly. And on the other hand…”

“You yourself have stated, Rena, that only citizens of the Kingdom of Gloucester can receive the Holy Light’s divine protection.

Foreigners, even if they settle within the Kingdom and rigorously follow The Way of the Holy Light, are still not acknowledged as its true devotees, and thus, it would naturally be impossible for them to wield its power.”

“I was merely brainstorming, simply offering an alternative possibility…” Rena’s cheeks flushed crimson under the collective gaze, and she quickly diverted the conversation.

“Let’s set that aside for now. So, what exactly is the reason you and Bastet concluded?”

“It’s quite simple, in fact; only one explanation accounts for the Shadow Beast’s anomalous behavior at that moment.”

Bai Zhi snapped her fingers, her face radiating absolute confidence as she replied.

“It is this: the Shadow Beast’s ‘invincible state’ cannot be maintained perpetually. At the very least, during the critical moment just before it consumes its prey, it is vulnerable to harm!”

“Please recall the scene Lin and Ranxin previously described, the moment Ranxin was first assaulted by the Shadow Beast.”

As she spoke, Bai Zhi began to mimic Lin’s distinctive manner of speech.

“[‘Immediately thereafter, I beheld a pair of wicked claws suddenly manifest behind Lady Ranxin. Without hesitation, I pulled Lady Ranxin behind me, engaging that malevolent beast in a chaotic struggle’]…”

“Precisely! That moment was the exact instant the Shadow Beast was about to consume Ranxin, and it was then that Lin discovered it and intervened just in time.

Only at this specific juncture is the Shadow Beast vulnerable to harm, which is why it immediately abandoned its attempt to devour Ranxin and instead turned its attention to Lin.”

“So that’s how it is!” Lin exclaimed, a sudden enlightenment washing over her as she murmured softly.

“In fact, I had previously reviewed a number of attack reports pertaining to Shadow Beasts.”

Bastet, who had remained silent for a considerable time, added in a measured, unhurried tone.

“Over seventy percent of the victims were ordinary citizens without supernatural abilities, while the remaining thirty percent were extraordinary individuals of lesser strength, the strongest among them being merely equivalent to a mid-level warrior.

More importantly, all victims were isolated at the time; no reports indicated more than one victim simultaneously.”

“Because the damage inflicted was almost always minimal, the Shadow Beast, though difficult to contend with, has never garnered significant attention. After all, there were other monsters that caused greater losses and were easier to deal with.”

“But if we consider the inverse: despite possessing such formidable abilities, an almost invincible defense, the Shadow Beast consistently preys on the weak.

This instance is no different; the Shadow Beast specifically targeted young Ranxin, an ordinary girl. Don’t you find this remarkably strange?”

“After all, before a monster that can nullify almost all attacks, the difference between a powerful extraordinary individual and an ordinary person is negligible – perhaps the former’s flesh might even be tastier. Such a clear distinction in targeting should not exist.”

“Now that you mention it… Commander Jeremiah, who faced the Shadow Beast back then, had only just joined the Radiant Knights and hadn’t yet displayed any exceptional abilities.

He was merely an ordinary new knight,” Rena recalled, her brow furrowed in thought.

“Exactly!”

Bastet cast a meaningful glance at Rena, then continued to elaborate on the deductions she and Bai Zhi had made.

“Therefore, I believe ‘Guardian’ Bai Zhi’s hypothesis is correct. The Shadow Beast is not truly invincible; it must expose its true form at the moment just before consuming its prey. And at this precise moment, it can be harmed, even killed.”

“That is why the Shadow Beast consistently chooses weaker individuals as prey and always attempts to strike when its target is alone.

For if a third party were present, and courageously launched an attack at the moment it was about to devour its prey, its greatest weakness would be utterly exposed.”

“Meaning, if my reaction had been just a little swifter then, I could have slain that malevolent beast on the spot for daring to bare its fangs at Lady Ranxin!”

Lin gripped her sword hilt tightly, her face a mask of bitter unwillingness.

“Damn it! It’s all because of my weakness…”

“…If Lin hadn’t fought so desperately, I would have likely been devoured by the Shadow Beast then,” Xia Ranxin couldn’t help but comfort Lin, who was consumed by self-reproach. “So, Lin… you saved my life, and that fact will never change.”

“Furthermore, had it not been for your courageous actions, we might never have discerned the Shadow Beast’s weakness.”

Bai Zhi, not wanting Lin to wallow in self-blame, quickly added another point.

“You are, without a doubt, a great contributor.”

“Lady Bai Zhi! And Lady Ranxin! …”

“Lin…”

Lin and Xia Ranxin locked eyes, tears welling up in Lin’s.

Noticing the atmosphere veering off course, Bastet cleared its throat twice, refocusing everyone’s attention.

“Beyond this, we have also reached another conclusion.”

“Another conclusion?”

“It’s quite simple, actually, and can be inferred from the Shadow Beast’s subsequent actions.”

Bastet stated calmly, as if this realization was effortless for it.

“While the Shadow Beast possesses a fatal weakness, Lin’s discovery at the time was purely accidental. It had no real need to continue engaging Lin; it could have easily continued its hunt for the young girl.”

“And it had numerous methods at its disposal. For instance, it could have simply abducted the girl, shaken off Lin, and then leisurely consumed her.

Alternatively, it could have fully committed to countering Lin’s attacks. After all, as long as it didn’t intend to devour Lin and thus expose its weakness, it could have relied on its invincible constitution to defeat her, leaving the unprotected girl at its mercy.”

“Yet, it chose the most passive approach: despite having already wounded Lin, it still voluntarily fled the scene of the incident.”

“So… what are you implying?” Rena couldn’t help but ask.

“Therefore, I surmise that the Shadow Beast may not possess high intelligence; its operational logic is akin to that of a common wild beast.

It perceived danger and immediately chose to flee. For the same reason, because Lin, who poses a potential threat, has remained by the young girl’s side all this time, the Shadow Beast has not taken any concrete action for many days.”

“So that’s how it is…”

Lin murmured softly, finally understanding everything.

“Thus, based on these two conclusions, Bai Zhi and I have devised a trap for the Shadow Beast.”

“And this time, we shall utterly eradicate this centuries-old scourge!”

As it spoke, it exchanged a glance with Bai Zhi, both seeing the same unwavering resolve reflected in the other’s eyes.

Then, Bastet turned to Xia Ranxin, its voice heavy with gravity.

“However, for this trap, we may need to impose a slight hardship upon you, young girl…”