Chapter 39: The Fiery Forest and the Treant’s Arrival

And so it begins! I still haven’t witnessed Gudou Ritien’s dance from yesterday!

In a hazy stupor, Ahoge Dragon slept through until the following day.

Still half-asleep and disoriented, she eventually trailed behind Yao Yueli and Mao Yuxia into the depths of the forest.

“The Little Princess’s attack yesterday was simply too overwhelming; I even fainted myself, meow~”

Mao Yuxia confessed sheepishly.

Regardless, both Ahoge Dragon and Mao Yuxia found their memories of the subsequent events utterly blank.

What a truly inept pair they were.

“You two, rouse yourselves! Honestly!”

Yao Yueli let out a weary sigh.

“For our inaugural day, let us merely explore the outer perimeter.”

Naturally, the deeper one ventured into the forest, the more formidable the magical beasts became.

Consequently, this hunting ground was divided into three distinct zones.

These were the outer perimeter, the inner region, and the deep core.

“There’s nothing of value in the outer perimeter, and it’s far too crowded. Let’s venture into the inner region or even the deep core of the forest!”

Ahoge Dragon believed that if they were going to play, they should go for the most thrilling experience.

“If you harbor a death wish, simply state it plainly!”

Yao Yueli shot Ahoge Dragon a stern glare.

“We won’t perish! With Meow-meow and I working in perfect concert, no magical beast will even detect our presence.”

Ahoge Dragon, utterly fearless and brimming with confidence, took each of them by a hand and strode forward.

“Let’s go, let’s go! We’re off on a grand treasure hunt!”

Indeed, this place was teeming with treasures: the corpses of magical beasts and the rare, natural wonders they guarded.

Ahoge Dragon’s eyes widened in sheer avarice.

“Very well, we shall proceed to the inner region first, little Ahoge. From this moment forth, you are not to stray more than three meters from me. Is that understood?”

The outer perimeter was primarily for those with three-star strength; Yao Yueli wouldn’t find anything valuable staying there.

“Yes, yes, yes! Big Sister, rest assured, I shall be utterly well-behaved.”

Ahoge Dragon chirped happily, wagging her head back and forth.

However, moments later, she clutched her head, a nauseated expression clouding her face.

Her horns had grown so large and heavy that a few shakes were enough to overwhelm her head.

‘This must be a lingering effect from that toad hag’s attack yesterday. No more shaking, no more shaking.’

Only then did Ahoge Dragon truly clear her head.

She began to peer around with an insatiable curiosity.

With her invincible [Dragon’s Eye of Analysis], no treasure could escape her keen sight.

However, being still in the outer perimeter, there was truly nothing remarkable to be found.

Spotting a few first and second-tier herbs, she considered it a modest haul.

“Heheheh, Meow-meow, do you know what this is?”

Along the way, Ahoge Dragon had indeed encountered many wondrous things.

For instance, the plant before them had cat ears and a tail that resembled a fluffy dandelion.

“I’m unsure, but it’s undeniably adorable,” Mao Yuxia replied, shaking her head.

“Heheheh! This is Cat-Transformation Grass. If you eat it, you’ll turn into a little kitty, just like you, Meow-meow!”

“Ah! There’s a herb like that? Will I turn back after becoming a cat?”

“It only lasts for one day, you see. And it’s only for human use, with no other effects. But… heheheh…”

Ahoge Dragon flashed a mischievous grin, her thoughts drifting to Gudou Ritien.

That fellow owed her a dance; she’d make him eat this Cat-Transformation Grass, sprout cat ears and a tail, and then have him perform a seductive dance.

The sight would surely be magnificent!

‘Put it away, put it away.’

Ahoge Dragon then carefully stowed away the Cat-Transformation Grass.

Finding a few more, Ahoge Dragon was so delighted that she couldn’t stop grinning.

“Stop messing around, a magical beast is approaching.”

Yao Yueli remained vigilant, her senses keenly attuned to their surroundings.

She knew well that Yue Guangyao and his people would not let them off easily.

Given their nature, they would have to guard against not only magical beasts but also Yue Guangyao’s faction throughout their journey.

“It’s a Level Three magical beast! Don’t you two try to steal it from me; let me use this to practice!”

Ahoge Dragon’s excitement soared, eager to test the magic she had cultivated over the past few days.

“Be careful, then.”

Yao Yueli stood guard nearby, curious to see what tricks this one would pull out.

“Watch me! Fire Magic: Fireball!”

Ahoge Dragon pointed forward with a flourish of self-satisfaction.

A crimson magic circle materialized at Ahoge Dragon’s fingertip, from which a fist-sized fireball shot forth.

Whoosh!

It struck a large tree beside the wild boar magical beast.

A section of the tree immediately ignited.

‘Huh?’

Ahoge Dragon’s delicate brows furrowed in disbelief; refusing to accept her miss, she fired several more small fireballs in quick succession.

A large swathe of the forest caught fire, yet not a single fireball managed to hit the wild boar magical beast!

“This wild boar has excellent footwork. Watch me control it first.”

Ahoge Dragon chuckled at the two of them, then adopted a serious expression.

She extended her hand.

“Earth Magic: Quagmire!”

The ground before the wild boar magical beast abruptly transformed into a muddy path.

This significantly slowed the wild boar magical beast’s advance.

“Heheheh! Fire Magic: Fireball!”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

“Yay, I hit it! Big wild boar, die! You’ll be our dinner tonight!”

Finally landing a hit, Ahoge Dragon was so overjoyed she nearly wept.

Even though it was only one hit~

“Sister Yueli, is this really okay? Little Ahoge seems to have set a huge portion of the forest ablaze along the way!”

Mao Yuxia pointed to the raging flames in the distance, silently thinking, ‘Arson means rotting in jail!’

She had thought Yao Yueli would keep Ahoge Dragon in check.

But look at this mess!

“Don’t worry, the fire won’t spread far. Still, you clumsy Ahoge, your aim is getting much better.”

Training Ahoge Dragon occasionally was proving quite effective.

At home, it was a struggle to get her to practice even an hour a day.

“What do you mean ‘getting better’? I was always accurate! It’s just that big wild boar was too fast.”

Ahoge Dragon puffed out her cheeks, asserting that it wasn’t her lack of skill, but the enemy’s overly evasive tactics.

As the wild boar magical beast continued to charge towards them, Ahoge Dragon simultaneously cast [Quagmire] and launched small fireballs.

Yao Yueli, meanwhile, rapidly retreated with her, kiting the beast so effectively that the large wild boar must have regretted ever being born.

Why endure such torment?

The massive blaze here, akin to a lighthouse at sea, quickly drew the attention of many.

Everyone inwardly cursed the mischievous brat responsible, wondering if they knew how many precious spirit herbs would be incinerated.

Within the inferno, several individuals wore grim expressions. Fortunately, they were professional assassins.

These flames posed no threat to their lives whatsoever!

However, if this continued, they would be in a difficult predicament.

Nevertheless, with the Crown Prince’s hefty payment already received, they dared not slack off.

They could only endure.

‘(Who would have thought someone would set the forest ablaze? Heavens!)’

“Sister Yueli, please stop! If this continues, the entire inner region will eventually be burnt to a crisp!”

Mao Yuxia was relieved she had come; seeing how much Yao Yueli doted on Ahoge Dragon, such antics would likely consume the better part of a day.

“Indeed, it’s taken too long. Move aside, clumsy Ahoge.”

“Lightning Flash!”

A violet sword shadow shot forth, and the charging wild boar magical beast finally met its end.

“Aiya, I still wanted to play more! But, fragrant roasted pork is delicious!”

Ahoge Dragon wasn’t angry; feeling tired, she prepared to slice the wild boar into pieces.

“Ah! It’s finally over, meow~”

Mao Yuxia breathed a sigh of relief, glad it was finally done.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!!

Just as the group relaxed for a moment, a sudden bolt of lightning struck from a clear sky.

It was enough to make their legs turn to jelly.

“Holy crap! What happened?!”

From the most intense part of the flames, a lightning bolt descended, and a colossal treant, crowned with four enormous blossoms, materialized out of thin air.

Towering over fifty meters tall, it was a truly terrifying entity.

Upon its appearance, a massive jet of water erupted from one of its stamens, shooting skyward.

Immediately, torrential rain began to pour from the heavens.

The flames were instantly extinguished.

“This is the Elven tribe’s protective power, the Defense—Treant Tower!”

Mao Yuxia’s cat-like eyes widened in utter disbelief.

‘Hadn’t this only appeared in ancient times?’

‘Why was it appearing now?’

‘Back then, this Defense Treant Tower was like a multitude of minions, protected by a defensive tower, relentlessly crushing everything in its path straight to our crystal!’

‘This is bad…’

‘This thing has only one purpose: to control magical beast minions, advance relentlessly, and destroy everything!’