Chapter 48: A Frenzied Pursuit and a Calculated Fall

Though the sudden appearance of so many monsters defied all logic, Rona and Eve didn’t dwell on the “why.”

Their immediate priority was to break through the encirclement, not to understand its origins.

Eve quickly scanned their surroundings. The monsters had already formed a loose encirclement around the three of them. However, it seemed even more creatures were continuously pouring in from the depths of the forest.

Direct combat was clearly not a wise choice. They needed to find a way to break through the monster horde and flee towards Kana City.

“Rona.”

“Hm.”

Eve and Rona exchanged glances. Though no words were spoken, the unspoken understanding between friends allowed them to instantly grasp that their thoughts were aligned.

Was it just a trick of the mind? Eve couldn’t shake the feeling that she saw a hint of frenzied madness in the eyes of these menacing monsters.

This was far from normal. A multitude of monster species surrounded them, and Eve noticed a similar unsettling glint even in the eyes of those not typically known for aggression.

The roars of monsters mingled with the sound of a knight’s sword piercing flesh. Eve turned to see Rona shielding Xiluo’er, gritting her teeth as she battled a monster.

It seemed some of the creatures had already grown impatient and launched their attacks.

There was no more time for contemplation. Eve’s expression hardened, and she raised her staff high.

The monster count continued to swell. While fighting them head-on was impossible, clearing a path with a wide-area spell seemed like a viable strategy.

“Rona, cover me.”

Pointing her staff towards Kana City, Eve closed her eyes and began to murmur an incantation.

As a Hero, Eve possessed the unique ability to cast spells without incantation. Yet, to maximize the spell’s potency, she chose not to omit the chanting.

She had initially believed this attack would undoubtedly clear a path. However, as she channeled the magic within her body during the incantation, Eve sensed a faint abnormality.

‘Why is my magic so unresponsive?’

‘No, it’s not unresponsive… Where is my magic?!’

Realizing this, Eve furrowed her brow in confusion. But by then, the incantation had concluded, and several fireballs materialized, fanning out horizontally ahead.

While they did successfully carve a path through the monster encirclement, the fireballs were significantly smaller and less powerful than Eve had anticipated.

Seeing such profound bewilderment on Eve’s typically emotionless face, Xiluo’er guiltily lowered her head.

She knew all too well why Eve’s magic seemed depleted.

‘Hey, Freya, did you absorb too much yesterday?’

The question whispered silently in her mind received no answer. Freya’s communication allowance for the day seemed to have run out.

Eve had no time to ponder the issue with her magic. Rona scooped Xiluo’er up by the waist, and Eve cast a movement speed buff on herself. The two women dashed towards the newly opened gap.

However, because the opening was smaller than expected, monsters quickly gave chase.

Watching the relentless pursuit of the monsters behind them, Xiluo’er took a deep breath.

‘Well, although Eve’s situation was unintentional, it certainly makes the plan more convenient.’

Originally, she had intended to find a way to separate Eve from Rona and herself amidst the chaos of their escape. But now, it seemed the plan needed to be accelerated.

Just then, a monster lunged towards Rona. Rona promptly set Xiluo’er down and raised her knight’s sword to parry.

Though dispatching a single monster wouldn’t take long, that brief moment was enough for the pursuing horde to catch up. Seeing this, Eve immediately turned back, intending to assist Rona.

Lightning sparked, creating a chain reaction among the monster horde. Eve seized the opportunity to reach for Xiluo’er’s hand, but… Xiluo’er, seemingly panicked by the large group of monsters, instead ran towards Rona.

In the confusion, Eve couldn’t worry about too much. Seeing Rona once again tuck Xiluo’er under her arm, the two immediately retreated.

However, no sooner had Rona and Xiluo’er moved forward than Eve’s foot landed on a pile of fallen leaves, and she felt a sudden anomaly.

Several throwing knives shot vertically upwards from the leaf pile. Eve was forced to take a half-step back to dodge.

“Eve!”

Rona’s voice rang out from ahead.

“Don’t worry about me, take Xiluo’er and go!”

The sudden attack didn’t faze Eve. Seeing the path ahead about to be blocked by monsters, Eve immediately changed direction, splitting up from Rona and running off.

****

‘This is so stuffy, honestly…’

Rona had simply scooped Xiluo’er up by the waist without much thought, which resulted in Xiluo’er’s head being buried in Rona’s ample bosom, making muffled sounds throughout their escape.

Aside from the slight difficulty breathing, Xiluo’er could hear Rona’s rapidly beating heart from running and, through her obscured vision, occasionally glimpsed flashes of snowy white.

Of course, as a professional assassin, the obstructed view did not prevent Xiluo’er from reaching out a hand behind Rona to apply the sap of the Firefang Tree.

By the time Rona finally panted to a stop, Xiluo’er had conveniently put away the bottle.

“Hmph, hmph… Are you alright, Xiluo’er?”

Finally released by Rona, Xiluo’er could take a breath of fresh air.

“Yes… I’m fine.”

Xiluo’er nodded, simultaneously observing Rona’s expression.

This was the first time they had been alone together since the incident at the Lord’s Mansion.

Yet, Rona showed no unusual reaction.

“The monsters shouldn’t be able to catch up for now. Come on, let’s head back towards the city.”

Rona extended a hand to Xiluo’er.

“Xiluo’er?”

Xiluo’er, who had been observing Rona and their surroundings, finally snapped back to attention.

“Ah, I’m sorry, Big Sister Rona, I was just…”

“It’s alright. Don’t worry about Eve; she’s much stronger than I am.”

Rona reassuringly ruffled Xiluo’er’s small head.

“Sigh, I never imagined Eve would become a Hero. Back when we parted ways in the capital, she was just an ordinary mage from the Adventurer’s Guild.”

Rona winked at Xiluo’er.

“Indeed, if there’s ever an opportunity, I can tell you stories about your Big Sister Eve’s past.”

“Mm, okay…”

Xiluo’er’s reply was somewhat distracted. Rona simply assumed Xiluo’er was still a little scared from earlier.

In truth, Xiluo’er was merely contemplating her next move.

Now that they were successfully alone, it would be best to act quickly before anyone else arrived.

Thus, with a small gasp, Xiluo’er stumbled and fell to the ground with a soft thud.

As she fell, seemingly attempting to grasp at something in the air, Xiluo’er’s right hand slapped against Rona’s back.