Escape

Kalei and Thisalee ignored the reactions of the demons on the platform. After killing the succubus, they immediately took Big Black and ran toward the tunnel they had come from.

Unfortunately, when the two and the panther appeared at the tunnel entrance, they found two Satyr and two Felhounds waiting for them inside.

With the abilities of Thisalee and Kalei, combined with a Saber that possessed the strength of an intermediate Warrior, dealing with these two Satyr and two Felhounds was not a problem at all.

The problem was that they lacked the time. They had to leave before the pursuers in the cave caught up; otherwise, once they were pinned down, they would be swamped by an endless tide of demons.

Kalei knew that with Thisalee's abilities, she could easily abandon him and fly away in her flight form, leaving him and Big Black to their doom.

With his own skills, he could use the Blink spell to break through the encirclement for a short time, but how could he take Big Black with him? Without Big Black's help, how could he escape the pursuit of the Felhounds?

At this thought, a sense of despair surged into Kalei's heart. He looked at Thisalee, preparing to tell her to leave early so she could at least collect his corpse later.

But Thisalee interrupted him with a high-pitched voice, saying, "Kalei, never give up! We are children of nature; nature will grant us strength and show us the way forward. Now, follow me."

In his anxiety, Kalei lost all sense of direction. He could only cast Thick Skin on himself and Big Black in advance, then followed closely behind Thisalee.

By now, the demons on the platform had formed a pincer movement under the command of several high-level Satyr.

The leading Felhounds opened their blood-stained maws and lunged at the two and the panther; nearby Imps waved burning torches, shrieking as they swarmed forward to block their retreat.

Seeing this, Thisalee did not retreat but advanced, charging toward the demons with Kalei and Big Black. The white tiger form she had taken suddenly doubled in size, then opened its massive jaws and let out a deafening roar.

This roar struck the Felhounds and Imps like an invisible cannonball, sending them flying with blood and gore as they collapsed to the ground.

The Felhounds closest to her had their internal organs shattered instantly and died on the spot; the Imps further away were left bleeding from their seven orifices, losing all ability to fight.

Kalei watched from behind, clicking his tongue in secret. He knew Thisalee must have used the Druid skill Mortal Roar, but he had never expected it to have such terrifying power in reality.

The demons that had been closing in were suddenly cleared away, revealing a massive gap.

Seizing the opportunity, Thisalee led Kalei and Big Black through the gap and reached the edge of the underground river.

The turbulent river surged through the darkness, making a loud, rushing sound.

This enraged many of the high-level Satyr. They cursed loudly, ordering their Felhounds and Imps to surround them again, while hurling Shadow Bolt spells from afar, hoping to strike the two down right there at the riverbank.

In this moment of crisis, Thisalee once again displayed her formidable adaptability. As she ran, her body shifted from a white tiger into a Black Raven. Calling upon the name of the Spirit of Nature, she flapped her wings twice at the pursuing demons.

Two hurricanes rose out of thin air within the cave, howling as they swept toward the pursuing demons from both left and right.

The demons, focused entirely on the chase, were caught off guard. They were tossed about by the twin hurricanes; some had their heads crushed by flying debris, while others were thrown directly into the underground river. The pursuing force fell into instant chaos.

Seizing this chance, Thisalee dove down, plunging into the pitch-black water of the underground river. Ripples spread across the surface as her form shifted once more, transforming into a strange-looking shark. She shouted to Kalei, "Quick, jump onto my back!"

Only then did Kalei understand Thisalee's plan. He was both shocked and overjoyed, knowing this was his only chance at survival, and he scrambled toward the river.

But after taking two steps, he suddenly thought of Big Black. He and Thisalee could escape through the water, but what about Big Black?

He turned to look for the panther, only to find that Big Black had already jumped into the water ahead of him, paddling hard with its paws.

Holy crap, Big Black, you actually learned to swim behind my back!

Kalei was stunned and delighted. Seeing the demons in the cave closing in, he dared not delay any longer. He leaped into the river and grabbed onto Thisalee's back, mounting her.

Without waiting for him to settle, Thisalee carried him toward the downstream of the underground river.

The river water rushed past her, and the once-pitch-black tunnel was illuminated by the faint green glow of the natural energy radiating from her body, lighting the path ahead.

The shark form Thisalee had taken was clearly no ordinary shark; it was a magical creature capable of using magic underwater.

Sitting on Thisalee's back, Kalei could clearly feel a force enveloping him and Big Black, pulling them along as they followed Thisalee forward.

In just a few breaths, the figures of the two and the panther vanished into the depths of the underground river, completely leaving behind the reach of the firelight in the cave.

This left the pursuing demons and Satyr dumbfounded. They never imagined that the two Night Elf would escape right under their noses in such a manner.

They crowded the riverbank, staring in the direction where Kalei and the others had vanished, cursing and roaring, but there was nothing they could do.

The Satyr leader Savatheras clearly had not expected such a turn of events. His furry face turned a sickly shade of blue, looking as if it were about to drip water.

He stood up from his throne, radiating a terrifying shadow aura, and bellowed, "You bunch of idiots, why aren't you chasing them? What are you still doing here?"

The demons looked at each other, all wearing expressions of distress—the underground river was turbulent and the channels were complex; they had no way to operate in the water, so how could they pursue?

Ordos, who had been lying on the ground like a dead dog, saw this and knew it was his chance to survive. He immediately shouted, "Master, Master, I have a way."

Savatheras glared at him with fury, impatient. "Speak."

Ordos was overjoyed, knowing he had been granted a reprieve. He weighed his words in his mind and said, "Great Master, this underground river is a long way from the exit. It won't be easy for those two Druid to escape through it."

"We only need to organize a team of elites to follow behind them and track them. Once they are exhausted, we can deliver the final blow."

A Satyr nearby mocked, "Ordos, isn't that just nonsense? Who doesn't know the downstream is difficult? But we don't have any Druid; how are we supposed to match their speed in the water? Are we supposed to rely on a stray dog like you?"

As soon as he spoke, the surrounding demons and Satyr burst into mocking laughter, all casting derisive looks at Ordos, waiting to see him humiliated.

Ordos shouted, "Who said you can't operate in water without a Druid?"

The Satyr retorted, "If you say you can, then show us your method."

Ordos gave Savatheras a fawning look, then turned to the surrounding Satyr. "Everyone, have you forgotten what your original identities were? Have you forgotten that you were all mages?"

The Satyr finally realized. It was true; many of them had been Night Elf mages before they were transformed into Satyr, and quite a few had been Frost mages.

Although they had become half-demons and many of their spellcasting abilities were affected, and they could no longer summon water elementals, their basic ability to control water remained. As long as they utilized it properly, they could certainly move in the water.

Savatheras, who had remained silent, looked at Ordos crouching on the ground and said loudly, "Ordos, you have shown your wisdom once again. Since that is the case, I will give you another chance. You will lead the team. You may choose whichever subordinates you wish, and go chase those two pointed-ears and that damned panther immediately! Do you understand?"

Ordos was ecstatic and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Master, I understand. I will see to it at once."

Savatheras nodded with satisfaction. "Very good. I hope you do not disappoint me again this time, or you know the consequences."

Ordos said, "Master, rest assured, I will definitely satisfy you."

Having escaped death, Ordos dared not delay. He quickly selected four high-level Satyr who had practiced Frost magic and led them into the underground river to begin the pursuit.