Footsteps raced up the steps. When Sylutia stopped holding back and gave it her all, her light frame became a streak of light, carrying her to the end of the mountain path at incredible speed.
Then she leaped into the air, twisting sideways as she drew her bow. Almost as soon as she spotted the enemy, she took aim and fired.
The arrow, bright as a cold star, shot toward the lizard and struck its scales, but failed to pierce them. The seed on its tip, however, had already been infused with the power of the Emerald Nectar Aspect. Once it hit the ground, it began to sprout and grow. The spreading vines interrupted the lizard as it devoured Bad Apple, then forced it to retreat and tear through the thorny vines wrapped around its body.
Had she made it in time? Her gaze searched the area and found the captain, Bad Apple, already stiffened.
After landing, Sylutia moved again without pausing, racing toward the stone wall behind the mountain. She leaped into the air to gain a better view.
This time, she switched to an arrow carrying Thick Wood Vine, a plant that grew relatively slowly but grew exceptionally thick and strong.
She didn't target the lizard. Instead, she aimed for the sandy soil beside it.
When the arrow landed, its seed sprouted. Thick, woody vines spread in every direction, some even reaching into the Stone Spring Pool. The lizard flew into a rage. It tore through the woody vines in front of it with a bite, then looked toward Sylutia, not far away—the "bug" that had come to meddle.
Invisible magic radiated from its gray-white pupils. Sylutia's body stiffened, and she fell to the ground. Fortunately, the Moonlight Breathing Technique was running at full speed inside her, dispelling