Mistwood

This time, Xia Tong did not bother stripping the Misbegotten of their shabby equipment.

Traveling through the woods was already rough enough.

Making Torrent carry that pile of stinking scrap metal would have been asking too much of him.

Besides, he was already carrying the weight of both Xia Tong and Irina.

Seeing Torrent panting slightly, Xia Tong could not bear it.

He took out a handful of bright red Rowa Fruit from his pack.

Along with them were several dark-colored, dried Rowa Raisins.

Xia Tong only brought these out when Torrent was injured or utterly exhausted.

Torrent chewed with relish, and even his somewhat dull mane seemed to regain a little of its shine.

After a brief rest, Xia Tong unfolded the map from the intelligence report again.

"According to the markings, there should be a Spirit Spring not far ahead."

He put away the map, gently nudged Torrent's flank, and continued deeper into the unknown.

About ten minutes passed.

The view ahead suddenly opened up, and it was breathtakingly terrifying.

Xia Tong had arrived at the edge of a cliff. Beneath him lay a bottomless ravine, with only dense treetops churning far below.

And before the distant suspension bridge, beneath the break in the cliff face—

A violent white whirlwind, restrained by some unseen law, surged from the ground and shot into the sky.

The wind howled, but it was not harsh. Instead, it carried a strange rhythm.

"So this is a Spirit Spring."

Xia Tong patted Torrent's neck.

He let out a cheerful neigh, then leaped without hesitation into the abyss!

A powerful sensation of weightlessness struck at once, as though his heart had skipped a beat.

"Ah—!"

Irina cried out instinctively, curling backward.

Only after feeling Xia Tong's broad, warm chest behind her did she barely manage to stop screaming.

But her small hands were still trembling.

"Lord Xia Tong, are we..."

Just as they were about to plunge into the valley floor—

"Whoosh—!"

A gentle yet unbelievably powerful pressure of wind, like a giant's palm, steadily supported the weight of horse and riders.

Torrent ran upon the wind, gracefully making a second leap in midair to adjust his posture.

Then he drifted lightly down to the ground.

"We've landed."

Xia Tong's voice came from above her.

"Mistwood is ahead."

They traveled through the woods for more than half an hour.

The scenery around them began to change in unsettling ways.

Compared to the woods outside Sick Village Outskirts, the vegetation here was suffocatingly dense.

Massive ancient trees blocked out the sky, their twisted branches like arms tangled together.

A thin mist also hung in the air, like flowing vapor.

Fortunately, it was not completely silent. Birds occasionally chirped, and rabbits fleeing through the brush made soft rustling sounds.

Xia Tong kept his nerves taut as he moved along the edge of the forest.

What he feared most now was running into a Rune Bear. If he encountered one, Xia Tong figured he would be dead meat.

It could be called the strongest individual force on the Weeping Peninsula at present.

It was far more troublesome than the Ancient Hero of Zamor imprisoned on the island.

As he walked, a sweet, cloying scent of pollen suddenly reached his nose.

The smell was alluring, yet carried a hint of decay.

Xia Tong warily glanced toward the eastern path.

Within the mist, several enormous, brightly colored strange flowers appeared and vanished from view.

Miranda Poison Flowers!

Their huge petals slowly opened and closed, releasing pale green clouds of toxic spores that drifted through the air.

Xia Tong quickly left the area and cautiously followed the map for several dozen more minutes.

Comparing it to the surrounding landmarks, he confirmed that the destination was ahead.

The intelligence section of the map had marked the mission's key point in bright red ink:

"As long as the group's leader—the Demi-Human Queen—is defeated."

"The demi-humans' morale can be severely crushed, throwing them into chaos and perhaps even stopping their attacks."

"Awooo—!!!"

Suddenly, a shrill, miserable howl tore through the forest's silence.

It sounded like cat claws frantically scraping glass, sharp and grating enough to make one's scalp tingle.

Xia Tong's expression hardened. He immediately dismounted, then gently helped Irina down as well.

A rider was too conspicuous, and hoofbeats could easily expose them. It was far too dangerous.

Xia Tong surveyed the terrain.

He settled Irina behind a huge rock. It was sheltered from the wind and concealed by thick bushes, making it extremely hidden.

Torrent was left there as well, remaining alert at all times. If anything went wrong, he could flee with Irina at once.

"Melina, I'm counting on you."

Xia Tong spoke quietly.

"Take good care of Miss Irina. I'll scout the path ahead."

With that, he rang the Spirit Calling Bell.

A flash of ghostly blue light appeared, and three Stray Wolves stepped out of the void.

Wolves had exceptionally keen senses, and their instinct for danger far surpassed that of humans.

If there truly was an ambush, their howls would be the best warning.

"Go. I'm here."

Melina materialized from the shadows of the forest, her tone calm yet certain.

Xia Tong crouched low, lowering his center of gravity as he held the Lordsworn's Straight Sword.

Following the unnerving howls ahead, he quietly crept closer.

Thanks to the Tarnished's enhanced eyesight.

Even though the forest was as dark as night, he could vaguely make out the outline of a cluster of ruined walls in the distance.

If he was not mistaken, that was the nest occupied by the Demi-Human Queen—the Demi-Human Ruins.

"Jingle, jingle."

Xia Tong rang the bell again.

This time, he summoned two Fanged Imps.

They were small in stature, with stone-gray skin, and were born experts at launching sneak attacks among ruins and rocks.

Very soon.

Xia Tong spotted the one standing watch ahead.

It was an ordinary demi-human.

It was far shorter than a normal human, hunched over like an oversized monkey walking upright.

Its skin was a sickly bluish-black, covered in grime and scars.

It wore nothing resembling proper clothing, merely wrapping itself in a few ragged animal hides that gave off a nauseating stench.

Its teeth were crooked and uneven, jutting outward.

The weapon in its hand was even more primitive.

It was a crude wooden club, not even as good as the thick wooden cudgel Xia Tong had held when he first woke up.

Xia Tong held his breath, deliberately slowing even his heartbeat.

One step, then two.

The moment the demi-human turned around to scratch itself—

"Pshk!"

Xia Tong sprang forward like a cheetah!

The Lordsworn's Straight Sword in his hand became a streak of cold light, stabbing precisely into its back and piercing straight through its heart!

At the same time, his left hand clamped over the demi-human's mouth like an iron vise.

He forcibly smothered the scream that was about to escape.

"Mmph—!!!"

The demi-human's body convulsed violently. Hot, foul-smelling blood gushed along the blade, staining Xia Tong's hand red.

The two Fanged Imps worked in perfect coordination.

They both leaped up, their Forked Hatchets chopping viciously into the demi-human's waist and thigh.

After struggling for only a moment.

The demi-human went completely limp and stopped moving.

A faint warm current of Rune energy flowed into Xia Tong's body.

After dealing with the sentry, Xia Tong quickly dragged its corpse into the deep grass nearby and covered the bloodstains with dead leaves.

His movements were as practiced as those of a seasoned assassin.

Once he had cleaned up the scene, he continued sneaking deeper into the ruins.

Though it was already close to noon.

The dense canopy kept the forest dark and gloomy, while the spreading mist made the road ahead even more eerie and unpredictable.

Over the next ten minutes.

Xia Tong repeated the same method, working with the imps to silently eliminate five or six isolated demi-humans.

Every strike was fatal. He never wasted a single motion.

But paper could not cover fire forever.

Just as he prepared to eliminate the seventh target, an accident occurred.

"Gah—!!!"

A sharp, piercing cackle suddenly rang out from the side.

Xia Tong whirled around.

A noticeably larger and stronger demi-human stood atop a collapsed wall.

It waved an enormous wooden club, pointing toward Xia Tong as it roared out a warning.

They had been exposed!

"Rustle, rustle—"

Following its roar, more than a dozen small demi-humans burst from the surrounding bushes and the shadows of the ruins.

Wielding rusty short blades and serrated weapons, they bared their teeth and swarmed forward like a tide.

Since stealth had failed, he would face them head-on!

Xia Tong no longer hid himself, and his gaze instantly turned sharp.

He threw aside the Lordsworn's Straight Sword and took the Lordsworn's Greatsword from his back.

From his clothes, he pulled out a large lump of Fire Grease that had been prepared beforehand and wrapped layer upon layer in leaves.

He quickly unwrapped it and fiercely smeared it across the blade of the Lordsworn's Greatsword.

With violent friction—

"Sizzle—boom!"

The explosive crackle of burning grease echoed through the area.

A bright, blazing flame surged up at once, coiling around the blade.

Within the dark, frigid Mistwood, the flame was especially conspicuous—and especially domineering!