It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

Although no significant damage had been done, the Chimera's rage was already overflowing. For countless days and months, it had been ordered to guard this cave, spending its days sleeping. And today, two humans were playing with it like a monkey.

I can't stand this! Its tiger head roared to the sky again, its wings flapping as a massive blast of cold air erupted from its crane head. Without her shield, Bai Lin managed to dodge the attack, but her ankle was still pinned to the ground. The extremely enraged Chimera naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity and slapped her with a claw.

But the giant's attack was interrupted again.

Katie, holding a magic circle, caused the earth to solidify. The sound of flowing water echoed from the ground, and then suddenly, there was a huge explosion. A thick, long, sharp pillar of earth pierced through and penetrated the Chimera's jaw.

Its jaw was clearly harder than Katie had imagined. She had initially expected the blow to pierce the Chimera's skull, but it only penetrated a small portion. Despite this, the Chimera was still dizzy from the severe impact of its jaw. It roared in pain and took two steps back. Bai Lin quickly ran, completely distancing himself from the giant creature.

By the time the giant recovered, Bai Lin had already run a long way off. Undeterred, it tried to catch up, but a chain suddenly appeared, tugging at its left foot. Exerting too much force, it fell sideways to the ground. Feeling aggrieved, this creature, primarily a large cat, finally took it all on its own.

Bai Lin stood in the distance with Katie, watching the giant creature. She seemed to see a glimmer of tears in its eyes, which made her want to laugh. Perhaps this was the cute contrast.

The Chimera, which had been so powerful before, turned and walked away. It glared at Bai Lin and Katie fiercely, as if to say, "Wait for me." Its huge body slowly dissipated into the shadows just as it had appeared.

Katie rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought. Bai Lin, on the other hand, rested her hands on her hips, pondering how to pick up her shield. The diminutive figure next to her, a figure of great wisdom, snapped his fingers, as if realizing something.

"I see." Katie said a little excitedly.

"What do you understand?" Bai Lin asked with interest.

"The chimera's principle of existence. It is a semi-spiritual being, so it can appear and disappear freely in this cave."

Bai Lin took a deep breath, "Isn't this too strong?"

It can appear and disappear at will, is incredibly powerful, moves quickly, can spray ice and poison, and is also massive. Fortunately, it was just running fast. If it truly was intended to kill the opponent, it would be incredibly frustrating.

"It's not that powerful," Katie said. "Look, it's bound by chains. That's the price of becoming a half-spiritual. Its movements are limited."

As she spoke, Katie chanted her spell and gently stroked Bai Lin's armor. Bai Lin looked at her in confusion, only to see a flash of white light before her eyes, which cleared her vision. She saw small black dots arrayed in the depths of the cave, moving collectively and drifting away.

"This is a blessing. It can help you see the movements of spirits." Seeing Bai Lin's confusion, Katie explained. As a shrine maiden, she naturally had to have the means to exorcise spirits. Blessing armor and weapons was what she should do for a warrior.

Bai Lin scratched his head, "But this seems a little hard to see clearly."

Katie nodded, "Indeed, but I'm only giving you this to protect you from surprise attacks. If you react quickly, it should be enough."

Chapter 66 A Battle in the Dark

Hearing this, Bai Lin nodded and said nothing more. This was the only advantage she had.

However, the small black dots mixed in the darkness...are really hard to distinguish.

"But why should we go looking for trouble with that Chimera?" Bai Lin asked.

"Do you know what it means for a goblin to be imprisoned in a place like this, with such powerful guards?"

Katie asked Bai Lin in return, and Bai Lin came up with his own answer, "Is it because this goblin is very important?"

Katie nodded. "The Chimera we encountered earlier had five fusion elements. Generally, any fusion beast of two or more can be called a Chimera. The more there are, the more powerful they are."

"With five of these species, they must be the prized subordinates of the overlord of this snowfield. The fact that they're willing to let them guard the gate with a semi-spiritual form shows that this goblin..."

At this point, Katie looked at Bai Lin with the same expression as a teacher looking at a student. Bai Lin also cooperated and added,

"Have you ever threatened the master of the snowfield?"

"That's right." Katie nodded with satisfaction.

As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. If this goblin is rescued, it will surely become dissatisfied after being imprisoned here for a long time and want to rebel, thus strengthening our team.

Even if it didn't want to help their people, they could still extort some information from it through blackmail. After Katie's explanation, Bai Lin roughly understood the reason for the battle. She took a deep breath, picked up her sword, and slowly stepped forward.

Katie stood still and began to cast a spell. Knowing the opponent's maximum range, how could she not take advantage of it?

From Bai Lin's experience so far, the Chimera, while difficult, was nowhere near as oppressive as the Ice Witch and Claire. Perhaps it was precisely because of the sheer number of fusions that her aura was shattered. Facing such an opponent, her aura couldn't help but rise a fraction.

This is naturally an excellent state for the Red Iron Forging Method.

After she took a few steps into the area, Bai Lin's tense nerves allowed her to immediately catch the tiny black particles rapidly forming through her good eyesight. She immediately stepped back to the right, creating some distance.

The Chimera appeared and immediately unleashed a blazing flame from its crane head. It wasn't stupid. The human in front of it had just abandoned her shield, and now she had no other means of defense. Besides enduring it head-on, she could only ask the other to help interrupt her.

Bai Lin had just dodged, and now she was in an awkward position, her strength gone. She cursed inwardly and rolled to the side. The scorching flames burned her carapace, and the explosive force of the flames blew Bai Lin away slightly.

The moment she landed on the ground, the Chimera's massive claws slapped Bai Lin. Just as she was halfway upright, Bai Lin was smacked hard in the chest, sending her flying again, landing on the ground far away. She gasped for breath, a painful feeling of difficulty breathing spreading through her chest.

If that claw had landed on her head, she would have died instantly. Katie single-handedly completed her magic circle, a brilliant light emanating. The Chimera cleverly concealed itself once more. But once it vanished, the light slowly faded, leaving behind the prepared magic circle.

Katie smiled triumphantly and used her free hand to cast a healing spell on Bai Lin. Only then did Bai Lin slowly recover. Cold sweat streamed down her forehead beneath her helmet as she sensed the strength of her opponent.

I just made a mistake, and I was chased and beaten like this. The Chimera was faster than I thought.

"Are you feeling better?" Katie asked with concern. Bai Lin stood up and said he was fine.

She has figured out the strength of her opponent.

While casting spells, Chimera can also perform melee attacks. Moreover, its movements are extremely fast, and one's own melee ability may not be able to match its claws.

Bai Lin's advantage lies in her size, but that's all. If she doesn't make the right judgment right away, she'll be hit hard by Chimera.

Even if Katie and I cooperated perfectly, it couldn't compare to someone else cooperating with themselves. Therefore, Bai Lin had already clearly defined his battle strategy, which was to charge forward, do whatever it took to pin down the Chimera, dodge its attacks, and stall for time.

This way, it didn't matter when Katie cast her spells. As long as the Chimera had no time to deal with Katie, there would always be enough spell output to take its life.

Bai Lin kicked the ground hard and rushed into the arena. The black particles floating in the air instantly gathered, blocking Bai Lin's path. The Chimera would not let her easily pass and reach its shield. It swung its claws and slapped Bai Lin in front of it.

She tilted her head slightly, barely dodging the Chimera's attack. This time, no spells appeared to attack her, which was also within Bai Lin's calculations. As long as she circled around her opponent's feet and attacked, the Chimera's crane head, high up in the air, would be unable to cast spells against her. After all, you can't cast a spell on yourself, right?

Bai Lin had already demonstrated this ability on the first day, when he dealt with the minotaurs. Rolling sideways to avoid the attacking snake head, Bai Lin stood up and slashed the chimera's thick front leg. Although the wound was shallow, it still let out a painful roar.

The Chimera trembled, a frenzy emanating from it. Just as it was about to do something else, a black sickle flew out silently and swiftly, severing the crane's head, which was staring at its feet. The Chimera's tiger head howled, and its entire body collapsed, somewhat exhausted.

Bai Lin quickly ran out from under it, taking advantage of the opportunity to pick up her shield. The Chimera disappeared on the spot, seemingly frightened, but soon, the black particles gathered together again. It looked at Katie with a fierce gaze.

The snake's poison mist was about to erupt, and Bai Lin naturally didn't sit idle. She threw another flying shield, easily interrupting the snake's breath. The rebounding shield landed right in front of Bai Lin. She quickly picked it up and jumped to the rock wall beside her, dodging the opponent's claw attack.

Pushing against the rock wall, Bai Lin suddenly accelerated as if someone were pushing her. This was a new ability she had acquired through spearmanship: special fulcrum acceleration. It was originally intended for use with spears, but it worked wonders here.

Chapter 67 Another Life

Taking advantage of the momentum of falling from the air, Bai Lin slashed downwards with great speed and strength. Unfortunately, the Chimera's instinctive reaction as a beast and its extraordinary speed were too strong, and Bai Lin's action ended in being slapped away by a claw again.

But this time it's different.

Having already been knocked back once, how could she possibly engage in such a meaningless act? Bai Lin had already placed her shield in front of her, reducing the impact while also absorbing a large amount of energy. With the force reduced, she still had enough energy to recover, eventually tumbling to the ground not far away.

Even though his arm was numb, Bai Lin still marveled at the power of the shield in his hand. Previously, he had felt like dying after being hit by it, but now he could stand up easily.

Her action, of course, wasn't just to replenish her energy; it was also to divert Chimera's attention away from Katie. Simply put, it was to draw down their hatred. Regardless, Bai Lin was more suited to taking the beating.

Although Bai Lin's slash only left a small cut on Chimera's arm, she herself was practically unharmed. Regrouping, she charged forward to confront Chimera once more. Her opponent, roaring furiously, vanished into the shadows once more.

Such a manic opponent actually rationally chose to retreat at this moment? This was really hard for Bai Lin to believe.

With one head gone, the black particles in the air seemed to have diminished considerably. Bai Lin meticulously watched their movement, not daring to relax for even a moment. After all, if they were truly caught in the crossfire, it wouldn't be pleasant.

At that moment, Katie unleashed the spell she had long prepared. A sacred aura instantly filled the modest cavern. The radiant light didn't cause Bai Lin any visual discomfort; instead, it calmed her, like a saint being baptized, gradually sinking into tranquility while immersed in holy water.

With a flash of light and a cry of pain, the chimera fell from the sky. Its body was covered in wounds, a bloody and horrific sight. Its tail drooped to the ground, blood gushing from the wounds. It lay in close contact with the floor, uncertain whether it was alive or dead. It seemed useless.

"Huh?" Katie touched her chin, walked to Bai Lin's side, and observed the chimera lying on the ground from close range.

"I originally thought this move would be enough to kill it instantly. After all, this is a spirit exorcism ritual, and it should be a 100% sure kill against spirits..."

Bai Lin looked at the horrific scene in front of him, and after hearing Katie's calm analysis, he sighed in his heart that this girl's psychological quality was really good. Even in this situation, she could still immerse herself in her own world.

"Maybe it's because it's stronger?" Bai Lin asked tentatively.

Katie nodded slightly, accepting the explanation. The severely injured Chimera angrily looked at Katie and Bai Lin. If looks could kill, they would have lost hundreds of lives. Unfortunately, the Chimera could only lie on the ground, staring blankly.

With such tacit understanding between the two, Chimera's situation can only be described in four words: "at the mercy of others."

Regardless of the type of chimera, they all possess considerable magical value. Especially this high-level, rare semi-spiritual creature. As a magician, it's natural for Katie to be particularly interested in them. However, chimeras are incredibly powerful, and because they're artificially crafted, they're fiercely loyal to their masters. Therefore, capturing one alive is incredibly difficult.

This was a good thing. The blow Katie had thought was sure to kill it actually happened to severely injure it. And looking at the Chimera's current state, it was probably impossible for it to recover its spirit form. This was truly a blessing in disguise.

However, even so, we cannot let our guard down.

"Bai Lin, can you pull this weight?"

Bai Lin shook her head. The giant creature in front of her was no exaggeration to say it was a small mountain of meat. She didn't want to pull it out even if it was dead, let alone alive.

After all, her strength was not even enough to wrestle with the Chimera, and the weight of the other party could be roughly estimated, and it should not be something she could pull.

"I wanted to keep it as a material library and experimental subject, but unfortunately the ley lines here are too moist for it, and it's not easy to control..."

Bai Lin asked doubtfully, "But it can't leave this hole either?"

Katie pointed deep into the cave. "I haven't explored the interior thoroughly yet. Remember where the goblins were imprisoned? There's clearly a lot of room inside."

"I'll cast a magic spell to increase your strength. Try it." Katie began chanting. Bai Lin, understanding the situation, circumvented the chimera and delivered several shield strikes to its head. This was partly to render it unconscious so she could pull it away, and partly because the look in the chimera's eyes frightened her.

After finishing, Bai Lin went around behind the Chimera, grabbed the bleeding snake head, and was about to exert force when he was interrupted by a loud shout.

"Be careful--!"

Suddenly, the snake head disappeared in Bai Lin's arms, turning into countless particles, gathering in the distance again. The number was even greater than when they first saw the Chimera! Bai Lin looked at the particles gathering towards him in surprise, and immediately raised his shield, but was still shoveled away.

As luck would have it, her body collided with Katie, sending her flying a long way and suffering considerable bruises. Fortunately, Katie managed to escape the Chimera's attack range.

The crane head, which had recovered at some point, opened its mouth and flapped its wings, sending a powerful wind blade towards Katie. Although Katie now understood that her opponent had regained his fighting ability, the mage's body was not very flexible.

Watching the swift and powerful wind blade hurtling towards her, Katie narrowed her eyes, a golden light flickering in them. She was about to unleash her power recklessly. But at this critical moment, Bai Lin, even more desperate, leaped forward with all her might and pushed her away. Bai Lin's feet, along with her armor, turned to bloody dust and dissipated into the air.

She crawled on the ground, wailing in pain, and Katie hurried over to treat Bai Lin. This time, the Chimera didn't disappear. A red light flashed, and another fireball erupted, landing squarely where Katie had been.

Katie was stunned at first, then she began to treat Bai Lin with peace of mind.

Chapter 68 Breaking the Game

This meant that the Chimera couldn't see beyond a distance. Katie, who was healing with one hand, seemed to have a sudden thought. She looked at the bewildered yet newly resurrected giant before her, and a flash of inspiration struck her.

The extra hand emanated a faint holy light. Katie leaned down and gently touched the ground. Light flowed lively from her hand to the ground, finally shattering on the barrier between the Chimera and them.

The method to victory has been mastered!

Despite the immense pain, Bai Lin's legs were regrown quite quickly. Within a few seconds, Bai Lin's feet had grown back. Then, her armor began to repair itself, a faint green light emanating. Bai Lin couldn't help but grimace in gratitude for Claire's thoughtfulness.

"Bai Lin, did you feel its uniqueness during the battle with Chimera?" Katie asked.

"You suddenly asked this... It seems like you're stronger than other monsters. What's wrong?"

Katie closed her eyes and shook her head. "Do I even need to ask you if it's strong or not? I'm referring to the difference in attributes."

After Katie's guidance, Bai Lin nodded, seemingly understanding. "Indeed, no matter how violent or cold a Chimera appears, it always carries a faint hint of evil. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Since it was a half-spiritual being, it must be a ghost or something like that. Bai Lin took it for granted and therefore ignored this point.

"There is indeed a problem. Have you ever heard of the words soul and evil spirit? This is the difference."

Katie pointed at the Chimera that was crawling and growling in front of her. "The ground beneath its feet, no, or rather, the entire cave, is filled with an evil aura."

"That's why it itself has been endowed with evil attributes. You haven't been directly hit by it, have you? I'm sure if you were caught by it, you would be directly cursed severely."

Bai Lin took a deep breath. Fortunately, his armor was thick enough and the claw attack just now could not make a hole in him. It was mainly the strength that caused the actual damage, otherwise he would be in trouble.

"More importantly," Katie paused, "the evil energy in this cave is incredibly strong. That's why it was able to regenerate... Therefore, killing it here is nearly impossible."

"What should we do? Shouldn't we save that goblin?" Bai Lin asked in confusion.

Katie glanced at Bai Lin meaningfully and said, "Of course there is a way."

Bai Lin felt a little uneasy when she looked at him, and asked quickly, "What's the solution?"

"The reason it can be resurrected is because it absorbs the evil energy of this land vein. As long as it voluntarily gives up this evil magic power, it can be killed naturally." Katie explained.

Bai Lin felt increasingly bewildered. Katie's analysis was as if she were simply stating common sense. She had no idea what magic power was accepting or not accepting. Bai Lin quickly waved her hands, "You can't possibly use kindness to persuade it to give up its evil magic, right?"

"Puff," he laughed, "your answer is so cute, but unfortunately, reality is definitely much crueler. I need you to make it rush to our side in anger, that's enough."

"Huh? Any time is fine? It's right at the border now."

Bai Lin finally understood. All this beating around the bush was just to get him to pull a monster. Wouldn't it have been better to make it clear earlier?

Katie gestured in the air with her fingers. "At least, hold out for a minute. This minute is all up to you. Can you hold on?"

If it's just a delay, although it's a bit difficult, I should be able to hold on. Anyway, I can delay it at the risk of my life... Bai Lin nodded, indicating that there was no problem.

Katie took a deep breath. "Well, let's get started now."

As the low chant began, Bai Lin rushed into the Chimera's range of action and headed straight for its crotch. The Chimera reacted immediately, its snake head burrowing into its crotch. Bai Lin used the shield he had prepared to strike hard on its face, then rolled off its hind legs.

The Chimera swung its hind legs sideways, Bai Lin dodged it easily and quickly kicked the wall, launching the second stage of acceleration. Before the Chimera could react, he completed a graceful somersault in the air, then kicked the top of the cave with force beyond human control, and accelerated again, widening the distance between himself and the Chimera.

She had already planned her route clearly, and only with sufficient flexibility and unexpected changes could she break the irreparable speed gap between her and the Chimera.

He swept his shield, slashed behind him, and then leaped back. The blazing flames unleashed the Chimera's bestial nature, and it instinctively retreated, buying Bai Lin a moment. By the time the frost had swept through and the flames died, Bai Lin had already run a long way.