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

He leaned sideways and lunged forward. The minotaur's move was indeed clever. Though it was a hasty strike, it protected the minotaur's vital points. Perhaps this was a warrior's instinct, unleashing their full might at the moment of their limit.

However, despite all his calculations, the Minotaur still missed a small point. Fire is not something that can be resisted by mere steel.

The scorching flames gushed out of the short knife as Bai Lin slashed from bottom to top, chasing the minotaur's vital point and colliding violently with its machete. At this moment, it felt a moment of relief. After all, it successfully protected its body. With its strength, it deflected Bai Lin's knife and was able to return to its previous fighting mode.

But this relief was only fleeting. The flaming blade, taller than the machete, eroded the minotaur's fur with its inertia. It roared and retreated, its bestial instincts making it fear fire.

Furthermore, Bai Lin's flames were of a very low quality, spreading the burning area as he swung them, causing a large area of ​​blazing flames to ignite directly from the Minotaur's abdomen to his chest. The Minotaur was experiencing a feeling of "just looking at it hurts."

Bai Lin naturally wouldn't miss this opening. Quickly withdrawing her blade and changing direction, she lashed out with another short, horizontal slash, creating a cross-shaped attack. She didn't care how deep the wound was, as long as it was effective. There's a saying, "Only the killing blow is a true attack," and she'd learned that lesson immensely since arriving in this other world.

After all, he died twice at Chris's place...

A deep cut would certainly burn the fur, but what about burning deeper inside? The minotaur was clearly going a bit mad, even throwing its head back and screaming desperately. Even the hand holding the knife began to tremble, looking shaky.

This is exactly the effect I want, Bai Lin thought.

That flawed strike of yours was the cause of your defeat.

Taking a step back, Bai Lin leaped high, using her immense strength to twist her waist in mid-air to accelerate, determined to maximize the impact of this attack. As the attack was about to land, the minotaur finally looked directly at Bai Lin again. Seeing the flames that were about to end its own life, it felt a sense of fear for the human race for the first time.

Although Bai Lin's expression cannot be seen hidden under the helmet, it is conceivable what expression you would have if the opponent who had previously suppressed you was suddenly defeated by your actions.

There is no doubt that it is a hideous joy, a joy that cannot be felt sitting in front of the screen. Sometimes, helmets are indeed very protective, not only to protect your brain, but also to protect your image.

Unfortunately, the ferocious smile she flashed at that moment was interrupted. Another rock pillar emerged from the ground, carrying Bai Lin directly into the air. In mid-air, she gazed at the boundless blue sky, once again falling into a sluggish state called thought.

Bai Lin was wondering why he was suddenly interrupted again.

However, the result of thinking is just one word, which is a very versatile word for Chinese people.

"Grass."

This time, Bai Lin was not attacked at all. She reacted quickly and landed on the ground. This time, she couldn't control where the attack would land, but as luck would have it, she was in a position to see who had attacked her.

It was obvious that it was the magic-savvy minotaur. It was also holding a large machete and looking at Bai Lin. Although he didn't know what an angry minotaur looked like, Bai Lin guessed that it must be quite angry, after all, its entire body was shaking.

Beside it was the leader he had nearly killed. Bai Lin uttered a disdainful "tsk" and then raised his sword again.

This behavior undoubtedly eroded her respect for her opponent. If she had known this, she should have chosen to escape at all costs.

At this moment, there was a commotion behind Bai Lin. The Minotaur people who had formed a circle around him got the signal and all stared at Bai Lin with eager eyes. The situation fell into an awkward situation again, and Bai Lin felt a little tricky.

Just as she was looking for a way to escape, a very loud voice rang out: "Stop it!"

Chapter 79 Race

The owner of the voice was clearly the leader himself. Although its voice was a bit deep, it roared loudly, clearly showing some excitement. The surrounding minotaurs were immediately shocked by it and dared not act rashly again.

The leader pushed aside the minotaur standing between him and Bai Lin and walked in front of Bai Lin. Bai Lin met the minotaur's gaze, which was as ferocious as ever, but a little different from the blue-eyed minotaur that night.

She didn't dare let her guard down, her hand still tightly gripping her knife. At this distance, if the minotaur suddenly attacked, she wouldn't be able to dodge, and could only exchange injuries and take the opportunity to escape.

But she had no choice, because the other party was outnumbered and powerful. So for now, Bai Lin could only stare blankly.

The Minotaur moved, very slowly, but Bai Lin subconsciously took a step back, worried that the other party would attack. Unexpectedly, the Minotaur simply extended his left hand, merely expressing his desire to symbolize friendship.

Bai Lin was stunned. She did not return the greeting immediately. Seeing Bai Lin's hesitation, the Minotaur spoke slowly.

"Hundreds of years ago, your ancestors made peace with our people. As far as I know, this was a sign of etiquette."

"Work with us, humans."

Although the minotaur's voice was truly low and complex, Bai Lin could still discern a certain sincerity. She looked around and saw that the minotaurs around her seemed to be motionless, as if this was within their expectations.

It seems to be true. Although a little shocked, Bai Lin also extended her left hand, shook it with the minotaur's big hand, and shook it gently. She looked at the minotaur's still fierce eyes and understood a little.

Just like how Claire had casually killed him with such an innocent look on her face, it was perfectly normal for Bai Lin to not be able to see through the sincerity behind her expression. Using human common sense to communicate with monsters was a mistake in itself. Only by letting go of racial boundaries could one transcend them.

"I agree."

-

Just as Bai Lin and Katie had guessed, the interior decoration of the minotaur village, while crude, was still considerably better than that of humans. While the craftsmanship wasn't sophisticated, the resources used to create minotaur items were naturally considerable. Compared to the otherworldly houses Bai Lin had seen so far, they could already be described as luxurious.

Large fur pelts from some unknown animal served as carpets, and the interior of the ordinary-looking wooden house was covered in beige wallpaper made of an unknown material. Combined with the overhead lights, the warm tones of the decor created a reassuring atmosphere. The only thing that marred the atmosphere was a large skull hanging from the wall, which Bai Lin found quite terrifying.

...This shape, with horns on its head, is it a rhinoceros? No, why are there horns on both sides of its cheeks... Just as Bai Lin was daydreaming, the minotaur leader pointed to a fur-covered bench and said, "Sit down."

Bai Lin placed Katie aside and moved to sit next to the leader, giving her enough space. Unconscious, she couldn't use magic to keep herself warm, so Katie seemed to have a high fever...

But even so, Bai Lin still refused the suggestion of sending her to the Tauren witch doctor. After all, she still didn't trust him enough.

A short minotaur knocked on the door and entered the cabin, beginning to treat Katie. The leader bowed his head in apology, clasping his hands together for a few seconds before getting down to business with Bai Lin.

"Human warrior, I admire your strength. My name is Mengzheng A." The Minotaur said seriously.

This name sounds a bit like a machine translation... But Bai Lin didn't complain about it. She also spoke her name seriously and then asked her own questions.

"What is this so-called cooperation? If I don't know the content, I will never agree to it."

She stated her position. If she dug a hole for herself and effectively destroyed the village, that would be too inhumane. She didn't want to commit suicide and then be able to resurrect to prove her guilt.

Mengzheng leaned forward and stroked his tiny mustache. "Let me be clear, our clan holds no hostility towards humans, and we have never actively invaded them."

"Hmm...hmm?" Bai Lin seemed to be shocked by these words and fell into a daze.

Then... I killed their people, isn't that...

Meng Zheng saw through her thoughts and explained, "Our Albers' medical skills are among the best in this region. Even you humans lag far behind us. So we've saved the warrior who was attacked by you and the magician."

Woc, can this still be alive? Is this still medical skills? Could it be resurrection skills? Bai Lin thought in surprise. Just as she was thinking this, Katie, who was holding the blanket, had sat up at some point.

"Then I want to learn."

"I won't tell anyone else about it." This time Meng Zheng's attitude was firm.

Katie shook her head in disappointment, but Bai Lin was very excited and happy to see her sitting up. She hugged Katie with a look of relief, "That's great! I almost thought something bad was going to happen to you."

The witch doctor left the cabin silently, and Katie changed her usual enthusiastic attitude towards Bai Lin and said coldly, "Let's finish the business first."

Bai Lin didn't care too much about it. He just nodded and let go of his hand.

"So, you Tauren are divided into different tribes. How many are there exactly? What are they like? Can I learn more about them?"

Katie directly asked about important strategic issues, but Meng Zheng answered without any hesitation.

"There are only two, us and the Karsas tribe. To you humans, the difference is simple. We met you by chance, and they have a deep hatred for you."

Bai Lin nodded, and after a closer look, he realized that all the minotaurs he had encountered that night had blue eyes, while those here mostly had yellow, with some green. He had been too hasty in the previous battle, and although he had caught a glimpse of this, he hadn't thought much about it.

"We were not actually a tribe originally. We were organized together after the disaster. Since only a part of our ancestors were friendly with humans, we and humans became two forces that did not interfere with each other." Mengzheng said.

"Since we are a combined tribe, our number is nearly four times that of the Karsas tribe."

Chapter 80 Cooperation

"Uh... since you are so powerful, what do you want to cooperate with us on?" Bai Lin asked.

Mengzheng shook his head, with some helplessness in his tone.

"Although we are numerous, our actual combat effectiveness is not great. The Karsus tribe next door is all about fighting, so almost everyone on their side is a soldier, but we are different."

"In terms of top combat power, our tribe will divide the inheritance among four people. The strongest will hold the greatest power, and the rest will be divided equally. In this way, even a single combat power will definitely not be able to match their clan leader."

Bai Lin held his chin and thought for a moment, recalling the battle with the Blue Flame Minotaur that night. "But the guy I fought didn't feel any stronger than you at all."

Hearing Bai Lin say this, Meng Zheng supported his knees and sat up solemnly, "This is why I came to you."

"The biggest flaw of single inheritance is that the new inheritor cannot control his or her own power well for a while, and then he or she will appear very weak." Meng Zheng explained.

Bai Lin suddenly understood, "This means that the new inheritors of their tribe should also be in this situation?"

Meng Zheng nodded, indicating that this was indeed what he meant. Katie, who had been silent for a while, interrupted and said,

"So, you want us to help you destroy the so-called Karsus tribe?"

According to Meng Zheng, this was indeed the perfect time to launch an attack. But why would they invade another tribe? This was something that concerned Katie. Even resorting to human intervention seemed odd.

"No, although our tribe is not a war-mongering tribe, with our large numbers, attacking them at this time will only cost a small price. The key is not here."

Sure enough, there is another hidden story.

Without the two of them asking, Meng Zheng began to explain his real purpose.

When would this peace-loving tribe, which has always had no interest in aggression, want to take the initiative to attack with the help of others?

That is naturally when the daily peace is broken.

"The evil dragon that once battled your human warriors has become restless again. When I was young, it considered taking our tribe under its wing, but ultimately gave up because we were somewhat weak."

Weak? Bai Lin's mouth twitched. If their tribe could be considered weak, then wouldn't the minotaurs in her village be ironclad?

The task of saving the world still seems a bit far away.

"However, after the war between humans and dragons, the evil dragon's power was greatly weakened, and even the dragon itself was so seriously injured that it could only crawl in its castle."

"However, recently, its followers have become restless again in its name, targeting our tribe. Naturally, the Karsas tribe has already joined the evil dragon's side."

Katie interrupted, "So at this moment, having heard the rumors of Bai Lin's bravery, you want to use our strength to destroy the dragon's nest in one fell swoop?"

Mengzheng nodded. Katie's suspicions were spot on. The dragon wasn't lying there, just lying there. One day, it would recover its strength and return. When that happened, where would their tribe go? Would they once again humiliate themselves by abandoning the land they and their ancestors had inhabited for so long?

The minotaurs are not willing to lower their heads. They have had a period of good relations with humans in the past. What's wrong with cooperating again after hundreds of years?

Bai Lin finally understood. It turned out that the reason he fought with the two of them was to test their strength. But...

Did Katie and I kill six or seven of their tribesmen on the way here?

Bai Lin quickly asked Meng Zheng if he had sent patrols near the icefield. Meng Zheng shook his head in denial, stating that the last time he had sent a patrol there was nearly a month ago. This relieved Bai Lin, and she also realized that the so-called Karsus tribe was looking for her.

They couldn't possibly be hunting in that desolate snowy plain. They would realize that Bai Lin had been able to escape the monster-infested ice forest, which meant that they also had abilities similar to Kress's ultra-long-range detection.

If you think about it carefully, anyone with that kind of ability must be the evil dragon or one of its subordinates. This also means that Bai Lin and Katie have been noticed by the evil dragon, which is why the Karsus tribe went to such a faraway place and wandered around every day.

Bai Lin glanced at Katie, who glanced back at her. Their eyes exchanged, a flash of inspiration flashing in theirs, as if they had both discovered something. This might be the legendary secret technique of communicating with one another without the need for mind reading.

"I understand. I agree. But there are probably only two of us on the human side. Is this condition okay?" Katie replied immediately.

Now that they had been found, it was clear that the two of them were trapped in a situation from which they could not escape. However, encountering an enemy that Chris had described as "her equal" so soon was also beyond Bai Lin's expectations.

But it would be better if everything was completed quickly. Bai Lin was still a little excited when she heard that Leighton had a graduation reward for her. Moreover, if she could conquer the snowfield sooner, she would have the confidence to take Katie away from this bullied village.

Mengzheng sank down a bit, as if in disappointment. "Just the two of you? Are the humans unwilling to cooperate?"

"My friend, it's not that we don't want to help you. The current human villages are not only weak, but also have serious hostility towards all races other than humans." Katie explained.

Bai Lin quickly agreed, "Have you noticed? The magician next to me is despised by most of them even because of his different hair color. It would be quite difficult for him to cooperate with you."

After receiving the explanation, Meng Zheng somewhat helplessly released his hand. After two seconds of contemplation, he said that he could accept this result. After all, the strength of the two had far exceeded his expectations and was also a considerable combat force.

Just then, a minotaur came in, roaring a few times. Mengzheng, shocked, had a "conversation" with it, and then the minotaur quickly retreated.

"Did you kill the chimera on the edge of the snowfield?" Meng Zheng asked seriously.

"Ah, yes, what's wrong?" Bai Lin didn't expect it to suddenly ask this, so he replied.

Meng Zheng slapped his knees vigorously with both hands and said with satisfaction, "I agree."

Although it was a little sudden, Bai Lin smiled and nodded, extending a hand, "It's a pleasure to work with you."

Chapter 81 Time

After Meng Zheng and the others had easily finalized everything, they agreed to gather here after a day of preparation to plan their tactics and determine the timing of their attack. Regarding planning and utilizing terrain, Meng Zheng admitted that they weren't very good at it, as they hadn't engaged in a serious battle in a long time. Naturally, this responsibility fell to Katie.

Katie seemed to have anticipated this. After asking about the terrain and location of the Karsas tribe, she calmly took Bai Lin away, as if this offensive was just an ordinary matter.

Katie, who had been worried about her so-called followers the previous night, now seemed completely unconcerned, while Bai Lin began to worry about his lack of combat power. Deciding to attack like this was a bit too hasty.

But since Katie thinks there is no problem, then there is no need to worry about anything.

Even though Bai Lin comforted herself in this way, she was still a little nervous about this matter. The biggest reason was not the unknown strength of the enemy, but Katie beside her.

Ever since killing Chimera, and even before, Bai Lin had always felt something was amiss with Katie. It was strange, but Katie had simply lost her enthusiasm. Occasionally, she'd worry about strange things, looking worried, but today, she'd become completely indifferent to everything.

Her personality was becoming unpredictable, and that was the scariest thing about her. In Bai Lin's eyes, Katie had become unfamiliar and distant. This feeling was especially profound now, as the two of them walked side by side in silence.

They were talking and laughing before...

Just as Bai Lin was thinking about this question, Katie broke the silence. However, the topic was not as light and cheerful as before.

"Bai Lin, on your first night in the village, were you bitten or scratched by the minotaur?"

Bai Lin was slightly taken aback by the other party's strange words and sudden question, but he answered immediately.