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

Just as Bai Lin was thinking this, Katie ran her fingers across her abdomen. A bright red light flickered, and a dangerous aura filled her face. Without a doubt, this was definitely not a good thing. Bai Lin sensed an ominous sign.

Katie laughed bitterly and retracted her hand. "This is my preparation. Once this magic circle is triggered, the magic power in my body will instantly boil over. Then my bodily fluids will follow. The rapid heating and agitation will cause my body to fall apart..."

Bai Lin raised a hand to interrupt Katie, "Stop, I order you to wipe it off immediately."

It’s just as I expected. What’s going on in this little girl’s mind every day? “If you can’t win, just don’t go, right?” Bai Lin replied.

"It's too late. You've already noticed, right? The dragon has already set its sights on us. It's only a matter of time before it recovers. Furthermore, we'll be hunted by its followers during this time. I'm sure you don't want to endanger the villagers."

"Even if we flee to the ends of the earth, we can't escape this fate. To a dragon, our lives are but a fleeting moment. I can't let my own life cast a shadow over yours."

Katie shook her head, rejecting Bai Lin's request to erase the magic circle. Indeed, Bai Lin didn't want to implicate the villagers, but Katie held a much higher position in her heart.

"Can't we just live in the forest?" Bai Lin continued to ask without giving up.

"I can, but you are the Son of God. Your duty is to bring hope to this village, not to wander with me."

"Compared to you, what is the village?"

This village already had a well-established defense force. If the Karsas tribe was destroyed this time, there would be no more invaders. Harmony would return to the village, with less fighting. Bai Lin believed she had done all she could for the village. Her life's pursuit should be protecting Katie and saving the world.

Katie smiled slightly, "You're very kind to me, Bai Lin. It's because of this kindness that I'm willing to open my heart and believe in the protection you talk about."

"So I will fight alongside you, supporting you as we face the dragon one last time. Even if we lose, this formation will be our last resort. To perish alongside the dragon is a feat that even that dragon rider couldn't accomplish."

"...Don't do anything stupid. If you really want to, just stay away and cast some spells. I'll handle the rest. It hurts to die once, but it doesn't matter. I can eventually wear down that damn dragon."

What a joke! Diing a few dozen times in Dark Souls isn't a big deal. As long as you're patient and can grind for a dragon, it's no problem at all. It's nothing more than the old-fashioned breath and great strength skills, which are the only iconic abilities of Western dragons.

"I will stay at a safe distance, but if I think the fight is unsustainable, I will take action. I cannot bear to see you suffer for me."

This time, Katie's attitude was very firm. Bai Lin wanted to speak, but he didn't know what to say. The solution to the problem now was very simple. As long as the dragon was killed, Katie would not have to die.

Thinking of this, Bai Lin clenched the sword in his hand, and saw that Katie had finished eating the roasted yellow bun in her hand and stood up.

"You go back first. I'll go get some help from Chris."

"Ah."

-

Having known about their arrival, Chrissie was now sitting on the sacred tree, floating on the water. As before, there were no monsters near the lake. After Bai Lin and Katie waved goodbye, Bai Lin walked to the edge of the lake.

"We just finished dinner and took a walk. Why don't you come up for a cup of tea?" Kress asked seductively. Several branches of the sacred tree flung themselves towards Bai Lin, forming a path. Bai Lin walked up and sat across from Kress. He noticed that she was holding an iced tea set. She didn't know what was in the cup, but it did smell quite fragrant.

"You're not full yet. I'm afraid this amount isn't enough for me to drink." Bai Lin made a little joke to liven up the atmosphere.

Chris licked her lips, the action was very charming, but unfortunately it had no effect on Bai Lin. Looking at Bai Lin's expressionless face and calm eyes, Chris was a little embarrassed, but she continued,

"Did you know that the elves have eaten humans before? I'm not full either, can you let me try?"

"Okay." Bai Lin extended his hand generously, "But I can't do it for free, how about helping me kill a dragon?"

"Dragon?" Kress frowned. "I thought you came to ask me for some weapons or something, but I didn't expect you to set your sights on me."

On the surface, her expression was quite grim, but her tone was full of softness. In Bai Lin's eyes, the Elf Queen in front of him was not her age.

"Well, aren't you the most precious treasure in this forest?"

"Don't give me that." Chris rolled her eyes. "You know I'm restricted and can't take action."

With a mysterious smile, Bai Lin leaned forward and whispered a few words into Chris's ear. She, already somewhat playful, smiled and nodded...

-

After returning to the village, Katie went straight to the blacksmith shop. They were in urgent need of combat power, and weapons were an important part of improving combat power. While the blacksmith shop was still open, Katie wanted to ask the goblins if there were any ready-made items that Bai Lin could use.

Chapter 85 Weapons

As luck would have it, she happened to catch the blacksmith just as he was about to finish work and put up a sign outside announcing he was closing. After a few words with him, Katie learned that he was going to the tavern to pick up some food, so she walked into the blacksmith's shop. After all, Katie was nominally here under the banner of Bai Lin, so the blacksmith would definitely not refuse her request.

Entering the inner room, Katie was surprised to see a figure. It was the current captain of the guard, Leidenhal, who was chatting happily with the goblin. The two men were startled when they saw Katie enter, but soon returned to normal.

To them, while Katie seemed somewhat unfathomable, she always played the role of a standard witch. The most important ancestral teachings passed down from generation to generation were to follow and serve the Son of God. Clearly, in Leighton's eyes, Katie had achieved this, and she was also a competent healer.

For him as a guard, this is enough.

"Little girl Katie, what do you want to talk to it about?" Leightonhal asked tentatively.

Katie nodded. While she didn't know Layton's specific reason for being there, she could guess. It was common knowledge in the village that Laytonhal liked to hang out at the blacksmith's shop, and given his personality, it was only natural that the blacksmith would introduce him to the goblins. After all, if even Layton couldn't accept the goblins, let alone the other villagers.

It’s just that the relationship between the two seems a little too good... It’s obvious that they were having a very happy chat just now.

Katie discarded these irrelevant thoughts, turned sideways, and asked the goblin, "Do you have any ready-made weapons that can be used?"

Goblin shook his head. "You know my situation. I can't come up with anything new in just one day. I'm not a god."

Katie lowered her head slightly in disappointment. Just as the goblin had said, she had led him on a long, slow walk back home. Regardless of whether or not she had physically explored, no one would believe Katie hadn't used magical exploration.

She just came to ask the goblin with some slim hope.

"What's wrong? Why do you need weapons so urgently? I think your physique is not suitable for wielding guns and swords, little girl. You don't have the same super strength as the Son of God, do you?" Leighton asked doubtfully.

Katie shook her head. "I'm just a weak woman. Of course, I want the weapons for the Holy Son. There's an almost invincible enemy standing in our way, and the Holy Son has hit a bottleneck himself, so he wants to strike elsewhere."

Leidenhal held his chin with an expression of "I see," as if he had suddenly realized something.

Leighton admitted he didn't have much to teach Bai Lin. At most, he could teach him some other weapons, but that wouldn't be very useful. And Katie was right. Bai Lin's current technical situation was making it difficult for him to make a major breakthrough. He was indeed at a bottleneck.

Just as Katie was about to say goodbye and leave, the goblin spoke up, "Bottleneck? Maybe I can help her."

"Oh?" In Katie's eyes, this skinny goblin had always shone only as a blacksmith. In the few times they'd met him, he'd always been reserved and reserved, seemingly uncommunicative. Naturally, everyone had assumed he was a skilled forger.

However, the serious look it gave Katie now was quite profound, which aroused her curiosity. Its aura had completely changed from before. Had it itself changed? That was definitely unrealistic. The only explanation was that it was hiding itself.

Hiding one's strength is a simple matter. As long as you don't make a move, don't let even a trace of magic flow around you, and don't over-expose your skills, no one will notice. But someone who can conceal their aura under Katie's all-encompassing observation is definitely a master.

The two exchanged glances, reaching a consensus. Katie stepped back, leaned against the wall, and waited. The old goblin closed his eyes, retracting his sharp edge. Leightonhal simply felt the atmosphere grow oppressive, but he didn't know what to say.

Why did the goblin hide, and why did it reveal itself at this time? A large part of the credit for this was due to Leidenhal, who, for once, hadn't acted like an elder. Because of Bai Lin's strange tactical thinking, the goblin had taken a slight interest in him, so he asked this older, somewhat younger man about it.

This question was incredibly interesting, and the more it asked, the more interested it became. While it knew the village's martial arts were mostly basic, and if one had the basics, it could easily learn them in a day, it wouldn't take even it two weeks to master the wall-jumping technique.

Mastering the center of gravity in the air to the point where it felt like walking on flat ground was as difficult as walking on water. This made the goblins think Bai Lin was a prodigy.

However, the direction it was interested in was slightly off. The so-called wall-pushing acceleration, when used by villagers, generally had only limited effectiveness. But how could the Holy Son have system assistance?

She used her abilities to the fullest right from the start. Bai Lin, who already had a foundation in this area, was of course able to master it quickly with the support of various martial arts.

The waiting time was not very long, and Bai Lin arrived here smoothly. After all, a passerby saw Katie and came to the blacksmith shop after asking casually.

"Why are you here? Oh, Uncle Leighton is here too. Have you had dinner?" Bai Lin greeted him as soon as she came in, but unfortunately Leighton just smiled at her.

Katie and the goblin exchanged glances, then waved Leighton to leave with them. Only then did Bai Lin realize something was amiss. "Where are you going?"

Katie gave him a meaningful look and said softly, "I'm going to make dinner for you. Come on."

Although it was a bit strange, Bai Lin was not too nervous. She looked at the goblin and found that he had stood up.

"Brave man," a deep voice rang out, "your weapon is indeed a type I have never seen before, but it is nothing more than a combination of long and short swords."

“Do you really understand their advantages and disadvantages?”

When faced with this question, Bai Lin answered casually, "The long sword has poor armor-piercing effect, and the weight is dispersed, making the blade fragile. Its only advantage is the attack range... But the energy body also makes up for the blade's weakness, making it more versatile."

The goblin sighed and shook his head. "You're missing the point."

Chapter 86: Differences Collide

"Even if the total mass increases due to length, it does increase the total mass. Regardless, even if your long sword isn't good at piercing armor, it's still better than a short sword."

Indeed, Bai Lin agreed in her heart. She understood this principle, but she instinctively ignored the difference in weight. After all, one was a one-handed weapon, and the other was two-handed. With her current strength, she didn't care too much.

On the first night, she had to discard her shield to have the strength to wield the long sword, but now she was only slightly restricted. She just couldn't use it with one hand yet.

Seeing Bai Lin looking thoughtful, the goblin continued,

"Let's talk about attack range. To put it bluntly, a sword is actually an extension of your body. Imagine a stink bug's tentacles are a little longer than others. Does it make any difference to you?"

"There is not much difference, but if the size difference is not that big, the attack distance is still very important." Bai Lin replied.

The goblin shook its head again. Bai Lin was a little annoyed by its slow, lecturing manner; after all, it had never demonstrated its true strength. But she still listened attentively. Katie had already withdrawn, so this goblin must be quite capable.

He opened his mouth slowly again, "An inch longer, an inch stronger. But if you're shorter, your strength doesn't depend on how much shorter you are, but on how much you can exert."

"What do you mean?" Bai Lin was a little confused. Why hadn't he noticed before that this goblin loved to speak in such a riddle?

"Simply put, before showing your sharp side, you should hide yourself as much as possible. Regardless of the level or the length of the blade."

Bai Lin nodded with some understanding, "If you don't make a sound, it's nothing. But if you do, it's a big splash?"

"Well said. If you can think clearly, your level will definitely be raised to a higher level." The goblin put his hands behind his back with an experienced look and praised Bai Lin casually.

"As expected of a hero, you understand things quickly."

"Uh…thank you for the compliment."

Bai Lin felt a little embarrassed. After all, after listening to such a long lecture, she could only think of three words: sword drawing technique, also known as Iaido. It was a sudden burst of force in a narrow space, thus achieving the effect of killing the enemy by surprise.

But would it work for her? So far, Bai Lin had never encountered a combat space that could be considered narrow. Even the cave where she fought Chimera had plenty of room to maneuver. Furthermore, drawing a sword was just a matter of twisting her waist and swiping her shield. She couldn't imagine how to catch her opponent off guard.

After greeting the goblins, Leighton encouraged Bai Lin, and she smiled and left. Although she didn't gain much, her expression was very relaxed.

"What are you thinking about that makes you so happy?" Katie asked curiously, looking at the occasional smile on Bai Lin's lips.

"I was wondering what you would cook for me." Bai Lin's rare sweet talk made Katie blush, but how could Katie, who had always been the attacker, back down in this regard? She smiled calmly and took Bai Lin's hand directly.

"You can eat whatever you want, and you can eat me."

"Ah this." Bai Lin instantly lost his joking intention and put on a serious expression, "No, no."

"Tsk, are you scared already?" Katie curled her lips, with a hint of provocation.

Bai Lin remained silent, his eyes fixed on the distance. The evening breeze gently carried the sunset clouds, a chilly breeze, as usual in the evening. Katie's expression also grew serious, and she and Bai Lin walked together on the seemingly silent street.

Will this be the last time the two of them strolled together? No one knows the answer. The only thing we know is that Bai Lin has vowed to protect her.

The immortal shield is bound to burn out the last bit of firewood and illuminate the darkness.

-

The next day, both men were silent, with little interaction and apathetic demeanor. Though still in a state of pre-battle relaxation, the atmosphere between them could only be described as solemn. Carrying their own resolve, they journeyed towards a common goal: victory.

Looking at the fully prepared, muscular minotaur warriors, each one in a rare and neat formation, Bai Lin felt a sense of dreaminess. Although she had felt like she was living in a dream since arriving in this other world, everything was new, for her, nothing had ever challenged Bai Lin's life.

She had never been so solemn and prepared before. The progress of communicating with other races and even borrowing their power was beyond her expectations. Bai Lin habitually tightened the weapon in her hands, trying to let her fighting spirit merge with the minotaur's.

There’s no point in thinking so much. If you don’t have enough confidence, you won’t be able to make full use of your time. You’d better cheer up!

The discussion of tactics didn't take long. Katie quickly came out of the tent and gave Bai Lin an OK sign. Bai Lin nodded to show that he had received it.

She hadn't gone in to examine the topographical map because Katie had already agreed on a battle plan with her. Regardless of the terrain, Bai Lin would rely on her troop strength to suppress the enemy, and through Katie's magic, she would always attack from the flank, directly invading the castle to open a breakthrough and intercept as many of its followers as possible. At the same time, she was also tasked with scouting the dragon's situation.

So far, the dragon's physical condition had been little more than hearsay. Without actually seeing its strength and condition, the so-called "information" we'd received could only be described as incomplete.

This time, she and Katie didn't argue too much. The witch readily agreed to her risking her life to obtain intelligence. Bai Lin's plan had no way out, unless she could hold out until the main gate was breached.

With Katie's additional combat power, it was only natural that the attack speed would be faster than the Minotaur's own charge. But the problem was that no one knew what Bai Lin would encounter inside the castle. So she didn't hold out any hope of survival.

Since the number of people wasn't large, no more than fifty at best, the march was relatively fast. As they neared their destination, Katie patted Bai Lin's shoulder in encouragement. Bai Lin nodded, not knowing if she had noticed. In short, she prepared for battle.

Infinitely regenerating strong armor, infinitely resurrecting immortal body. The key lies in whether Bai Lin's own will is strong enough.

Wait for my good news, Bai Lin thought.

Chapter 87 Avalanche

"Divide the troops into three groups. Hide a deputy clan leader on the right wing. The left wing will be the main attack group. The center will provide suppressive fire."

Although Katie didn't understand what Mengzheng and the others were shouting, the above words were the tactics they had already discussed. Although she couldn't see the battlefield directly from her position on the hill, she could still see the situation clearly.

The range of magic casting depends on whether the opponent is able to steal magic power. So far, Katie has not felt this situation, so she can carry out her work in this extremely safe area in secret.

The Karsas tribe naturally resided on a hilltop, but it lacked any slope advantages. Aside from a high slope that increased in altitude, once they crossed it, it was as easy as walking on flat ground. Therefore, the enemy had already set up strict defenses on this slope.

Katie had naturally considered this, so before the main force arrived, she immediately prepared a large flaming meteor to break through their defenses. Although this race was extremely powerful and united, with excellent development capabilities, they still had the nature of being hairy and weak to fire.

It was certainly correct to stand in a group and take a defensive stance, but their clan had no means of preventing magic, so they could only endure Katie's beating in vain.

Despite having found a breakthrough, Katie continued to chant her spells rapidly. Her first attack had definitely alerted the enemy. They had mages hiding in the shadows, so Katie had to take precautions.

Perhaps they wouldn't abandon their defenses, dispatch personnel, or disperse their already limited forces to harass Katie. However, their settlement bordered the ancient castle, and their followers within were likely to make a move. They were creatures Katie couldn't identify, so she had to be absolutely certain.

Furthermore, the minotaur at the top of the mountain had another option. What was the most lethal weapon in a snowy mountain? It was, of course, nature's sharp claws and fangs: an avalanche. If someone at a higher altitude initiated an avalanche, while their own combat effectiveness would be completely dispersed due to the mountain's instability, it wouldn't be surprising for a minotaur to survive an avalanche, given their physical strength.

But Katie's situation wasn't so easy. If she hadn't prepared her counter-spells, she would surely have perished in the snow. Given the current situation, it would be better to dispatch her followers. The more they dispatched, the better. After all... Bai Lin was going deep into the interior, so dispersing her forces would be beneficial.

But ensuring that the enemy wasn't too strong to kill her was a real challenge. Without Bai Lin, Katie's mobility was greatly reduced, so she had already arranged a route for them to contact her. A mage without protection was still too vulnerable.