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

The tauren's mighty charge roared, their march through the ice and snow leaving footprints on the path already lit with fire. Even without Katie blending into nature, she could still hear the resounding sound clearly, the thunderous footsteps bringing a majestic momentum.

Although Meng Zheng's side was not worthy of being called the Iron Army and did not have the murderous aura accumulated over the years, they were extremely ferocious, making the warriors of the Karsus tribe feel as if their bodies were filled with lead.

At that moment, a minotaur, its body ablaze with green flames, stepped out from the center, sword raised high, and roared a thunderous battle cry, instantly boosting the morale of its tribe. Although their numbers were small, the unified roar was a pledge of their confidence in defense.

This kind of morale is stronger than any iron wall. The collision between savagery and muscle, a head-on fight, is about to begin!

Unfortunately, Katie didn't appreciate the back-and-forth fighting; she was destined to use her magic to break this seemingly passionate atmosphere. However...

The avalanche came so quickly.

It was Katie's first time witnessing such a natural disaster. Although it was man-made, it didn't diminish her admiration. Fortunately, it was only a minor avalanche, and the hillside where the two sides were fighting wasn't severely impacted. Katie could easily avoid it by using flight magic to elevate herself.

Before the white disaster overwhelmed Katie, she used the blasting spell she had prepared long ago to create a hole in the mountain, and then used the spell she had just chanted to lift herself up and steadily entered the temporary shelter.

But even so, the danger didn't leave Katie. The reason was simple: the followers had been dispatched. Two, with wings, Katie quickly determined. It was clear the enemy had put considerable effort into this tactical aspect, limiting the mage's range of movement while dispatching high-powered personnel with the advantage of wings to conduct the search.

In this way, a normal mage might be found and killed quickly, but Katie would not let them succeed so easily. She bit her finger, drew a few runes on the floor, and began to chant again.

Despite the opponent's swift movements, Katie remained completely confident in her own spell. Her low chanting was the urgency of a race against time, accompanied by tension, adrenaline, and sweat, spurring her to complete the spell even faster.

Finally, Katie completed her concealment spell before her followers passed through the cave. While the traces of the explosion were clearly visible from the outside, this concealment method was completely flawed. However, the words Katie had just written had a suggestive effect. The fact that the followers flew directly through the cave indicated that it had indeed worked.

She breathed a sigh of relief and began to analyze her followers. If she cast spells at this time, she would most likely be exposed, so it would be better for her to collect more intelligence.

Its flight speed could be considered swift, but its attack method remained unknown. However, its much thinner frame compared to the Chimera, along with its short, slender claws, suggested it wasn't a melee fighter. It was almost certain to be a creature with superior ranged abilities; it was unlikely the enemy would send such a weak creature to attack him.

Its wings are rounded and leaf-shaped, with a pale blue skin coloration, but the backs of the wings are tinged with a vibrant rose-red coloration. Each wing has a wing, presumably the main organ for attack.

Their bird-like forms, with their serpentine tails, bore little resemblance to dragons. Katie put aside her curiosity about the two creatures seeking her followers and turned her gaze toward the battlefield.

Although the Karsas tribe wasn't defeated so quickly, they still looked defeated. Presumably to replenish their forces, three followers were deployed to the castle to assist.

Chapter 88 Air Combat

From their appearance, Katie easily identified two of them as Chimeras. While the monsters used for fusion varied, the Chimeras, with their patchwork-like appearance, were still easy to spot. Unlike any Chimeras they had encountered before, both lacked wings and were noticeably smaller.

However, their threat lies in their ability to use magic, which limits Katie's long-range spellcasting. It must be said that this move was very clever.

The third creature, the one Katie instantly identified as the "strongest," was a ground dragon. It was massive, its tail swinging with a ferocious-looking bone hammer. Its heavy gait and mountain-like build attested to its immense weight, and the short xiphoid process on its back betrayed its ruthless edge.

The earth dragon was grayish-white in color, its solid carapace barely concealing its pulsing muscles. Even more outrageous, it possessed a pair of sturdy forelimbs while walking on two legs. If it were to strike a blow from this creature, the consequences would be truly disastrous.

Meng Zheng and the others needed support, but once Katie cast her spell, she would be spotted by the circling blue bird. If the frontal attack wasn't fast enough, Bai Lin, who had penetrated deep into the enemy's heartland, would not receive support and would surely die.

The situation suddenly turned unfavorable. The enemy had only deployed five troops to divide the battlefield. Katie now faced a decision: should she attack these two birds of unknown combat power, or wait until they got tired of searching and flew back?

Of course, the former. If she wasn't "rational," she couldn't act rashly. If she waited for them to leave on their own, her teammates might already be dead. Katie quietly moved herself to the cave entrance, closed her eyes, and raised her hands horizontally, using her body to clearly measure the flow of everything.

Searching the foot of a small hill didn't take too long for the two fast-flying blue birds, which were now directly below Katie.

This was a good location for attack, if both sides were humans. However, her flying speed was much lower than the other two, and if she failed to hit them first, she would definitely become a sitting duck.

So, Katie's choice is free fall.

Maintaining the concealment effect while moving quickly, this was easily achieved simply by falling. This was the main reason why Katie measured the flow rate, measuring the wind direction and the opponent's flight speed to determine a suitable jumping point.

Even Bai Lin wouldn't dare to make a stunning leap of a hundred meters, given her physical condition. But she took a step into the air as if it were not her own, without even considering the consequences of failure.

Rather, she didn't think she would fail.

Two seconds later, the spell began. One, two. Katie, counting silently in her mind, suddenly opened her eyes. The same illusory beast wings from that day unfolded behind her. The golden-orange eyeballs also made her vision even clearer, and she immediately spotted her prey.

Although chanting a spell was nearly impossible amidst such a descent speed and air currents, for Katie, the spell was merely a tool to aid her communication with the heavens and earth, while simultaneously signaling her to mobilize her magical powers. Even though only sharp, shrill syllables emanated from her throat, it was sufficient to achieve the desired effect.

The flight direction shifted, adjusting the landing point to three meters to the right.

Ever since Katie began unfurling her phantom wings and casting spells, the birds had immediately sensed something was amiss. They quickly pulled themselves up and began circling, preparing to attack from the sky. But would Katie really give them that chance?

When the blue bird began to swing its body to prepare to hover and float up, Katie had already successfully reached the landing point. The invisible claws sank into the bird's body, causing it to scream, and then its body began to twitch.

Katie's situation wasn't much better either. Even with the levitation magic's cushioning effect, she still felt as if her body was about to fall apart. Most importantly, her brain went into a state of stagnation for a full second due to the impact. Fortunately, the other bird wasn't too close to Katie.

After regaining consciousness, Katie suppressed the burning pain in her body and chanted a short spell. A magic circle followed Katie's left hand, which had been inserted into the bird's body, and was imprinted on Fei Niao's body. The bird immediately calmed down.

Success! Katie secretly rejoiced. She had used the spell of bewitching, a choice she'd made with a low success rate and a waste of time, because she assumed she was a subordinate. While the dragon didn't appear particularly close to the other party, this suggested Katie's racial ties might even be a subordinate-superior relationship.

Apparently, she guessed correctly. The six-winged bird had become a puppet in Katie's hands. Unfortunately, she couldn't use it to attack, only as a flying prop. However, this was enough.

The other bird seemed to realize that its companion had fallen into the enemy's net, and it pulled itself up in the air, pointing the inner sides of its three pairs of glittering wings towards Katie. Six thick and fast lasers shot towards it, seemingly completely blocking its escape route.

Katie didn't panic at all. Despite needing to use one hand to stabilize her position, she quickly completed her next spell. The power of the familiar brought Katie a great convenience. When she chanted ordinary spells, it would enhance their effects. This also made Katie feel like a duck in water after activating it.

Small spells that normally only served as daily support could also be used in this kind of battle. She manipulated a large amount of airflow with one hand. Although it couldn't break the high-heat laser, it was enough to increase her own altitude.

The sudden increase in speed allowed Katie to easily escape the dangerous attack zone, simultaneously shifting the battle into a dominant position. A surge of magic power surged towards Katie, her normally devoid of any beastly aura only heightening her momentum. The concentrated magic power was enough to terrify the bird.

But it still didn't flee, instead firing another laser at Katie. As a fellow bird, Fei Niao knew their flying speeds were comparable, making escape impossible. Only by disrupting the other's spellcasting could it survive.

Chapter 89: The save point at the door of the boss room

The temperature around Katie suddenly rose, but her half-formed spell was forced to be released prematurely, just as the opponent had expected. The scorching blue breath, like a deadly serpent, surrounded her, blocking most of the lasers.

Even so, the scorching breath's momentum remained undiminished. Although its movement appeared slow due to the high-temperature air waves, it actually easily caught up with the blue bird in front.

The bird desperately dodged, but still managed to have one of its hind paws burned. The flames' stickiness and heat clearly exceeded its expectations, and within a breath, its paw was completely devoured, leaving not even a trace of ash. With a painful wail, the bird's flight path began to descend, signaling its impending doom.

The bird's cries of pain elicited no sympathy from Katie. Her shrill chanting was like a death warrant, and the rapid flow of magic power around it intensified its panic. Meanwhile, the flames continued to consume its body, and it seemed that no matter which choice it made, it would not avert its doom.

In such a desperate situation, it quickly mobilized its tiny brain, preparing for a final counterattack. Its body, stretched once more, looked utterly miserable, the burning flames causing the bird immense pain. But it still stretched out its three pairs of wings, blood gushing out from them. This was undoubtedly the most powerful and heroic attack the bird had ever launched.

A brief burst of energy erupted directly from its wings. Unlike before, perhaps due to the damage to its wings, this time the laser was very short-lived, yet it coalesced into a thick beam of light that shot out instantly with penetrating brilliance.

Katie's spell still couldn't be completed, and the incredibly fast attack left her no time to dodge. The massive laser struck its target, and the resulting recoil sent the bird plummeting to the ground in the distance like a rag sack.

It no longer had the strength to maintain its wings, and falling into the snow was still within its grasp. While attacking its opponent, it distanced itself and delayed their pursuit, while using the snow to slow the spread of the flames. This was the best solution the bird could come up with.

It lay in the snow, feeling the icy cold on its smooth skin. As it had expected, while the fire hadn't been completely extinguished, it had indeed successfully delayed its death. All it needed to do now was wait for rescue.

The explosion had spread out over several kilometers. Given the speed of a human mage, Fei Niao believed he had ample time to wait for reinforcements. Of course, while unlikely, it would be best if Katie were to be killed by the fall or explosion.

However, the result was completely beyond the bird's expectations. The rising giant extinguished the last hope of life in the snow. Its fallen companion flew up with extremely severe burns.

The instigator of all this was, naturally, the human mage, standing proudly atop the bird. His clear, emotionless golden eyes symbolized only two words: annihilation of humanity. Even a severely damaged corpse, if it still had any use, would be seized.

If Fei Niao could speak, she would probably ask, "How can you still be considered human?" or something like that, morally condemning her. Of course, Katie didn't care about that at all. They were all out for her life, so what if they used a corpse?

Before leaving the world, the bird greeted the last flame of its life with hatred. Giving up the struggle, it was completely burned in the lonely snowfield, turning into a pile of ashes.

Katie didn't even bother to glance back. She controlled the corpse that had dismounted the bird and staggered back into flight. Although maintaining the spell to control the corpse consumed a considerable amount of magic power and mental energy, she still needed this flying mount to quickly support the battlefield.

Accompanied by the wind, the bloody bird dragged its body and carried Katie to the distant battlefield.

-

Bai Lin had already taken advantage of the chaos to get close to the castle. Going through the main gate wasn't a wise option during a stealth mission, so she headed for the side door. Katie's invisibility spell had made it easy for Bai Lin to get here, which was quite convenient.

She'd just arrived here, and she'd already made a great discovery. Beside the castle, a flower bloomed that she was very familiar with: the so-called Moonflower. It made sense that there was a save point outside the boss room.

Bai Lin slowly stepped forward and placed her fingers on the petals. A wave of memories quickly flowed into her mind. In the quiet place behind the battlefield, Bai Lin realized that the intensity of a battle was not determined by its scale alone.

She saw the Dragon Quest war. Although it might just be an excellent CG for Bai Lin, it was indeed quite shocking.

She put the matter behind her and continued to concentrate on her task. Compared to the moonflower in the village, this one was obviously a little more wilted, perhaps because too much time had passed.

Without hesitation, Bai Lin kicked in through the window on the wall. Although it was daytime, the castle was extremely dark without any light. Although there were candlesticks and other lighting tools on both sides, they were not lit. It was for these reasons that Bai Lin immediately noticed the pair of eyes gleaming in the darkness.

Although they were the vertical pupils of a ferocious beast, the clear blue pupils made Bai Lin feel only the quiet danger, without that kind of exposed wildness.

Weapons in hand, he lowered himself. A standoff ensued between man and beast. He had no idea how large the other creature was, but judging by the height of its eyes and the shadows, he could tell it was another massive foe. He looked up at the castle's topography. While the roof was somewhat open, the walls were much narrower than the cave.

Bai Lin immediately judged that this was a favorable terrain for her, but in this situation, she didn't really want to take the initiative. So now Bai Lin chose the warrior's specialty skill, "Taunt".

She flung her shield, which bounced off the wall and flew steadily toward the eyes. By now, Bai Lin's shield-flying technique had reached perfection. But the moment the shield launched, Bai Lin sensed something amiss. A fast-moving object in the darkness wasn't particularly conspicuous, but it wasn't so noticeable that it wouldn't go unnoticed. Those eyes hadn't moved, showing no sign of dodging.

Chapter 90 Phantom Python

An ominous feeling immediately washed over Bai Lin. She accurately detected a hint of danger in the seemingly slow-moving air. She stepped back, turned, and swung her sword to the right. The sticky impact didn't make her feel the impact at all, but she did hear a scream, confirming the success of the attack.

Taking two steps back, Bai Lin finally got a full view of his opponent in the light from the window. Its strangely smooth, velvety hide blended seamlessly into the darkness, suggesting it was a dark blue. Its eyes, similar to those seen in the darkness before, though smaller, confirmed its identity. The snake's tongue, a symbol of danger, and its rapidly coiled form also provided Bai Lin with the intelligence he sought.

It turned out to be a rather large python. Bai Lin gripped his sword with both hands, facing his opponent with a calm demeanor. Judging from the feel of the strike, it was likely the opponent's smooth hide caused the attack to deflect. The lack of visible injuries was likely due to the toughness of the skin itself.

That's going to be a bit tricky, Bai Lin thought. If the monster was furry, Bai Lin could still use the properties of fire to attack. But the one before her, she felt only the word "difficult to break through." Moreover, from the attack just now, she was also sure that the giant python in front of her was not the type to seek a head-on confrontation.

The giant python looked at Bai Lin with interest, spitting out its tongue, as if it didn't care at all about meeting Bai Lin's gaze. But Bai Lin didn't think this was a good situation. The most important thing at the moment was to retreat and get back the shield, and try to break through the defense.

With slow breaths, Bai Lin forced himself to retreat quickly. But this sudden retreat seemed to have been seen through by the giant python, which swiftly struck Bai Lin's retreating position with its head. Unable to dodge, Bai Lin had no choice but to use his sword to defend himself.

Although the force wasn't very strong, Bai Lin's body was still sent flying a great distance, and the impact from the front and back of her body made her internal organs tremble. The giant python showed no intention of giving up the pursuit. After closing in several steps, it quickly followed up with a tail swing.

Unfortunately, this time, Bai Lin's speed on his feet surpassed the python's expectations. Having endured so many blows and with the system's assistance, Bai Lin had mastered the four-character mantra of "enduring the pain" when it came to combat injuries. Leaping up, dodging the tail's whip, he used the wall to gain momentum, twisting and changing direction, then leaping again. In one go, he rolled to the ground a short distance away and picked up his shield.

Even though he was hit, Bai Lin's body wasn't seriously injured. The armor that Kress had given him was quite useful, not like paper... although there was a dent in his chest.

The next thing that gave Bai Lin the most headache was that although he had his shield, he was now absolutely far away from the illuminated window. The giant python was very clever and had somehow closed the window, depriving him of the last trace of light.

His weapon had no stored energy, his vision was limited, and he was in the opponent's home court. Bai Lin suddenly fell into a high-consumption state that required him to stay mentally tense at all times.

Where would the next attack come from? What kind of attack would it be? Could he use his shield to counter the greed? Bai Lin had no answers.

A sudden gust of chilling wind blew up, and Bai Lin quickly assessed its position and swung back with another strike. But this time, the feeling of the combo was completely gone. The giant python's sinister laugh echoed, and with a relentless blow, Bai Lin was once again sent flying. Unprepared, the blow caused internal bleeding. Bai Lin struggled to her feet, wiped the blood from her mouth, and stood up.

Normally, bleeding from the mouth indicates internal organ damage, but despite the burning pain in his internal organs, Bai Lin couldn't pinpoint which organ was affected. Anyway, being able to move meant there was nothing wrong, right?

Bai Lin had no intention of retreating. This time, she didn't continue to think, but poured her full attention into her opponent's attack. She wanted to first determine the opponent's common attack method.

The wind blew again, and Bai Lin still chose to fight back, but this time she didn't use her full body. If she couldn't withstand the impact, she would retreat to deal with it, perhaps even using her wall-stepping ability.

She swung her sword, but it missed. As Bai Lin had anticipated, this was just another trick; the real attack hadn't arrived yet. So Bai Lin raised her shield, ready to take the blow. Sword strikes, shield defends; attack and defense are the most reliable way to fight the enemy.

But her defensive stance was once again thwarted by the giant python. The python's sharp tail, like a cloud of smoke, silently penetrated Bai Lin's feet and instantly wrapped around her right leg. Shocked, Bai Lin was flung through the air several times before being thrown out.

Dazed and disoriented, Bai Lin reflected on her careless mistakes while trying to determine her landing point. However, without a foothold in mid-air, Bai Lin was powerless to fight back. The python crawled close to the ground, and just as Bai Lin was about to receive the attack, it launched itself from the ground. The swift attack left her unable to offer any resistance before she was sent flying high into the air.

But this time, Bai Lin, who hadn't been hit by the recoil from landing, actually had a chance to catch her breath. At the highest point where the python wasn't chasing her, she used the wall to gain leverage, changing her direction of descent. She rushed towards the ground at an even faster speed, swinging her sword at the python that was about to pursue her.

Unfortunately, the hero was once again toyed with by the strange giant python. Fierce blows left deep marks on the castle ground, but failed to even scratch the python. A sinister sneer and the snarling breath of a snake emanated from Bai Lin's side and back. Furious, she spun around and swung, but once again, the blow missed.

There were clearly several opportunities to strangle me... and the speed at the beginning was inconsistent with the speed just shown. It was obvious that he was mocking me.

Bai Lin's knees felt pain from the impact, and his speed might have to slow down for a while. His already disadvantageous speed was being further restricted, which was really a bad feeling.

Even if you're at a disadvantage, you can't just abandon your weapons and surrender. Bai Lin took a deep breath and assumed a defensive stance.

I always feel like humans are so vulnerable against such a large and agile monster. Shouldn't a large body be bulkier to balance it out? Bai Lin internally vented his frustration.

Chapter 91 Breaking Out of the Phantom

The same moves, the same pattern, and another sudden, sinister attack. How could he break this situation? At the moment of being struck, Bai Lin fell into deep thought.

Huge size, swift speed, superior strength, and a geographical advantage. Even though Bai Lin's armor had adapted to dark, the python was still able to accurately determine her position. Was it hearing? Was it smell? Bai Lin had no information on this.

This was really a very disadvantageous situation for him. The opponent was superior to him in every aspect, and he also had strangely smooth skin. The sword in Bai Lin's hand was ineffective...

Thinking of this, Bai Lin suddenly pressed his foot down deeper, but he didn't twist his waist to exert force. The python laughed, obviously thinking that Bai Lin had given up without taking any action. Its steel tail hit Bai Lin's back mercilessly - who would hit someone with a shield?

However, the situation developed beyond the python's expectations. Bai Lin stumbled forward, then returned the attack with incredible speed, hitting the bull's eye! Although it was a slow and flawed attack, it was still successful because of the python's momentary complacency.

Although it hit the python, unfortunately, due to the python's smooth skin, it only left a shallow wound. The python quickly retracted its tail, fearing that Bai Lin would chase it again.

Bai Lin coughed in pain. It was obvious that taking these blows wasn't very comfortable for her. Although the attack wasn't very effective, a smile appeared on her lips for the first time in a long time.

Was it the madness of a loser? No, it was the joy of figuring it all out. When battling an enemy, a serious attitude can be considered a balance. On one side is yourself, on the other is the enemy. If you focus too much on yourself, you'll miss crucial information about the enemy.

After the attack just now, Bai Lin has successfully grasped the key to victory. Seeing through the enemy's tricks, everything will be easy.

Lowering his center of gravity, he even closed his eyes. By giving up vision, Bai Lin could more clearly utilize his other senses.

The doubts she discovered were actually very simple. If the giant python hadn't attacked, Bai Lin might have discovered the truth long ago. She had to admit that this opponent was indeed very powerful. From the beginning, those eyes had already set a big trap for Bai Lin.

The problem was simple: the castle's structure. From the outside, the windows looked broken, allowing some light to seep in. Even if the light was weak, it shouldn't have completely disappeared from her sight.

She was immediately drawn to those eyes upon entering, and her tense mind gradually impaired her judgment. So much so that when the giant python closed the window, blocking out all light, Bai Lin took it for granted.

From the outside, it looked like she had only walked a few dozen steps to the door and window. This was completely inconsistent with the distance she had flown. Logically, she should have flown past the door long ago, or even been knocked to the window on the other side.

Then why is there no shadow of a window next to me?

"You fooled my eyes, my nose, my ears, all my senses. But you couldn't fool my armor."

Bai Lin opened his eyes and looked at the indentations that appeared on various parts of his body. He spoke quietly. Then he twisted his body, rotating under his own weight, and quickly drew a perfect circle around him with his hands.

Arc Semicircle Slash Sword and Shield

Just as Bai Lin expected, her sword and shield both felt the impact, and the attack failed to strike from the strange blind spot that Bai Lin had not anticipated, but the shield had accumulated some energy. Bai Lin nodded with satisfaction, then threw the shield, and after it bounced off the wall, she just jumped up, brushing against the shield and rebounding at the same time.

All the clues led to the same answer. What could have tormented Bai Lin for so long that she couldn't escape? Now she finally understood it. In fact, she didn't even understand the size of her opponent.