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

Nowen was silent for a moment, then he said, "Grell, let's squeeze into one tent. Fei'er and Bai Lin will sleep in one. You have to keep watch, so it will be more convenient to take turns. Andel needs more rest, so give her her own."

Bai Lin smiled and affirmed, "That's good. Andel still needs to have a good rest."

Andel, naturally, wasn't one to show off her prowess in this area. She nodded and accepted the offer. With the help of the two men, the tent was quickly set up. Although Bai Lin and his group had started a fire the last time they visited this forest, this time was different. They simply had Fei'er prepare dinner before putting out the flames.

In this deep forest, while most beasts feared fire, those who weren't afraid would simply invite attack by lighting a fire. Furthermore, in places like this, there were always the possibility of people like Xifa, who killed for a living. In Bai Lin's words, they were nothing short of traitors. Being targeted by such a person would be truly disastrous.

Soon, everyone fell asleep, seizing this precious rest time, as they had to get up early the next morning to continue their journey. Fei'er was responsible for the first half of the night's vigil. Bai Lin didn't even take off her armor, and just lay down on the sheets, but she didn't fall asleep immediately. Seeing this, Fei'er asked,

"Can you really sleep in this heavy armor?"

Hmm? Fei'er actually came to care about herself? This was somewhat beyond Bai Lin's expectations. From the actions and exchanges of this day, she clearly felt that Fei'er's mood had changed. Of course, this was a good thing. Bai Lin also replied,

"Of course it's uncomfortable, but in a place like this, you still have to be as prepared as possible. If you wait until you wake up to put it on, it will be too late."

Fei'er nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah, that's true. What comes unexpectedly is the most terrifying."

"Fei'er, have you ever been attacked by a monster while sleeping?" Bai Lin saw that Fei'er's tone seemed a little deep. She didn't want to miss this opportunity and hurriedly wanted to know more about her. The latter was rare, sighed, and answered affirmatively.

"Yes, the monsters are very powerful and terrifying. But looking back now, I realize that a lot of times, powerfulness doesn't necessarily mean it's terrifying."

Bai Lin agreed, "Yes, that's true. I've been attacked unexpectedly before, but it wasn't by monsters, it was by humans. It might not only be the beasts that are scary, but also the human heart."

"Yeah," Fei'er said briefly, and then stopped talking. Seeing this, Bai Lin said goodnight and fell into a deep sleep. This short sleep, though not too long, did give Bai Lin a dream. In her dream, she vaguely glimpsed a field of bright red flowers, with Fei'er standing in the center.

She was not wearing the clothes she was wearing now, but a light-colored dress, which made her fair skin and girlish face look even more pure and flawless. Under the dim moonlight, the moonlight covered her smiling face like silk, but Bai Lin could not see the slightest happiness.

…What a strange dream.

Later in the night, after Fei'er woke her up to change shifts, the two of them didn't talk much. She walked out of the tent, stretched herself, and relaxed her muscles. She recalled the strange dream and thought for a while.

How to say it, although she had seen what Fei'er looked like, her skin was a little too white, between the white of a dead person and a little bit of vitality, but she was still a beautiful girl. It was just that personal factors might have caused her current appearance.

The scene of a beautiful woman under the moon is so beautiful, yet it's a bit hazy. Even more bizarre is that you can't clearly see what's beneath her feet, but you can tell it's a sea of ​​flowers. Why use such a bright red color...?

As he thought about it, Bai Lin looked up at the sky. Although the branches of the forest obscured the sun, he could still clearly see the stars in the night sky. Although it was not a particularly beautiful scene, Bai Lin still sat down at the door of the tent and kept watch for the night.

Why think so much? It's just a dream. However, she suddenly wanted to see this girl smile. Bai Lin thought this without any evil thoughts. If Fei'er had nothing to do with her, it would be fine. Since they were partners who would work together frequently, she naturally wanted to see Fei'er get over her worries.

As I thought, time slipped by. Bits of starlight gradually scattered, casting a faint glow over the sky. Dawn had arrived.

Chapter 216 There is a cute beast inside

Everyone got up, having slept quite soundly that night. After a quick meal and packing their bags, they continued on their journey through the dimly lit forest.

Although the path through this mountain range was still quite rugged, the adventurers seemed to be accustomed to it. Even Bai Lin, the least experienced, had no problem navigating it. Furthermore, the path they were on had been explored by many before them, so there were many relatively flat areas.

"Come to think of it, Captain, this place is obviously not far away, why did we only discover settlements of other races today?" The priest asked as they walked.

Bai Lin shook his head. "Although I don't know the specific reason, perhaps it is precisely because of these doubts that they sent us to investigate."

"It sounds like this mission is quite difficult. You're really confident in yourself, Captain, as you're using this as your first team."

Grayer complained, and Bai Lin said in a rather nonchalant tone, "Don't say that. Everyone in this team knows what they're going to do. It's as if none of you have any confidence."

Greer chuckled when Bai Lin said this. What Bai Lin said was indeed true. She had explained the details of the mission to everyone, and no one had raised any objections.

Amidst this harmonious atmosphere, Grell suddenly stopped everyone and said to himself, "I sensed a hint of something unusual. Hmm... a bit dangerous, and I could also taste a faint burning sensation..."

Despite this, Grayer's investigation still felt somewhat ambiguous, so Bai Lin had the entire team stop and wait for Andel to bring back the news. After a while, Andel dodged a few times and landed in the team, reporting,

"Five hundred meters ahead, there is an Explosive Flame Fruit Beast."

"Explosive Flame Fruit Beast..." Bai Lin started thinking again when he heard this term.

The Exploding Flame Fruit is a rather unique fruit in this world. It's a vibrant red, like grapes, but it grows in small, separate clusters. When ripe, the fruit gradually melts into a hot liquid, which, after cooling, can be made into a delicious syrup. The remaining skin can also be ground into a powder for seasoning. However, it also has another special feature.

The unripe fruit, once removed from the tree, swells and expands within three seconds before exploding. Despite its apparent deliciousness, its power rivals even the fireball cast by some mages. Therefore, cultivation of this plant is restricted. While convenient, it is also somewhat dangerous.

According to the notes, this magical beast is extremely lazy, able to remain inactive for up to two to three weeks once it lies down. Besides storing vast amounts of energy within its own body, it also absorbs nutrients from the earth's veins. It generally doesn't actively hunt, and in this forest, no monster would bother to find it.

After all, the magical beasts of the mountains are generally afraid of fire. Aside from its fire properties, the Explosive Flame Fruit Beast's combat power is also quite impressive. Once in combat mode, its body will instantly grow to a height of over ten meters. After transforming, its temperament becomes extremely violent.

According to the description, the Explosive Fruit Beast normally looks like a hedgehog, but when it expands, it becomes quite different. Its originally short claws become thicker, and the spikes on its back also change.

Just as the Explosive Flame Fruit explodes when ripe, the Explosive Flame Fruit Beast's spikes share the same properties. After expanding, a large amount of hot liquid gushes out of its body, softening the spikes on its back and ejecting them. Upon impact with an object or within a few seconds, a significant explosion occurs.

...It seems that this thing is very difficult to fight in close combat. Bai Lin judged so. Then she asked,

"Fei'er and Greer, do you have the confidence to kill it directly in this guerrilla area?"

"Impossible." Grayer shook his head and concluded bluntly, "This isn't something like the Purple Venomous Giant Lizard. Forget us, the Explosive Flame Fruit Beast is simply the old rogue in this forest. Those who are stronger than it are unwilling to challenge it for fear of getting into trouble."

Bai Lin listened to Greer's advice and looked at Fei'er. Fei'er said two words, "It's difficult." Bai Lin understood what she meant and probably knew that it would be difficult to fight monsters. So she sighed and asked with a slightly compromising tone,

"Andel, how long will the detour take?"

Andel also gave Bai Lin an answer that was rather puzzling. "There's a steep slope not far to the right. It would take us a long time to go there. We'd have to go down first and then come back up...it would probably take us half a day longer. And there's a cliff on the left, so this is the only way around it."

Shit! Bai Lin cursed inwardly. The round trip for this adventure was already long enough, and now it had to add another half a day. What was he going to do?

Bai Lin and her team fell into silence. Bai Lin herself felt increasingly anxious and unhappy in this silence. At this moment, Kong's comforting voice seemed to echo in her mind.

"Calm down and think carefully, Bai Lin."

That's true, there's no point in being anxious. Bai Lin accepted the suggestion of his heart, closed his eyes slightly and thought for a while, then asked Fei'er,

"Fei'er, do you know any illusion spells?"

"A little bit." Fei'er answered briefly, but she was still shaking her head. Bai Lin also understood what she meant and added,

"I know it's unlikely to knock it out directly, but what I want you to do is certainly not something impossible. What I want you to do is..."

-

After a brief assignment, this mission consisted solely of Bai Lin and Fei'er. While the chances of success weren't 100%, based on the records and Fei'er's description, the Explosive Fruit Beast wouldn't be able to catch up to them. So, even if they failed, they could just consider it a detour to help their teammates pull the monsters.

"Three hundred meters... this is about the right distance. Fei'er, release a small spell in that direction with a sufficient distance." Bai Lin said.

According to Andel's distance calculations, this was the optimal location. Fei'er nodded, her incantation moving slightly. Bai Lin could sense it, a spell that increased both distance and endurance. Soon, a small, unremarkable icicle flew out, carrying a hint of chill.

Chapter 217 Explosive Fruit Beast, Falling into the Abyss

"Puff!" The sound of a balloon deflated was heard, followed by a deafening roar and a distant explosion. Bai Lin even saw a faint orange-yellow heat wave. Clearly, the monster had been pulled successfully. Without hesitation, she grabbed Fei'er and ran.

Although the Explosive Flame Fruit Beast was powerful, its fighting style was extremely mindless and no one would usually provoke it, so its movement speed was still relatively slow. This also led to Bai Lin running for a while before she mastered the appropriate speed to control the distance between them and the Explosive Flame Fruit Beast.

As they climbed the mountain and crossed the ridge, the abrupt rock face became steeper, and Bai Lin leaned forward to maintain a proper center of gravity. Fei'er's speed was not much slower than Bai Lin's. She even rubbed her spells while running, properly controlling the hatred of the Explosive Fruit Beast.

The spells she used generally didn't cause much damage, but the saying "low damage, high insult" seemed to apply to this little king of the forest. It padded its sturdy legs vigorously, charging through the trees, oblivious to the damage it caused. Although Bai Lin hadn't seen the Explosive Fruit Beast's appearance, the constant rumbling of thunder behind him was enough to tell how dangerous it was.

Galloping, running, everything went smoothly as planned, without any accidents. After all, this was the area where the little bully lived. When they finally saw their target, Bai Lin's eyes lit up. She glanced at Fei'er, who nodded in understanding and stopped.

Before them lay a bottomless, towering cliff. This was, of course, the cliff Andel had mentioned. Bai Lin didn't know much about the formation of mountain ranges, but far away on the opposite side of this cliff, there was another opposite cliff, which seemed to be several feet higher than this one. This was definitely a natural wonder.

The two of them left enough distance for the charge, and Bai Lin's plan was naturally to cross this natural cliff!

The two of them turned their heads, watching the terrifying creature approach step by step. When the sharp tip of the spike, dripping with hot orange-yellow liquid, revealed its tip, Fei'er locked onto her target and unleashed the spell she had prepared long ago. However, this time, nothing happened; the spell didn't seem to stop the Explosive Fruit Beast's advance.

As soon as it revealed itself, it shattered all the trees in front of it, simultaneously reducing the surrounding forest and the ground beneath its feet to a vast expanse of scorched earth. It was truly a misfit in this deep forest. Its entire body proclaimed its identity as a destroyer. Its body was its strength, and its strength was its identity.

The Explosive Fruit Beast, determined to rip apart any challenger, charged towards Bai Lin and the others. A wave of heat, seemingly capable of sweeping to the horizon, spread out without reservation. Bai Lin was no fool, of course. Without wasting a second, she grabbed Fei'er's waist, lifted her up in a princess carry, and spread her legs.

This was naturally part of Bai Lin's plan. Fei'er was not surprised, but watched herself and Bai Lin approach the front of the bottomless abyss step by step. At this time, Bai Lin also said,

"Three, two, one!"

Bai Lin and her body flew out. Although the force of the leap was so great that a large piece of the rock wall was broken by Bai Lin's step, the curve of the jump was unusually smooth. Fei'er lay safely in Bai Lin's arms. If one of them was not wearing a large cloth robe with a mask on her face and the other was not wearing a large black iron barrel, this would be a more beautiful scene.

Unfortunately, this wasn't a romantic film set. Fei'er instantly created a naturally falling sheet of ice in mid-air, and Bai Lin stepped onto it without hesitation. With a second burst of acceleration, they were safely transported to the cliff on the other side. The Explosive Fruit Beast followed closely behind, running and then leaping off the cliff. It seemed completely unaware that it was a cliff until its front foot stepped forward.

Seeing this, Bai Lin smiled easily. With the Explosive Flame Fruit Beast's body, if it moved at full force, there was no turning back. Although the beast desperately pawed, it couldn't help but fall to the bottom of the valley.

Fei'er's magic was certainly not meaningless. It was an illusion that was not too advanced. She used it to cover the cliff and deceive the Explosive Fruit Beast. This was also the reason why Bai Lin asked Fei'er if she could perform illusions.

The mention of cliffs brought back memories of herself being knocked back and pushed back by monsters while playing games. These experiences made her associate the two words "strong enemy" and "cliff" together. After all, this was truly another world. Bosses could leave boss rooms, and pulling monsters was normal.

Five seconds later, a heavy thunderclap echoed from the ground. While this would mean no loot, the Explosive Fruit Beast wouldn't fall to its death, so it was a win-win situation. At least the goal of trapping it was achieved.

Although Bai Lin didn't seem very tired after running, Fei'er seemed slightly different. She was slightly panting. Bai Lin stood beside her and asked calmly,

"Have you rested well? If you're okay, we'll jump back in."

Fei'er looked up at Bai Lin, straightened her body, and said, "Okay."

"Jump back again" also means that Bai Lin seems to be picking up Princess Fei'er again. It was a very urgent situation just now, and no one had much time to think. But if you think about it calmly, it seems that there is something...

Bai Lin blushed slightly, but fortunately, the helmet couldn't reveal anything. Fei'er was still looking at her, and it seemed as if the situation between them was a bit awkward. However, Bai Lin, having experienced enough, immediately squatted down and quickly picked Fei'er up. In this situation, thinking more would only make it more awkward. Instead of worrying about it, it was better to solve it quickly.

"Three, two, one." This time, he was jumping from high to low, so Bai Lin didn't bother with a run-up. After just two steps, he was straight ahead. The ice surface appeared just in time, and then Bai Lin landed heavily but steadily. Poor rock wall, it had been ravaged once again. Bai Lin had stepped on another large pit, unable to rise while holding the person, so he used this method to release the excess strength.

She gently put Fei'er down from her body, and then the two of them ran down the steep rock wall quickly as if they didn't care at all.

Chapter 218: Thoughts on the Road

On the way back, Bai Lin witnessed a truly horrific sight. The state of the forest could only be described as tragic. The devastation was immense, with burnt-black scorched earth everywhere. Ashes still drifted in the air, a mournful lament for the lives lost.

The difference was truly enormous. The unaffected forests looked like two completely different worlds from this area. Walking along this path, even the sunlight seemed much dimmer. The vegetation was so devastated that Bai Lin suddenly considered apologizing for attracting the monsters. Fortunately, the thought was quickly dismissed.

After reaching a certain point in the gray-black world, Fei'er pulled Bai Lin slightly in a different direction, and then successfully reunited with their companions. The other three were sitting together, anxiously awaiting news from Bai Lin and Fei'er. Although Andel knew that Bai Lin seemed to have some kind of teleportation ability, she still expressed concern. As soon as the two appeared in her sight, she stood up.

"Great, it looks like you guys succeeded."

Aundair used a smile to dispel her anxiety and welcomed her companions back. Although they couldn't see, Bai Lin smiled back, "Well, it worked. Let's keep going."

The remaining two also stood up, and the pastor asked caringly, "Don't you need to rest for a while? We were just sitting here and it felt like an earthquake in the distance. Are you okay?"

Bai Lin shook his head. "Although it was quite impressive, we only saw its appearance for a second, right?" Bai Lin looked at Fei'er, as if he wanted to confirm something. Fei'er, who usually wouldn't respond to such exaggerated jokes, nodded in agreement.

"Should be a second."

"Hey, can you speak..." Grell complained in a low voice, because he had only heard Fei'er chanting but never heard her speak. He was quickly stopped by Bai Lin's murderous eyes. Bai Lin coughed lightly,

"Since everyone has no objection, then let's move on!"

When the group walked out and saw the scorched earth, they couldn't help but gasp. That scene would have been deeply moving for any normal person. Bai Lin couldn't help but reflect on himself.

If she had teamed up with Katie before, she definitely wouldn't have brought her along to handle this sort of thing unless she had to. Since she had no concrete understanding of magic, she naturally thought that pulling monsters was too risky, so she decided to let someone like herself who could resurrect do it.

But when it came to Fei'er, things were different. Almost as soon as Bai Lin came up with the idea of ​​pulling the monster, he thought of asking the magician to cooperate with him... Was this considered differential treatment? Fei'er seemed to be a young girl, and given her personality, it was clear she had a tragic past. Should he be more kind to her?

Bai Lin looked at Fei'er beside him and thought for a moment. Before long, Fei'er also glanced over. Noticing Bai Lin looking at her, a hint of doubt appeared in her eyes, and Bai Lin quickly looked away. At the same time, she also found the answer to her question.

The answer is, of course, “No need”.

The defining difference between Katie and Fei'er is that Katie is an extremely rational person, which explains why, despite her difficult childhood, she grew into a resilient girl who dared to face the world. She challenged fate and defied destiny. The only flaw is that when she met Bai Lin, she became extremely emotional.

It couldn't be helped. It was normal for a young girl to experience the bitterness of unrequited love for the first time. At least, that was what Bai Lin thought. Bai Lin wasn't entirely convinced that Fei'er's past was any worse than Katie's. But that didn't mean she had a bad personality. It was simply that Fei'er lacked a mentor like Klein, which shaped her current state.

But this also means that Fei'er came to this dangerous place purely out of her own will, risking her life in exchange for money and reputation. She is also a person of strong character. She would not follow Bai Lin into the adventure like Katie did because she didn't want her to take too many risks.

Therefore, Bai Lin's unnecessary worry was unnecessary. Fei'er and Katie were completely different people. Although she didn't know much about Fei'er's personality or past, Bai Lin only needed to maximize the girl's strength within the scope of the team. That's what she thought.

This mountain forest was rife with unexpected dangers, something Bai Lin was well aware of. She wasn't the type to wander around just because she could be resurrected; she had her teammates with her. If Bai Lin died in a place like this, she might never have the chance to reunite with her teammates.

The day passed uneventfully. While many monsters possessed natural camouflage, allowing them to ambush adventurers from unexpected locations, Aundair and Grell's scouting abilities were truly exceptional, allowing them to avert any danger without incident. They encountered no more formidable opponents, nor any particularly challenging situations.

As the group, slightly weary, approached dusk again, Bai Lin suddenly spotted a flower that, despite being in its natural surroundings, caught her eye. Isn't this the Moonflower?

Facts have proven that the white lotus is not the only one that can emerge from the mud without being stained. The moonflower, which grows in such a place and remains pure white, is also worthy of this ancient saying. Bai Lin squatted down and silently resonated with the moonflower.

This time, the protagonists she saw were a group of strange people with cat ears and cat tails, holding weapons and other things, standing on the same front with a group of humans, fighting against some unknown monsters whose bodies were a mix of dark purple and black, covered with short tentacles that made people's scalps tingle, and looked extremely abstract.

Although it was a passionate fight to the death, Bai Lin still felt nauseous after watching it. Such a disgusting monster coupled with such a bloody scene, Bai Lin was still dazed after standing up. When she came to her senses, she heard Nuo Wen's shouting in her ears.

"Captain, Captain, are you okay? I saw you suddenly squatted down, and you were a little unsteady when you stood up. Did you get injured in the battle this morning?"

Bai Lin shook his head, waved to Andel who came over to support him, then stood up and said, "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

Chapter 219: Reaching the Deep Valley

After she stood up, Andel nodded and said, "I'm glad you're okay. If anything goes wrong at this time, it will be a big trouble."

Bai Lin heard Andel's words, which seemed to be very meaningful, and immediately asked, "At this time...? What happened?"

When Andel saw Bai Lin asking, she smiled mysteriously as if she had been waiting for a long time, then crouched down with Bai Lin and approached the bushes nearby. She quietly parted a bush, and Bai Lin naturally looked through the small gap.

Behind this thicket, a not-too-high, trapezoidal cliff face descended layer by layer, gradually converging into a naturally protected valley. A river meandered through, a waterfall cascaded down, and though there were only a few lights in the dim light, it was clear that this was a settlement.

"This, this is!" Bai Lin's tone was slightly excited.

"Don't be too loud. They have sentries too, you see." Andel pointed to a burning lighthouse and said so. Bai Lin realized that his excitement was not appropriate for this occasion, so he nodded and retreated.

"We're here, we're finally here. Let's rest for the night and start work tomorrow!"

Bai Lin announced this as soon as he returned to the place where everyone was gathered. Upon hearing this, the two men also showed shock, while Fei'er showed no reaction.

"Ah, so fast?" Grell asked, still a little uncertain.