Chapter 76: Ignition

In truth, Luo Yong was merely adhering to the tradition of "finishing the job" from Blue Star. Moreover, he wasn't entirely certain whether the monster was truly dead. Since he had no shortage of tactical scrolls, he simply bombarded it until he was satisfied.

It wasn't until the elven lady, unable to watch any longer, pointed out that Luo Yong had run out of lightning scrolls among the ones he had collected, that he finally stopped.

"After today, this Fear Gorge will surely need a new name," the elven lady sighed, unable to fathom how ruthless Luo Yong could be. It was as if he was intent on wiping out every spider in the canyon—who knew what grudge he held against them?

"Now it's my turn," she declared.

The elven lady had arrived via a teleportation scroll, pushing Luo Yong through the portal. She herself retrieved several items from her storage space, placed them upwind, and hid.

Moments later, with a furious roar, a half-human, half-spider monstrosity burst from the depths of the canyon cave. Its speed nearly matched Luo Yong's blink ability.

Previously, Luo Yong hadn't noticed, but now he gained a visceral understanding of the otherworld's combat power. The strength and speed here were far more tangible and formidable than anything he'd experienced in games. In fact, even at level eight, with his blink skill, Luo Yong might not surpass this spider monster in speed.

"What kind of world is this, anyway?" Luo Yong muttered in exasperation.

Every time he thought he'd grasped its truths, the world would shatter his expectations in some unforeseen way, as if slapping him across the face.

Of course, Luo Yong wasn't the only one feeling slapped. The bounty hunter lurking in the woods, hidden and watching Luo Yong's "carpet bombing," felt thoroughly humbled as well.

Those tactical scrolls were incredibly precious, fetching a good price in the magic shop! He himself couldn't bear to use them, nor to buy them even after earning enough. But Luo Yong tossed them away as if they were trash.

"Do you all have your own mines at home?" the bounty hunter couldn't help but mutter, overwhelmed with envy.

If it were just him, he could let it go. But the elven adjudicator had wasted a teleportation scroll merely to enter the battlefield quickly, even though the monster hadn't emerged yet. Could they not simply walk a few steps? Would those few steps tire them out?

As he pondered this, the elven lady faced the furious spider monster. Watching its anger, hesitation, and instinctive caution, she let out a faint hum and said, "No need for such outbursts. No matter how you roar, it's useless. You will never evolve into Catherine."

With those words, her figure flickered.

Her movements seemed slow and deliberate, every action clear to the eye, yet in the blink of an eye, everything was accomplished.

In Luo Yong's eyes, and in those of the hidden bounty hunter, only a streak of light remained.

Swish, swish, swish!

Several bright sword lights flashed, splitting the darkness into fragments.

Crash—

The level twenty-five spider monster was instantly wounded, several massive gashes across its body. Though nothing strange flowed out, it lay motionless, clearly doomed.

"Hiss!" Witnessing this, the bounty hunter named Elvin involuntarily sucked in a cold breath. A chill ran down his spine as he realized he'd just walked at the edge of death's gate. Thank goodness he'd stayed out of trouble, or he'd have died without knowing how.

"That bastard Ivan, daring to provoke someone like this—he must have a death wish!" Elvin cursed inwardly, glanced at Luo Yong, saw he hadn't been noticed, and silently withdrew, abandoning the bounty mission altogether.

Although the elven adjudicator was a paragon of justice and always acted impartially, he himself—well, it was best to stay far away from her!

With that thought, the bounty hunter pulled out a teleportation scroll he'd always considered precious and rarely used, and left.

"What's Seriven's level now? Is there any chance he could stand against this elven adjudicator?" he wondered as he departed. His sworn brother's level should be higher than his own.

Yet he quickly shook his head. That guy's profession was even more dubious than his own. Who knew how he'd managed to land himself on the Hero Association's blacklist? Living between light and darkness, struggling to survive...

Moreover, in terms of attributes, he would likely be countered by the elven adjudicator, making victory even more difficult.

Logically, Seriven's life should be miserable. Yet, from what Elvin knew, he was thriving, living with such flair it seemed he had a mine at home as well.

"Ugh, I should never have come here!" he grumbled, leaving without looking back, vanishing into the endless wilderness.

Luo Yong opened a portal and appeared beside the elven lady, launching several Wind Blades at the spider monster.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Struck by the Wind Blades, the spider monster, though already defeated, struggled violently, seemingly unwilling to succumb to such feeble attacks.

Yet Luo Yong, ever unsportsmanlike, activated another tactical scroll and tossed it onto the monster's body.

And that was that.

He and the elven lady retreated together, avoiding the splatter.

With the kill complete, Luo Yong quickly checked his status and found another spider card had been activated. Only Catherine's card and a hidden card remained!

He made a gesture, swiftly withdrawing to the cliff outside the canyon, adhering to the principle of "don't meddle if you can't help."

The elven lady waited a while, but Catherine, lurking deep in the cave, refused to emerge.

So she began moving deeper into the canyon.

"Wait!" Luo Yong used a teleportation scroll and returned through the portal.

"Perhaps we should wait a bit longer, or use some tactical scrolls to probe around?" he said, anxious.

His worry was sincere; with her abilities, the elven lady could easily handle a level thirty monster.

"You're worried about me..."

Though her expression betrayed nothing, Yan Baor was secretly pleased. To her, it was a form of affirmation—proof she hadn't misjudged him.

"Yes, I know you're strong, but there's a saying where I'm from: 'Better safe than sorry.' It's best to be cautious," Luo Yong said, his face flushing inexplicably, sensing her gaze. Her look unsettled the inexperienced young man.

Fortunately, the elven lady soon withdrew her gaze and, with a hint of inquiry, asked, "So what should we do now?"

"Just blow it up, that's all!" Luo Yong replied, full of confidence and the attitude of a nouveau riche. He stuffed a pile of tactical scrolls into her hands—so many she could barely hold them.

"Your luck… this drop rate…" she sighed, feeling that there was truly no one like him. With a secret realm full of resources, it was no wonder.

"Hopefully, when the time comes, your luck stays this good..." the elven lady murmured, lost in thought for a moment before regaining her composure. She accepted everything Luo Yong handed her—scrolls, food, drinks, gems, gold—storing them away as if clearing his inventory.

Indeed, Luo Yong's storage space was nearly overflowing with items lately.

"And then?" she asked, having packed everything away, looking to Luo Yong for guidance.

"Same as before!" Luo Yong replied, indicating they'd stick to the plan. He glanced back—the previous portal had vanished, so he opened another and returned to the cliff.

These scrolls were of average quality, standard for the camp. By comparison, city-level teleportation scrolls could keep a portal open much longer, suitable for large teams and multiple travelers. Some scrolls could be reused, crafted more finely and priced higher—few could afford them.

On the cliff, Luo Yong made a gesture, unsure if the elven lady understood. She nodded, then proceeded deeper into the valley.

Reaching a certain distance, the elven lady sensed Catherine's presence. The monster seemed to be watching everything from the shadows.

Strangely, Catherine, known for her aggression, had learned restraint. Even with enemies at her doorstep, she hid like a frightened turtle.

The elven lady didn't plan to use the scrolls she'd just received. Their magical power, while potent, would barely scratch Catherine. Moreover, the magic within the scrolls wasn't pure—overuse could impair a mage's senses.

For instance, the canyon was now saturated with impure, chaotic magic.