Chapter 77: A Sense of Crisis

Strictly speaking, the elven lady Yan Bao’er belonged to the lineage of the forest elves. The forest was their domain; wherever there were trees, their combat strength would be enhanced. Though there was little vegetation in the Valley of Fear, its location was surrounded on all sides by stretches of greenery. On the cliff where Luo Yong stood, there was a dense forest—one so thick that it was almost impenetrable.

The elven lady, upon approaching a certain distance, halted her advance. She raised a hand toward Katherine’s lair and began to chant elven magic. The language she used was one Luo Yong could not understand. It was said that in ancient times, the elves were a formidable race, exceptionally skilled in the magical arts. When the elven tongue was spoken, the spells cast were as potent as the legendary dragon magic of the age of dragons.

Ahem.

After the ancient war of gods and demons, dragons vanished from the world, and the elven race, for reasons unknown, began to decline. Their magic, too, became lackluster...

Still, even a dying camel is bigger than a horse.

Elven magic, once unleashed, was still far superior to that of most contemporary mages. Among their own ranks, few could rival them.

At this moment, as the elven lady chanted, powerful magical energy surged through the canyon. The previously chaotic and impure mana that filled the gorge was pushed aside, replaced by a current of pure, concentrated power gathering in the palm of her hand.

“This is true magic!” Luo Yong couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration. The spell had yet to be cast, but he could already imagine its formidable power. In comparison, the spells he and others had learned seemed utterly worthless.

It was no wonder, then, that the elves carried themselves with such pride and aloofness; there was a good reason why few outsiders ever approached them.

“I want to learn true magic!” In that moment, Luo Yong’s heart was seized by this longing. After all, if one were to travel to another world, one could not simply muddle through. If he was to learn, he would learn the purest, most powerful magic; if he was to pursue romance, he would pursue the most beautiful women...

Ahem.

As it happened, he seemed to have already won the heart of the most beautiful woman. It was as if he’d already collected one rare card—[The Purest Magic] was a card, [The Most Beautiful Woman] was another. And now, he already had one of the rarest in his collection. The rest could wait to be gathered in time...

Yet, the most beautiful woman was just a single card. The purest magic might well be an entire set.

“Damn, I really have too much time on my hands!” Luo Yong cursed inwardly. It was just like they say: once you have enough lice, you stop feeling the bites; once you have too many debts, you stop worrying. His information panel was already filled with endless sets of cards—he might never complete them all in this lifetime—yet here he was, already plotting new collections. Madness...

Whoosh!

While Luo Yong was still lost in thought, the elven lady finished her incantation. A beam of light shot out from her palm. The sensation reminded Luo Yong of certain skills he’d used in his gaming days.

But this elven spell was cast without a staff—impressive indeed. Although Luo Yong was too far to feel the direct force of the spell, his instincts told him it was devastating.

The elven lady’s power was not to be doubted. Luo Yong couldn’t help but wonder—if she stood at the entrance of the canyon and used this spell, could she blast a hole straight through the valley?

Under normal circumstances, this light-based skill should have no trouble with range or power. After casting the spell, the elven lady simply stood there, smoothing out her hair, which had been tousled by the magical surge. Even with her hood up, it was clear from her movements that she was tidying her hair—it hardly seemed likely she was wiping sweat.

A moment later, thick black mist poured from the depths of the shadowy canyon. Within the fog, two scarlet lights appeared—Katherine’s eyes.

Swish!

Katherine moved with astonishing speed. As a level 30 monster, her power was truly overwhelming, far beyond what Luo Yong had expected. Yet, in the face of this formidable creature, the elven lady’s figure became ethereal, almost as if she had turned into a beam of light herself.

This time, Luo Yong could no longer follow her movements; only flashes of swordlight flickered in the darkness. The two crimson eyes darted rapidly, intertwining with the white swordlight in a flurry of collisions and entanglements. From time to time, the metallic ring of clashing blades echoed through the canyon.

Luo Yong couldn’t help but be curious—Katherine’s upper body was that of a human woman, while her lower body was a spider. How did such a creature even come to be?

He’d often heard that the human form was the ideal evolutionary shape. He hadn’t much believed it before, but now he was starting to.

“Roar!” Though she was a spider, Katherine let out a beastly roar that shook the entire canyon. Ordinarily, a single roar from her would send the whole valley into a frenzy. But today, aside from herself, there were almost no other spiders here.

After Luo Yong’s relentless bombardment, the spider valley was nearly wiped out. Only a few small spiders, driven by a strong survival instinct, had escaped into the mountains or dense forests beyond, barely avoiding annihilation.

“Moonlight!” Following Katherine’s roar, the elven lady called out, and her sword radiated a dazzling light.

Swish, swish, swish!

Brilliant light flashed as she moved even faster than before, her attacks sharper and more decisive. The swordlight was unstoppable, tearing through the darkness with unmatched ferocity, as if determined to rend the very night apart.

In just moments, the light faded and vanished, leaving the gorge in peace once more.

Luo Yong squinted, watching as the elven lady waved him over. Katherine lay collapsed on the ground, utterly spent and on the verge of death.

Seeing this, Luo Yong immediately activated a teleportation scroll, opened a portal of light, and entered the canyon. He hurried toward the elven lady.

Still at some distance, he unleashed several Wind Blades—whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—striking Katherine’s body again and again.

Crash—

The dying Katherine twisted in vain, stirring the gravel around her with rattling sounds. But whatever she did, it was useless. The outcome was set.

“Finish it quickly. There may be other Katherines inside,” the elven lady said.

“There are more?” Luo Yong was surprised, and pulled several tactical scrolls from his inventory.

“Katherine’s lair is not somewhere even I dare explore lightly. There’s a mysterious force within it,” she explained. “How Katherines are formed is still a mystery. None of the theories are accurate; none can explain it fully…”

“Even if you won’t be attacked, don’t venture there recklessly,” the elven lady warned, seeming to sense Luo Yong’s intentions.

“Uh, hehe…” Luo Yong laughed awkwardly and waved his hands in denial.

Boom, boom, boom!

After he used several tactical scrolls, Katherine finally ceased her struggles and died. Another card on Luo Yong’s panel was lit.

“Now there’s only one left!” Luo Yong muttered as if he’d just completed an important task.

“What do you mean?” The elven lady, whose ears let nothing escape them, caught his words instantly.

“Uh…” Luo Yong froze, chastising himself for his carelessness. He’d almost let his secret slip. Truth be told, he had no real defenses against the elven lady—after spending more time together, he knew he’d have to tell her everything sooner or later. It wouldn’t matter if she knew.

Yet, whenever he was about to speak, the astrologer Hera’s inscrutable gaze would flash through his mind, along with her warning: “Don’t ever show your hand to anyone.”

It was that advice that kept him vigilant, urging him to remain calm and not be swept away by emotion.

“If you don’t wish to speak, then don’t force yourself,” the elven lady replied coolly.

“Uh…” Her response left Luo Yong even more at a loss.

“Bao’er, there are some things I can’t tell you for now, but you’ll know everything in time,” Luo Yong promised.

“Alright, I understand,” the elven lady replied indifferently, clearly displeased.

“Hey, Bao’er, what was the spell you used just now? Can you teach me?” Luo Yong asked, shamelessly.

“That spell combined elven chanting with special techniques. It’s a secret art—not to be taught to outsiders,” she replied.

“What? But I’m not an outsider! I’m one of us. Can’t I learn it too?” Luo Yong persisted.

“Well… there are things I can’t tell you just yet, but in time, you’ll know,” the elven lady retorted, mimicking his own words.

“….” Luo Yong felt completely stumped.

After a brief silence, Luo Yong asked again, “Bao’er, are there any other places with spider monsters besides here?”

“Spiders…” The elven lady looked at him with curious eyes. “Why do you insist on killing spider monsters?”

“Well, I have my reasons—but I can’t explain just now,” Luo Yong replied, shrugging.

“Around the camp… there shouldn’t be any left. Apart from Katherine, there’s only that mysterious lair—unless…” She didn’t press further. As long as Luo Yong could resolve the problem with the boss monsters, it didn’t matter how he did it.

“Unless what?” Luo Yong asked eagerly. He had just witnessed the power of the giant spider and the elven lady, and a sense of urgency had taken root in him. Luo Yong now understood perfectly that even as a high-luck, pay-to-win mage, facing a truly powerful enemy would mean instant death.

So, not just for the elven lady’s sake, but for his own survival in this world, Luo Yong knew he had to grow stronger—quickly.