“…It’s very dangerous, you know.”
Hilxi was initially a bit surprised, then a wave of gratitude welled up in her heart.
“Mm.”
Monica flew over to Hilxi’s side.
Avia, seeing that help had arrived, stopped pulling weeds, clapped her hands, and stood up, speaking with a tone full of thanks:
“That’s great, thank you, Monica-san!”
Monica glanced at her coldly, showing no emotion, and said nothing.
So indifferent.
Avia suddenly felt awkward but remained very grateful.
Unlike that blonde demon earlier, this one had helped without saying a word! So kind!
“Be careful, all of you.”
Jiai reminded them, then left one after another with Naersha.
Hilxi told them not to worry and that they would regroup soon.
About ten minutes later, the three of them returned to the village where the Mushroom Monsters were hiding, under the cover of night.
The village was somewhat chaotic, many houses even collapsed, damaged by stones or other objects hurled by the Mushroom Monsters during their chase of Avia, with no time yet to repair.
Unlike their last visit, several Mushroom Monsters were now patrolling the streets.
Hilxi also saw some Mushroom Monsters leaving the village and entering the Forest, likely searching for their trail.
Unfortunately for them, no one could have imagined Hilxi would come back to fight.
“Don’t these Mushroom Monsters sleep at night? Seriously.”
Avia clenched her fists and sighed, suddenly feeling less confident.
Hilxi internally scoffed, Who made them lose sleep, I wonder… Then she took out the Crystal Ball.
When in doubt, trust in metaphysics.
No, wait, this was serious Magic.
Since the Forest was the absolute territory of Magicians, where one could unleash more than a hundred percent of their Magic power, Hilxi dared to come to rescue someone here.
Her Mana had recovered about eighty percent by now—enough.
By the way, Avia’s Mana was also rapidly recovering, as Hilxi had successfully used Purification Magic to drive out symptoms similar to Magic Power Sickness in her body.
So the three of them were in relatively good shape for Magicians, ready to rescue Songgu Sasa from a village full of powerful Monsters.
The good news was that most Mushroom Monsters seemed to have left the village to search for them, leaving only a few inside.
Hilxi actually preferred to act tomorrow, but this was a good opportunity; waiting could mean missing it.
Once the Divination was complete, she obtained Songgu Sasa’s location and condition, and breathed a sigh of relief.
She was indeed still alive.
“I have a plan, called ‘Lure the Tiger Away from the Mountain.’”
Monica and Avia simultaneously turned to look at Hilxi’s profile.
“See? The target is in that house over there.”
Following Hilxi’s pointed finger, they saw a mansion-sized wooden and stone house, with four Mushroom Monsters standing guard.
“Are we going to lure them away…?” Avia asked quietly.
“Yeah, lure them away, then sneak in, find Songgu Sasa, and get her out.”
Hilxi briefly explained her idea.
Though simple, the simpler the plan, the less likely it would fail.
“Then who’s going to lure them away, and who’s going to sneak in?” Avia asked.
Hilxi pointed to herself calmly:
“I’ll sneak in. Since I have Divination Magic, I can quickly regroup with you if successful.”
“All right, then Monica-san and I will lure them away, right?”
“If you have no objections, that’s how it’ll be.”
With Hilxi’s confirmation, Avia’s eyes glinted mischievously, and a vindictive smile spread across her face:
“How about we just burn their village down?”
That’s a scorched earth tactic… you’re ruthless.
Hilxi thought seriously for a moment, then held Avia’s shoulder and shook her head:
“Our goal is to rescue, avoid conflict as much as possible.”
“Understood.”
Hilxi then turned to Monica, her expression serious:
“Be very careful. Your life must come first.”
“Mm.”
Monica turned her head away but nodded once.
A gentle night breeze stirred, moonlight filtering through the leaves casting pale light on the ground and rooftops, lending a chilly beauty.
If one ignored the towering Mushroom Monsters, the scenery would be even more enchanting.
Under the scattered moonlight, a bat flapped its wings in stealthy flight and landed atop a mansion-sized roof.
This was Hilxi, transformed by Transformation Magic into a bat.
She glanced at the four Mushroom Monsters on the ground nearby, then toward the village’s edge.
Soon, a low rumbling sound echoed—floodwaters were coming.
Turbid water mixed with dust and rotting leaves swept rapidly into the village, submerging several houses and soaking the streets.
The entire village looked like a diorama suddenly doused with a bucket of dirty water!
As expected, the Mushroom Monsters all stirred restlessly.
They strode with their thick legs toward the flood’s source, howling ugly cries audible even from afar.
‘Very effective…’
Hilxi watched the approaching water, then looked back at the four Mushroom Monsters, listening to their voices.
“Something’s wrong! Where’s this flood coming from?”
“Could it be the escaped Magician coming back for revenge?”
“Possible. Go check! If it’s the Magician’s doing, we’ll capture her and use her as tomorrow’s sacrifice!”
Soon, they left their posts and charged toward the floodwater.
The bat on the rooftop witnessed them leave, flapped its wings a few times, flew down to the three-meter-high front door, then looked around carefully.
Finding no enemies, Hilxi dispelled her Transformation Magic and returned to human form.
She quickly straightened, placed both hands on the door, and pushed hard.
With a creak and groan, the door opened smoothly.
Without wasting a moment, she slipped inside and shut the door quietly to avoid detection.
She then scanned the interior.
Lucky—no Mushroom Monsters guarding here.
The interior was spacious, even vast. The brown wooden floor was neatly laid, and the ceiling soared five or six meters high, giving an open feeling.
Two rows of beams flanked her sides, each fitted with candlesticks burning with orange flames, casting a warm glow that reflected faintly on the floor.
Though not brightly lit, the room was not dark either.
Tap, tap, tap—Hilxi’s footsteps sounded on the wooden floor, her figure illuminated by the orange light.
Her eyes shifted toward the far end of the floor.
There, a figure appeared.
A brown-haired girl dressed in Beast Skin Clothes, already unconscious, her hands tied with rope and fastened to a beam overhead.
Just as in the Divination, this must be Songgu Sasa that Avia mentioned.
Confirming her target, Hilxi hurried over and lightly tapped the girl’s cheek.
“Hey, five gold coins, wake up!”
She tapped several times, but the girl showed no sign of waking.
Sleeping this deeply?
Maybe try Lightning Magic or Water Magic to wake her up… the idea of a symbol of brutality flashed in her mind.
Before Hilxi could act, a creaking sound suddenly echoed in her ear, instantly putting her on alert!
A massive Mushroom Monster, the size of a small mountain, pushed open the door and then closed it behind him casually.
He stood three meters tall, with thick limbs and an oval-shaped head, his mighty physique radiating overwhelming pressure.
His brown eyes reflected the candlelight and Hilxi’s wary figure.
The Mushroomfolk Chieftain scrutinized Hilxi, then in a voice like a broken bellows asked:
“You’re here to rescue her?”
“Obviously.”
Hilxi lowered her body slightly and bent her knees, crossing her arms in front—a stance that allowed her to instantly unleash Magic defense.
Her heart fluttered nervously.
This Mushroom Monster was clearly no ordinary foe… could this be the final boss?
“To take her away, you must first defeat me.”
The Chieftain’s voice was calm, as if leaving room for negotiation.
But the next moment, he stomped heavily on the floor!
A loud cracking of wood boards sounded, then like a tank, he charged at Hilxi!
“…!”
So direct and decisive to attack!
Hilxi steadied herself, her gaze locked on the charging Mushroom Monster, goosebumps rising all over.
No choice—it seemed she had to fight her way through.
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