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Chapter: 10
“Ma—monster!”
Ariel screamed.
That crazy monkey is a monster?
Adolf had already used his quick legs to flee far away.
So after restoring his stamina, that’s what he uses it for—running?
As Karina let out a disbelieving snort, the monster charged toward them.
Its target was Ariel, who had collapsed, her legs giving out.
At that moment, Denian stepped in front of her.
“Kueeeek—!”
Clenching his teeth, Denian grabbed the monkey’s face with his small hands.
It was only possible because his body-enhancement ability amplified his strength dozens of times over.
While the monster’s snout was restrained by Denian, Karina wrapped her internal energy around her hand.
She slid forward in a smooth motion and cleaved the monster cleanly in half at the waist.
The monster collapsed without even managing a proper scream.
Ariel stood there, breathing heavily in shock, trying to steady herself.
As silence fell over the scene that had unfolded in an instant, Adolf—who had appeared from somewhere—walked over to them.
“Where were you hiding?”
Karina asked coldly.
Adolf scratched the back of his head.
“Ah, my ability wouldn’t have been much help in combat, so I stayed out of it.”
Denian’s eyes turned toward Adolf, his gaze icy and unblinking.
Feeling awkward under that stare, Adolf rubbed the back of his head again.
“Well, thanks to Karina and Denian, we got through the crisis. Haha.”
Everyone looked at Adolf with unconcealed distrust.
* * *
Two days after climbing into the mountain range.
They encountered monsters two more times during that period.
Perhaps feeling guilty, Adolf joined the battles afterward.
Through fighting the monsters and setting up camp, they learned something important.
The creatures feared fire.
As long as a campfire was kept burning, most monsters wouldn’t approach the campsite.
That meant someone always had to make sure the fire never went out.
On the second night of camping, Adolf—who had taken the first watch—shook Karina awake.
“Get up, Karina. It’s your turn.”
Karina slowly opened her eyes. She had been circulating her internal energy while lying down with her eyes closed.
It had been about a month and a half since she began proper cultivation, yet the speed at which her internal energy accumulated was astonishing.
Especially in this mountain range, where the vital energy in the air was denser, her progress was far faster than usual.
With so much internal energy already built up, she had reached the point where she could cultivate without sitting in the lotus position.
In her previous life, it would have taken twenty years of training to achieve this.
The thought was almost hollowing.
Well, it was only natural—her past achievements allowed her to advance faster this time.
After circulating her energy, not only did her internal power grow, but her physical stamina and mental clarity recovered far more efficiently than through sleep.
Karina sat up, checked that Adolf was lying down in a corner, and scanned her surroundings.
She felt no sign of monsters near the campsite.
That dull, murky aura unique to monsters.
It was an alien, heavy presence she had never encountered back in the Central Plains.
But really, it wasn’t that strange.
In a place where energy density was abnormally high, it wasn’t surprising that mutant creatures fed on it.
Just like herself—accumulating internal energy at a monstrous rate.
Then, as Karina focused on sensing the surrounding energies, her brow furrowed.
She felt that strange aura—not at the campsite, but far away.
It was distant, yet so massive and distinct that it was unmistakable.
A monster? No… it was different.
A sensation similar to what she had felt when facing Duke Batius crawled up her spine.
That bizarre feeling of being overwhelmed in an instant.
Did the Duke enter the mountain range?
Karina sprang to her feet.
If she could observe his martial arts under the guise of coincidence, she might gain enlightenment.
In the martial world, it was common to gain insight from techniques wielded by someone stronger than oneself.
After confirming once more that no monsters were nearby, she infused internal energy into her legs and leapt onto a tree branch in a single bound.
Using light-body movement, she swiftly passed between the trees.
She intended only to observe from afar while concealing her presence—and gaining insight if possible.
Upon reaching the vicinity of the strange aura, she hid behind a tree and looked down.
Below, a man was slaughtering massive monsters.
Focusing internal energy into her eyes, Karina examined him closely.
He looked about fifteen years old.
A beautiful youth with a cold expression, standing somewhere between boy and young man.
That’s not Duke Batius?
Her disappointment lasted only a moment before she found herself staring blankly.
The boy casually severed a monster’s head, then plunged his hand into the corpse’s chest.
Soon, a bluish aura swirled around both the boy and the monster.
Before long, Karina sensed his wounds closing and his energy surging.
Absorbing Star Technique?
No… it was different.
Then it happened.
The boy suddenly snapped his head around and looked straight toward Karina.
I was hiding my presence—how did he notice?
Her shock barely registered before the boy stared directly at her hiding place and spoke.
“Who are you?”
What is this pressure…
Aside from the Duke, no one had ever made her feel such bone-chilling oppression.
As he stared at her stiffened form, the boy tilted his head slowly.
“Did you see it?”
See what?
Ah—did he mean absorbing the monster’s energy?
A killing intent flickered in the boy’s eyes.
“So you did.”
In that instant, Karina understood.
Damn it—he’s going to kill me.
No matter how fast her recovery had been, she hadn’t regained even a tenth of her original strength yet.
Facing a monster like him in this state, she wouldn’t last five minutes.
As Karina searched desperately for a way to escape, the boy charged at her at terrifying speed.
She hastily drew up her internal energy and deployed a protective qi barrier.
KWA-GWA-GONG—!
Blasted backward by the overwhelming force, Karina crashed into a boulder.
“Cough—!”
Damn it. Even at full output, her protective qi barely held.
The boy stared curiously at his hand, which had struck her barrier.
“What was that just now?”
He asked as he walked toward her.
“Well, you’re going to die anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”
At his words, Karina wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and shouted urgently.
“W-wait!”
“What?”
She didn’t want to say this.
“I’m an adopted child of Duke Batius’s family.”
Using Batius as a shield—how low.
Even so, he was one of the four great ducal houses that protected the Empire. Surely this boy wouldn’t act recklessly.
But the boy’s reaction was lukewarm.
“Oh. I see.”
Nodding as if something had clicked, he continued approaching.
“If you kill me, the Duke won’t let it slide.”
The boy broke into a grin.
“You don’t seem to know—killing during the trial isn’t against the rules.”
He knows about the ducal trials?
“Who… are you…?”
The boy smirked and reached out his hand.
I’m done for!
Karina instinctively drew out every last bit of internal energy she had.
The sudden surge made the boy’s eyes widen in surprise.
Then—
KWA-GWAANG—!
A thunderous explosion rang out, and the boy’s body staggered for a moment.
Dust exploded outward, engulfing the area.
“Cult Leader!”
“Du-pyeong…?”
Through the dust emerged Largo.
“Hold on to me.”
Lifting Karina effortlessly into his arms, Largo used light-body movement to escape at once.
Why isn’t he chasing us?
Karina glanced back suspiciously.
The boy stood there, watching their retreat with indifferent eyes, as if he had no intention of following.
With his ability, he could easily catch up.
So why was he just watching?
