Time rewound to not long before, inside the Mist Forest.
As the figures of the others disappeared, both of their hearts sank. They had lost their one and only chance to escape.
The vine cage was once again completely enveloped by the Anti-Magic Ability. A sharp, piercing roar nearly ruptured their eardrums, signaling that the Forest Lord was enraged.
Ducks that had reached its mouth had all flown away—whoever it was, they would probably be pissed half to death.
The Forest Lord was cautious by nature, but it did not know that the Academy’s Magitools could teleport everyone away directly. That was why it had held back earlier, hoping the parasitized Magic Beasts would wear down the group’s stamina so it could reap the benefits afterward.
But now, facing only two remaining prey, it certainly would not make that rookie mistake again. At the very least, it absolutely would not let these last two escape.
Countless vine-like tentacles extended from beneath the Forest Lord’s body, slowly advancing toward the two with terrifying pressure.
“Sorry, Ximo. I didn’t expect to drag you into this,” Melrose said with furrowed brows. “You shouldn’t have tried to help me back there.”
“I… I didn’t think much of it. I just wanted to pull Senior Sister back…”
They had no path of escape now. Melrose glanced at Ximo beside her, surprisingly calm inside.
She never imagined she would die inexplicably in a place like this—and with a junior she had just met, no less. Fate truly played cruel tricks.
Melrose was not unafraid of death; it was just that her royal noble upbringing kept her from showing it. As for Ximo… Melrose could not understand why the little maid remained so composed.
“Trying the same trick again probably won’t work. How about we break through directly? I still have some dynamite on me. I wonder if it can blast through those vine walls…”
Melrose was stunned. She had not expected Ximo to be so calm at a time like this because she was still thinking of ways to escape.
Melrose knew full well that even without the Anti-Magic effect, the two of them stood no chance against it head-on. Yet Ximo seemed utterly unconcerned, still searching for an escape route.
In truth, Ximo was not unconcerned; she simply had not realized it. As a transmigrator and ordinary person, she had no grasp of the vast power gap between them and a high-level Magic Beast.
For instance, no one at the start had considered breaking the vine walls to escape because everyone could sense the protective magic on them—but Ximo clearly could not.
But it was too late to say anything now. The Forest Lord would not give them another chance for tricks. Several viscous vine tentacles lunged at them rapidly. Melrose mechanically drew her sword to fight back, but she knew deep down that escape was unlikely.
“Damn it, what a tough bastard…”
The disparity in close-quarters weapons showed itself here. Melrose could still tangle with a few tentacles, but Ximo’s sleeve sword could not hold off the vines. Several more sealed off all her retreat paths, swiftly binding her arms and legs and hoisting her into the air.
“Damn…”
Ximo appeared to kick and struggle wildly, but she actually timed it perfectly, lifting her right leg high and tracing a graceful arc in the air. The blade from her shoe tip precisely severed the tentacle around her waist.
Blue and white… Ximo’s movements had been bold and sweeping, but after that thought crossed her mind, Melrose could not help but chuckle softly to herself.
At a time like this, she was still noticing such things? Did people really fixate on trivial details under tension?
But Ximo’s actions seemed to enrage the Forest Lord. These two little prey had held out under its grasp for so long—it was nearly losing patience with the hunt.
A thick tentacle swept in like lightning. Ximo, who had just landed, could not react in time and was flung away by the brutal force, crashing hard into a nearby tree.
“Ximo!”
Melrose’s voice was urgent, but she had no time to worry about her, barely managing the incoming tentacles.
With a loud “bang,” blood spurted from Ximo’s mouth. Everything hidden in her skirt tumbled out like coins from a burst bag.
Damn, looks like this is really it…
The Forest Lord’s tentacles were slimy, their mucus seemingly corrosive. Ximo’s clothes and most of the gear that had spilled out sizzled with white smoke.
…Had she seen the label on that tube of dynamite also sizzling?
Ximo reached out with her bloodied hand to throw the dynamite away, but her vision had blurred. In a daze, she realized the texture under her palm felt wrong—it was not the dynamite.
A burning pain shot through her hand. As her sight cleared, Ximo saw it was the crystal ball she had bought at the auction.
Huh? She had stuffed her skirt with all sorts of things just in case, but had she brought this damn crystal ball? She did not remember taking it.
The crystal ball was also coated in the Forest Lord’s mucus, sizzling with white smoke. But whether it was an illusion, Ximo felt the originally murky orb turn crystal clear.
No, she had to throw the dynamite away and figure out how to deal with that monster… Survival instinct drove her to struggle upright with all her might, but she did not notice her blood had smeared onto the crystal ball.
She did not want to die here…
Melrose, who had been holding on bitterly, suddenly sensed an intense magical reaction from behind. She whipped around in shock to see Ximo slowly floating up from the ground—the crystal ball rising with her.
Impossible. The Forest Lord’s ability blanketed the entire space—how could Ximo produce a magical reaction unless… the elemental surge was so violent that even the Forest Lord’s suppression could not contain it!
Melrose looked at Ximo with eyes seeking confirmation, only to see the little maid utterly bewildered, clueless about what was happening.
But the crystal-clear orb clung to her hand like a magnet, lifting Ximo’s arm slowly until it pointed at the Forest Lord.
This was…
Melrose recognized it—this was the item she had asked Mira to bid on at the auction. She never expected it to end up in Ximo’s hands!
“Urgh…”
Sudden agony wracked her body. The crystal ball seemed to demand something from her, a powerful suction pulling at her. Ximo felt as if her very life force was being drained. She flung her hand instinctively, but could not shake it off.
That thing was drawing magic power from Ximo! Melrose quickly realized.
