Chapter Nine: A Fateful Encounter with the Wrong Adversary

Searching for magical beasts in the jungle is a skill in itself, and an essential means of gaining the initiative in an attack.

Though only fourteen, Xie Zhan had spent some time traversing the outskirts of the Blackwater Mountains, and had developed a fair amount of experience. From the tracks on the ground, the lingering scents, and the distinct marks left on the trees, he could deduce which magical beasts had passed by recently, as well as the direction and length of time since their departure.

Very soon, Xie Zhan locked onto a target...

“Well, what a small world. We meet again,” he muttered.

Xu Wen watched as Xie Zhan swiftly put down an unknown fallen leaf stained with dried black blood, glanced around, and determined the direction the blood trail led.

“Follow me,” Xie Zhan commanded with a wave. Xu Wen hurried after him without delay.

“What did you find?” Xu Wen asked, lowering his voice.

“It’s a ‘Stenchling’ that slipped away from me before, about at the eighth tier of the first star. I managed to stab it with a short sword last time it fled, but I didn’t expect it to still be alive,” Xie Zhan explained, sprinting through the forest, with Xu Wen close behind.

“The smell’s getting stronger. Looks like it’s not far.”

“Stay close! We must take it down and get its magic core this time. By the way, Stenchling meat is quite delicious; I’ll prepare some for you later. It’s a hundred times better than the rations we gnaw on every day.”

Xu Wen wrinkled his nose, catching a faint, indescribable odor drifting through the air—a bit foul, and growing stronger and more pungent as they ran. Was this thing really edible?

“You’re at the second tier of the second star now, and you still managed to let a first-star beast escape?” Xu Wen questioned.

Xie Zhan shot him a sidelong look, keeping his voice low:

“Easy for you to say. In a one-on-one fight, it’s already impressive to beat it head-on, let alone kill it outright. Listen, a high-tier first-star magical beast is no weaker than a second-star first-tier fire mage. It took me several battles to get the upper hand! Besides, these creatures may look like dumb animals, but each one is cunning. At the slightest sign of trouble, they bolt! It’s not just me—even Ding Yushan can rarely hunt a few beasts in a month...”

Xu Wen frowned, but then realized: it was true. This was the real world, not a game. There was no fixed HP bar; only lethal damage could end a magical beast’s life. Moreover, low-tier mages (first and second stars) had limited offensive power, and when a beast decided to flee, they could only cast one spell in a short time—the chances of finishing it off were indeed slim.

Just as he was thinking this, Xie Zhan suddenly halted ahead and signaled him to be silent.

Xu Wen tensed, immediately stopping and crouching down. The two exchanged glances, then each slipped behind a tree, confirming the direction from which the foul odor drifted.

Moments later, a shadowy four-legged beast slunk out from the darkness of the forest, reeking of its signature stench. It crept closer, its form indistinct in the gloom, but its nose stretched out, twitching as it sniffed the air, its glossy black eyes darting warily from side to side. As if sensing something, it stopped roughly forty meters away.

Its sense of smell was impressively sharp.

After signaling Xu Wen to stay put, Xie Zhan darted from behind the tree without hesitation, bending low as he sprinted forward, chanting a deep, rapid incantation to swiftly summon the surrounding fire elements.

Xu Wen, half-hidden behind the tree, peered out with wide eyes, watching the Stenchling intently. It was his first time witnessing, at such close quarters, the clash between mage and beast; he couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

The Stenchling quickly spotted Xie Zhan emerging from the trees. Whether it recognized him or not was unclear, but its four hooves shifted, its body lowering slightly in preparation...

Xie Zhan, rushing forward, was overjoyed!

It wasn’t fleeing—better yet! He had only just severely wounded it a few days ago; this time, he’d surely claim his prize.

“...Explosive Fireball!”

Whoosh!

A fireball over thirty centimeters in diameter materialized at Xie Zhan’s side!

Without pause, it tore through the air at breakneck speed, hurtling toward the Stenchling.

Second-star fire magic—summoned with such swiftness thanks to Xie Zhan’s tireless training—unleashed a wave of scorching heat, bearing down on the quarry with awe-inspiring force.

Yet—

At the instant before the attack struck, the Stenchling’s legs tensed, and, with astonishing agility, it leapt high, skimming over the fireball’s path and perfectly dodging the attack.

It dodged?

“No!”

Xu Wen’s expression remained unchanged as he stared unblinking at the crossing paths of the beast and the fireball.

Though he could not yet cast this second-star fire spell himself, he knew its effects intimately. The moment Xie Zhan summoned it, he understood the boy’s tactics.

Boom!

A muffled explosion rang out as the fireball detonated mid-flight, shattering into countless flames that shot out in all directions like rain, instantly illuminating a five-meter radius.

The Stenchling, attempting to leap over the fireball, was caught in this trap: the blast knocked it off balance and set its fur ablaze. It crashed to the ground and tumbled several meters. Yet, as it rolled over, the flames were smothered, and just then, a surge of magical energy rippled from its body.

Whoosh!

Xu Wen seemed to see a dark mass shoot toward Xie Zhan.

Clutching his weapon tightly behind the tree, Xu Wen’s face betrayed unmistakable shock. Now he understood how the Stenchling had previously escaped Xie Zhan—it was a magic-warrior type beast! Not only was it agile, it was also incredibly intelligent!

Though the first exchange seemed to favor Xie Zhan, in truth, the secondary attack of the explosive fireball had only about the destructive power of a first-star, seventh-tier spell—insufficient to inflict serious harm. Moreover, the Stenchling’s landing was bizarrely deft, shedding much of the force while extinguishing the flames and launching a swift counterattack.

Luckily, Xie Zhan seemed well acquainted with the beast’s abilities. As the projectile whistled through the air, he darted behind a large tree, his round shield raised behind him, evading the Stenchling’s counterstrike.

“Beautiful!”

Watching Xie Zhan dodge the attack and emerge from behind the tree, his shield aglow with a faint red light covering most of his body, Xu Wen couldn’t help but silently praise him. The boy’s combat instincts were impressive—no wonder Senior Sister Michelle dared let him venture into the Blackwater Mountains alone.

Yet, as the skirmish continued, Xu Wen noticed something amiss.

The Stenchling’s attacks were lightning fast. No sooner had Xie Zhan finished casting his spell than the beast dashed forward, ramming into his shield, which was reinforced with the ‘Fire Shield’ spell.

Though the Stenchling was seared by the shield’s heat, it succeeded in knocking Xie Zhan back, interrupting his attempt to cast the ‘Grand Fireball.’

Xie Zhan tumbled across the ground, nearly losing grip of his weapon and shield, while the Stenchling, after extinguishing its own flames, shook its head and recovered almost instantly.

Xu Wen drew a sharp breath. Something was wrong! The Stenchling didn’t seem injured at all; if anything, it looked fiercer than a tiger. Had it already healed?

If that were the case... Xie Zhan was in trouble!

He had devised his attack strategy assuming the Stenchling was still wounded—a serious miscalculation. Now that he was on the back foot, if he couldn’t regain control quickly, the magic-warrior type Stenchling could tear him apart in moments.

He dared not hesitate!

Xu Wen immediately began chanting, gathering fire elements as swiftly as he could.

But even so, his casting speed couldn’t match the Stenchling’s movements...

Having recovered, the beast launched itself at Xie Zhan, jaws agape and fangs flashing as it pounced.

Damn it!

Xu Wen couldn’t keep up with the Stenchling’s speed. Even if he managed to cast a spell now, he wouldn’t be able to save Xie Zhan in time. Watching helplessly as the beast closed in, he reached for his storage pouch.

At that critical moment, something unexpected occurred!

Though Xie Zhan appeared to be in dire straits, knocked to the ground, he suddenly rolled sideways, scattering a handful of white powder as he moved...

The Stenchling was showered head to toe in the powder. As if it had encountered something terrifying, it shrieked in panic and, upon hitting the ground, immediately tried to flee, ignoring its close enemy.

But at that instant, a dark-red fireball shot from Xie Zhan’s hand.

At such close range, it was nearly impossible to miss!

Yet what truly terrified the Stenchling was not Xie Zhan’s low-tier fire spell, but the white powder clinging to its fur and suspended in the air.

As soon as the fireball touched the powder, it ignited as though it had struck a pocket of natural gas. A flash erupted, and a massive fire cloud blossomed in midair, engulfing the Stenchling as it howled in agony.

The fire cloud lasted less than two seconds, but its ferocity rivaled the ‘Grand Fireball’ spell. When the flames died down, the Stenchling, its fur ablaze, rolled on the ground in pain, wailing miserably.

Even a magical beast could not withstand being surrounded by such searing fire.

Having landed a hit, Xie Zhan wasted no time and began chanting anew.

He knew the previous attack was not fatal, nor had it dealt a serious wound. Magical beasts possessed inherent resistance to magic; to prevent it from escaping again, he needed to strike hard.

But just as his third spell was about to take shape, an unexpected surge of fire elemental magic and a sharp whistling sound erupted...

“Watch out!” Xu Wen’s voice rang out. Xie Zhan whipped his head around.

Another Stenchling.

A blazing blade of fire swept past, almost grazing Xie Zhan’s head, and struck the Stenchling that had ambushed him from the shadows.

Blood sprayed into the air as the attacker was sent tumbling.

Only then, illuminated by the flickering flames, did Xie Zhan see the gruesome wound on the hindquarters of the Stenchling that had attacked him, black blood caked around the injury. When it turned, he met its vicious, hate-filled eyes, and cold sweat trickled down his brow.

This was the real target from his previous hunt...