"What are you so depressed about?"
Eiji couldn't help but tease as he looked at Lefiya squatting on the ground beside him, looking utterly dejected.
"It's nothing."
Lefiya replied dryly.
Though she had vaguely realized it earlier, she had never been willing to admit it. Only now was she forced to face reality.
There was an eighty percent chance Miss Ais had already been charmed by this man.
Hmph, what's so great about him? He's just all looks and nothing else.
Well, actually, his swordsmanship is excellent, his strength is formidable, and he's said to be decisive in critical moments, earning praise from many…
Thinking about it this way, Lefiya started to feel a bit flustered.
Why was it that whenever she thought about it, this man seemed to have nothing but good points?
And if these two really ended up together, what would happen to me?
Would it mean I was abandoned by Miss Ais, or by Eiji?
This is so confusing!
The more she thought about it, the weirder it felt. Lefiya simply squatted on the ground and started drawing circles.
Seeing that Lefiya wouldn't snap out of it anytime soon, Eiji shrugged and stopped caring about what she was thinking. After all, she had been spacing out a lot these past few days, and he was already used to it.
"Hmm?"
Eiji scanned the square, originally planning to go help, but suddenly paused.
He noticed a figure in armor slowly retreating from the square and heading in the direction Ais and the canine girl had left.
"That person?"
Alicia also noticed the person's actions and couldn't help but frown.
"Alicia, go inform Finn and the others. I'll follow and check it out."
"Understood. Be as careful as you can."
Alicia had great confidence in Eiji's strength.
If he went all out, even she might not be his match. Plus, Ais was there too, so she didn't worry too much and quickly ran off to find Finn.
Eiji, meanwhile, swiftly chased after the armored figure.
Lefiya looked left and right, then suddenly sighed, her expression gloomy.
I get it now. None of you even consider me a teammate.
***
To the northwest of the street, there was a crystal-lined path leading toward the mountainous area.
The place was filled with crystals of various colors, shimmering under the glow of the night, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
A man clad head-to-toe in heavy armor walked step by step up the stairs.
He noticed someone following him but paid no mind.
A tattered scarf was wrapped around his neck, and his head was covered by a hood, with half his face concealed by bandages, revealing only a glimpse of pale gray skin. His left eye, devoid of any emotion, stared coldly at the two figures ahead.
At the very front.
Ais caught up with the canine girl, and after a brief exchange, the girl pulled out a ball-shaped object about the size of a head from her bag, wrapped in layers of white cloth.
Ais unwrapped the cloth, revealing a green jewel.
Inside the jewel was a liquid encased in a semi-transparent membrane—and an extremely unsettling fetus.
Its large eyeball, disproportionate to its small, curled-up body, and the long hair that seemed to declare it was female, remained motionless and silent, yet emitted a rhythmic pulsing sound like a heartbeat.
It was alive!
Ais realized with a start.
Not only that.
A strange sensation traveled from the jewel up her arm, as if her entire being had synchronized with it. The rhythm of her heartbeat skyrocketed, and the blood in her body boiled with terrifying intensity.
"Sword Princess, are you okay?"
The canine girl hurriedly supported Ais, asking nervously.
Ais clutched her head.
A nauseating feeling surged from her stomach, making her dizzy and nearly causing her to collapse.
In her daze, the jewel slipped from her hand and fell to the ground.
"I'm fine…"
Ais finally steadied herself, gasping for air.
Upon seeing the fetal jewel.
The armored man's footsteps abruptly halted, and a cold smile flashed in his eyes.
Then, he pulled out a grass whistle from his pocket.
"—Come forth."
A high-pitched whistle sounded between his lips and the grass, like some kind of signal, echoing through the town.
"What is he doing?"
Eiji, following behind the armored man, frowned at his actions.
Though he didn't know what the man was planning, it was undoubtedly dangerous. His instincts screamed at him, making him hesitate to act recklessly.
Boom!
Boom!
The sound of collapsing buildings erupted from behind, and clouds of dust rose from the direction of the town.
Screams and roars followed.
"Monsters?"
Eiji looked back and was immediately struck with disbelief.
Countless "faceless snakes" stretched their heads toward the sky.
Their slender bodies and smooth skin, with the frontmost part barely recognizable as a head, lacked any eyes or features. The slightly swollen shape resembled a sunflower seed.
Their yellowish-green skin gave Eiji an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu.
"What's going on? There were no signs of a monster invasion, and these monsters don't even exist in the middle levels!"
Countless doubts arose in Eiji's mind.
While it was true that monsters from the northern wetlands could invade Rivira, adventurers regularly hunted them to keep their numbers in check. An invasion could only happen if a large number of monsters appeared suddenly.
Moreover, as someone who had already progressed from the middle levels to the lower levels, Eiji could say with certainty that these monsters did not exist in the middle levels!
Squelch!
The "snakes" tilted their heads back, their heads splitting open with several cracks before blooming—like flowers.
Countless petals unfurled, releasing deafening roars. Their vibrant colors seemed to hint at hidden toxicity, and at their centers were enormous mouths lined with layers of teeth, dripping with thick saliva.
One of them lowered its head and swallowed a horrified adventurer whole. After a couple of crunches, the screams abruptly ceased, leaving not even a corpse behind.
Not snakes, but man-eating flowers?
Boom!
Before Eiji could decide whether to turn back and support the town, the armored man ahead took action first.
He stomped the ground, sending out a gust of wind so fierce it made one's legs tremble, then shot forward like an arrow—with a speed so astonishing it left Eiji stunned!
"So fast! Even faster than Tiona!"
Eiji's heart tightened.
In the blink of an eye, the man had already covered over ten meters.
Even as a Level 3, Eiji almost couldn't react in time.
Thankfully, he hadn't acted rashly earlier, or he would've been in serious trouble now.
Not far away.
Ais was the first to notice the armored man charging toward her.
Her eyes sharpened instantly. With a "whoosh," she pushed the canine girl beside her aside, then swiftly drew Desperate from her waist and swung to meet the attack.
Clang!
The sound of tearing wind erupted without pause.
***
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