Cornflower Witch

Chapter 418 The Awakened Black Griffin
The passage was dark and only wide enough for him to barely pass through. He had to duck while running, and the edges would still rub against his body, tearing open his wounds and causing waves of pain.

Fire Pig hadn't felt this disheveled in a long time. As he kept running, he even felt a little dazed, thinking about his past self.

At that time, he was still very thin, huddled in a cargo box as he entered the bustling Asla district.

Begging, rummaging through garbage, being beaten, working, being cheated, being scorned—looking back on many things now, they evoke a sense of sorrow. He never received a single act of kindness or comfort, even though other orcs had come in the same way. Although their lives were difficult, at least they had somewhere to go and someone was willing to offer guidance.

Maybe it's because he's too ugly.

His illusions were shattered long ago, leaving him with only one obsession: to have a good meal and find a place where he could sleep peacefully.

He had already accomplished the former, and he had also accomplished most of the latter. As the leader, few people dared to offend or attack him.

Unfortunately, he still didn't feel safe. He only wanted to live underground, where he had his own guards, thick earth and stone walls, and tunnels that led in all directions.

I'm so hungry...

As he ran using breathing techniques, his stamina was greatly depleted, and the wounds on his body also caused him to lose strength.

His stomach rumbled, and the feeling of hunger rekindled a long-dormant fear in his mind.

He felt he couldn't run fast anymore.

The opening in front of him was getting smaller and smaller, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for his obese body to squeeze in. The numerous wounds on his body felt like ants gnawing at him, causing an itchy and numb sensation.

Once again, he fell to the ground, the stench of the earth filling his mouth. His long fangs plunged into the ground, and the resulting force jolted his head back to his senses.

No, he can't stop here.

He forced his head up, looked at the now very small hole, picked up the axe, aimed it at his left arm, and swung it down heavily.

The white flesh was rolled up, revealing the broken, thick bones inside. The pain emanating from them sent chills down his spine, and he could barely stand.

Shaking like a leaf, he leaned against the wall to his feet, crawled into the cave ahead, and stumbled forward.

When Hilti arrived from behind, she saw the severed arm on the ground, which was still radiating heat and smelling of blood.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, she sighed silently, and continued to chase after them.

Passing through the tunnels that had been dug out, and running continuously in the darkness, the fire pig finally saw a glimmer of light ahead—the glow of flames. Though faint, it was exceptionally conspicuous in the darkness, illuminating the black eyes hidden in the crevices of its flesh.

We're almost there. That's where he hides his treasures. He's hidden many of his favorite things there, and has his most loyal and obedient pig-people guard them.

Yes, those pig-men are all stupid, but they are the ones that the fire pigs rarely trust.

Stumbling and stumbling, the fire pig ran into the huge cave, where braziers of all sizes were burning, illuminating everything. However, the scene before its eyes stunned the fire pig, and it stopped in its tracks.

The ground was littered with dead pig-man guards, their necks cut off, some even dismembered and made into hanging food.

The cave where the treasures were once hidden had long been opened. One by one, heavy chests filled with gold coins were moved by unfamiliar enemies, and some scattered gold coins were left on the ground. The treasure vault he cared about most had its sealed door blown open by unknown means, revealing the rare treasures inside.

A tall, thin figure sat in the large chair in front of the round table in the hall, the seat that should have been occupied by Huo Zhu.

"Oh, isn't this our 'Fire Pig' lord?" The four fingers twirled the golden crown in his hand; judging from its appearance, it must have been collected by the Fire Pig in the past.

"How did you end up looking so pathetic?" As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of laughter and agreement erupted around him.

Fire Pig was speechless. His gaze shifted to the last path leading to the outside world, but it was blocked by the enemy. Ten tall orcs, clad in full heavy armor, guarded the path.

He roared, the sonic waves of his fury shaking away the enemies along the way, and charged toward the only exit.

At this moment, the fourth commander moved his arm, and his men took out crossbows and aimed them at the huge, fiery red pig-man in the cave. Their fingers were on the triggers, and their faces showed a smug and mocking expression.

Then the bowstring vibrated...

When Hiltiah returned to the cave hall, she saw the lifeless remains of a fire boar, trampled under four fingers and riddled with arrows. One of its eyes was pierced by an arrow, and the other was buried in the soil, rendering it unable to see anything.

Upon seeing the girl appear, Four Fingers jumped off the mangled body of the fire pig and came to her side.

"Thank you, Miss Hedra, for punishing the villains of the Asura District. You also have a share of the treasures here. Please follow me."

Hilti remained unmoved by these words, and shook her head slightly.

"I want to know the whereabouts of my friend Anali and the lost Dragon Eye treasure from the Fire Pig."

"This?" Four Fingers scratched his head and looked back at the nearly dead fire pig.

"How about we continue to help you find your friend?"

Hilti shook her head again, raised her finger, and pointed to the motionless body.

"Isn't he still alive? Let him get up and tell me."

"This..." Four Fingers frowned slightly.

"Fire Pig is almost dead already. Saving him would be too much trouble, and besides, we don't have any treatment methods." He didn't want Fire Pig to continue living. As the future leader of the Asura District, he alone would be enough.

"I'll say it again, make him get up and tell me." The girl's voice was calm, but exceptionally clear in the cave.

Seeing that the girl showed no respect for her boss, the 'yellow-eyed mongoose' beside Four Fingers rushed over and slapped the ungrateful girl.

With a 'snap', the hand was severed by the hidden silk thread in the air and fell to the ground. The blood inside was covered by the dust and became several rolling black dots.

Upon seeing this, Four Fingers' men's expressions changed, and they all picked up their weapons, many raising their crossbows and aiming them at the girl in the arena.

The cave fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of the 'yellow-eyed mongoose' clutching its broken wrist and howling in pain as it rolled on the ground.

"Boss, kill her, don't give her any of the treasures!" he shouted through gritted teeth.

Four Fingers simply kept his eyes fixed on the girl and did not give any immediate orders.

"Miss Hedra, we don't have any deep-seated hatred between us, so why did you use such extreme measures?"

"No, but I never intended to kill all the pigmen here." She had already seen that the pigmen who were originally sleeping had all been killed, some even beheaded and dismembered.

Even though she didn't kill him, what difference is there between this and the fact that she did? She loathed the feeling of being used.

After hearing this, Four Fingers understood why the girl's attitude was bad.

"It's my fault. Although they are all lowly pig-men, they are still your prey. We shouldn't have overstepped our bounds." Four Fingers thought for a moment and decided to suppress the conflict.

He raised his hand, signaling the people behind him to put down their weapons.

"I will have someone give you half of the gold coins stored here, what do you think?"

In his view, this was already very generous, considering he had so many men under his command, while the girl opposite him was only one person, yet she was taking so much. Although Hilti was highly talented, she was only an apprentice now, and even with the best talent, it would be ten years before it manifested. Hilti shook her head, remaining silent as her gaze slowly swept across the entire area, counting her four-fingered subordinates.

There are 251 people in total, including 128 first-tier, 31 second-tier, and 4 third-tier. If this were in a remote area, it could form a miniature country. No wonder the other side is so confident.

“Mr. Four Fingers, don’t you understand what I’ve been asking for? Find the missing orc girl Anali, and the lost treasure, and clear her name.” The other party kept talking about money, but she hadn’t asked for any from the beginning.

There are actually people who don't like gold coins?

Four Fingers was also annoyed. To be honest, he felt that considering his status and current strength, he had already shown enough respect to this girl, but she was still fixated on one issue, as if she wanted to embarrass him.

“Miss Hedra, you are a smart student, and you know that some things you do are far from worth the price you pay for them.”

"Now is not the time to act recklessly. If I have my men openly help you find people, the higher-ups won't like it. Besides, this matter doesn't really concern you, so why drag yourself into it? If it leaves a bad impression on the authorities, your future will be greatly affected." Four Fingers prepared to reason with the girl and persuade her to give up her plan.

"Do I have to say it a third time? That fire pig on the ground, isn't he still breathing? Let him get up and tell me." After saying this, the four fingers opposite him darkened his expression.

He had certainly heard Hedra's previous demands, but this was also something he could not compromise on. If the fire pig survived, it would try every means to take revenge. The pigman guards under the other party were not weak and were extremely loyal. Even if it was just a simple attack that was dealt with by the authorities afterward, it would still leave him severely weakened.

Furthermore, if he lets the fire pig leave and reports the treasure here, the officials will surely make him return most of it.

Fire Pig must die here. He winked at one of his trusted men behind him, who understood and picked up his giant axe, bringing it down heavily on Fire Pig's neck.

However, instead of the expected sound of flesh breaking, several silk threads tightly bound the axe, stopping its momentum at the neck, only leaving white marks on the thick skin.

"Why, Miss Hedra?" Four Fingers' expression turned serious, and the atmosphere in the cave became tense and oppressive. Unconsciously, crossbows were pointed at the girl below.

The girl shook her head; she wouldn't explain anymore.

Her slender fingers lightly pressed against her chest, and at the center of the neckline of her black dress, the gold badge bearing a black griffin emitted a faint glow from the touch of her fingers.

This is the 'Griffin' family crest, and one of the gifts she received from Teacher Knox when she left Meteor Lake. It was placed in the box given to her at the time. In addition, there were several profound secret manuals that could only be used when one reached the fourth rank or above.

To be honest, she was relatively unfamiliar with the 'griffin' creature, only knowing its appearance and general abilities, and had seen a griffin-like mechanical puppet in the Mage Alliance.

However, as a master of the 'Bionics' school, Knox truly understood the habits of these fantastical creatures and the runic patterns they were born with.

As her fingers touched her, an invisible wave of energy emanated from around Hilti, sweeping through the underground cave like a storm. As everyone was astonished, black feathers danced in the wind, and then a huge figure slowly appeared behind Hilti.

It was a huge black griffin with incredibly sharp, eagle-like eyes. Beneath its feathered body, a magnificent physique and incredibly sharp talons were visible.

Just being stared at by this powerful beast made many people's legs tremble. Its wings, covered in black feathers, flapped slowly, and invisible air currents circulated throughout the cave, making a series of whistling sounds.

At this point, Four Fingers knew that things were unlikely to end well.

Should he surrender? He could hand over the fire pig and all the treasures, but if he missed today, he would likely never have another chance to kill his opponent. Besides, he probably wouldn't be able to keep the treasures here either, and he would have to hand them all over.

All my efforts were in vain, just to survive the intimidation of this griffin.

The choice doesn't seem so difficult after all, he thought to himself, suppressing his surging emotions, and preparing to have his men retreat and abandon the place.

Unfortunately, not everyone is as calm and rational as him.

An elite subordinate, whose body was shrouded in mist, stealthily approached behind Hilti. His gaze focused on the black-haired girl's back, and the dagger in his hand suddenly attacked, bringing a cold and sharp arc to the attack.

In his view, the griffin was merely an illusion summoned by the girl, and once it died, the treasure would dissipate on its own without its activator.

The theory and ideas were not wrong; the only misjudgment was probably the other party's ability.

The sharp, curved blade sliced ​​open the girl's nape, but there was no resistance from flesh and blood. Instead, it was as if the blade had struck thin air, and the figure vanished, turning into shattered silver dust.

At that moment, another identical figure slowly emerged from behind the griffin, looking at the bewildered and helpless thief-assassin.

The griffin swung its sharp claws down, leaving three bloody claw marks before the opponent's mangled body flew through the air. The dagger in its hand tumbled and rolled against the wall before finally coming to rest on the open ground of the hall.

Facing the unharmed black-haired girl, Four Fingers felt a chill in his heart. This was the first time he had seen so many methods and abilities in a second-tier apprentice. He was a cautious person by nature and wanted to step on the brakes and end the conflict, but the scene had already spiraled out of control.

As if it were a signal, the thief's move led his men to believe that it was Four Fingers' hint. After all, there was only one person in front of them, and it wouldn't make sense for him to surrender and give away all the treasures they had acquired that day. They were waiting to divide the spoils.

Since one person has already made a move, why should they hold back any longer? Even if the griffin in front of them is powerful, as long as they kill that student who is only at the second level, everything can be resolved.

Amidst a mixture of tension, greed, fear, and urgency, these people acted instinctively. In an instant, a dense chorus of bowstrings vibrated, and sharp arrows pierced through the air currents, striking the rock wall beside Hiltiah. Some even landed on the bodies of griffins, deflected by their black feathers.

"Kill her!" someone shouted frantically.

Those who were already caught up in their emotions could no longer hear Four Fingers' shouts from behind. They grabbed their weapons, aimed at the girl who kept dodging, and had only one thought in their minds.

Kill this girl quickly, and all the treasures and gold coins we got today will be ours.

"Hurry up!"

The 'yellow-eyed mongoose' whose wrist had been cut earlier kept urging and shouting, he had no intention of stopping, not even if he gave the order with four fingers.

Arrows kept flying at the griffin, which flapped its wings to deflect them. Taking advantage of this opening, a group of heavily armored orcs picked up their weapons and charged forward, preparing to surround the girl and tear her to pieces. Several assassins, like wild beasts, ran swiftly along the rock face, flanking from the side to avoid the giant griffin's protective range.

Seeing the situation change, Hilti quickly ran and dodged on the stone wall. Then she leaped up, and several silver birds flew out, deflecting the incoming arrows. Then she landed on the back of the griffin. Just when everyone thought she was going to hide there, the girl's downward trend did not slow down.

Her figure disappeared directly into the interior of the black griffin, as if she had become one with it. The black griffin, which had been stiff and rigid in its movements, suddenly became incredibly agile, like a machine that had suddenly been given a dedicated pilot.

The pair of broad black wings flapped vigorously, and the invisible air waves spread out again, blowing away many approaching enemies, and then emitting a sharp whistling sound.

The powerful sound waves echoed continuously within the underground cave, shattering many things. Some weaker enemies suffered nosebleeds and ear bleeds and fell unconscious.

Then the black griffin leaped up, its huge wings flapping with a loud thud, and then it swooped down, tearing apart the heavily armored orcs with its high-speed, sharp claws. The enemies who had been carrying bows and crossbows were also swept away by the gale and tumbled to the ground.

In the course of several rounds, the four-fingered men who had been shouting earlier fell to the ground one by one, some dead and some injured. Many of the treasure chests and treasures that had been carried out were once again buried under the collapsed mud.

At this moment, there was no more resistance in the cave. With four fingers covering the huge bloody gash in his chest, he knelt on the ground, watching the griffin descend again. Finally, unable to bear the fear, he lay down on his stomach.

"Please, spare us! We...we'll do anything."

The black griffin hovered in mid-air, its sharp gaze sweeping across the entire area. After confirming that there was no power to resist, it slowly descended, and its legs, clad in black boots, reappeared in front of Four Fingers.

He cautiously raised his gaze slightly to make out the pair of boots not far in front of him, then abruptly lowered his eyes and quickly answered.

"I... I have a treasured life-saving potion here, which I usually keep for myself. I can give it to Fire Pig now to help him recover temporarily and find the answer for you." After saying that, he carefully took out a blood-stained potion from his pocket, which was originally meant to save his own life.

"Go."

His voice remained as calm as when they first met, as if he had never been angry.

(End of this chapter)