Cornflower Witch

Chapter 94 Encountering Enemies in the Mountains
In the forest, Hilti walked beneath a black, twisted tree, a sword in one hand and a wicker basket in the other.

The ground was covered with withered leaves, and the branches overhead were also laden with dead leaves. A gloomy mist shrouded the forest, making the woodland below seem exceptionally deep and secluded.

Such trees… Hiltiah recalled the scene she saw in the Shadow World, but there was no aura of distorted sexuality here.

She thought to herself that it might be due to the influence of other sexual characteristics.

After walking several hundred meters, she stopped and looked at the shady trees in the distance to her right, slightly raising the hilt of her sword.

"Strange fellow," the girl thought to herself, then put down the basket in her left hand.

A red-cheeked mongoose sprinted through the woodland, its fur blending seamlessly with the dim surroundings. It moved nimbly through the low trees and bushes, its eyes blood-red, its body covered in short, stiff fur resembling that of a hedgehog.

When the red-cheeked mongoose was about eighty meters away from Hilti, it slowed down, as if it had sensed the girl. It began to circle around her gently. Its steps were light and silent as it moved through the air. Its fur blended in with the environment, so an ordinary student would not have noticed it at all.

Unfortunately, even such a careful action was noticed by Hilti, because in her eyes, this red-cheeked mongoose was as conspicuous as a torch in the night. Whether it was the mongoose's own sexual characteristics or its body temperature which was completely different from that of the plant, it was out of place in the environment.

After waiting a while, seeing that the red-cheeked mongoose was still circling around, preparing to attack her from behind, Hilti thought for a moment and decided to pick up the basket and leave directly, not wanting to waste time waiting.

Her steps seemed slow, but she always stepped on the hard ground in the forest without getting mud on her feet. As the red-cheeked mongoose saw her walk away, it had to quicken its pace.

And so, the two of them walked through the forest, one after the other. After about a mile, Hiltiya stopped again, took out the 'Emerald Eye' potion, dripped it into her eyes, and prepared to observe the situation and search for traces of the spring.

Seeing that the girl was busy with other things, the red-cheeked mongoose with its meager intelligence felt that its opportunity had come. It quickly darted out from the woods behind the girl. Its gray-brown body ran very fast, and its blood-red eyes were full of excitement. When it was about three meters away from the girl, it leaped up and pounced on the back of her neck.

However, what awaited it was not the fair neck behind the black hair, but the girl turning around with a smile, and a black steel sword easily slashed horizontally, cutting the neck of the cunning red-cheeked mongoose.

Like a giant dead rat, the red-cheeked mongoose was carried to one side by the steel sword, crashed into a tree root, and then rolled down, where it lay still.

Shaking her head, the girl took a few steps closer and used her sword to poke at the dead red-cheeked mongoose to check its condition.

The opponent is only one step away from forming the 'Blood Law' nature. If an ordinary student encounters it, they may be in big trouble and get injured if they are not careful. Moreover, its saliva is poisonous, and the person bitten may have a fever and fall into a coma for several nights in the following days.

However, why would this beast specifically target her? After all, she is someone who has condensed a complete 'Tier 1 Emerald Honey'. These beasts generally do not choose to attack opponents that are too powerful.

It seems that such trials and tribulations are organized by powerful superhumans behind the scenes, because these beasts have had their original habits altered, making them more aggressive.

After dealing with the red-cheeked mongoose, Hilti continued to observe the situation in the mountains, and at this time she finally discovered a trace of the 'Mist Shadow' aspect.

"That should be the way," the girl thought, looking at the mountains shrouded in the shade of trees. She chose her direction and continued on her way.

……

In another part of the forest, Komia shook the bell in her hand, and a white wolf, covered in dew, darted through the bushes and grass before cheerfully coming to her side.

"Dough, you're finally here." Komia squatted down, stroked the 'dog-like' Tiwolf, and then took out some jerky from the pouch at her waist to feed it.

With this partner's help, Komia, who had been very worried, felt much more at ease.

She took out a small bottle of 'Cold Mist Wine' from her bosom, dripped a few drops onto her fingertip, and let 'Dough' lick it. "Look carefully, and if you find a place with a similar scent, take me there," Komia said, stroking its ear and telling it her needs.

The wolf howled a few times in response, then walked ahead of Komia.

Although she didn't know if the 'dough' was a real clue, Komia didn't have a better way to search at the moment.

"I'll follow you for now, but don't lead me into some ravine." Komia followed with her basket.

……

On one side of the forest, Thorin gripped his sword in both hands, staring intently at the large, green serpent with its head raised before him.

【Woodland Mist Serpent】(Tier 1 - Mist Shadow): Can change the color of its scales to match the surrounding environment. It can also adjust its body temperature and aura to make it harder for other creatures to detect it. It has venomous fangs. If it advances to Tier 2, it can gain the ability to conceal its body in the mist.

Instead of finding the spring with the 'Wind-Seeking Chicken,' he found this hidden giant snake.

Fortunately, the 'Wind-Seeking Chicken' reacted violently as it approached, alerting him to be cautious, otherwise he would have been ambushed by the snake.

The large, green snake in front of him was several inches thicker than his thigh. If he were to be entangled, he would probably have no chance of breaking free, and he would also have to be careful of its venomous fangs. This forced Thorin to be cautious.

After observing carefully for a while, Thorin decided to launch the first attack, as his abilities were better suited for offense than defense.

He took a step forward, swung his broadsword in a large arc through the air, creating a whistling sound, and slashed directly at the large green snake.

Faced with the attack, the Woodland Mist Serpent did not sit idly by. Its eyes were fierce, and its dangerous triangular snake head shot out, bypassing the slash of the broadsword, and went straight for Thorin's face.

The broadsword slashed at the snake's lower belly, scraping off scales that were as hard as iron saw blades, sending sparks flying at the blade. Thorin narrowly dodged the snake's lunge, which landed on his shoulder armor.

The sharp fangs pierced through the leather armor and penetrated Thorin's muscles slightly, causing intense pain and sending a cold sweat down Thorin's back.

"I was careless," he muttered to himself, then unleashed his full power, wielding his broadsword to cut a deep gash in the snake's belly, severing part of its tail.

He then decisively threw down his sword, gripped the snake's head tightly on his shoulder with both hands, pulled out its fangs, and the muscles in his arms bulged instantly. The burst of power made the forest fog snake's violent struggle futile.

With one hand barely holding down the snake's writhing body like a python, Thorin picked up the hilt of his sword again with his other hand and, like a guillotine, pressed it down on the snake's head, crushing some of the scales and letting the blade seep into the flesh. Then the blade got stuck in the snake's bones.

At this moment, his right hand, which was holding the sword, began to go numb. Knowing that he didn't have much time left, Thorin raised the hilt of his sword again and then quickly pressed it down once more.

The scales shattered and the bones broke almost simultaneously, finally severing the snake's head. The snake's head, still fierce in its gaze, fell to the ground, its protruding tongue licking Thorin's hand, sending chills down his spine. Fortunately, without the support of its body, the lone snake head could no longer move, and its fangs, dripping venom, were rendered useless.

Although he hasn't found the 'Sweet Spring' yet, Thorin has already defeated a 'Tier 1' monster and taken down one of his targets. However, his current condition is precarious, and if he can't get rid of the poison quickly, even leaving this forest will be a problem.

……

Like Hilti and Thorin, the students who entered the forest encountered enemies one after another. Some were strong enough to win, while others failed due to lack of experience and reaction time, and were forced to leave the battlefield early.

(End of this chapter)