"Hah! Hah!" Two full hours on the run! No matter how I weaved through the treeline or used the terrain for cover, leaping high and low, I couldn't shake the Half-Orc Commander behind me. The worst part? The brute was clad in heavy iron armor and lugging that massive battle-axe. You can only imagine the sheer terror of his stamina and speed. Along the way, the creature charged forward like a rampaging tank, snapping or felling small trees in his path. Only when faced with truly large trunks did he bother to maneuver around them.

***, if this keeps up, I’m going to collapse from exhaustion. Ahead, there was a small hill, and at the crest, a giant tree. Because the terrain was so high here, my position was almost level with the treetop. Far off, I could even spot a few vines hanging from the branches.

Damn it! I’ll have to risk it. I had no choice but to channel my inner Tarzan. I gathered all my strength, sprinted up the slope, and launched myself into the air like a great bird, soaring directly toward the vines dangling from the branches.

Roar! The Half-Orc Commander behind me leaped as well, apparently having the exact same idea! The Internal Lightning Flash technique flashed into my mind, and I adjusted my body mid-air.

Screech! My left hand finally gripped the thick vine. As I swung out using the momentum, my right hand drew my sword, unleashing a blindingly fast offensive sword-qi strike.

Whoosh! All the vines wrapped around the tree were severed by my blade. In the instant I struck, I used the vine's recoil to carry myself over twenty meters out! Heh, that just bought me more running capital—a full twenty-meter lead!

Crash! Roar! A thunderous impact sounded behind me, followed by a furious, muffled roar. Clearly, the vines I had cut caused the Half-Orc Commander to miss his grasp. He must have slammed into the ground. That explosion and slight tremor suggested the fall was severe. Imagine that bulky brute, still clutching a huge axe—that tonnage must have gouged a massive crater! I fought the urge to look back and gloat, and the moment I landed, I bolted again. I could still hear the heavy, rapid footfalls behind me.

Damn, that brute is still chasing me!

"Little brat! Stop right there!" The Half-Orc Commander’s bellow was still resonant and powerful: "I only want to know where the fox den is! I swear I won't kill you!"

"I told you I was lying!" I gasped, maintaining my speed, unable to hide my irritation. "Why are you so stubborn!"

"Hmph! You refuse to tell me!" The Half-Orc Commander ground his teeth. "Even if you run to the edge of the world, I will capture you!"

"Blast it! I’m not some pretty young lady!" I shot back, exasperated, not slowing down. "Is it worth all this effort!"

"It concerns the rise and fall of my Orc race!" the Half-Orc Commander declared firmly. "Therefore, I will never give up!"

"Damn the heavens! Are you playing tricks on me!" I resigned myself to continuing the run. I regretted it now—why hadn't I considered this when I started lying to him? Now, the opposite has happened; I oversold it. It was easy to imagine: the Orcs pursued wisdom to a pathological degree. Now, I had given them a beautiful hope but refused to hand over the final, crucial piece. How could they let me go! Well, it was my fault too. Why invent a fox-spirit version of Jiang Ziya, followed by a fox-spirit version of Zhuge Liang? Investiture of the Gods and the Three Kingdoms are classics detailing wisdom and strategy. Though the former is inferior to the latter, in this world, they still stand tall. Adding a Zhuge Liang revised by a super-genius fox spirit—a perfect figure combining beauty and wisdom—it was no wonder these Orcs went crazy. Now I understood what it meant to lift a rock only to drop it on one's own foot. The feeling was… painful!

Of course, there are many concoctions in the world that can be bought, but none called 'Regret Medicine.' I had no choice but to endure it!

And so, in the open woods of Woma Forest, two figures, one large and one small, chased and twisted around each other at astonishing speeds. The pursuer was menacing, but the one behind was radiating murderous intent. Within a hundred meters, whether man, beast, or wild animal, none dared to remain; they all fled in panic!

Hah, hah! That thing is still chasing! This brute has been after me for a full day and night and hasn't given up. During this day and night, I suffered intensely. My light armor was shredded and tattered by countless thorns and branches. My hair tie was long gone, snatched by some unseen twig. Now, my hair was wild, and my armor barely clung to my body—I looked like a true savage. The brute behind me wasn't faring much better. His red hair stood up like a bird’s nest, covered in dust and twigs. Worse yet, on this hot day, he was still wearing heavy iron plating. His heat dissipation was clearly far worse than my open-chested armor, and streams of sweat poured down him like small rivers. Yet, he still glared at me with resolute determination. Though he desperately wanted to shed the armor, he had no time. If he showed any sign of stopping, I would immediately bolt. If he took off his armor, I’d be long gone.

I truly couldn't run anymore. I turned back: "Hey, big guy, how about we rest for a bit, and then continue running later?" This wasn't the first time; usually, after about eight hours of pursuit, we would pause briefly. It seemed to have become an unspoken agreement!

"Fine!" The Orc Commander sounded strained, subconsciously slowing his pace. I stopped at a distance I deemed safe. I was exhausted and thirsty, desperately wanting a drink! I looked around aimlessly.

The Orc Commander on the other side was likely feeling the same way. I saw his gaze fall upon a small tree, barely taller than a man, about twenty meters away. On that tree hung several fist-sized, unknown fruits. However, he held back from reaching for them, fearing I would seize the opportunity to flee.

Could that stuff be edible? My mind stirred, and I immediately began scanning for the nearest target.

Fifty meters to my front-left, there was another small tree bearing several fruits.

That’s the spot!

Whoosh! I burst forward in a single bound and sprinted away!

Roar! The Half-Orc Commander reacted instinctively the moment I moved, leaping after me: "Roar! You cheated!"

"Hmph! Still got enough air to roar that loudly!" I was secretly shocked; this brute had greater underlying reserves than I did.

I ran while calculating the distance. As I passed my target tree, I slashed off a branch bearing five fruits with a single, fluid motion, tucking the branch into my chest while maintaining a full sprint. Furthermore, I maliciously followed up with another strike, severing the small tree entirely and blasting it far away with offensive sword-qi, just in case the Half-Orc Commander tried to copy me.

Roar! You cunning, vile human! The Commander’s frustrated, frantic roar echoed behind me.

Haha! That felt good! I cheered internally, then impatiently bit into the fruits from the branch.

Wow! They taste incredible, so sweet! And so much juice! One bite flooded my mouth with rich juice, like a cracked-open peach—the flavor was nearly identical.

Haha! My heart soared with elation. In my high spirits, I couldn't resist turning back to stick my tongue out at the big guy behind me.

Roar! I will skin you alive, you bastard! The Half-Orc Commander didn't slow down, raging impotently. But there was nothing he could do about me—he just couldn't catch up! Of course, shaking him off wasn't easy either!

But now, things were vastly different. I had sustenance and hydration, and it tasted great.

Thinking this made my mood soar. Heh, I decided: I’ll eat every edible thing I pass, and if I can’t eat it, I’ll take it. If I can’t carry it, I’ll chop it down and blast it far away. I’ll make him play the game of 'if you can’t eat it, carry it.' I doubted he would waste time picking things up. If he did, that would be even better. A five- or six-second gap would be plenty for me to disappear. If he ignored them, that was fine too. I now had food, better endurance than him, and most importantly, I was no longer thirsty, whereas he hadn't replenished his water supply in a whole day. I’d wear him down and see who breaks first!

I plotted maliciously as I ran! Refreshed by the fruit, my spirit soared, and my strength increased. I ran faster and faster!

Another two hours passed!

Looking back, the Half-Orc Commander had fallen behind by thirty meters!

Good! One more push! A final hundred-meter surge of speed to shake him off completely.

Whoosh! Having made up my mind, my feet suddenly flew, and my speed spiked instantly!

Roar! A muffled roar of frustration and unwillingness came from behind the Half-Orc Commander!

Haha! I shook him off another ten meters—now a full forty meters separated us. However, I had overexerted myself and could barely catch my breath. Looks like you can’t rush perfection. One sprint won’t do it; I’ll just do a few more until he’s gone. I maintained my speed while gathering more strength. The Half-Orc Commander spotted my intent but could do nothing but grit his teeth and hang on desperately.

Whoosh! One minute later, my energy had recovered significantly. Without hesitation, I launched my second sprint, shaking him off another ten meters, putting him fifty meters behind me.

Yes! Mission accomplished! A few more of these and I can lose him for good! My confidence soared! Looking at the Half-Orc Commander behind me, he was slowing down more and more! Until with a final gasp, he tumbled to the ground. It took him a long time just to manage to push himself up!

Ha! Victory! My heart rejoiced, and my feet moved even faster! In the blink of an eye, I shot far ahead until the Half-Orc Commander completely vanished from my sight.

Hah! Hah! Hah! Damn it, I finally saved my own skin! After shaking him, I stopped. The day and night spent fleeing the Half-Orc Commander could be described as running without a destination. I had no idea where I ended up!

I’m dizzy! Where is this? It’s already dark; I can’t see anything around me. But I knew this wasn't the time to rest. Even in the dark, I had to keep moving. I had experienced the Orcs’ tenacity. They must be searching for me everywhere right now!

Furthermore, he was a Half-Orc Prince, and this was Half-Orc territory. As long as I didn't leave Woma Forest, my life was in constant danger. I quickly pulled out the Star Compass from my small pouch, meticulously checked the bearings, and located due North.

Target: Due North!

I started moving, jogging cautiously. As I went, I thought of Long Qi’s little skeleton. I had also been worried sick about whether they had managed to escape Woma Forest safely. Thinking of them made me increasingly agitated.

Ah! Forget it! Let fate decide!

Now, because of the darkness, I could only maintain a jogging pace as I hurried North. I ran for an unknown length of time until dawn broke, finally allowing me to see the path clearly. I stopped hesitating and immediately sped up. Along the way, I gathered a few more edible fruits. Now, apart from the two swords and the Magic Clock in my pouch, I had no possessions left. My original pack was stored in Long Xin’s dimensional bag. What poor foresight—I never expected to be separated and alone. But thankfully, I had discovered an edible fruit, so at least the problems of rations and water were solved.

Along the path, I ran into several patrols of Orc scouts. Unfortunately, moving at high speed, I had no intention of hiding. When they blocked my way, I casually lopped off their heads.

After pushing myself like this for three days and three nights—though 'three days and three nights' is an exaggeration, I only rested three times, each lasting less than an hour—I decided it was time for a proper rest, or I truly would collapse and die.

For safety, I climbed a massive tree. I didn't know its name; it was just huge and very tall, but most importantly, it was densely leafed. I was certain that even if someone stood directly beneath it, they wouldn't see me. I pulled out the Magic Clock from my pouch, setting the alarm for four hours later. Four hours of sleep would be enough to recover my strength.

Leaning against a thick branch, I drifted into a deep sleep.

Thump-thump-thump-thump! A sound jarred me awake from my slumber.

What was that? Was I discovered? I instinctively drew my blade and looked toward the ground, but saw nothing. I quietly parted the branches and peered around. Faint lights were emanating from the southeast.

Thump! Thump! The sound came again! It resembled the beat of a drum, yet it was completely different from the drumming used during the ambush before. This drumbeat seemed to be keeping a rhythmic beat.

Firelight, drumming... A Half-Orc bonfire party? I analyzed internally.

Then came a rhythmic thudding sound! Several Orc Knights, carrying torches, galloped past not far from me. Several shafts of firelight cut brilliant streaks through the dark night, heading directly southeast. I remembered that area seemed to lead toward a road! Sure enough, soon after, several groups of riders rushed toward the light in the southeast, some numbering a hundred, others barely a dozen. I could even hear the rough speech of the Orcs on horseback. Though I didn't understand the words, their occasional shouts, sounding like wild animal roars, carried an air of joy. It must be some festive celebration!

Then it occurred to me: more Orc Knights would surely pass by soon. I might as well hijack a mount!

Having made up my mind, I quickly jumped down from the large tree and found a spot advantageous for a surprise attack, lying in wait. After about fifteen minutes, the sound of rapid hooves returned.

Thud-thud-thud! It sounded like only about ten or so riders.

This is my chance! The dozen or so Orc Knights soon came into view.

Closer, fifty meters, thirty, twenty, ten meters!

Now! Just as the ten riders swept past me, I suddenly leaped from behind a roadside haystack, my Hundred Battles Blade carving an arc, instantly killing the six riders in front! Six torches dropped eerily onto the ground, but the charging warhorses, seemingly unaware, kept galloping. Mid-air, I kicked one headless Orc Knight aside, seizing the reins of his steed! The entire process, from initiating the ambush to securing the horse, took barely two seconds. The charging horses didn't even realize their master had changed. When the remaining knights behind realized something was wrong and tried to attack, they were cleaved in half by a few offensive sword-qi strikes I casually threw their way! In the blink of an eye, the dozen or so riders were dealt with. I dared not linger; I immediately spurred the warhorse and charged North. I knew it wouldn't take long for the Orc tribe in this area to erupt into chaos, as those dozen corpses were lying right in the middle of the road!

But that was their problem! Now that I had stolen a horse, my means of escape had greatly increased! It was only then that the alarm clock in my pouch began to ring incessantly!