Charlotte and the others hadn't truly grasped that they were being observed, that they were prey being stalked; they sensed no immediate danger approaching.
In the deepening gloom, the dark silhouette crept closer, making not a sound—clearly the work of a master hunter. Its eyes, gleaming with a chilling light, were terrifying in the near-darkness of the twilight, and its bared teeth resembled twin steel spikes.
At that moment, Rhys was gathering firewood for the coming fire. Angeria was setting up the cooking pot nearby, obviously preparing a meal. Charlotte stood to one side, offering them sporadic reminders of things they needed to watch out for.
Just then, the shadow hidden in the darkness finally moved, lunging forward like a dark meteor, a sliver of cold light aimed directly at the unsuspecting Rhys.
The sound produced when the shadow sprang forth instantly caught Angeria’s and Charlotte’s attention. When they glimpsed the creature already behind Rhys, who remained completely unaware, they both broke out in a cold sweat, their eyes widening several times over in an instant!
The event had transpired too suddenly, and the lack of any prior danger had subconsciously lowered their guard. None of them had anticipated such a lethal strike coming out of nowhere!
Angeria and Charlotte were still some distance from Rhys; it was too late to intervene now. A sharp cry escaped Charlotte’s lips: “Li—”
Her voice choked off abruptly, her eyes now wider than before, magnified tenfold!
What on earth had she seen? Had Rhys been slain on the spot, blood everywhere??
No! What she saw was far more shocking than that!
The dark shadow turned out to be a black panther, its massive body like that of a fierce tiger. Unimaginably, this black panther was an Eighth-tier Magical Beast: the Black Tusk!
The Black Tusk was the one creature no mercenary band wanted to encounter deep in the woods, for it was notoriously cunning, favored ambushes from the dark, and specifically targeted the weaker members of a group.
Its speed was lightning-fast, its claws and fangs lethally sharp, usually ensuring a single, decisive blow!
Furthermore, it could unleash three consecutive Third-tier Wind spells, making it an expert in guerrilla warfare. Its maximum spell casting level was Eighth-tier, though this required a period of elemental energy accumulation.
Charlotte could never have imagined that if they were to encounter a magical beast, it would be one as deadly as this!
Yet, what truly silenced Charlotte wasn't just seeing the Black Tusk. It was the state of the Black Tusk at that moment.
The Black Tusk was poised with its monstrous jaws open, less than three centimeters from tearing into Rhys’s neck, yet it remained strangely immobile, frozen in place as if turned to wood!
“W-what in the world is going on?”
Charlotte’s mind nearly short-circuited. She followed the narrow gap between Rhys and the Black Tusk, and saw a figure standing behind the beast. Though the face was obscured, the clothing suggested this person was Robin!
At this realization, the tension in Charlotte’s chest finally eased. That split second had truly terrified her!
As for Rhys, he wasn’t a fool. Even without hearing Charlotte’s cry, he knew something was terribly wrong upon seeing the pale faces of Charlotte and Angeria. More critically, he felt an inexplicable cold draft rise behind him, chilling him to the bone!
Rhys’s neck twisted mechanically, as if wound by a spring mechanism. When he saw the gaping maw nearly pressed against his face, when he saw those sinister, cold eyes, even with a flicker of preparedness, his legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground with a loud thud.
“Th-this,” Rhys stammered, his teeth chattering uncontrollably, unable to form a coherent sentence.
His face was even more ghastly white than Charlotte’s or Angeria’s, and his skin broke out in goosebumps!
Horror. It was absolute terror!
Rhys knew he had just taken a walk past the gates of the underworld; he never imagined death could be so close!
As the three stood frozen, staring silently at the motionless Black Tusk, Robin’s voice cut through the air: “My Master sends word that becoming too relaxed can cost you your life!” With that, she casually tossed the Black Tusk she held onto the ground.
“Th-thank you!” Rhys finally regained some composure, offering Robin his gratitude.
Robin merely glanced at him coolly. She showed no arrogance simply because she was his savior; her expression remained as placid as still water!
At that moment, Charlotte and Angeria rushed over, their hearts still pounding wildly as they looked at the inert Black Tusk on the ground.
Without Robin’s intervention, the outcome would have been unthinkable!
As relief washed over them, their admiration for Robin deepened. They couldn't fathom how she had managed to react and intervene faster than anyone else in that split second—her speed was simply unbelievable!
“Is it… dead?” Angeria pointed toward the creature on the ground.
This was the first time she had felt such dread over a magical beast. Previously, whenever beasts lurked nearby in the Magical Beast Forest, she could detect them swiftly. Yet, this time, until the Black Tusk launched its fatal strike, Angeria had no idea where it came from!
This was the difference between magical beasts, and the difference in their power!
Now, Angeria finally understood that Charlotte’s earlier warnings were not empty words. The beasts here were no ordinary characters; one wrong move could lead to severe injury or death!
“Not yet!” Robin replied coolly again.
“Not yet?” Charlotte looked skeptical and cautiously approached, nudging the Black Tusk with her foot. But the beast didn't stir, remaining as unresponsive as a pebble.
Even more bizarrely, the Black Tusk still had its mouth agape and its eyes wide open; claiming it was merely stunned seemed impossible!
Rhys, too, carefully assessed the creature that had nearly ended his life, harboring doubts about Robin’s statement. He murmured, “It… it should be dead, right?”
“Not yet!” Robin repeated, using the exact same detached tone.
Charlotte and the others fixed their gaze on Robin, unable to understand her certainty!
Robin saw the doubt etched on their faces but offered no explanation, merely flicking her wrist toward the Black Tusk in the empty air.
Instantly, a sight that sent a tremor through the three occurred.
The previously unmoving Black Tusk suddenly sprang back to life and lunged at Charlotte with blinding speed.
Because the movement was so sudden, and no one expected the Black Tusk to revive, by the time Charlotte registered the danger, the beast was upon her, too close to evade.
My life is over! This was Charlotte’s final thought in that moment.
But just then, an identical scene replayed itself: the Black Tusk, mere inches from touching Charlotte’s skin, froze dead in mid-air again. Looking back, Robin had captured it once more in her hand!
At that moment, all three of them stared wide-eyed, mouths agape at the Black Tusk’s maw, fixed on the imperturbable Robin. They, too, were utterly motionless!
Robin’s voice then cut through the silence: “Now do you believe it was alive?”
Though a mere question, her tone brooked no argument!
The three nodded cooperatively, their expressions suggesting a deep fear that Robin might choose to demonstrate her power again.
Robin tossed the Black Tusk to the ground once more. “Becoming too relaxed can cost you your life!”
This statement made Charlotte’s pretty face flush red. She had just been lecturing Rhys and Angeria, only to nearly die herself!
As silence settled over the group, Zhong Shenxiu sauntered over with an air of leisure. He had been watching the whole thing for quite some time but had chosen not to intervene.
As stated earlier, Zhong Shenxiu had intentionally led them to this location. Since Rhys and Angeria were following him, he felt it necessary to teach them the harsh laws of wilderness survival!
The scene, while appearing incredibly perilous, was not truly so.
With Zhong Shenxiu’s current strength, he could have instantly vaporized the Black Tusk the moment it made contact with Rhys. In other words, even if Robin hadn't arrived, Rhys would have been perfectly fine!
What Zhong Shenxiu intended was to make them understand: do not let your guard down simply because you are traveling by his side!
Approaching the Black Tusk, Zhong Shenxiu crouched down to examine it closely. He had initially dismissed it as a small magical beast—oh, wait, he corrected himself, excluding Robin from that small assessment. Sweat broke out: this creature actually knew how to pick on easy targets. Not simple at all; it possessed a degree of intelligence.
Upon seeing Zhong Shenxiu squatting down, Charlotte and the others instinctively backed away several steps, looking as if they feared he might revive the creature again.
“Hey, girl,” Zhong Shenxiu abruptly turned his head toward Angeria, “Dinner tonight is this fellow!”
With that, he casually flicked his wrist and tossed the Black Tusk over.
Angeria reacted instinctively, catching it out of habit, but the moment her eyes met the Black Tusk’s sinister gaze, she understood.
“Ah!”
Angeria shrieked and immediately dropped the Black Tusk, instinctively scrambling behind Charlotte. Her reaction made it hard to believe she was the runner-up in the “Academy Ranking Tournament”; she looked utterly like an ordinary girl!
In truth, Angeria’s extreme reaction was due to experiencing two bizarre events in quick succession; she hadn’t fully recovered her composure.
Zhong Shenxiu smiled faintly, a look of playful malice on his face.
“Hey, woman,” Zhong Shenxiu shifted his attention to Charlotte, “Since she won’t do it, you handle it then!”
“What???”