Chapter 870

Chapter 870: Figure by the Campfire

“Earlier, we encountered a demonic beast. Unfortunately, we couldn’t defeat it, so we had to escape,” stuttered the adventurer before finally regaining his composure and answering.

They had been in the mountains for several days and hadn’t seen Mesia until now. This was their first encounter with her.

“Oh, could you point me in the right direction?” Lolan Hill tilted her head in thought and asked.

“Sure.” One of them answered immediately but then hesitated.

“But it’s very dangerous. That demonic beast is incredibly strong. We were only able to escape because a skilled person barely held it off.”

“It seems I have to go and see for myself to feel at ease,” the young lady thought to herself.

“Um, alright. Actually, it’s just over there,” the leader of the adventurers sensed the girl’s strength, noting that she was at Sequence 4, a rare instance of someone so young and powerful. So he no longer hesitated and pointed out the direction.

“Cross that hill, and then head northwest. You should hear the sounds of combat. Hopefully, the skilled person hasn’t been defeated yet.”

“Mm, I understand.” Lolan Hill nodded and gripped the sword scabbard tightly, her figure swiftly moving towards that direction.

“How fast.”

Watching the young lady move like a phantom, swiftly traversing through thorns and obstacles, her armor making her as light as a swallow, they all looked on in astonishment.

“This one must be even more formidable than that girl,” they remarked.

“Are all girls these days this terrifying?”

While they were discussing, Lolan Hill had already crossed the small hill. Layers of lush green forest stretched like an ocean, and the young lady clad in light silver armor leaped out of the emerald sea, her body entering the howling high-altitude winds.

Her eyes searched below, and soon she spotted the struggling figure amidst the trees.

The girl with pale pink hair was utterly exhausted; her longsword was full of nicks, as if gnawed and corroded. She held a black sword in both hands, panting heavily as she looked at the monstrous snake rearing up and spitting venom ahead. Sweat and strands of hair stuck to her forehead, trickling down her eyebrows, causing discomfort.

Will she die?

As everything in her vision began to blur and her body filled with pain, this girl couldn’t help but think about this tragic ending.

Death, a word she never thought about in the past, had become a recurring theme in her life over the past year. Her brother, mother, uncle, guards, and maids, all familiar faces, fell before her, some dying with their eyes open, others clutching her hand, trying to convey something. These scenes replayed in her dreams, causing her immense pain and fear.

Unexpectedly, when faced with this day, she wasn’t as afraid anymore. Perhaps she hoped for release.

Unfortunately, time could never be reversed, and she was too weak. Revenge felt like a distant dream.

Bang!

The monstrous snake shot up again, its fangs gleaming metallically in the forest, growing closer in her vision.

She saw the trajectory of its movement, but her sword refused to respond, moving weakly and slowly.

Indeed, she had reached the end.

She slowly closed her eyes, preparing to endure the impending suffering and death.

Swoosh! Several faint sounds of sword winds brushed past her sweat-soaked body, bringing a slight chill. She heard the sound of metal hitting the ground in front of her.

Her sore eyes opened again, and what she saw left her astonished.

That monstrous snake, which seemed impossible to cut or kill, was dead. Its body lay in pieces, writhing uneasily on the ground.

Squish, another sound, a sword blade with a faint purple glow pierced the struggling snake’s head, pinning it to the ground. As the girl’s gaze moved upward, she saw a girl around her age, perhaps slightly older, appear before her.

“Hello, I finally made it. Are you hurt?”

Lolan Hill pulled her sword from the ground, swung it once to wipe off the blood, and then returned it to the scabbard at her waist.

“Mmm.” Seeing the swordswoman girl appear before her, the girl finally couldn’t hold back any longer and fainted from exhaustion.

In the darkness, she didn’t know how long it had been before she woke up again. It was already night.

A campfire burned quietly in the forest, bringing warmth in the night breeze. She struggled to sit up and looked at the figure by the campfire, hearing the clear, orchid-like voice once more.

“You’re awake. Are you feeling better now?” This swordswoman lady seemed to have washed up, her hair tie at the back of her head undone, now scattered across her collar and shoulders, giving her a softer appearance.

“Mmm.” She responded, looking at her palms and moving them slightly, feeling a sense of relief after surviving.

Unfortunately, this feeling didn’t last long, as heavy and painful memories pressed down on her again.

“I—” Her mouth opened but then closed.

“Do you want water?” Lolan Hill watched the girl, gently lifting her up and offering a cup of clean water.

“Thank you.”

The girl picked up the cup and sipped cautiously, her manner of drinking suggesting she had received good etiquette training. She didn’t drink casually like an ordinary person.

“Have some food too.” Lolan Hill said, handing her a warm apple skewered on a stick.

“Thank you.” Her voice sounded somewhat hoarse. She swallowed hard and carefully bit into the warm apple.

“The food in the forest is scarce. Once we return to the town, it will be better,” Lolan Hill explained, carefully observing the girl.

Compared to her own 17-year-old appearance, this girl looked younger, around 15-16 years old, similar to Ye Ling, although the little one was actually older than 15.

“What’s your name? I’m Mesia, passing through here on a mission.”

“I’m Charlotte, call me Lotte,” the girl with pale pink hair replied.

Knowing this might not be her real name, Lolan Hill didn’t mind. It was normal to be cautious while traveling, and she used a pseudonym herself.

“Are you also on a mission?” Lolan Hill asked softly as she stood up and sat on a tree stump on the other side, seeing that the girl had recovered.

“Yes, because I heard there’s money to be made here,” Lotte nodded and looked at the flames beside her, not speaking further.

The two figures by the campfire fell into silence. At this moment, a black-and-white spotted animal emerged from the grass nearby.

The sudden sound startled the girl, and her hand instinctively reached for her sword hilt, only to realize her sword wasn’t beside her.

“Don’t be afraid. This is a friend I recently met.”

Lolan Hill’s gentle voice echoed again, and she bent down to pet the black-and-white raccoon, taking the branch it was holding, which still had some berries.

“Do you want to eat more?” Lolan Hill took off the berries, wiped them clean with a handkerchief, and placed them in her palm, offering them to the uneasy girl.

In the dim night, the swordswoman girl by the campfire had her face flickering in the firelight, giving a warm and gentle impression.

(End of Chapter)