Chapter 10: The Suspicious Woman


    I dodged a club which was carried by the orc and at the same time evaded the spear that was thrust by the hobgoblin. The two monsters were in perfect sync! It made me even more suspicious of the situation. I strengthened my body using my internal energy and enveloped my swords with light blue energy. I crouched a little and eyed the two figures of the monsters that wereing at me. With a boost in both power and speed, Iunched like an arrow towards their direction. And using my ability to change my position while in that state, I managed to run my swords through their chests. Their cores flew out of their bodies and when Inded just behind them, the two fell on the ground, lifeless.


    I turned to them and slowly caught my breath. I let me inner energy circte throughout my body and at the same time pull some natural energy from my surroundings and use it to fill the ones I just used up. I returned to normal a few secondster. I proceeded on collecting the monster cores and the important parts of the monsters which could be traded or sold; a hobgoblin''s ear, an orc''s heart, etc.


    After doing my business, I could hear sounds of battle not that far from me. Kyle and the others were not yet done fighting.


    I immediately ran to their direction and saw them fighting the remaining monsters. I nced at the battle mage wielding earth magic who was battling a B-ss monster alone, then to the support mages who kept providing support magic, and then to the four soldiers that were guarding the injured scouts. I nced onest time at Kyle''s direction and sighed.


    -They''re fine. The injured ones need immediate attention.


    I ran to where the injured scouts were and checked their conditions. I did not have the ability to heal others, but I could assess one''s condition through their pulse. There wereints from the soldiers, but my re made them stop and step back. I checked the pulse of each of the injured.


    "They''re mildly poisoned." I announced. "Do any of you know a detoxification spell?"


    They just shook their head. But then I remembered my pills.


    "I think I have culnec and vutia pills here." I muttered.


    Culnec was an herb that had detoxification effects. It could detoxify at least eight kinds of poisons, including toxic breath from the centipede monster and poisoned blood from the frilled-lizard monster. Meanwhile Vutia was an herb with rejuvenation effects. It was usually used on rejuvenation tonics so the body could be healthier and the power be restored for at least ten percent.


    I fed one pill each on the injured scouts and watched as color slowly returned on their faces. Their wounds and gashes had also stopped bleeding and ck liquid was seeping out from it. I collected three vials of those ck liquid for the purpose of studying it.


    "What did you give him?" asked one of the soldiers.


    "Some medicine I made." I answered.


    "Are you an alchemist or a doctor?" he asked again. "Only alchemists can make support potions and only doctors can make medicine, but you have a powerful energy inside and around you. Plus, with the way you were fighting those monsters a while ago, you''re good atbat as well."


    "You saw?" I inquired.


    "O-only by ident! I swear! I was retrieving an injured scout close to where you were fighting those monsters and I happen to see a glimpse of it." he exined.


    "I see." I nodded. "Don''t worry about it. And no, I''m not an alchemist or a doctor. I aim to be a magus knight."


    I could see their eyes widen.


    A magus knight was an individual who could use magic andbat magic at the same time. Aside from wielding weapons and enhancing one''s body with magic, they could also fire off spells at the same time. Sebastian was a magus knight who specialized in fire magic, while Zach was a magus knight who specialized in lightning magic.


    "Making medicine is my hobby." I added.


    After making them astonished, I decided to check on Kyle and the others. They were taking an awfully long time in killing those monsters even with Vyfal''s assistance. As I approached the area where they were fighting, I could see a few wounded soldiers and the mages were trying their best to heal them. Kyle was facing off thest ss B monster, a skiris. It was a wolf-like creature with elongated ears like a rabbits and a tail that resembled like a scorpion''s. I watched as Kyle hacked the skiris'' tail and cut off its head by enhancing his sword.


    I smiled. Promising people were always fun to watched, even back in the celestial realm.


    We were all gathered in one area. We had reached our objective; rescuing the missing scouts and it was time to return. We decided to retrace our steps. I would''ve loved to teleport, but I couldn''t teleport a big number of people at once and the mages were exhausted from the battle to give me support. I had Vyfal carry the unconscious scouts and let her return to the defense line base first.


    When we reached the defense line, medical personnel immediately came to our attention and started treating Kyle and his team.


    "Luna!" he called. "Thank you."


    I only gave him a smile and returned to Sebastian''s tent where Vyfal was hanging outside. She was taking a nap beside Sebastian''s ck stallion, Noir. Aunt Zaira named it.


    "Hey!" I greeted and plopped on his bed. I was exhausted!


    "Good job little sis." Sebastian said. "Although, Vyfal almost gave everyone a heart attack when she suddenlynded from the sky. If Zach did not stand between her and the soldiers, they would''ve attacked her and she would''ve destroyed this ce."


    "Didn''t they see the injured people strapped on her back?"


    "They were more focused on the fact that an unknown beast justnded in the base."


    "Figures." I said. "The monsters are on their way."


    "I know. ording to the scouts, they''ll be here in an hour. Everyone''s asked to assemble."


    "Any news about Auntie and the others?" he shook his head. I sighed in worry. "They''ll be okay right?"


    "Don''t worry about them. Eliza and Edmund are the best in their respective departments in the Imperial Academy, and Aunt Zaira Well She''s Aunt Zaira. You know what that means."


    I only scoffed. I stood up and dusted myself. I also drank a pill with a high concentration of the vutia herb and took in some natural energy to merge with my inner energy. I also gave Sebastian a bottle filled with vutia herbs and he took one.


    "Let''s go." I said and we walked out of the tent.


    ***


    I could see the horde of monsters at the horizon. I was one of the few people who stood in the front lines, ready to attack once the monsters were within range. The defense line was located in a in for good visual. The big area in front of us was about to be a big battlefield.


    Using enhanced sight, I could see different kinds of monstersing our way. I had been suspicious ever since back in the forest, but my suspicions were just confirmed;


    -Something is making all these troubles happen. Someone powerful enough and can gather hordes of monsters despite the difference in types and ss. I bet it is also the same person who caused the dungeon break.


    Once the monsters were within range, we all charged as well. Beside me was Kyle''s team who charged at the group of goblins and behind me was Zach who cleaned up the snake monsters. I suddenly noticed something odd as I was cutting down the monsters; a ck crystal half the size of my fist was on the monsters'' forehead. All of them had the same ck crystal too. And every time a monster is cut down, the crystal would shine ominously and the monster would revive.


    "This is impossible!" I heard one soldier yell.


    "Why are they not dying?"


    Normally, once a monster died, it would return inside the dungeon it was born. Of course, it was only applicable if the dungeon had not been conquered yet. But seeing the monsters revive on the very spot they were killed really threw off everyone''s confidence.


    I clicked my tongue in annoyance. I cut down a monster and at the same time pulled out the ck crystal on its forehead. Surprisingly, the monster turned to dust. I immediately told Sebastian about it so he could convey it to the others. I was pretty sure they would not believe me.


    I took the time to stare at the crystal and I noticed that the color seemed to be shifting. Something inside me stirred and somehow, I knew what to do. I strengthened my hands using my inner energy and crushed the crystal. I watched as ck smoke rose from it and hovered in the air for a few seconds. All of a sudden, it started flying away.


    I boosted my legs with energy and leaped high in the air and at the same time;


    "Vyfal!" I called.


    Just like a routine, Vyfal caught me in the air and I directed her to follow the flying ck smoke.


    A few secondster, we reached a cliff not that far from the ins that became a battlefield. The cliff itself was not suspicious, but the female figure on it was. I jumped down from Vyfal andnded behind her. I watched as the ck smoke settle on the dark orb on her hands.


    "I see someone had seen through it."


    The figure slowly turned and I could see a set of features I hadn''t seen for a very long time; a pair of ck horns in the head, red slit eyes, a forked tail swinging back and forth and a pair of bat-like wings.


    "You''re"


    "But it''s your bad lucking here alone."