Eastern Alpharion Empire, *Erin’s Canyon*.

The monsters inhabiting the canyon were mostly flying types. Giant flying beasts, nesting along the canyon walls, were a nightmare for adventurers. 

Especially when climbing along the narrow ledges at the edge of a cliff.

*Kiiiiiieek!*

Above us, a huge pair of wings cut through the air, accompanied by a bone-chilling screech. Sharp-eyed birds of prey scanned their surroundings, their gaze locking onto their target.

A flock of griffons.

With their bushy lion-like bodies, sturdy talons of an eagle, and heads like that of hawks, they ruled over the canyon.

Chris was clinging to the edge of the cliff, yelling in my direction. 

“Waaah! …Whoa! It’s a sheer drop down here, Rain, be careful! Don’t worry about me!”

“Don’t worry about me either! Just take care of yourself, unnie!”

*Whoosh!*@@novelbin@@

*Clang!*

My sword flew out, intercepting one of the griffons swooping down toward Chris. The griffon deflected the blow with its talons, letting out a vicious screech as it focused on me.

I was doing my best to draw the attention of the griffon swarm away from Chris, using my swordsmanship to keep them at bay.

The griffons were acting like skilled hunters, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. If they came all at once, I could have cut them all down with *Starlight Slash*, but after I sliced two of them in half when they charged too recklessly, the others were being cautious.

But I couldn’t keep spamming *Starlight Slash*. Its cooldown was long, and I had a limited number of cooldown resets available.

The griffons seemed to realize this too. They were planning to take me out first, knowing I was the immediate threat. Once Chris recovered and climbed up, they would probably switch targets to her, as she was capable of devastating long-range attacks. But for now, I was the only one threatening them.

These creatures were smarter than I expected. Maybe not as dumb as the term “bird-brained” suggests after all.

With a flutter of wings and a terrifying screech, one of the griffons dived toward me. 

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