CHAPTER 395: CHAPTER 206: AMBUSH AND SECRET CODE

Xia Nan reacted swiftly.

Even though the journey was in a rare, safe environment, he was in a state of mental recovery.

Yet, the good habits developed over time and his Perception Attribute of 10 kept him alert of his surroundings.

Almost at the same time as the scream reached his ears, accompanied by a fleeting iron-gray gleam in the air, the Beheading Longsword instinctively unsheathed, tightly gripped in his hand.

As for the bowl of mushroom stew originally in his hands, it naturally spilled onto the ground.

A glance from the corner of his eye, a slight frown.

Still, Xia Nan did not rush towards the direction of the sound.

Instead, he focused his attention, gathered his thoughts, and checked his surroundings in the most prompt and secure manner.

He hadn’t been in the tavern hall for days without purpose.

He’d listened to countless bizarre tales, aware of how commotions could be used to attract attention, allowing demons or intelligent creatures to ambush adventurers.

Only after ensuring no enemies were around in the dark night, did he use Gravity Control without a trace to lessen the gravity’s impact, increasing his speed.

Heading towards the source of the sound, the iron-clad, dark silhouette swiftly melted into the depths of the night, leaving only the howling noise of the wind.

The village wasn’t large; even though empty houses were scattered, in ten seconds, Xia Nan had reached the scene.

The first thing that caught his eye was a collapsed wooden house, seemingly recent; within the moonlit air, wood chips and dust still fluttered.

Most of the house had crumbled, split from the ridge, as if torn by some immense force, leaving only slanted beams and dangling wooden boards.

His nostrils twitched, a faint, indistinct smell of blood surged through his breath.

"This should be Mint’s place, right?"

Xia Nan frowned, sensing something was amiss.

A dark shadow flashed across the ground in his vision.

The next moment, a tall figure clad in leather had already rushed into the ruins before him.

Vireis’s house was much closer to here than his own; though his reaction speed was fast, it couldn’t offset the advantage of distance, especially when the comparison was with a Wanderer.

Thus, as Xia Nan followed into the wooden ruins, the Half Elf Vireis was already crouched down, examining Mint’s injuries.

No need for extra reminders or explanations; a glance at Mint sufficed and while guarding against back-stabs, Xia Nan had become vigilant for potential enemies that might still linger.

Meanwhile, his mind quickly analyzed Mint’s injuries from a rushed look.

It looked dreadful, with crimson blood nearly dyeing half the robe, but the actual wound seemed only to be a graze from shoulder to collarbone, measuring about five inches.

The right ankle seemed sprained, causing the whole person to fall against the wall.

Besides this, there were no visible injuries.

As for Mint herself, judging from her expression and eyes, she seemed clear-headed, with no sign of critical danger thus far.

"Plop! Plop!"

A few seconds later, accompanied by hurried footsteps, Cash arrived with a grave expression.

Behind him, the village awoke to the noise, becoming gradually louder.

"How are the injuries?" Cash nodded at Xia Nan who stood vigilantly, then swiftly approached Vireis to ask.

Before Vireis could reply, Mint herself spoke up:

"Captain, I’m alright."

"Just, just a minor injury."

Though her voice still carried some unease, her articulation was clear, showing no signs of weakness.

Cash glanced at the half-collapse wooden house, frowning deeply.

"What happened, what attacked you?"

"Beastman, it was a Beastman!" Mint exclaimed, her already pale face appearing even whiter under the moonlight and blood’s contrast, trembling slightly from fear.

"Just now, I intended to organize some supplies for our team’s venture into the forest tomorrow, then heard footsteps outside the house suddenly..."

"Did you set up warning traps?" Cash interrupted.

"I did, definitely did, I remember it clearly!" Mint’s face showed rare agitation, "The mentor told me before, even on the brightest moon nights, we mustn’t let down our guard."

"I don’t know how it bypassed my traps."

"Luckily, it seemed wary of something, not attacking directly, giving me time to react, to grab my Magic Wand."

"Then what?" Cash’s expression was serious, appearing to ponder the girl’s words, "Did you chase it away?"

"No, probably not." Mint hesitantly shook her head, "Its strength was immense, the walls fragile as withered bark, with no Defense Ability whatsoever."

"My thorns might’ve delayed it for a few seconds, but..."

She glanced at her slightly swollen ankle.

"I retreated too hastily, unintentionally spraining it, falling to the ground."

"I thought..." Mint paused, her face expressing profound confusion, "But for some reason, though it only needed to take one more step and I wouldn’t have escaped, it turned and ran instead."