Layla wanted to take her time to think this through, but she did not have time. As soon as she felt the earth vibrating under her feet, she knew the creature was back to attack them.

"We should spread out. The creature would be forced to go after one of us while the other two could attack it. We should try to capture it before we draw any conclusions."

Layla pointed out, and the pair in front of her looked unhappy for different reasons.

Rosette was the first to voice her disagreement, and her face looked blank but annoyed.

"Not! It's not only dangerous to do but foolish as well. What if that creature decides that it wants to go after you? I don't like this idea…what is so amusing about it?"

Layla reached out toward her face, only to notice that her lips were turned into a small smile. She had not even seen this until now.

"It is nothing. I just feel amused that you care so much about me. Thank you for being so honest and patient, but I assure you I will be fine."

Layla pointed out, but Rosette looked even more annoyed by what had happened.

Her frown made Layla calm down, but it was Adam's turn to interfere.

"I would rather the three of us stay together and face this creature. We will have a better chance of attacking and killing it if all three of us try-"

Adam pointed out, but it was his turn to be cut off as he almost lost his balance.

Layla also kneeled to lessen the shaking earth's impact before using magic to make herself float and run away.

She felt that unnatural block of magic following her, which made her certain it was after her and no one else.

'I knew it. I was the target since the start. Since that's the case, shall I see what else this creature can do?'

Layla wanted to drag out the creature that was attacking her and take a good look at it. She could tell how far into the original story she was based on its appearance.

As far as Layla knew, as the story progressed, this creature was able to take on a more humanoid and powerful form, but it did not seem to be that powerful at the moment.

'Well, here comes the creature. I need to make sure I do not accidentally kill it.'

With Luna's power in the mix, there was a real chance that Layla could end up killing this creature before she got to see what it was.

"Luna, I need a magical net to capture that creature. Can you weave me one?"

Layla asked in a low voice, and Luna let out a chirping sound before she did as she had been asked to.

The web felt solid in Layla's hand, and she wrapped it around the creature, struggling in her grip. She thought it struggled before it gave up and flopped around until it could no longer do so.

'Whatever that was was smart enough to have realized that there was no way out of this trap Layla had set for it.

"Are you trying to run from me? I fear it won't be possible for you to do it. Now, let me have a good look at you."

Layla dragged the creature near her, but that unnatural magic obstructed the creature's true form.

Layla took some time and effort to clear out that magic, and she finally had her first look at the creature that had terrified most of this world's population by the end of it.

"A worm? Isn't this a common type of creature and a low-level one? These creatures usually avoid humans because they are fragile and easy to kill."

The worm in front of Layla was as big as a bus and struggled to escape the net and back into the earth.

Now that the magic had been dispelled from its body, it wanted to return underground and live a carefree life. Too long on the surface could end its life.

As much as Layla wanted to let the worm go, she also knew it would be a disaster. This worm was already starting to gather its power and make a comeback by attacking her.

Just when Layla decided to end this worm, she felt something stab the worm and purify it.

She looked back and saw Rosette putting her dagger away after cleaning it up. She made no move to show to hide what she had done to the poor beast.

"Are you alright? Did that beast try anything with you? If you need purification or healing, then tell me. I will make sure to cure you properly."

Rosette promised as she walked into that clearing.

The heroine's eyes moved over that corpse that she had killed before she looked at Layla's unharmed self.

"I am fine. I was just trying to figure out that unnatural magic and where it originated. Unfortunately, I was not able to find an answer. I would just have to look into it later."

Luckily for Layla, she had gotten a magic sample she could use to find out the source of this magic. She just needed to conduct a few…experiments to ensure she had the right source.

"I see. What will you do with the magic sample you swiped off this corpse? Don't tell me…were you trying to destroy the evidence? If so, then we cannot overlook it. You will have to be taken into custody and be treated like a criminal in that case."

Rosette sounded upset but determined. She looked ready to attack anyone who questioned her authority, but Layla was quick to put her worries to rest.

After all, she did not want to be doubted as someone who was conspiring to be the villainess of this novel, even if she was willing to do whatever it took to make sure this world survived what was going to happen.

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