Lin Mo was the second-to-last person on night watch duty.

After exchanging a brief greeting with Cody during the shift change, he hurried off to catch some more sleep. Lin Mo stretched his body, feeling much of the daytime fatigue fade away, his sore and swollen muscles having relaxed considerably.

The surrounding traps hadn't been triggered, and the sky remained dark.

Lin Mo leaned against a tree, the reflection of the campfire flickering in his eyes.

The Wolf Bone Sword naturally rested within reach by his hand, his short knife tucked at his waist, and his leather armor—never taken off—was stained with considerable sweat.

The forest night was actually quite cool, but sleeping in leather armor while curled in a sleeping bag near the campfire made it hard not to sweat.

The air felt somewhat oppressive, combining with the surrounding darkness to create a suffocating atmosphere.

Lin Mo stood up again to survey the surroundings. Within the range illuminated by the campfire, there was nothing suspicious.

The sound of firewood burning slowly reached his ears, accompanied by occasional gusts of wind and the chirping of summer night insects—all these subtle sounds eventually blended into peaceful tranquility.

This night seemed destined to pass as uneventfully as the previous ones.

Time slipped through his fingers like fine sand, and Lin Mo's vigilance gradually faded along with it...

Until an discordant sound shattered the night's silence.

It was an extremely faint noise, like a dragonfly bending a grass stalk or dew seeping into soil—the kind of transient movement that could be missed with even a moment's carelessness.

Lin Mo's eyes snapped wide open, all sleepiness accumulated during his long watch instantly vanishing.

His hand gripped the sword hilt as he held his breath, clearly hearing his own heartbeat.

"Crack—"

A sound resembling a breaking branch pierced the silent night with particular sharpness.

Indeed, it wasn't an illusion!

Lin Mo rose at fastest speed and quickly moved to Bern's side.

Without needing words, just a light touch on his arm prompted Bern to immediately open his eyes.

Their eyes met, and Bern rolled to his feet at top speed, waking the other team members.

Cody immediately entered combat readiness, instantly positioning himself on a treetop to survey the surroundings using the limited firelight.

Evan rubbed his eyes while gripping his sword, trying his best to gather his wits.

Miriam yawned but promptly drew an arrow from her quiver, nocking it to her bow.

Just as everyone prepared themselves, a series of urgent alarm bells suddenly rang out.

Cody quickly jumped down from the tree. The area illuminated by the campfire was too limited, making reconnaissance meaningless.

The group formed a protective circle with practiced coordination, placing ranger Miriam in the center while they observed their surroundings.

Miriam drew her bowstring taut, the sharp arrowhead aimed toward the direction where the alarm had sounded.

"Crackle—"

The air returned to tranquility, leaving only the gentle sound of burning firewood. It seemed everything might have been their imagination, and the triggered traps merely unfortunate rabbits or small rodents.

No, that wasn't it!

Lin Mo tightened his grip on the sword, his black eyes peering into the profound night. His breathing became light and cautious, afraid that even the sound of inhalation might cause him to miss some subtle clue.

He could sense it...

A pair of eyes was watching them through this night veil.

A breeze passed through, gently swaying the surrounding grass. The shadows of plants danced with the wind in the firelight, while the flickering campfire made the forest ahead alternate between light and darkness.

A sound resembling compressed air vanished within this gust of wind.

The moment the air's sharp whistle reached his ears, Evan's vision suddenly blurred. In that instant, a figure blocked before him—a dim yellow blade in the campfire light deflecting clawed strikes sharp like five daggers.

Chill instantly rushed from his feet to his head.

Evan's entire back became soaked with cold sweat as he gasped heavily, his sword-holding hand trembling uncontrollably.

Just moments ago, only a fraction away—his head would have been pierced by those claws!

Lin Mo gritted his teeth, feeling the tremendous force transmitted through his sword, his face showing shock.

Not a Cat Demon!

The familiar silhouette, the sharp claws—the moment Lin Mo saw the opponent's form, he seemed certain of the attacker's identity.

Yet reality appeared different, and fortunately he hadn't been careless, executing [Slash] and leveraging the Wolf Bone Sword to unleash his 7 points of strength.

Otherwise, he might not have been able to block it steadily.

The opponent's strength reached at least 6 points, possibly even higher!

This was definitely not power an ordinary Cat Demon could possess, and most importantly...

"So fast!"

Cody's exclamation snapped the remaining members from their daze, making them realize the opponent had already closed in.

Indeed, as Cody said—too fast!

Even with Lin Mo's high 8 points of agility, he had barely reacted in time, nearly allowing the opponent to succeed in taking Evan's head.

This monster's speed actually surpassed his!

"It's a Cursed Pattern Cat Demon!"

Bern, having regained his composure, immediately recognized the opponent's identity. Meanwhile, the Cursed Pattern Cat Demon—having failed its first strike—withdrew before Lin Mo could counterattack, disappearing again into the dark forest.

Cursed Pattern Cat Demon... the target of their other mission?

Lin Mo certainly remembered this name and the description of this monster species from the bestiary.

Cursed Pattern Cat Demons were rare variants born among Cat Demon populations, similar to Mutated Goblins. They possessed greater strength than their ordinary counterparts, making them elite-level monsters.

These elite monsters, upon reaching adulthood, could wield power at least comparable to official professionals!

Of course, that was after reaching adulthood.

For example, the Mutated Goblin Lin Mo encountered earlier was clearly a sub-adult not fully matured, and this one before them should be similar...

If it were daytime, Lin Mo felt confident he could hold his own against it, at least not lose.

But now happened to be night—his vision was limited while the Cursed Pattern Cat Demon hid in darkness, holding absolute initiative.

Even if he could barely protect himself, the other team members couldn't.

Even Cody might not survive the Cursed Pattern Cat Demon's ambush. Bern as a knight would fare better, but Evan and Miriam... against such an opponent, they essentially had no resistance.

If Lin Mo hadn't intervened moments ago, Evan would have already collected his lunchbox.

"Trouble."

Bern shielded Evan behind him, frowning tightly. He certainly knew how terrible encountering a Cursed Pattern Cat Demon at night could be. Fortunately, dawn wasn't too far away. If they could buy some time...

"Incoming!"

Bern instinctively raised his arm.

The next moment, tremendous force crashed against his shield.

Bern gritted his teeth, pushing through his numb and sore arm to exert sudden force.

"Shield Bash!"

The Cursed Pattern Cat Demon before him was sent flying. Cody reacted swiftly, pressing the advantage by throwing his short sword straight at the creature's throat!

Miriam also released her long-held arrow, choosing the safer target of the larger torso.

However, at that moment, she suddenly heard Lin Mo's shout.

"Watch out!"

Miriam looked ahead at the Cursed Pattern Cat Demon that had barely dodged Cody's short sword—only getting its neck grazed—feeling momentarily confused.

Watch out? Watch out for what?

The next instant, claws sharp like blades pierced through her throat from behind!