Chapter Forty-Seven: The Cross Standing in the Earth
However, on second thought, perhaps the Abyssal creatures might indeed be uniquely affected by Holy Light Healing. The mere idea was enough to stir his excitement.
He flashed Ivy a gentle smile. He was beginning to find this quite amusing.
“It’s fine. We’ll deal with it if we actually run into one. There’s no guarantee we’ll encounter it anyway. Our main goal is to find food. If we do meet it, you can just heal it.”
Ivy blushed again at his words, but she understood what Mu Chen meant.
Just then, Mu Jiu’er announced over the channel that all the servants were now equipped with weapons and they were ready to set out...
......
Five minutes later, he and Ivy officially embarked on their first journey to forage for food.
The moment they entered the Red Mist, Mu Chen activated his Exorcism ability. He stood still, wanting to first assess any potential threats near their territory.
[You detect, 3,162 meters to the west—precisely the direction you plan to go—three small spiders tending to their offspring.]
[4,877 meters east of your domain, two large creatures are locked in a mindless struggle. One is wounded; their battle will resolve itself in about ten minutes.]
[1,200 meters to the south, a sneaky skeleton with an “old fox” temperament has already taken up a hiding spot by the roadside. Its previous target was a dim-witted “little brain tiger,” but it survived simply because the tiger wasn’t interested in it.]
[To the north, 9 kilometers away...]
“1,200 meters? That’s not far from the territory—definitely a potential threat that needs clearing.”
Mu Chen thought it over seriously and decided to head south first.
Ivy looked a little confused.
“Lord Mu Chen, aren’t we going west?”
“No rush. Let’s take care of a threat first!” His words surprised Ivy, but since Mu Chen was leading, she said nothing more.
As they made their way south, they found nothing worth gathering. Mu Chen kept his Black Eyes activated the entire way, making Ivy a bit nervous. Though he tried to reassure her after noticing her unease, Ivy later explained that his eyes seemed to hold some unspeakable aura, which Mu Chen found unexpected.
They soon neared their destination, barely a kilometer away. In the distance, a dilapidated farmhouse came into view. The gate stood wide open. Next to it, a human skeleton lay scattered on the ground, while a tiger nearly six meters long, with three bone arrows stuck in its haunches, prowled nearby, occasionally picking up a bone and gnawing on it in a fit of retribution.
A tiger? From the Han City Zoo, perhaps?
[Nightmare Tiger]
Origin: Red Mist Mutation
Status: Lightly wounded
Physique: 16
Spirit: 8
Skills: Intimidate, Iron Bones
Note: Once a native of Earth, mutated after exposure to the Red Mist.
[Skeletal Archer]
Origin: Abyssal Mutation
Status: Lightly wounded
Physique: 14
Spirit: 14
Mana: 200/200
Skills: Hardened Body, Repel, Triple Shot, Basic Regeneration
The scene before him made Mu Chen frown slightly. He knew the Red Mist could trigger mutations in living creatures, just as it turned humans into grotesque forms. But this was his first time seeing an Abyssal creature mutate. Without the information prompt, no one would have guessed that the pile of bones was actually a monster—with mana, no less.
Still, seeing the arrows in the tiger’s haunch, Mu Chen thought, This skeleton is really just asking for it...
He shifted his gaze, giving Ivy a look. She understood and slowed her pace.
[You realize the “little brain tiger” has an excellent sense of smell. It’s already looking your way, alert. Clearly, slowing your steps is futile.]
Damn, what a nose! You’d make a terrible tiger, Mu Chen grumbled inwardly. Though he was surprised at being discovered, he remained completely unflustered.
“Ivy, let’s go over. No need to hide.”
“Roar!!”
A thunderous roar shook the sky, making Mu Chen’s heart race. Before they could prepare themselves, the Nightmare Tiger had already appeared twenty meters away.
Ivy hurriedly drew her cross, ready to smack the beast away if needed.
“Whoosh!”
The Soulbinding Spike shot toward the Nightmare Tiger—but it was dodged.
The tiger was cautious, swiftly leaping aside but not attacking, instead eyeing them from less than ten meters away.
“Clang.”
The Soulbinding Spike clattered to the ground with a crisp ring. Failing to redirect it in time, Ivy had lost control of the weapon.
Mu Chen felt a bit tense, though he didn’t show it. Facing a feline, one must never betray fear.
Seeing how cautious the Nightmare Tiger was, he boldly took a few steps forward, exuding an aggressive aura.
“Grrr...” Another deep, warning growl.
He ignored the cold sweat in his palms.
Because—
He was now back within the Soulbinding Spike’s control range.
Thus, man and tiger stood in a tense standoff.
Suddenly, Ivy slammed her cross into the ground with a sharp “bang,” startling both Mu Chen and the mutated tiger.
“Holy Light Shield! Blessing of Honor!”
With a clear cry, she cast two buffs on herself.
“Sacred Shackles!”
A ten-meter-wide circle of light appeared around the tiger, making it growl anxiously. Within a second, the circle shrank rapidly, locking around it like a chain.
“Lunge!”
Although delicate in appearance, Ivy charged to the side of the bloodstained tiger and punched it in the gut, sending it flying three meters.
Mu Chen: “...”
“Ow!!”
Mu Chen winced in sympathy just watching.
But Ivy didn’t stop there.
“Holy Combo!”
“Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...”
Pinned to the ground, the tiger’s yowls turned into whimpers...
Finally, a hammer-shaped bolt of lightning struck down, and the bloodstained tiger lay motionless on the ground.
“Lord Mu Chen, are you all right? I apologize for not casting buffs on you earlier.” Ivy advanced toward him with graceful steps.
“I’m fine, I’m fine. Really.”
“That’s good. Please don’t blame me. My actions just now were purely instinctive. I’ll make sure to buff you first in the future.”
“...”
In the distance, the Soulbinding Spike flew back to his right arm. Mu Chen and Ivy returned to the tiger’s side.
“Creak...”
“Hm?” A strange sound came from nearby. The Skeletal Archer had reassembled itself and was now standing by the wall. Sensing it had been spotted, it tried to pass itself off as a mere ornament.
“Grown sentient, have you?”
Leaving the Nightmare Tiger where it lay, the two approached the Skeletal Archer. Though it remained perfectly still, blue flames flickered in its skull.
“Well, aren’t you quite the actor?”
Mu Chen stared it down, his gaze growing more menacing.
The skeleton, sensing his hostility, slowly turned its head away, averting its gaze.
It looked away.
“Is this thing sentient?” The more Mu Chen thought about it, the more he realized this skeleton was no ordinary monster.