Every single mana signal returning from her surroundings belonged to the earth spiders.
“This is a bit problematic. The path back to our territory has been completely blocked.”
Yinzhi, who had been dragged along by Qimeng like loot all this way, suddenly reached out and grabbed Qimeng's hand.
“Follow me. We have a hidden campsite to the north. It's not too far from here.”
“Huh? The north?”
That was in the complete opposite direction of her own territory.
However, the fragmented information sent back by her root perception before it disconnected pointed to one undeniable fact: the north was indeed the only opening left.
If she forced her way back to her territory, the disgusting spiders tailing them would undoubtedly tear her domain to shreds.
“Tch, there's no other way. We'll have to make a tactical retreat first. We can take the long way back once these ugly eight-legged freaks calm down.”
Qimeng compliantly followed Yinzhi as they veered into the dense forest to the north.
Once they finally stepped into the woodlands, they were safe for the time being.
Looking back, Qimeng could see faint flashes of emerald magic glowing from the direction of the spider cave, accompanied by the endless, echoing rumbles of battle.
“They are doing their best to hold off the earth spiders, but... they won't last long.”
Yinzhi lowered her eyes in worry, and Qimeng responded. “Since they're fighting so desperately, wouldn't it be incredibly disrespectful of us to just dawdle around here?”
Yinzhi looked up blankly, the leaf-vein patterns in her purple eyes flickering with a sudden spark of joy.
So this seemingly cold big sister was actually caring for everyone in her own unique way.
“Mhm! Let us go, Master!”
A bright smile suddenly bloomed on Yinzhi's lovely face, and her steps grew noticeably lighter.
Watching the Wood Elf practically radiating unprompted loyalty, Qimeng rolled her eyes inwardly.
How could this girl look so deeply moved by her own imagination? She literally just wanted to find a place to sit down before her stamina bar completely emptied.
“Hmph. If you understand, then hurry up and lead the way,” Qimeng grunted dismissively.
However, the moment she stepped into this forest, a sudden wave of weakness washed over her entire body.
The cause was her extreme distance from her Root Domain, which had completely severed her connection to it.
Not only that, but the mana inside her body had also dimmed significantly.
Although the Water Core was still there, channeling its power was far more exhausting.
She couldn't condense her Water Thread, her Shadow Entangle wouldn't budge, and even her divine skill, Shadow Step, was completely locked.
Even the control thread she had forcibly wrapped around Yinzhi's wrist had dissolved.
Tch, what a pain.
Without mana to support her, her entire body felt incredibly light.
Walking felt like stepping on cotton candy, leaving her with absolutely no strength to exert.
“Master! Master!”
The fluttering of wings sounded from behind.
Xiaomi, who had been acting as a literal accessory, caught up to them. The little bee girl clung tightly to Qimeng's side, her small face filled with worry.
“Master, you look super pale! Are you poisoned?”
“I'm fine. It's just that all my skills are frozen. To put it simply, I've turned into a harmless, useless tree demon.”
“What's 'useless'?”
Xiaomi sized up her master skeptically, wondering if this was just another excuse her master had made up to slack off.
However, after noticing Qimeng's pale complexion, the silly bee girl actually did something completely out of character and stepped to the very front of the group.
“In that case, you have to hold onto my clothes tightly, Master! I'll take the lead and clear the way!”
Qimeng looked at the back of the petite bee girl in surprise.
“Oh? Back in the spider cave, who was the one so terrified she forgot to fire her Bee Needles and clung to me crying? A certain little bee isn't scared anymore?”
“I-I'm not scared at all! After all, you can't fight at all right now, Master!”
Xiaomi spoke bravely, stubbornly puffing out her chest. She lowered her wings and used her slender body to shield Qimeng from the dangers of the unfamiliar forest.
“It can't be helped! From now on, I, Xiaomi, will protect my fragile Master!”
What a show-off.
Qimeng withdrew her gaze, the corners of her mouth curling slightly upward.
“Sure, sure. Then we shall let our great Captain Xiaomi lead the way.”
“Leave it to me!”
Receiving her master's approval, the bee girl wiggled her antennae with a touch of pride and marched forward with her head held high.
Meanwhile, Yinzhi took in the entire scene from the side.
She had already noticed that the bindings on her wrists were gone, and the black-haired girl beside her was clearly in a weakened state.
However, the noble Spirit Maiden showed extraordinary consideration.
She didn't ask any questions, choosing instead to quietly stay by Qimeng's side.
When stepping over protruding tree roots, she would even hesitantly reach out to steady the mana-depleted Qimeng.
“We're here. This is our temporary campsite from before.”
Under Yinzhi's guidance, the three of them pushed through a dense patch of shrubs and arrived at a hidden clearing.
Scattered across the clearing were three crude tents, barely held up by branches and large leaves.
In the very center lay the cold ashes of a campfire.
“Did only the four of you live here?”
Qimeng found a tree root to sit on and began massaging her aching calves.
“Yes. After discovering the earth spiders' nest, we sent a distress signal to our clan and agreed to meet here.”
Yinzhi explained as she handed over a leather canteen.
Qimeng shot her a wary look.
However, considering her passive Poison Resistance was still active, she accepted the canteen without further worry and took a large gulp.
Meanwhile, Xiaomi, who had done a great job leading the way, was dutifully standing by a low-hanging branch at the edge of the campsite. She puffed out her cheeks and scanned the surroundings with a vigilant, reliable expression.
“Ah...”
Qimeng let the last few drops of water trickle down her throat, casually set the empty canteen on the ground, and stood up.
“Alright, break time is over. Get ready to move.”
She gestured toward the deep forest with her pale chin, intentionally trying to scare them.
“Though they aren't many, the earth spiders behind us are clearly hot on our heels. If we don't run faster and they catch up, I will absolutely use the two of you as meat shields, okay?”
“Understood! Xiaomi will stick close to you, Master!”
“Um... please wait a moment.”
Just as Qimeng was about to take a step, Yinzhi's voice interrupted her.
The silver-haired girl was standing beside an ancient tree, pressing her palm against its rough bark.
It was the stance of a Wood Elf Spirit Maiden communing with nature.
A moment later, Yinzhi opened her eyes in pleasant surprise.
“My clansmen... they seem to be arriving here very soon!”
Qimeng stopped in her tracks, resting her index finger against her chin as she tilted her head to look at her.
“Oh? Whenever I hear the word 'soon,' I get a bad feeling. If you can't even guarantee a specific time, this highly insecure tree demon is going to relocate immediately, you know?”
“About that... it should be very fast.”
“'Very fast,' huh...”
Qimeng sighed helplessly. Seeing the silver-haired girl guiltily avert her gaze, she knew the other girl actually had no real idea either.
Was she kidding? She was practically defenseless right now.
If the spider army arrived before the reinforcements, she would be completely finished.
She had absolutely no intention of gambling her life on luck.
She decisively grabbed the dazed Xiaomi beside her and immediately set off.
“We're not waiting! Xiaomi, retreat!”
“Ah! P-Please wait!”
Seeing her black-haired savior walk away without a shred of hesitation, Yinzhi panicked.
Forgetting all about sensing the power of nature, she hurriedly lifted her skirt and jogged after the resolute, black-haired figure.
Rate on N.U.
