Before the onset of winter, the frequency of monster activity had dropped significantly compared to before.
Most of the beasts had already entered their hibernation mode early, except for a few who hadn’t stockpiled enough food for the winter.
As a result, the Turg Mountains were basically free of the monsters that used to be seen everywhere.
Hunting had become much more difficult than usual.
Nia and EI wandered around for quite a while before finally managing to hunt down a small Pighel.
Having gotten used to it, Nia no longer had any aversion to monster meat.
But if she had to choose, she still preferred the biscuits and that thing called an egg tart that EI made.
At least they were made with ingredients she could accept.
And they tasted delicious.
As for EI’s incessant chatter, Nia had completely adapted to it by now.
On the way back, she even took the initiative to chat with him.
“EI, I think you’re better suited to be a chef than an adventurer.”
“Being a cook and an adventurer aren’t mutually exclusive. Think about it, on the journey, having a chef like me cooking means you’ll never have to worry about your meals!” EI sounded like a devil tempting someone into a deal, coaxing her with, “Egg tarts, biscuits, grilled meat… Nia, aren’t you tempted?”
“That’s certainly a tempting offer,” Nia said, “but it’s not enough to sway me.”
As her first human friend, Nia didn’t want him to get into trouble just because of some food.
She gave her advice seriously.
“Instead of that, you’d better focus on learning magic. Since you’ve awakened, you should spend your time on it.”
“That’s true, but I still think someone like you, who can wield both magic and swordsmanship, is cooler.”
Yes, EI had successfully made his breakthrough yesterday afternoon.
His awakened magic was the same as hers—both were wind-element magic.
In the Fala Continent, generally all types of magic could be learned, but the type one mastered first upon awakening indicated their affinity.
Subsequent studies usually focused on that type.
They chatted here and there, when suddenly, the sound of fighting and human voices came from ahead.
Curiosity seemed to be ingrained in humans’ bones.
Without much thought, EI abandoned the Pighel he had been carrying.
When Nia tried to call after him, he had already appeared at the “scene of the incident” ahead.
Now she understood why His Highness could meet EI in the desolate Turg Mountains.
If you know better, don’t stir up trouble; hasn’t anyone taught him?
It’s one thing if he meets someone communicative, but if it’s someone unreasonable and powerful…
She really didn’t know how he’d managed to survive this long on the Fala Continent.
That said, considering EI’s strength, Nia drew her sword from her waist and quickly followed.
In the depths of the dense forest came a cacophony of sounds.
When Nia arrived, she saw a group of human adventurers.
In front of them was a familiar “old friend”—the two-headed hellhound that had chased her and EI a week ago.
But this creature looked utterly miserable now.
Apparently, there was a fire-element mage in the group, as the large dog’s fur was singed, the scent of burnt hair carried by the hot air making Nia feel queasy.
The unexpected guests interrupted the battle, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.
The three-person team, seeing reinforcements arrive, took a moment to catch their breath and adjusted their formation.
The big dog glared fiercely at EI and Nia, as if assessing the situation.
Nia took advantage of this moment to size up the three-person party.
The lead warrior wore shabby equipment; his chest armor was tattered.
His hands were wrapped in bandages, and he held a broad sword.
Behind him were two young women: one holding a magic staff, clearly the group’s mage; the other wearing priestly robes, looking like a church cleric.
Most likely, she was the healer in the party.
A classic adventuring party composition.
But her condition didn’t look good.
She had a huge wound on her right abdomen, likely from the recent fight with the hellhound.
Excessive blood loss had left her face pale.
Having identified their opponents, Nia estimated their combat strength and quickly thought up a countermeasure.
The party seemed heavily battered, but the two-headed hellhound appeared largely unharmed.
A frontal clash wouldn’t guarantee victory.
But it wasn’t impossible either.
“To the mage over there.”
The mage’s face flickered with confusion before stammering, “Are you calling me?”
“Yes,” Nia nodded. “If you want to survive, it’s best to cooperate with us.”
“No problem.”
The mage glanced briefly at the priest behind her, then made the decision immediately.
“What should I do?”
“When we attack, aim for the left head of that beast. Warrior, protect the others. I’ll handle the rest.”
“No problem,” the warrior readily agreed.
“And what about me?”
Already at the scene, EI pointed at himself with excitement.
Nia had initially wanted him to stay aside and avoid causing trouble, but seeing his expression, she ended up saying, “You’ll attack the right head with me.”
“No problem.”
With the plan quickly set, Nia focused her gaze on the monster not far away.
“Watch my moves and follow my commands!”
“Wind, please bless me!”
After a brief chant, Nia drew her sword and charged forward at lightning speed.
“Ding!”
Nia’s sword clashed with the two-headed hellhound’s claw.
She slipped past, her longsword slicing in a strange arc at an extremely tricky angle, piercing through the beast’s claw and heading straight for its head.
Sensing danger, the big dog quickly retracted its claw and dodged.
“Now!”
At the command, the mage immediately began chanting.
A fireball shot from her staff, striking the beast’s other head.
In an instant, the two heads disagreed, their movements delayed.
The right head wanted to deal with Nia, while the left head took the solid hit from the fireball and tried to retaliate.
Seizing the opportunity, Nia compressed the energy in the air to the tip of her sword.
The surrounding air seemed to be sucked dry.
“Try this!”
With a burst, the right head took a solid strike, emitting a piercing howl.
Its crimson eyes flashed with rage and pain.
Its tough fur could no longer withstand the attack, revealing a gruesome wound.
Nia didn’t press the advantage.
She withdrew her sword, stepped back, and called out again.
“Keep attacking it!”
“Boom!”
Another fireball exploded on the other head.
A bowl-sized wound appeared on its skull, and the heavy smell of burnt flesh wafted up.
After howling, the two heads finally came to an agreement.
They decided to deal with the annoying “fly” that kept throwing fireballs first.
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