Chapter 60: Hunting Magical Beasts

The wind died down briefly at daybreak, gradually weakening until it stopped completely, leaving the world so quiet it felt almost unreal.

When Xuan Xi woke up, light was already filtering into the tent. The door flap had been pulled open halfway from the outside, meaning someone must have gone out earlier. She sat up, and sure enough, Sige was already standing outside the tent, her back to her, facing the direction of the Beast Nest. The wind had stopped, and the entire wilderness was as silent as if someone had pressed pause.

After the Team of Five finished their dried rations and packed up the tent, they began moving toward the Mountain Ridge.

Based on yesterday’s observations, they had roughly confirmed the Wind-type Magical Beast’s location. During the day, it should be patrolling back and forth along the southern section of the Mountain Ridge, searching for high ground to rest and hunt. Xuan Xi walked in silence the whole way because she needed to maintain her forward-extending Perception to ensure the team wouldn’t be ambushed. Not to mention, the Spiritual Qi concentration here was much lower than at the Academy, which limited her Perception range to about three hundred meters. Sige walked beside her, also maintaining the principle of silence being golden.

After a while, the terrain began to change. The gentle slopes turned into layered ravines, like traces carved by flowing water, yet there was no Water Source nearby. Those ravines varied in depth, some only half a person’s height, others towering over a person. The rock walls on both sides had been polished smooth by wind and sand. Sige suddenly stopped and raised her hand to signal the others to halt, then pointed toward a deeper ravine ahead.

She lowered her voice and said, “It’s over there,” without specifying what it was, but everyone understood perfectly.

Sige said nothing more. She circled around from the side, found an excellent observation position on the high ground above the ravine, and crouched down to assess the situation.

Reggie followed behind and crouched down beside Sige. Elsa remained at the bottom of the ravine, squatting behind a boulder with her pack at her feet. Veralis stood two steps behind her, ready to cast at a moment’s notice.

Xuan Xi moved forward along the bottom of the ravine and stopped at the turn. There, she spotted the Wind-type Magical Beast lying in the open area beyond the bend. Its body was pressed close to the ground, covered in a layer of silver-gray short fur. Its size was much smaller than the Rock-armored Dragon Lizard—only about the size of two horses. Its claws were not fully retracted, leaving shallow impressions in the sandy surface.

It lay on its side, head resting on its front limbs, seemingly asleep, eyes closed.

Xuan Xi didn’t continue forward. From where she stood, she could clearly see the beast’s profile and also sense the subtle shifts in the wind. The breeze was blowing from the beast’s direction, and Xuan Xi was downwind, so it shouldn’t be able to catch her scent. She waited in place for a moment until a soft sound came from above—someone tapping a finger against the rock.

Xuan Xi looked up and saw Sige crouched behind the rocks above, glancing at her before pointing toward the beast. No additional signal was needed; Xuan Xi understood. Her Perception began rapidly expanding outward, encompassing the beast’s silhouette, the surrounding terrain, and any possible escape routes into her range.

When Sige’s Thunder Light flared, the bottom of the ravine seemed to rise with a sun. Silver-white arcs of electricity spread along the rock walls in every direction, landing directly behind the Wind-type Magical Beast. Though they didn’t strike it directly, they sealed off its path of retreat.

The Wind-type Magical Beast reacted the instant the Thunder Light flashed—far faster than the team had anticipated. In almost the same moment the lightning struck the ground, it had already risen from its sideways posture and charged toward the ravine’s exit—only to run straight into Xuan Xi’s Water Blade.

The Water Blade cut across the ground toward the beast. As the creature’s front claws landed, they stepped directly into the trajectory of the blade, forcing it to veer off course. Meanwhile, Reggie’s Earth Wall rose from the front just in time, blocking the beast’s attack route while also obscuring its vision. The Wind-type Magical Beast made a sharp turn before the Earth Wall, cutting to the right, its body weaving rapidly through the ravines like a shadow gliding along the walls.

Elsa’s Flame pressed in at that moment, descending from above and completely engulfing the middle section of the ravine in fire. The Wind-type Magical Beast was blocked by the Flame and forced to stop. It spun in place, trying to regain speed to break through, but its sense of direction had already been thoroughly disoriented by Thunder Light, Flame, Earth Wall, and Water Blade. It could no longer maintain its high-speed trajectory through the ravines. When it halted, Sige’s Thunder Light struck from above, this time hitting its hind leg with precision. The beast’s body lurched violently, and a charred mark appeared on its silver-gray fur. Though the blow wasn’t fatal, it completely robbed the creature of its mobility.

Xuan Xi’s Water Blade sliced into its flank as it turned, causing it to stagger in place. Its hind legs could no longer support its body weight, and it crashed heavily to its knees.

It struggled to rise, but Sige’s Lightning Spear descended from above its head. Silver-white arcs pierced through its skull and neck, and with a thunderous boom, it collapsed to the ground, unable to move any longer.

The ravine fell silent. The wind began to blow again, carrying fine grains of sand that pattered against the rock walls, like a funeral bell tolling for the magical beast.

The four of them stood in their respective positions, waiting for a moment. Only after Reggie stepped forward to confirm the beast was dead did Sige descend from the high ground. As she passed by Xuan Xi, she paused briefly and said, “Let’s go.” Reggie had already swiftly processed the beast’s skull, stowing it in his pack with an extra layer of cloth wrapped around it for securing. The five of them walked back along the path they’d come. On the afternoon of the seventh day, when the light of the Teleportation Array enveloped them once more, Xuan Xi glanced back at the wilderness one last time. The wind blew the sand along the ground, gradually covering every trace of their footprints.

The Teleportation Array flared to life, and the ochre wasteland stretched and blurred, eventually dissolving into a uniform glow.

At the Academy entrance, Cecilia stood before the Teleportation Array with a record board in her hands, noting the return time of each group. Her gaze swept across the five faces one by one, and she gave a brief nod.

Once everyone had returned, Cecilia said, “Rest for three days. Results will be posted on the bulletin board in nine days.” She tucked away her record board and turned to leave.

The five split up. Reggie and Elsa went together, Veralis walked alone, and Xuan Xi and Sige headed back toward the Dormitory together. The wind here was completely different from the wind in the wilderness.

If one had to describe it in tangible terms, the Academy’s wind was like a gentle, graceful girl. She wore a soft, flowing dress and stepped as lightly as a kitten, afraid of disturbing anyone’s sweet dreams. She always carried just the right amount of thoughtfulness—brushing the back of your neck with cool fingertips when you were slightly perspiring. Her breath carried the scent of sun-warmed grass. She never barged in, only quietly nestled at your side, slowly smoothing away all your restlessness and unease.

The wind in the wilderness, by contrast, was like a rough-and-tumble, no-nonsense tomboy. She never knocked; she always kicked your door straight off its hinges. She knew nothing of soft whispers, only howling at the top of her lungs right by your ear, carrying the scorching heat of the blazing sun. She’d rip off your extra clothes and ornaments, forcing the scent of dirt and withered grass straight up your nose. The force with which she slapped your face was heavy enough to feel like someone had backhanded you—crude and brutish in every way.

Sige listened to Xuan Xi’s descriptions, raised an eyebrow, and stretched lazily in the Academy’s gentle evening breeze: “Hearing you say that, I think both types of girls sound pretty great. If only those two could get together—just like us.”

Xuan Xi smiled softly, neither confirming nor denying Sige’s remark. Instead, she proactively took her hand and dashed off toward the Dormitory.