Chapter 119: The Ambush

A few seconds later, the Hydra let out a shrill, piercing hiss. Its massive tail thrashed against the ground repeatedly, as if it were enduring excruciating pain.

Suddenly, a series of cracks appeared across its belly. With a sharp *ding*, a pitch-black blade tip pierced through the skin, leaving a small hole in the Hydra's otherwise impenetrable scales. A stream of transparent liquid flowed out through the opening, gathering on the ground to reform into the shape of the woman in the raincoat.

She had been swallowed by the Hydra’s nine heads, but since she was composed of water, her fluid form had reconverged inside the beast’s body. She had wreaked havoc within; lacking the protection of scales on the inside, the Hydra’s organs were easily sliced apart by the dagger in her hand.

However, she was in a rough state herself. Her once-transparent body had turned a murky, dark green.

The Hydra’s body was highly toxic, and during the time she spent inside, her form had been continuously invaded by its venom. Though she had been purging the poison as quickly as she could, the sheer volume of exposure made it impossible to clear completely, leaving her in this tainted, clouded state.

The Hydra hissed, but instead of attacking, it quickly coiled up on the ground, adopting a defensive posture. Inside its body, its damaged organs were already healing rapidly; with its natural regenerative abilities, it could recover from any wound as long as it wasn't dead.

The woman in the raincoat stood her ground, her face grim as she continued to purge the toxins from her body. This type of poison-elemental magical beast was, in fact, the opponent she feared most. Purging the venom required her to focus on controlling the energy flow within her, and the sensation of the poison coursing through her was agonizing. Moreover, expelling such a massive amount of toxins consumed a great deal of energy, leaving her vulnerable and significantly impacting her ability to use her powers for a time. In a sense, this giant snake was a true counter to her.

...

Outside the Jincheng University safe zone, right next to the protective barrier, sat a high mound of earth. Suddenly, a woman’s voice whispered from behind the empty mound.

"I didn't expect them to have acquired such a powerful pet in just a few days... But the situation is critical. Where on earth did Brother Kong go?"

The figure hiding there was none other than Hong Ling. She was draped in a black invisibility cloak, rendering her completely unseen from the outside.

Back in the shelter built by Xue Feifei, Hong Ling had been trapped by the fire. At the brink of death, she had realized something: if the secret chamber was so well-sealed that even the woman who could turn into water couldn't find it, where was the air she had been breathing coming from? That was when she remembered Xue Feifei mentioning that the room had an independent ventilation system.

That thought gave her the hope of survival. She forced herself up, searched the room, and finally discovered a passage leading to the outside beneath the floorboards in a corner. Clearly, Xue Feifei had been well-prepared, anticipating even the worst-case scenarios.

What followed was simple. After escaping, she easily tracked the three people who hadn't traveled far. Fortunately, with the invisibility cloak, she could shadow them without being discovered. Along the way, she had awakened as a mage. The surge of power was exhilarating, but she didn't dare reveal herself to challenge them. She had observed how they killed magical beasts—especially the two ability users, whose attack methods were far beyond what a novice like her could handle.

Still, Hong Ling hadn't wasted her time. She had been hunting lone magical beasts. With her cloak, she could slay them silently. By now, she had reached level three. Watching the scene at the safe zone, she frowned; she knew Xue Feifei and Tuan Tuan were in grave danger, but she couldn't intervene.

Those two could use their abilities freely inside the safe zone, but if Hong Ling entered, she would be reduced to an ordinary human. As a mage, her strength lay in her skills; her base attributes were weak, making her no different from a civilian without her magic. Entering would be useless. The only option was to stay and observe. She believed Kong Zhe had only left temporarily and would return soon. She would wait for the perfect moment to strike.

...

"Xiao Lei, how is it?"

"...I can't say for sure, but it's still very critical!"

Moving at top speed, Kong Zhe frowned at the words from Xiao Lei in his arms. He was rushing back as fast as he could, but the distance was not short. He still had about ten minutes to go.

*Beep, beep, beep, beep...*

The alarm continued to blare, having barely stopped since it started. It signaled that the situation was dire, but it also meant the two of them were still alive—otherwise, there would be no one to trigger the alarm. It was the silence of the alarm that he truly feared.

"Hold on, you two... just until I get back..."

...

Inside the Jincheng University campus, Xue Feifei hid beneath the massive snake, watching the battlefield that had gone quiet.

She decided not to run. After calming down, she realized what the woman in the raincoat had said: she was one of their targets. They needed to capture her. That meant they wouldn't leave until they had her. The plan was simple: she wouldn't try to save Tuan Tuan, but instead stay hidden under the snake, making sure she wasn't caught, and drag things out until Kong Zhe arrived.

After resting, the woman in the raincoat finally finished purging the toxins, though she looked pale, clearly exhausted by the effort.

"Hey, are you alright? Do you want me to take over?"

"Shut up!"

The woman snapped at the explosion-user, her face dark as she glared at the Hydra. She hated to admit it, but this beast was difficult to handle. Still, she couldn't back down; she couldn't afford to look weaker than him.

The Hydra was fully recovered now, its nine heads hissing in unison. She knew she couldn't attack blindly against a fresh Hydra; she needed a plan.

*Beep!*

Just as she was thinking, a sound came from both her and the man's devices. They froze, pulled out their watch-like gadgets, checked the information, and frowned. They exchanged a look.

"What now? Are we just going to let that woman go?"

"Sigh, no choice. Since an Elder is coming, we have to drop the mission!"

"Tsk!"

The woman made a sound of frustration, shot a hateful glare at Xue Feifei, and hesitated before turning to leave. Their organization had strict rules; unless there was an extraordinary reason, they had to drop everything to greet an Elder upon their arrival, or face severe punishment.

"Forget it. We already have the little girl. Bringing her back will earn enough contribution points to raise our ability levels. If you're still upset, you can come back for revenge later," the man said, shrugging.

"I know that, you brute! You don't need to remind me!"

The man didn't take offense to her angry retort. They were used to bickering; he knew she was just venting.

"Huh?"

Xue Feifei, who had been bracing for another fight, watched in disbelief as the two turned and left without a second glance. Panic surged through her. She should have been relieved they were leaving, but Tuan Tuan was still in their hands! She couldn't let them take her.

Ignoring the danger, she scrambled out from under the snake and screamed at the two ability users.

"Hey! Aren't you going to capture me? Are you scared? You big oaf, are you sick in the head? And you, you ugly woman..."

"Hmm?"

The two figures stopped involuntarily.

"Hey, don't fall for such obvious provocation," the man said, looking at the woman beside him, whose veins were bulging with rage. He had to grab her arm to keep her from charging back.

"...Don't think that just because you're ugly, I won't insult you! *Cough, cough...*"

Xue Feifei’s voice was hoarse from screaming, but the two of them seemed determined not to return, and her heart sank with mounting desperation.