Chapter 140 Lull

Leaden clouds banked like a rolling mountain range, churning as they released a heavy curtain of rain.

Crystal-clear raindrops plummeted through the air, only to be caught and shredded by a long, piercing wolf howl. The shattered drops reflected the cold glint of iron-gray fangs, transforming into a phantom mane that trailed the roaring wolf head.

Slash—

The ferocious wolf head—formed from rainwater, grass clippings, and specks of mud—bit down, tearing a bloody gash across the enemy's flesh.

A thick, heavily furred arm whipped down from the side. Its sharp claws snapped shut, catching only two broken stalks of grass and the fading echoes of the wolf's howl.

He retreated the instant his strike landed.

Thick leather boots sank deep into the muddy meadow. His rapid backward steps slowed to a halt, his feet planting firmly in the earth just as the fluttering leaves settled and the rain returned to a quiet, steady wash around him.

"Huff... huff..."

His chest heaved violently, the scalding breath rushing from his nose and mouth condensing into pale mist in the freezing air.

Xia Nan gasped for air.

No obvious emotion showed on his rain-streaked face. Only his pitch-black eyes, reflecting the burly silhouette ahead, revealed an absolute, unwavering focus.

Berg's head had been crushed, leaving him dead beyond a doubt. Adeline had been swatted away during the Bugbear's explosive outburst and was already out of the fight with severe injuries.

In just a few short minutes, the situation had taken a disastrous turn.

Suddenly, he was the only one left on the field capable of fighting the Red-Mane Bugbear head-on.

They had been teammates for several days; while not intimately close, they could certainly be considered friends.

Yet right now, he had no time to mourn Berg's death or worry about Adeline's injuries.

Red-Mane's torrential assault—and the crushing pressure of knowing that even a grazing blow would leave him critically injured—made it hard for Xia Nan to even catch his breath.

Under these circumstances, Xia Nan didn't even have the chance to execute [Spinning Slash]. He could only rely on the extreme mobility granted by [Fang Hunt] to carve short, shallow—and seemingly hopeless—wounds across the enemy's body before quickly pulling back.

Even the gash he had sliced across the monster's waist with the Decapitating Longsword a mere two seconds ago had already stopped bleeding. The muscles beneath it writhed as the wound rapidly healed.

He had only exchanged a few blows with the Bugbear since Berg's death.

Yet the physical exhaustion it inflicted on Xia Nan already surpassed everything he had endured so far.

The pressure was overwhelming!

Faced with the massive gap in strength and the rapid elimination of his teammates, anyone with a weaker will would have completely lost their fighting spirit and had their skull smashed in by the Bugbear's fist.

It was only because Xia Nan was living a second life—having undergone a fundamental transformation in his attitude and mental fortitude—that he managed to hold out this long on the explosive speed of [Fang Hunt].

'Where is the breaking point?'

He temporarily pulled back, putting distance between himself and his foe.

Xia Nan gripped his longsword tightly with both hands. He panted heavily but made no effort to calm his surging blood, simply letting it pound and course through his veins.

His mind remained exceptionally calm, meticulously turning over every angle on how to win this battle.

Or rather... how to survive.

Come to think of it, while he had slaughtered many goblins since transmigrating, Xia Nan had also fought several battles where his opponents were evenly matched, or even slightly superior in strength.

From those, he had gathered a bit of shallow experience, whether correct or not.

As he saw it, the baseline strength of both sides was absolutely crucial in a battle at this level.

But what truly decided who survived—who got to strip the loser's gear as spoils of war—was the ability to seize those fleeting, split-second openings in combat.

Using your own strengths to pierce the enemy's weaknesses.

The fact that Xia Nan could still stand here breathing and formulating a plan proved that the Bugbear's strength hadn't yet reached a level where resistance was truly impossible.

'Then there's still a chance!'

Red-Mane's physical body was incredibly robust, but he wore no armor, and the toughness of flesh and blood couldn't compare to steel. His defensive capabilities had limits.

In the previous few exchanges, the Decapitating Longsword had failed to inflict lethal damage because his window to apply force was simply too short. He couldn't even manage a [Spinning Slash].

If given the chance to unleash his full strength, he was confident he could make an impact.

On the flip side, that burly, muscle-bound physique meant Red-Mane wasn't nearly as agile as he was.

'Maybe I can start from there?'

Xia Nan's mind raced. In the span of just a few breaths, countless thoughts flashed through his head.

'Right, I also need to be careful of that explosive state it used to smash through our entire defense line earlier!'

Its entire body being engulfed in dark red energy was the precursor; he absolutely had to watch out for it.

Considering whatever other unrevealed abilities the monster might possess, he had to fight with even greater caution. He needed to stay vigilant at all times and secure an escape route before ever making a move.

Xia Nan even began running through his own equipment, calculating what would be effective in the coming clash:

The wooden sword [Azure Pine]... Although it was his only "blue-tier" item, the Bugbear before him clearly didn't match the enemy type for its damage bonus. Its sharpness was no different from a regular one-handed sword; he would keep it in reserve.

The three Fire Oil Bombs in his waist pouch... might be useful.

Based on Red-Mane's past performance in the Flame Ruins, even if they couldn't deal severe damage, they could at least stall for time when it counted.

And finally, the most crucial element—his only remaining trump card...

"Hah!"

A sudden, familiar voice ringing out from the edge of the battlefield abruptly snapped Xia Nan out of his thoughts.

He instinctively looked toward the sound.

He saw Abi—who had been bogged down dealing with the goblins rushing the village—standing at the edge of the battlefield. It was unclear when he had arrived.

The young man was covered in blood, cutting a particularly gruesome figure.

But judging from his relatively clear eyes and the way his body moved freely, Xia Nan could tell he hadn't suffered any serious injuries.

Most of the gore soaking his clothes likely belonged to the dead green-skinned goblins.

Knowing his own limitations, Abi hadn't charged onto the battlefield to drag Xia Nan down.

Instead, he stayed low, half-crouching on the sidelines.

In his hand, he gripped a small, empty glass vial.

Beside him lay Adeline; her complexion was gradually returning to a healthy flush as her injuries rapidly knit themselves back together.

Xia Nan stared blankly for a second, his mind flashing back to the first time he had met Adeline in the alchemist's shop.

'Right! She had a Healing Potion on her.'

He had assumed his party leader was completely out of the fight. To think there would actually be a turning point.

Exhaling a slight breath of relief, he immediately charged back toward the Bugbear.

He had to keep the enemy's attention and buy time for Adeline to recover.

Meanwhile, Abi simply maintained a silent guard beside Adeline, keeping a vigilant watch for any goblins that might appear.

The deaths of the villagers and Berg seemed to have forced this country boy—who had only recently become an adventurer—to grow up immensely.

There was no resentment, and there was no time for grief.

He simply endured the stench of the blood covering his body with a numb expression on his face.

He waited until Adeline gradually regained her mobility under the effects of the Healing Potion. Once he confirmed that she didn't need the wooden shield in his hand, Abi took one deep look at Berg's corpse on the battlefield, and at Xia Nan, who was desperately tangling with the Bugbear to buy them time. Then, he turned and sprinted back toward the village, charging straight toward the source of the goblin shrieks.