Chapter 191: Seville, Hunting the Stinky Bear
An eerie green mist shrouded the territory of the Two-headed Toads.
Over a dozen toads, each the size of a bobcat, lay sprawled at the swamp’s edge.
Their bloated bellies rose and fell with each breath, the eyes on their two heads half-open.
Mucus dripped constantly from the corners of their mouths, sizzling as it corroded pits into the ground.
"What’s the fatal weakness of this toad swarm?"
Manda lowered her voice, her golden lion eyes glinting in the mist as she glanced at Seville.
Seville stood on a branch, his Wings folded.
"The black circular spot on their bellies. Piercing it is an instant kill."
His voice was as cold as ice.
"But it has to be done within three seconds, or they’ll spray their venom."
Manda’s lion tail slapped the ground impatiently.
"Their venom is potent and they’re fast. It won’t be that easy."
Jin Zhu suddenly crouched, the muscles in her thick arms tensing as she dug her fingers deep into the soil.
"My vines can restrain two of them for ten seconds, max."
A faint green halo glowed from her palm, and the surrounding vines began to writhe like snakes.
"Not enough."
Manda’s claws carved five deep gashes into the earth.
"They move in groups of at least five. If we take too many casualties..."
She glanced at the hungry females behind her. "Then no one will be left to bring back enough food."
"I can freeze three of them for twenty seconds."
An ice-blue halo bloomed in Su An’an’s palm, and the moisture in the air instantly condensed into frost crystals.
Manda’s lion ears shot up. "Just how many talents do you have?"
Her golden pupils contracted sharply.
"A Beastman is lucky to awaken even one, yet you have three types: healing, frost, and silver lightning!"
Su An’an’s lips curved into a smug grin. "That’s why the Divine Army is chasing me!"
Her fluffy pink ears twitched, and she deliberately avoided mentioning her fox tail’s mimicry ability.
Seville’s Wings suddenly snapped open with a WHOOSH, the powerful gust of wind cutting their conversation short. "Move out."
He moved coldly between the two of them, the tips of his wing bones glowing with a warning Golden Light.
"Any more pointless chatter and you can go lure the monsters yourself."
"Let’s test the waters with one wave."
Jin Zhu tightened her grip on her Bone Spear, the fire of battle burning in her eyes.
Lu Ming’s deer ears suddenly perked up, his pale green pupils narrowing into vertical slits in the toxic mist.
"Five of them, front left. A hundred and fifty paces."
His finger cut through the mist, pinpointing their location.
"The one in the middle has the largest black spot, but it has an old injury on its right hind leg. It’ll be a step slow."
"You can see that clearly from this far away?"
Su An’an asked in surprise.
Lu Ming rubbed his nose sheepishly. "It’s the only real skill I have."
"That’s amazing."
Su An’an smiled and gave him a thumbs-up, the tips of her fingers still glowing with a faint, frosty light.
From above, the explosive sound of beating Wings suddenly echoed.
Seville had, at some point, fully unfurled his Wings, every feather bristling. "Too much damn chatter."
The air pressure from his dive deliberately blew Lu Ming’s bangs aside.
"If you’re going, then go."
"Xiong Guo."
Manda looked at the burliest female of the Bear Clan behind her.
"You’re on rearguard. If any slip through, smash their heads in with rocks."
Xiong Guo grinned, patting her chest with a heavy bear paw.
"Leave it to me."
"Everyone else, split into two groups."
Manda continued giving orders.
"One group throws spears, the other stays on alert. You’ll rotate."
The females moved quickly, gripping their Bone Spears tightly.
The muscles under their leather armor tensed like fully drawn bows.
Seville spread his Wings and glanced back at Su An’an. "Ready?"
Su An’an nodded. "Be careful."
The next second, Seville shot into the sky.
His Wings whipped up a hurricane, forcibly tearing an opening in the toxic mist.
A Golden Light cut through the green mist, landing precisely on the targeted toad’s head.
A sharp, black feather grazed past its bulging eyelid!
"CROAK!"
The Two-headed Toad leaped up in pain, splattering mucus everywhere.
Just as Lu Ming had predicted, the two beside it immediately followed, and the three large toads chased Seville to the edge of the swamp.
"Now!"
Su An’an slammed her palm onto the ground.
CRACK!
Frost spread across the swamp, instantly freezing the three toads’ webbed feet!
At the same moment, Jin Zhu roared and plunged her hands into the earth.
Thick vines burst from the ground, coiling around the toads’ hind legs like giant pythons!
"SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!"
The females led by Manda threw their Bone Spears in unison, the sound of them piercing the air sharp and shrill.
The spear tips accurately struck the black spots on the toads’ bellies, sending blood flying!
THUD!
Three massive corpses slammed heavily into the swamp, flinging mud everywhere.
"The other two are getting away!"
Lu Ming shouted anxiously.
It turned out the two slower Two-headed Toads had seen things were going south and were trying to flee back into the swamp to hide.
Xiong Guo let out a roar, lifted a huge rock, and hurled it at the larger of the two toads.
With a sickening CRUNCH, the toad’s head shattered on the spot.
The other one was just about to spew venom when Su An’an’s frost froze it solid from its throat outward.
Jin Zhu’s vines seized the opportunity to wrap around its belly.
Manda leaped forward, her Bone Spear piercing straight through the black spot!
The battle ended even faster than they had expected.
The females cheered and rushed forward, skillfully slitting open the toads’ bellies with animal-hide gloves to dig out the Crystal Meat.
"I’m poisoned!"
Xiong Guo suddenly fell to her knees, her arm breaking out in purplish-black pustules at a visible rate.
Even though she had been far away when she threw the rock, the Two-headed Toad had still managed to strike her.
Su An’an dashed forward, plunging the green light of healing concentrated at her fingertip directly into the festering wound. "Hold on!"
The Purification Power pierced through the toxin like a sharp sword.
Before Xiong Guo could even react, her arm was as good as new.
"It’s healed!"
Xiong Guo leaped to her feet, waving her perfectly fine arm and howling.
"Let’s go, let’s go! Let’s keep at it!"
"Not so fast. Eat something first. You need a full stomach to have the strength to work."
Su An’an looked at Manda and said,
"We can hunt more. There’s no need to be frugal with this."
"Alright!"
Manda handed the largest piece of Crystal Meat to Su An’an.
"Your talents were a great service."
The fist-sized crystal emanated a warm, honey-like glow.
The moment the Crystal Meat went down her throat, Su An’an felt every pore on her body open up.
This Energy was purer than last night’s. Her hunger vanished instantly, and even her spiritual power felt as if it had been soaked in a hot spring.
Jin Zhu crushed some Crystal Meat and fed it to a few of the weaker females.
The luster was returning to their dull fur at a visible rate.
"Seville, you have some too!"
Su An’an offered the Crystal Meat to Seville.
He was standing on high ground, his Wings slightly folded, his gaze sweeping across the entire swamp as if on guard against something.
"Stinky Bear followed us."
He said suddenly in a low voice.
Su An’an narrowed her eyes and, sure enough, spotted a sneaky shadow in the distant bushes.
"Should we take care of him?"
Seville licked his sharp white teeth, undisguised killing intent flashing in his eyes.
"Kill him."
Su An’an narrowed her eyes, recalling the times Stinky Bear had targeted her.
’A cancer like him absolutely cannot be left alive!’
"Alright!"
Seville’s Wings carved a sharp arc through the toxic mist.
He dove abruptly, deliberately scraping his claws through the mud at the swamp’s edge.
Five slumbering Two-headed Toads suddenly shot up, spraying mucus straight at Seville’s intentionally low flight path.
SPLAT!
A rain of venom poured down on the thicket where Stinky Bear was hiding.
"AAAHHH! My eyes!"
By the time Stinky Bear rolled out of the bushes, his skin was already covered in festering purple blotches.
He clawed madly at his swelling throat, scrambling and crawling toward Su An’an. "Save... save me!"