Chapter 116: Dungeon fight
Ruan Mei remained quieter than usual as they continued toward Gate Twelve.
Xingluo looked toward her twice before finally giving up on pretending she was not checking.
Ruan Mei noticed the third time.
"I'm alright."
"You don't look alright."
"I said I'm alright, not that I'm happy."
That sounded closer to the Ruan Mei Xingluo knew.
Xingluo kept walking beside her. "We can go back if you want."
"No."
Ruan Mei adjusted the dungeon token between her fingers and looked toward the numbered gates ahead.
"I knew coming back to Golden Dragon City meant dealing with them eventually. I'll deal with them when I have to."
She glanced toward Xingluo.
"But I'm not letting that bastard ruin our entire day too."
"You don't have to worry about your problems affecting us."
Ruan Mei immediately sighed. "Don't start."
"I said one sentence."
"And I know where the next ten were going."
Xingluo closed her mouth.
Xiaorou walked slightly ahead of them, unusually quiet since leaving the registration counters. She clearly had questions, but for once seemed capable of keeping them to herself.
Wuxia floated beside Xingluo without commenting.
Gate Twelve occupied one side of the controlled dungeon sector, with several academy personnel stationed around the wide blue portal.
The three girls presented their tokens.
A worker checked them against the registration records before stepping aside.
"Drakefang Valley. Your access has been confirmed."
Xiaorou pocketed her token. "Finally."
Xingluo looked at her. "You were the one walking slowly."
"I was being considerate."
"That sounds suspicious."
Ruan Mei walked past both of them. "Can we enter before you start again?"
Xiaorou followed immediately.
"See? Senior Ruan is recovering already."
Ruan Mei looked back once.
Xiaorou became quiet.
The three stepped through the gate together, while Wuxia followed Xingluo through the rippling blue light.
The scenery on the other side was nothing like Xingluo expected.
Rocky mountain ranges stretched across the horizon beneath a clear blue sky, broken apart by long valleys and raised stone ridges. Forests covered much of the lower terrain, with patches of grass spreading between the trees and mountain paths.
Xingluo looked upward.
"This is a dungeon?"
Xiaorou laughed. "You expected a cave?"
"I expected something that looked less like an entire wilderness."
"Drakefang Valley is one of the larger dungeons."
Ruan Mei looked toward the distant mountains. "How far does it extend?"
"Far enough that we're not walking across it today."
Xiaorou started down the rocky path leading away from the entrance.
"The stronger dragon-blooded creatures are usually deeper inside, so Senior Xingluo probably won't find anything useful near the gate."
"Wonderful."
"You wanted something with dragon blood."
"I wanted an easy dragon."
Xiaorou glanced back. "Those generally aren't the same thing."
Wuxia moved beside Xingluo as she summoned Heavenfall.
The large sword appeared in her hand, while Star Energy moved faintly through her body.
Ruan Mei flexed both hands and rolled one shoulder before following.
Xiaorou drew a short sword from her storage and looked between them.
"No summons?"
Xingluo shook her head. "Not unless we need them."
Wuxia gave a slight nod.
Ruan Mei needed the kills herself, and there was little point flooding the area with Soul Soldiers unless something actually became dangerous.
They continued along the path.
For nearly twenty minutes, nothing attacked them.
The trail gradually narrowed as they entered the forest between two mountain ridges, sunlight falling through the branches above while smaller animals occasionally disappeared into the undergrowth.
Xiaorou had finally returned to talking normally.
"Dragon-blooded beasts become much more common after the first mountain line."
Xingluo looked ahead. "How strong?"
"Depends what we meet."
"Useful answer."
"You asked an extremely broad question."
Ruan Mei glanced toward the trees. "I'm more interested in finding Elite Beasts first."
"You'll find plenty."
Xiaorou stepped over a fallen branch.
"Just remember that not everything here will be above Level 100."
Ruan Mei nodded.
A sound came from the forest to their right.
Everyone stopped.
Branches shifted somewhere beyond the nearest trees.
Xingluo raised Heavenfall slightly.
Another movement came from the opposite side, followed by claws scraping across stone somewhere behind them.
Xiaorou lowered her stance.
"We have company."
A low growl answered her.
Then several more followed.
Dark shapes appeared between the trees.
The first wolf stepped onto the path, nearly twice the size of an ordinary beast. Hardened scales covered part of its neck and forelegs, while two long fangs extended beyond its lower jaw.
More appeared behind it.
Xingluo counted at least fourteen before the pack stopped spreading.
Xiaorou glanced across them.
"Dragon Fang Wolves."
The closest beast lunged.
Xingluo stepped forward and swung Heavenfall across its chest.
The wolf twisted in midair, but the blade still caught its shoulder and threw it into the nearby rocks.
Three others rushed from different directions.
Ruan Mei met the first directly.
She slipped beside its claws and struck beneath its jaw hard enough to throw its head backward before driving another punch into the side of its neck.
Bone cracked.
The wolf collapsed.
Xiaorou cut across the second one's foreleg, forcing it down before avoiding another beast attacking from behind.
Xingluo turned toward the third.
Wuxia spoke beside her.
"Right."
She shifted Heavenfall immediately.
A Dragon Fang Wolf came through the bushes from her blind side and ran directly into the rising blade.
The sword tore across its chest.
Xingluo followed with one step and finished it before it could recover.
Another wolf rushed Ruan Mei.
She glanced toward its level.
Level 112.
Her stance changed immediately.
The beast struck first, one scaled paw sweeping toward her shoulder.
Ruan Mei ducked beneath it, caught the front leg with both hands and twisted.
The wolf hit the ground hard.
She drove her knee into its ribs before striking the base of its skull.
It stopped moving.
Xiaorou had already engaged two others.
She stepped between their attacks rather than retreating, cutting the first across the muzzle before turning her sword toward the second one's throat.
The blade entered cleanly.
Ruan Mei looked over.
"That one was Level 112."
Xiaorou paused.
"Oh."
Ruan Mei stared at her.
"I forgot."
"You forgot my entire mission?"
"I was being attacked."
"Try remembering while being attacked."
Xiaorou pushed the wounded wolf toward her with one kick. "Here. Compensation."
Ruan Mei almost laughed despite herself.
The wolf recovered before reaching her.
She stepped forward and struck it twice across the head, then finished it with a final blow to the neck.
The remaining pack had already surrounded them.
Xingluo moved through one side before the wolves could close completely.
Heavenfall passed through the first beast's shoulder and continued into the second.
Neither survived long enough to force her backward.
A third wolf snapped toward her arm.
She pulled the sword free, caught the beast beneath its chest with her shoulder and threw it sideways before driving Heavenfall downward.
Xiaorou stared for half a second.
"You're seriously Level 99?"
Xingluo pulled the blade free. "You already knew that."
"Knowing and watching are different."
Another wolf rushed Xiaorou before she could continue.
She turned away and blocked its claws.
Ruan Mei had deliberately moved toward the strongest members of the pack.
One Level 126 wolf forced her several steps backward after their first collision, its scaled shoulder taking the impact without breaking.
It attacked again.
Ruan Mei avoided the bite and struck the same side twice more.
The third blow cracked the scales.
The wolf staggered.
She stepped inside its reach and drove both hands against its neck.
The beast crashed into the ground.
Before it could rise, Ruan Mei finished it.
Another Level 103 wolf came from behind.
Xiaorou intercepted its first attack, opening a wound across one flank.
Then she stopped herself.
"Yours."
Ruan Mei turned.
"You're learning."
She rushed the injured beast and ended the fight with two direct strikes.
A notification appeared briefly before her.
**[First Transition Mission Progress: 4/50.]**
Ruan Mei glanced at it before dismissing the message.
"Four."
Xingluo heard her.
"Already?"
"Only the ones above Level 100 count."
Xingluo looked toward two wolves circling nearby and deliberately moved toward the smaller one.
"Then take the ugly one."
Ruan Mei frowned. "They're all ugly."
"That one is uglier."
The Level 129 wolf answered with a roar.
Ruan Mei looked at Xingluo.
"Very helpful."
The battle continued for several more minutes.
The pack gradually lost ground as bodies accumulated across the path and nearby forest.
Xingluo handled the weaker wolves quickly, leaving the higher-level targets whenever possible for Ruan Mei.
Xiaorou adjusted as well, keeping several beasts occupied rather than finishing everything she wounded.
Soon only five wolves remained.
One stood on the ridge above them, growling while the others slowly spread apart.
Xingluo tightened her grip around Heavenfall.
Then the wolf on the ridge suddenly stopped.
Its head turned toward the distant mountains.
Another wolf lowered its ears and the growling disappeared.
Ruan Mei remained ready, expecting them to attack again.
Instead, the closest wolf backed away.
Then every surviving Dragon Fang Wolf turned and ran.
Xiaorou stared after them.
"They're leaving?"
The wolves disappeared through the forest, moving fast enough that none looked back.
Xingluo lowered Heavenfall slightly.
A few birds suddenly burst from the trees farther ahead.
Wuxia's attention shifted toward the mountain range.
Then the roar rang and the sound rolled across the valley shaking the leaves from the nearby branches.