Anna felt like Xiao Lin had to be crazy for him to reject a deal as good as hers. Even though she had to admit that the man’s skill was horrifying, and that the sword aura he had used to defeat that Arachne was the strongest sword aura she had ever seen in her life, she had a deeper understanding of the Forest of Death, having grown up with the mercenaries.
“No! Absolutely not!” Even if she respected Xiao Lin’s skill, Anna could not help but widen her eyes as she looked at Xiao Lin in disbelief.
“No one can survive during the beast tide! No one!
“Do you know how strong the beasts that will appear in the beast tides are? They aren’t even at the same level as that Arachne!
“We have reliable witness reports that the beasts that appear at the end of the beast tide can even be at the Epic rank! I admit that you’re very strong, but I don’t think you can defeat an Epic rank!”
Anna shot out at Xiao Lin, trying to make him abandon that unrealistic thought. She was actually very frustrated because, if Xiao Lin was adamant on looking for his companions, she would be in a difficult spot. She could not guarantee her own safety if she took the road alone, but it was even riskier to follow him.
“Hey, the words you said earlier contradict themselves.” Xiao Lin suddenly decided to interrupt her, focusing on a different point.
“Huh? What contradiction?”
Xiao Lin touched his nose, saying, “You said no one can survive the beast tide, but then you said that you have witnesses that state that the highest ranked monsters are at Epic rank. Isn’t that contradictory?”
Anna stood speechlessly on the spot.
Xiao Lin smiled as he pushed his hands away. “That’s why the beast tide might not be as scary as you think. Since someone had survived before, and even witnessed an Epic rank beast, why can’t we do exactly that?”
“We?” Anna raised her voice again.
Xiao Lin shrugged as he pointed at the energy stones on the floor, saying, “I’ll use these as a reward, so help guide me. I think you should know this forest quite well.”
He had no choice because he lacked information. It would be like searching for a needle in a haystack if he wanted to quickly find someone in that large forest. So, just like Anna needed Xiao Lin to help her leave safely, Xiao Lin also hoped to get Anna’s help in delving deeper in the forest.
Anna’s eyebrows twitched as she looked at Xiao Lin using the things she had just given him as a reward. She was a bit exasperated as her expression flickered. Anna was a bit hesitant since leaving the forest was quite a big risk for her. As an archer, she knew that she was very weak after losing the protection of her companions.
Furthermore, she glanced at her leg. The wound that the Arachne had inflicted on her had started to rot. The blood that flowed out was dark, and it was a clear sign that she had been poisoned. Under that state, she would not be able to move far by herself.
“If you’ve been poisoned, I think I have a way to help you.” Xiao Lin took out the white-spotted spider’s poison sac and waved it in front of Anan. The blood around the sac had dried, but the stench was still there. Xiao Lin did not want to continue bringing that smelly thing around, so it would be great if it were of some use at that moment.
Anna’s expression started to sway; her wound was not deep, but if the poison continued to seep in, even if she safely left the forest, her leg would be thoroughly crippled. It was obvious that no one wanted to be a one-legged cripple.
“Ah, but if you want me to give you the antidote, then I can’t give you the energy stones.” Xiao Lin thought about it and kept the energy stones.
Anna was suddenly angry as she could not help but say, “The energy stones can be exchanged for a hundred sacs outside! It’s not some powerful beast!”
“However, to you right now, the value of the sac far outstrips these,” Xiao Lin said logically. Being able to bring back the energy stones would definitely be a large profit. He might have a lot of money, but who said no to more money?
Anna was once again speechless, but having grown up among mercenaries, she knew that the value of these things were not absolute. After considering it for a moment, she felt like she had been forced to accept being Xiao Lin’s guide. The reward would be the antidote sac, but she added another request. If they still did not find anyone when the beast tide started, she would leave immediately, even if Xiao Lin did not go with her.
Even though there were various problems, the moment they settled on the deal, Anna quickly devised various plans. Her mercenary group regularly hunted in that forest, and had participated in a few hunts before the beast tide, so she was very familiar with it.
“It’s currently the period before the beast tide; most of the beast around here will be very agitated. We need to avoid fighting them if possible. Even if you are very strong, a person’s stamina is still limited, you won’t be able to fight off every beast in the forest.
“The forest doesn’t have a complicated geography, but it’s very easy to get lost the first time around. However, there’s a technique to it, as long as you follow those beasts, you’ll be able to find the exit. The beasts are all naturally scared of the strong, and they can sense those with stronger presences, which is why, before the beast tide, most of them will try to head to the outer areas to avoid it.”
Xiao Lin said, “So we should head outside?”
“No, we should head deeper in.” Anna said earnestly, “The current situation on the outer parts is very complicated. Believe me, even if your companions are there, there’s a low chance they can survive. It’s actually the deepest parts that are the safest now. If your companions are smart enough, I think it will be more likely to find someone there.”
…
Xiao Lin felt like this guide was not bad. Under Anna’s suggestions, the two of them headed deeper into the forest. On the way, they met a few excited beasts; most of them had formed groups and were headed toward the outer parts of the forest. They would start fighting if they met those of different species. With how strong the beasts were, their group fights were essentially miniature wars.
Anna had said that the forest itself was filled with life force. Even if the entire forest was destroyed, it would completely regrow after a few years. Otherwise, the place would not be able to handle the torture from the beasts.
Around ten days after the exam had started, which was the third day after Xiao Lin and Anna departed, Xiao Lin finally found another student. First, he met someone that had been dispersed by the sky fish’s hypnosis. When he met the person, he was already heavily injured. Even though they had given him some simple treatment, it was obvious that he would not be able to continue on.
“Monitor, I know I won’t be able to hold on; it is so painful. It’s fine. I will end myself. That’s right, it’s best if you hurry over. I don’t think the others managed to escape.” That man around his thirties coughed out blood as he spoke.
He had initially hidden somewhere after being hypnotized, but his luck was quite good. A band of around ten people had passed by and helped him undo his hypnosis.
The forest was very large, so it was actually quite hard for a class of almost sixty to meet each other after being dispersed throughout the forest, which was why Xiao Lin was stunned when he heard of a team with around ten people. When he heard they had dispersed his hypnosis, Xiao Lin almost jumped with excitement.
The sky fish’s hypnosis was not like regular sleep; it was not something that could be woken up from with just a push. One would need a spell of a certain level. Dispelling hypnosis was a support-type magic, and most people would not waste time on such meaningless magic. Based on Xiao Lin’s knowledge, the only person who knew that kind of magic in Class Seven was Gu Xiaoyue.
After a simple recollection of the situation, the man chose to use the steel club he had with him to hit his own head and commit suicide. Even though Xiao Lin could have brought him along, the man probably did not want to be a burden. Just like when they had met an ambush, he had decisively let Gu Xiaoyue and the others leave first.
What a straightforward man!
Xiao Lin subtly sighed. After that he looked at the dumbfounded Anna. The disappearance of the body had probably shocked her. Xiao Lin casually found a reason to brush it off, but to a certain degree, it also showed that colonists did not exist on Planet Norma at that time. Otherwise, Anna would not be so shocked.
According to the man, Gu Xiaoyue and the others had been attacked by an earth dragon. Earth dragons were lesser dragons, and had very strong attack power, but their greatest strength was their magical resistance. To Gu Xiaoyue, who had an insane intelligence, it was the most troublesome opponent, which was why the ten of them had been defeated.
“The earth dragon is a very stubborn hunter; it will endlessly pursue its prey.” Anna did not hesitate to share the information she knew before adding, “The earth dragon’s skills are about the middle tier. Even though it won’t attack in groups, it’s also not easy to handle.”
“Let’s go!” However, Xiao Lin used his actions to answer Anna’s question.
“Fine! You’re the master. You make the decisions!” Anna could only follow in frustration, but she still honestly fulfilled her duty as a guide.
The footprints left behind were a mess, and Xiao Lin did not have any tracking ability. Thankfully, the enemy was an earth dragon; even if it was a lesser dragon, it still carried a faint amount of draconic energy. After Xiao Lin was given dragon’s blood by Song Junlang, on top of his strange constitution, he had slowly become more sensitive to draconic energy.
Using that strange sense, or maybe it was his urge to see Gu Xiaoyue, Xiao Lin’s movements gradually increased. Anna wondered how he was following them, but it without a doubt that the man was filled with mysteries, so she respectfully chose to shut up.
