Goblin Dependency

[Horned Blade Golden Turtle], a dangerous Demon with a Level 1 Challenge Level.

Defense Ability on par with the Metal Armor worn by adventurers, the ability to perform short-range flight despite its exaggerated body weight, and a sharp horn capable of easily piercing through fur and flesh...

If not for the fact that it possessed no other supernatural power and rarely took the initiative to attack adventurers in its normal state, thus making it relatively less dangerous, its Challenge Level could easily be raised by one Level.

Flynn, who was born and raised in the Southern Islands, did not recognize this dangerous Demon that lived in the Inland rainforests.

But that did not stop him, as he familiarized himself with the body, from gradually realizing its current Combat Ability.

The carapace covering the Surface of his body could resist sharp Slicing weapons, the horn on the top of his head was a deadly weapon among wild animals, and it also possessed the ability to fly.

In a sense, Flynn even felt that this was already the best option he could have chosen from a single evolution.

During these past days searching for adventurers, he had tried testing his combat strength against some ordinary wild beasts and even Demons with a Challenge Level.

The result he obtained...

It could only be said that it was precisely the superior performance of this [Horned Blade Golden Turtle] body in previous battles that solidified his confidence in harvesting the Life Energy of nearby adventurers.

"Rustle rustle..."

The inexplicable shaking of a bush not far below interrupted his thoughts.

He saw a medium-small Black Bear about one meter and a half in length, moving with a cautiousness that seemed especially strange for a wild animal, body held low as it slowly squeezed out from the brush.

A dark, glossy head kept glancing left and right, on guard against potential danger around it.

In its round eyes flickered a light of intelligence that set it apart from wild animals.

"Here it comes!"

Flynn couldn’t help feeling delighted.

This was the second adventurer he had seen since he descended into this Secret Realm.

Knowing that his plan to lie in wait near the light cluster and let other adventurers walk into the trap had worked, he was in no rush to drop down and kill.

Instead, he lay there in the canopy, patiently waiting.

"A little closer... a little closer..."

Now!

Vmmm-thump!

The elytra that had been closed on his back suddenly snapped open, and the translucent wings beneath beat at high speed, emitting a tense, buzzing tremor.

His pitch-black, heavy body shot down from the tree like a cannonball, gathering all its Strength into the sword-like horn at the very front of his head.

He had no doubt that this killing weapon atop the [Horned Blade Golden Turtle]’s head, which was unstoppable against ordinary creatures, would very easily pierce through the thick flesh of the Black Bear below and nail it to the ground.

On the other side, however, this Black Bear’s extremely cautious behavior, though it instantly revealed its identity as an adventurer, also allowed him to discover the lurking danger with a speed greater than usual, and to respond in a timely manner.

He didn’t even have time to look up and see what exactly was attacking him from above.

Driven by survival instinct, the Black Bear’s low-slung body snapped like a spring, its bent limbs suddenly exerting force as it sprang diagonally to the side.

That light, agile posture, so different from a Black Bear’s body, created a powerful sense of dissonance in that instant.

It was as if the one using side-leaps and rolls to dodge the overhead attack was not a bulky mountain Black Bear, but a big cat living among the treetops.

"Puff!"

From the canopy, the long, sharp sword-horn drove into the soil without the slightest obstruction.

The original target, however—the Black Bear—had already, with a movement both nimble and bedraggled, rolled and leapt off to the side.

Roar—

A low bear roar slipped from his throat.

Facing an ambush that had almost killed him, the Black Bear of course would not just let it go.

The adventurer’s soul inside his body told him clearly that if he chose to run, against an enemy capable of flight he would only be presenting his undefended back.

His thick, short limbs raced across the grassland as he built up Strength for a forward pounce.

Unlike the usual clumsy bulk of bears, the way his body combined explosive power and speed and stretched out in midair was something unique to felines.

In the post-attack stiff state, with even his sword-horn only just pulled free from the soil, Flynn had no time to evade the Black Bear adventurer’s pounce and was solidly tackled underneath.

But in the end, one side was a powerful Demon with a Challenge Level, while the other was merely a medium-small Black Bear whose size and combat strength were below average even among bears.

No matter how the Black Bear clawed and bit, he could only leave scratch marks on the surface of that thick carapace like a metal plate, unable to damage what lay beneath.

"Vmmm-thump!"

The powerful elytra snapped open like iron doors pushing outward from within, violently flinging the Black Bear clinging to his back away.

Struck full in the face by the elytra, the Black Bear was nearly knocked unconscious on the spot.

He tumbled onto the grass to the side, limbs struggling to rise, but he simply couldn’t get to his feet.

Flynn would of course never miss this opportunity; he immediately beat his insect wings and lifted into the air, aiming from a distance to point his sword-horn at the Black Bear adventurer.

Then he hurled himself forward in a vicious charge!

Predictably, if nothing external interfered, with this single strike the Black Bear possessed by the adventurer would be completely impaled and killed, becoming nourishment for Flynn’s evolution.

But at that critical instant...

"Awoooo!!!"

A long, high wolf howl suddenly burst from the depths of the nearby brush.

Grass scraps and broken leaves, along with soil and splintered branches, were swept up by a jet-black gale, coalescing into a ferocious Wolf Head frozen mid-snarl.

It streaked out from the side at a speed far surpassing Flynn’s, slamming into the beetle’s flank in an intercepting blow.

The heavy body, as if made of steel, had its downward momentum cut off on the spot by that impact.

Unable to counterattack while in midair, the massive force from the side nearly knocked his entire body flying.

Beating his translucent wings, he tumbled into the bushes nearby.

"Thud."

Slender legs touched down, snowy, fluffy fur reflecting a cold gleam in the sunlight.

Frosty mist drifted from his Wolf Mouth as Xia Nan turned his head to glance at the Black Bear still struggling to rise on the ground not far away, and spoke:

"Sasha?"

Just as he had expected, the moment this name was spoken, the Black Bear’s eyes, previously filled with wariness, instantly cleared, and even his whole body stiffened for a heartbeat.

Recalling that familiar wolf howl and the Wolf Head phantom from earlier, the way he looked at Xia Nan changed as well.

"Roar..."

The Black Bear first let out an instinctive low growl, then remembered that his beast form could not speak.

He raised a paw instead, and with a very rough yet fast and still recognizable motion, he outlined the emblem of the "Sword of Vengeance" crew, then wrote the abbreviation for "Xia Nan" beside it in one continuous stroke.

In just a few short seconds, they confirmed each other’s identities.

Seeing the writing on the ground, Xia Nan couldn’t help letting out a quiet breath of relief.

Good thing he’d acted in time, or he might have lost an ally.

With Sarisa’s Perception Ability guiding him, he had already discovered that massive beetle adventurer lurking in the canopy long before.

But since he still wasn’t sure of the opponent’s Strength, he hadn’t acted rashly, instead hiding in the bushes nearby and observing.

He hadn’t expected that after only a short wait, another adventurer, attracted by the Life Energy falling nearby, would come to this place.

In fact, at the beginning Xia Nan hadn’t planned to intervene.

Or rather, he’d intended to let these two adventurers fight until they were both badly wounded, then step in to reap the reward.

After all, they were direct competitors in the ritual; such a tactic was entirely reasonable.

But just now, the way the Black Bear adventurer moved in battle, that smooth, feline grace, made him unconsciously think of the Spotted Cat race Sasha from the Sword of Vengeance crew.

And then... the more he watched, the more alike it seemed.

So he decided to step in and help.

Fortunately, Xia Nan had not misread things; the other’s prompt response confirmed his identity.

The two had no time to say anything more.

Buzz—

With a vigorous buzz of beating wings, the giant beetle with the sharp sword-horn on its head had already shot out of the grass.