Goblin Dependency

The flying falcon that had retracted its wings and dove down was instantly turned to charcoal, enveloped in a pungent white smoke, rolling onto the ground driven by inertia, leaving scorched marks on the grassland along the way.

And the radiant blue orb it originally touched, which it regarded as a gift of life energy, suddenly changed the moment it hit the ground.

Like ink dripping into clear water, accompanied by the turbulent swirling of the radiant blue light like a fog, a streak of fiercely glowing orange-red quickly spread from the deepest part of the orb.

The air temperature suddenly increased, and the shrubs and grasses on the soil surface turned yellow and charred at a speed visible to the naked eye, blown by the scorching wind.

Flames burned in mid-air, supported by life energy.

Expanding and contracting.

As if it might collapse completely in the next second due to its lack of physical form, yet it seemed to be bound and restrained by some invisible force, ultimately forming a vague humanoid outline composed entirely of flames, constantly changing.

This is a Fire Element with a challenge level reaching Level 5!

This means that at least a well-matched team of four Level 5 adventurers, with full preparation, is required to handle it safely.

Purely in terms of combat ability, it can be described as "powerful."

Frankly speaking, even in the real world on Stodd Island, there are very few adventurers who can deal with such a level of demon.

If luck is poor, the entire fleet could be wiped out because of it.

And now, in the Secret Realm, it’s even more certain.

Most adventurers therein are still acting solo or have formed simple teams of two or three people, and their evolution levels have not exceeded three times.

Calling it a "massacre" might be underestimating the Fire Element.

Evidently, the sudden appearance of powerful demons is an unexpected special situation for all the adventurers present.

Yet possibly because they are all experienced seniors, aside from the flying falcon which attempted to steal and got roasted by the flames at close range, the other adventurers maintained considerable rationality.

Xia Nan witnessed, in the second after the adventurer’s falcon body landed and the radiant blue light transformed into a flame stream in mid-air, confirming its Fire Element identity.

An adventurer who had been crouched among the shrubs in an antelope body hurriedly fled without hesitation towards the direction away from the area.

His choice was certainly correct, and could even be called agile and decisive.

But like blindly running away after encountering a vicious dog on the road, his actions instead attracted the Fire Element’s attention, instantly activating the demon’s hunting instinct.

"Boom!"

Orange-red flames flickered across the air.

Having no physical body, it didn’t rely on legs for movement.

It was like a gust of wind sweeping close to the ground, surpassing a few dozen meters in the blink of an eye.

It didn’t even need to make any significant attack moves; the Fire Element, whose body was composed of shapeless flames, merely raised its hand and lightly waved.

The antelope, which was lively earlier, turned into an overly roasted lamb.

The scent of meat mixed with the charred smell filled the air, wrapped in the scorching wind surging around, accompanied by the crackling sound of flames burning.

"A bit fast."

Xia Nan shielded two teammates who hadn’t evolved yet behind him, estimating the speed at which the Fire Element erupted just moments ago.

Not requiring physical movement, as the purest form of energy creature, its mode of travel and flight almost made no difference, even capable of ignoring obstacles.

Now located in an open plain; if it were in previous hills or dense forests, it would probably be more complicated.

Fortunately, his current body has undergone four evolutions, with a physical condition that is unusually strong, also possessing the human body’s [Teeth Hunting].

Judging by the speed it displayed earlier, even if he needs to bring along two teammates, simply escaping shouldn’t be a problem.

Now, Xia Nan was contemplating whether to conservatively retreat temporarily or aggressively stay for combat.

After all, he had just witnessed this Fire Element transform from life energy; if he could slay it, he might gain a substantial amount of battle skill skill level.

Thinking this way, the other adventurers on the field saw the antelope adventurer getting caught up instantly and realized if they fled, they couldn’t outrun him, so they altogether abandoned their initial retreat plans, collectively changing their attitude towards the Fire Element.

One adventurer possessed by a large feline animal resembling a cheetah, with long limbs, crouched, emitting low, threatening growls; while a hyena adventurer secretly moved sideways, seemingly wanting to find the Fire Element’s weak spot.

Their mindset wasn’t bad, but frankly... on one side is a powerful demon entirely made of flames, even the surrounding air subtly distorted, and on the other side are just a few most ordinary common wild beasts.

The disparity in combat strength between them is evident enough that even a child unaware of worldly matters could easily see.

And indeed this is the case.

In the Secret Realm, they’re all lone wolves, none of the adventurers willing to act proactively, waiting for a chance.

Until the Fire Element charged at the cheetah adventurer, turning the evasive target to charcoal, only then did the lurking hyena dare to rush forward.

The timing was equally appropriate, and the positioning even more precise.