The Cornflower Witch

Chapter 95: Facing a Powerful Enemy

"What is that?"

Sylutia stopped in her tracks, pulling down her hood, trying to discern the faint sounds coming from the distant mountains.

Was someone encountering a powerful monster? She stood there for a long time, but unfortunately, no other sounds came from the distant mountains. She could only shake her head and continue forward.

On the other side, Mick finally caught up with Jello's team's trail, but what lay before his eyes was a scene of utter devastation.

Someone had died.

Looking at the scattered debris on the ground, the clothes stained with blood and shredded flesh, and the broken sword blade, a chill ran down his spine.

What about Brother Jello? His gaze anxiously darted around. Thankfully, he didn't find any armor or weapons resembling Jello's.

Walking to a corner of the scene, he picked up a weapon from the ground, its edge curled and bent. He silently estimated in his heart.

Such a powerful enemy could actually twist and bend an iron sword directly. Nearby lay a shattered half-piece of armor, offering a glimpse of the gruesomeness of that moment. The person who was inside that armor probably had half their body smashed to pieces.

Brother Jello is a powerful warrior; he wouldn't die so easily here. Mick could only bolster his own spirits like this. Now he had completely abandoned any thought of participating in the assessment. He only wanted to quickly find his former teammates and help them escape the danger.He silently searched for traces and set off again, following the faint clues.

...

Roughly half a day later, he finally found marks and traces in a hidden mountain hollow.

Rushing inside, before he could even call out his companion's name, he was attacked.

A large black greatsword swept down along the mountain wall, smashing into the rock beside him, sending sparks and white marks flying, startling Mick.

Only then did he see everything inside the cave clearly.

Jello stood inside the cave, covered in bloodstains. His legs trembled, his lips quivered. His thick arms held the greatsword, yet he cowered timidly like a child.

"You... don't come any closer." He shook his head dazedly, his steps constantly retreating, then he tripped over a bundle behind him and fell, sitting on the ground.

"Brother Jello, it's me, it's me, Mick." The youth anxiously called out, spreading his hands, slowly walking over.

"No, don't come over." Jello at this moment seemed unable to recognize the youth before him, only answering in terror, wildly waving the greatsword in his hand.

Why was this? Why couldn't Brother Jello recognize him? Mick's gaze searched and found remnants of tobacco ash on the ground.

'Scorched-day herb' again? It's said that excessive consumption of this stuff can cause hallucinations.

With this clue, he scanned the remaining traces inside the cave. Sure enough, there were quite a few ashes from 'scorched-day herb'.

It's said this tobacco can suppress pain and relieve tension, but the side effects are easy addiction and hallucinations. Consuming too much can cause a person to become withered and emaciated. So those who generally use such things are mocked as cowards by people in the tavern.

While trying to soothe the terrified Jello, Mick talked to him, waiting for the drug's effects to pass.

Time slowly crawled by in torment. By the time Mick finally managed to grasp Jello's hand and make him put down his sword, two hours had already passed.

"Brother Jello, what exactly happened?" Mick asked anxiously, looking at the Jello before him whose spirit and temperament had drastically changed.

"I... I can't remember." Jello seemed particularly averse to recalling the events of the past few days. He lowered his head, his hands occasionally covering his head, seemingly not daring to look at Mick, who was a full size smaller beside him.

"Brother Jello, you remember. You escaped all the way from over there; you must remember." Mick asked again, anxious and desperate to know the whereabouts of the others.

"No, no..." Jello lost his ability to speak again, only able to repeat these words.

Facing this version of Jello, Mick was filled with disappointment. Why had the incredibly strong, reliable, and admirable Brother Jello he once idolized become like this?

Even if he was afraid of death, it shouldn't have come to this extent. Besides, they were safe now.

He didn't understand, and even felt a wave of disappointment rising in his heart.

However, facing a Jello who remained silent, he had no good solution. He could only stand up again, leave the cave, and go search for other traces.

...

In the mountains, Iona held two black steel rapiers, looking up at the tall ogre before her. The other had thick, tough, bluish-gray skin, no hair on its head, and rough, wrinkled skin on its brow, looking quite ferocious.

This ogre was probably around the First Tier, but it was tall and large. The broad beast bone it held was like a great hammer. When it swept through, it stirred up a fierce gust of wind, easily smashing the rock where Iona had originally been standing.

Race: Ogre (Low-tier)

Status: Healthy (Bloodthirsty)

Talents:

Great Strength [Excellent Grade]: Ogres are born with outstanding strength. Their tall stature and physique grant them power far exceeding that of other beings of the same tier.

Fate Card: [Wilderness Ogre] (First Tier · Bloodline)

'Ogres have an enormous appetite. Any flesh-and-blood living creature they see rarely escapes being devoured. And in the Ninth Era, the most common and numerous flesh-and-blood living creatures are humans.'

- Effect: [Great Strength Body Lv.4], a talent in your bloodline that grants you innate, powerful brute force and physique. Even a rhinoceros becomes a plaything in your hands.

Ability Cards:

[Blood Devouring Method Lv.2] (Bloodline): Digest and assimilate devoured flesh and blood, converting it into your own 'Bloodline' Aspect power.

[Thick Tough Hide Lv.2] (Bloodline): A tough hide, like thick leather armor, protects you from damage.

[Intimidating Aura Lv.2] (Bloodline): After slaughtering many creatures, you gain an aura that intimidates other lifeforms, causing them to lose their fighting spirit and dare not resist.

Facing this powerful ogre, Iona darted through the forest like a wasp, dodging the whistling blows from its beast bone.

Trees fell one after another during the process. She leaped among the treetops, her body jumping up. When she reached the highest point, she suddenly plummeted downward. The blades in her hands flashed with a brilliant golden light, stabbing straight at the ogre below.

...

Golden light flashed and vanished. The thick beast bone swept horizontally. An intense battle erupted in the forest.

Half an hour later, Iona leaned against a tree, panting. Her originally neat gold-and-red hunting outfit was covered in bloodstains and mud. One of her arms was also bruised and difficult to move. Behind her, the tall ogre lay on the ground, both eyes pierced, its chest and abdomen opened with several gruesome wounds. Foul-smelling blood flowed out, emitting wisps of steam. Occasionally, some flying insects landed on the exposed internal organs, sucking at the dried blood.

She had defeated this ogre, but the cost was not small. At least one arm was temporarily unusable; it would probably take until tomorrow to recover.

However, the arduous battle yielded some rewards. Now she had completed the first and second objectives. Only the final 'Blood Aberration Flower' remained to be found.

Deep in the forest, Sylutia also encountered a terrifying opponent.

This was a giant ogre with two heads. Its skin was dark red, like lava. In its hands, it held a thick iron club. The hot air exhaled from its nostrils lifted the fallen leaves on the ground. At this moment, it was looking down at the tiny figure before it.

Behind this tall ogre, a cliff jutted out from the mountaintop. A sinister, blood-red flower bloomed quietly, emitting an incredibly seductive, sweet fragrance.

It was precisely the final objective of this assessment, the 'Blood Aberration Flower' (Second Tier · Bloodline).