Chapter 59 The Fangs of the Monolith
Lin Wei cast a glance at the girl with braided hair.
“Lin Wei, this is Senior Setori,” Qisen introduced the girl, then turned to Setori. “This is Lin Wei.”
Lin Wei and Setori exchanged a brief look, nodding slightly without further words.
Filinsoya glanced at Lin Wei, a faint smile curling at her lips before she quickly hid it away.
“Core, bring up the data analysis of everyone present!” Lin Wei issued a silent command within his mind.
[Filinsoya; Strength: 9.7; Agility: 9.7; Constitution: 8.9; Mental Power: 3.5]
[Qisen; Strength: 4.2; Agility: 5.1; Constitution: 5.3; Mental Power: 2.1]
[Setori; Strength: 4.5; Agility: 4.1; Constitution: 3.9; Mental Power: 3.5]
[Lin Wei, Nolan Mountain; Strength: 16.5; Agility: 16.7; Constitution: 16.3; Mental Power: 3.9; Skills: Fencing; Hammer Technique; Wizard Meditation: Shadow of Holy Light; Sorcery: Darkened Eye]
“Both Filinsoya and Setori’s mental power have reached 3.5... the limit for a Level One Wizard Apprentice.” Lin Wei now had a rough understanding of everyone's abilities.
Though Lin Wei, too, was at the peak of Level One Wizard Apprentice, thanks to the intelligent core, his mental power had increased by 0.4 based on his physical condition.
“Now that everyone’s here, let’s set off.” Qisen pulled from his pocket a thumb-sized diamond-shaped stone, silver-white all over, engraved with bizarre patterns.
“This is the temporary key to unlock the gate, received when we accepted the mission,” Qisen explained as he walked toward the gaping giant door.
He reached out to touch the seemingly unobstructed gate.
Crackle!
Gray electricity wove thickly between the doorframe. Qisen remained calm. He carefully tossed the silver-white stone onto the electric web.
A soft hiss!
A gap appeared in the gray current’s mesh.
“Follow me, there’s a time limit to this gate.” With that, Qisen slipped through the opening in the electric web.
The others followed, one by one, without hesitation.
...
One day later.
The endless forest at the perimeter of Shadow Forest Academy.
Towering trees reached the clouds, their branches dense and lush. Moving within, it was as though night had fallen. Were it not for the occasional shafts of sunlight piercing the canopy, mortals would scarcely be able to see.
Lin Wei and the other three advanced cautiously.
“We’ve been walking so long—why haven’t we seen a single Ironfeather Hawk?” Qisen’s tone was impatient; his confidence clearly spent.
Lin Wei glanced at Qisen, but remained silent, keeping his focus on the surroundings. In a forest like this, danger could spring forth at any moment.
“Relax, Qisen.” Filinsoya followed behind Lin Wei. “We’re close to the Ironfeather Hawks’ territory now. What we need most is to watch for danger. Remember, we’re no longer on the West Coast; this is the Central Domain of Starlink Continent, the land ruled by wizards.”
Qisen bit his lip, conceding Filinsoya’s point.
“Wait...” Lin Wei suddenly stopped.
“What is it?” Setori looked at Lin Wei, puzzled.
Lin Wei made a quieting gesture and pointed toward a branch above and to the side.
“Ironfeather Hawks?!” Qisen nearly shouted, excitement written all over his face.
Two birds with rust-colored feathers perched atop the branch, their backs to the four, grooming each other’s plumage.
“They haven’t noticed us yet.”
Filinsoya signaled to the others, indicating she would handle it.
Her lips moved in silent incantation. In the span of a breath, a transparent blade-like force flashed into existence!
“Wind Blade!”
Lin Wei recognized it instantly—it was the fundamental wind-element sorcery.
A soft thud!
One Ironfeather Hawk, caught completely unawares, was decapitated in an instant.
The other bird paused, then beat its wings rapidly, showing no intention of avenging its fallen companion.
“I’ll handle it!” Setori stepped forward, her mental power surging.
A white bone spear suddenly condensed in midair, shooting straight for the fleeing hawk.
Another soft thud.
The spear shattered the bird’s heart just as it took flight, sending it plunging to the ground.
“At last, some results.” Setori shook her head, approaching the two fallen hawks.
She pulled a sharp dagger from her pack, gripped the hawk’s neck in one hand, and with the blade in the other, gouged out both of its eyes.
Four bloody eyeballs lay quietly in Setori’s palm.
“Don’t get too smug. This is only two percent of our task,” Lin Wei said to the satisfied Qisen.
“Let’s keep moving.” Setori, impassive, stowed the four eyeballs and dagger in her pack.
In the days that followed, the four evaded the forest’s dangers while seeking out lone Ironfeather Hawks. Though all possessed extraordinary wizardly power, none were arrogant enough to challenge a flock.
Within the forest.
Lin Wei crouched, extracting the eyes from an Ironfeather Hawk whose body was little more than half intact.
Throughout the journey, Filinsoya and Setori had done most of the work—their sorcery was clearly better suited to this long-range hunting mission. Lin Wei and Qisen stayed behind them, cleaning up after each kill.
“This is just dull,” Qisen muttered.
Filinsoya smiled gently. “It’ll be over soon. We’ve already gathered ninety-seven pairs of Ironfeather Hawk eyes.”
Setori gave a faint smile too, saying nothing. She was quiet by nature, preferring to work in silence.
“Being sneaky hunters like this—isn’t it better to go all out and fight some big creature?” Qisen punched the trunk of a nearby tree, seemingly to vent his pent-up strength.
“Hm?” Qisen noticed Lin Wei’s expression turn serious. “What’s wrong, Lin Wei?”
Lin Wei’s lips curved slightly, his eyes narrowed. “Perhaps... your wish is about to come true.”
“What do you mean?” Not only Qisen, but even Filinsoya and Setori were confused.
“Wait!” Filinsoya’s expression suddenly changed. “I hear footsteps approaching fast—and whoever they belong to, must be enormous.”
Rumble!
The four suddenly felt the ground tremble.
A huge black shadow leapt toward them, each landing shaking the earth like an earthquake.
“That’s... the Stonefang Giant!”
The black silhouette drew closer, its full form revealed before them.