118 Hunting the Night Demon!

The small boat came to a silent halt behind a sand dune. A group of people lay prone atop the ridge, lowering their bodies and slowing their breathing as they peered cautiously into the distance.

Though they called it a sand dune, the incline was quite steep, rising seven or eight hundred meters from the flat ground below. It was a mystery how the sand had piled up so high and vast in this bizarre dimension.

As the saying goes, a higher vantage point allows for a broader view. Although Theresa and her companions were lying down, their line of sight was extensive. Looking across, they saw what appeared to be an oasis on the other side of the dune—though one could not call it a true oasis, for this was no real desert, and the "oasis" was merely a pool of black water surrounded by a grove of withered, dark-brown trees.

In the Void Realm, conventional wisdom from the normal world was often shattered. For instance, sand could seep water, dead trees were not necessarily lifeless, and water of such eerie colors was almost certainly treacherous.

At that moment, a dozen strange and grotesque Void Fiends were lingering in the "oasis." The dense thicket of dead trees kept them separated; they did not collide, and their intelligence was low—sometimes they would circle the same tree for ages without finding a path.

Beyond the grove where the Void Fiends were concentrated, about thirty trees lined the black pool. Perhaps nourished by the water, the branches of these dark, withered trees showed faint hints of green—the first color other than black, gray, brown, or white that Theresa and her team had seen since entering this realm.

Of course, this alone would not have warranted such caution from Theresa’s group. What truly made them wary was the intense battle unfolding by the water’s edge. One of the combatants, draped in a floating cloak, was a Night Fiend—the very creature they had encountered before.

Fearing they might alert the Night Fiend and the Void Fiends, Theresa had retracted all her hummingbird scout drones upon reaching the dune. Relying solely on their naked eyes, they could only see that the Night Fiend was fighting a small team. There were three or four of them, their talents leaning toward speed. They moved so rapidly that it was impossible to track them—if not for the Night Fiend’s erratic combat maneuvers and its intermittent, piercing screeches, Theresa would never have known a battle was taking place.

"There must be a spatial rift nearby," the Book Spirit whispered from atop Theresa’s back. "The Void Realm itself lacks the vitality to let plants sprout and grow leaves. There is only one possibility for these plants to bear foliage: they are being nourished by external energy from a world outside the Void Realm."

"Really?" Theresa’s eyes lit up. She whispered back, "Can you find it? Could that spatial rift possibly lead back to our own world?"

"How could I know what lies on the other side of a spatial rift? But even if it isn't our original world, it must be a place brimming with life; otherwise, it wouldn't possess enough vitality to nourish such a small grove," the Book Spirit explained.

Theresa felt a flicker of disappointment. Just as she was debating whether to continue watching or to explore the mysterious rift to broaden her horizons, she heard Pedia murmur softly beside her: "The battle is over."

Theresa reflexively turned her gaze back to the scene. In the distance, she saw the Night Fiend raise its long scythe and swing it down with all its might. A cloud of gray dust erupted, mixed with scattered dark fragments—the remains of its shredded opponents.

As the dust swirled, a flash of vibrant red suddenly streaked across their vision. It was as intense as flame and as swift as lightning, vanishing in an instant. Simultaneously, the Night Fiend let out a high-pitched, piercing scream—it had been injured, it was enraged, and it was summoning its minions!

The Void Fiends in the grove began to stir. They started crashing about, their movements heavy and powerful. Yet, when they struck the withered trees, they only made the trunks tremble slightly without causing any real damage. Some remained trapped in place, others circled around only to bump into another Void Fiend, leading to an immediate brawl. Most, however, kept wandering until they found themselves trapped in a new spot. In short, not one of the Void Fiends was able to break free from the grove to answer the Night Fiend's summons.

While the Void Fiends were in an uproar, a flicker of silver-white darted from Theresa’s hand before anyone could react. It flew toward the Night Fiend and merged into its body. The Night Fiend let out another piercing, high-pitched howl—the silver light was a fragment of the contract Theresa had forcibly extracted from Pedia’s consciousness. It was this fragment that had allowed them to track the Night Fiend’s movements and follow it here.

The appearance of the contract fragment was a significant blow to the Night Fiend. After roaring, it turned and bolted toward Theresa’s group with blinding speed.

"Oh no, we're exposed! Retreat!" the Book Spirit and Theresa cried out in unison. The group scrambled, rolling down the sand dune. While they said it was easy to go down and hard to go up, this "sand mountain" was the opposite—it had taken them over an hour to climb to the top, but they slid all the way down to their boat in a matter of seconds.

They scrambled into the boat, started the engine, turned, and fled!

...

They didn't get far. After speeding off for a few dozen meters, the Night Fiend caught up. Its scythe descended, and with a thunderous crash, the boat was smashed into the gray sand, losing all momentum.

With no choice but to stand their ground, Theresa’s eyes turned red. Her mental energy surged, silver light flickering within the cabin. Outside, layer after layer of defensive shielding was activated, encasing the boat like a turtle shell. Beneath the "shell," countless green vines extended, occasionally launching sneak attacks to harass the Night Fiend.

Theresa was fighting with all her might, and Pedia, refusing to be a sitting duck, stood up quietly, pushed open the cabin door, and stepped onto the small deck!

Staff in hand, Pedia steadied his mind and began chanting a spell. A low, whisper-like murmur flowed from his lips, and the magical elements in the air began to vibrate restlessly. The air itself rippled like boiling water, pressing down upon the Night Fiend!

With a sharp crack, a streak of blood-red lightning materialized out of thin air beside the Night Fiend. The lightning, like a snake, coiled around its body. It only caused the creature to falter for a split second; the massive scythe did not stop, but mid-air, it twisted unnaturally, veering away from its original target and swinging toward Pedia instead!

With a deafening boom, the boat’s outer shield was shattered, and the vessel swayed violently before coming to a standstill, leaving everyone and every creature on board dizzy.

Though the blow dealt significant damage to Theresa’s side, it proved costly for the Night Fiend. The moment the giant scythe left its "hand," countless red, gold, and azure bolts of lightning erupted from the highly compressed air like a chain reaction. They coiled around the Night Fiend in succession, numbing it and leaving it without even the chance to lift its hand to retrieve its weapon!

Seizing the opportunity, two vibrant red figures darted out from behind the Night Fiend—one flew toward its head, and the other toward the massive scythe still hovering in the air.

"Little Spirit Foxes!" the Book Spirit gasped. "I can't believe there are Little Spirit Foxes here! Tesa, hurry, surround and kill the Night Fiend! You must save the Little Spirit Foxes; they are treasures!"

Anything the Book Spirit called a treasure was a rarity of the highest order.

Hearing this, Theresa’s eyes flashed with intensity. She abruptly pulled back her mental energy, withdrawing it from the boat’s propulsion to focus solely on defense, abandoning its offensive capabilities. She led her two impatient puppets out of the cabin. She and Pedia stood at opposite ends of the boat, unleashing their abilities to surround and kill the Night Fiend.

Stepping out, Theresa finally got a clear look at the two "Little Spirit Foxes." They resembled young foxes but had two tails. Their entire bodies were as red as fire, and their eyes were as clear and sparkling as rubies.

At that moment, one Little Spirit Fox was clinging to the Night Fiend’s hood, using its mouth and claws to tear at the fabric, while the other had its white teeth sunk into the junction where the blade met the handle of the giant scythe, gnawing away with all its might.

Theresa quickly assessed the situation and ordered her two puppet beasts to assist the second fox in dealing with the scythe. She then took a handful of plant seeds from her pocket and scattered them toward the Night Fiend. Mid-air, urged by her mental energy, the seeds sprouted and grew long tendrils. Once they attached to the Night Fiend, the tendrils grew frantically, burrowing beneath its cloak.

Facing the prospect of being "skinned," the Night Fiend was completely enraged. Amidst the lightning, it shrieked and waved its arms. Countless wisps of gray, misty energy rushed toward it from all directions. Within seconds, the Night Fiend’s form swelled to double its size, forcibly bursting Pedia’s "lightning cage"!

With a wave of its gray sleeve, it swatted the Little Spirit Fox from its head. The creature tumbled across the sand, its fate uncertain. The Night Fiend then locked its gaze onto Theresa, unleashing a powerful mental pressure that surged toward her like a relentless, mountainous tsunami, aiming to devour her soul completely!

Facing such an onslaught, Theresa felt no fear—only joy. She pulled her mental energy inward, tightly guarding her consciousness. No matter how the Night Fiend attacked or encroached, she remained as immovable as a mountain. If the Night Fiend had used physical force, Theresa would have had no way to retaliate, but by resorting to a purely mental attack, it had played right into her strength!

Although Theresa’s total mental energy could not compare to the Night Fiend’s, hers was superior in purity. By holding her focus, she made the Night Fiend feel as if it were a rat trying to drag away a tortoise—it simply couldn't find a way to get a grip!

In the Night Fiend’s eyes, Theresa—with her pure mental energy and firm soul—was a combination of a "premium supplement and an exquisite garment." Even with a shred of intelligence, it could not resist the instinctual hunger, and it had chosen Theresa as its target.

One wrong move led to total ruin. The Night Fiend did not realize its mistake; it acted purely on instinct—the instinct to invade, the instinct to feed. It never imagined that this very instinct would lead it to its doom!

Theresa dragged the Night Fiend into a stalemate, giving Pedia and the others enough time to attack. Three precious minutes passed, and Pedia raised his staff high. The magical incantations, previously whispered, now rang out with absolute clarity, as if they were meant to pierce the heavens! Simultaneously, the snow wolf, Kanius, howled, its entire body glowing with silver light. It channeled all the energy it hadn't been able to absorb earlier into Pedia’s upraised staff.

"Roar!" With a strange cry, a giant, bright silver snake slowly emerged in the air. Its cold, murderous eyes locked onto the Night Fiend. Its icy body slithered through the void, and the intense cold it radiated made one’s very thoughts feel as if they were freezing—this was the highest-level magic Pedia could currently command: "Ice Serpent Summoning"!

Carrying the power to freeze even the soul, the Ice Serpent slowly coiled around the Night Fiend, circle after circle...

Suddenly, the little wolf cheered, "It's broken, it's broken~!"

Amidst the cheers came a series of cracking sounds—the giant scythe had been bitten into countless fragments by the Little Spirit Foxes. Following this, plumes of black smoke rose from the shards and dissipated into the air...

This shift was the final straw that tipped the scales of victory completely in Theresa’s favor.

The destruction of its weapon seemed to be a massive blow to the Night Fiend. While still attacking Theresa and easily resisting the Ice Serpent, its form shrank, becoming even smaller than it had been before its growth spurt, and it appeared visibly withered and defeated.

Seeing it weakened, Theresa dared not hold back. She unleashed the full force of her mental energy, pursuing the Night Fiend along the "traces" of its retreat. She harassed it relentlessly, and even under the freezing influence of the Ice Serpent, she managed to forcibly strip away more than half of the Night Fiend’s mental energy!

Only when she could no longer endure the intense cold of the Ice Serpent did Theresa withdraw her mental energy. She opened her eyes to watch the Night Fiend being slowly crushed by the Ice Serpent, a surge of inexplicable emotion rising within her. Once, the Night Fiend had seemed so invincible, yet now, with the right timing, tactics, luck, and strength combined, such a powerful entity had become their trophy.

This showed that raw power did not equate to absolute victory. Even an elephant could be bitten to death by ants, let alone anything else.

As Theresa reflected, the little wolf, the little hawk, and even Kanius trotted over, staring at her hands with greedy expressions. She held several seven-colored soul stones, each the size of a bird's egg—the soul energy she had intercepted from the Night Fiend!

Theresa’s mental energy could no longer be increased, or it would threaten the stability of her soul. Thus, these soul stones naturally fell to the others. It was no wonder the three beasts were so covetous.

Facing their hungry gazes, Theresa smiled slightly and fairly distributed one soul stone of equal size to each of the three beasts. She then gave three more to Pedia. That left two in her hand, and under the persistent, roguish coaxing of the beasts and puppets, Theresa ended up feeding the last two stones to the two Little Spirit Foxes. (To be continued)