138 Abnormalities

Magic elemental crystals—pure crystallizations of magical elements—are applicable to all fields of magic. They are man-made energy stones whose primary advantage lies in their purity. Of course, their weakness lies in that same purity; for those who practice a single type of magic, a magic elemental crystal is one of the finest and most precious gems available. However, for the vast majority of magic users, the purity of these crystals makes them a burden—tasteless to consume, yet a pity to discard.

—Excerpt from *Theresa’s Alchemy Notes*

As they journeyed onward, Theresa and the two little fox-spirits utilized the same techniques to obtain four more magic elemental crystals. Each one was larger than the last, with the largest nearing the size of a dinner plate, roughly twenty centimeters in diameter.

The continuous accumulation of these crystals caused Flora’s expression to shift from amazement to shock, and finally to numbness. By the end, she simply adopted an attitude of complete indifference toward the ever-growing crystals—after all, she had no use for them, so why bother being surprised?

By the time the fifth magic elemental crystal was secured, the trio had neared the core of the vein. The ground was now composed of completely crystallized, fiery-red rock that radiated intense heat, causing the surrounding air to shimmer and warp. Looking out from a high vantage point, one could see a lower valley ahead where various fire-attribute magical beasts, their bodies glowing with intense heat, were roaming about.

"Look, those monkey-like creatures that usually move in groups of five or six are Blue Mountain Flame Demons," Flora said, standing beside Theresa and pointing to a group of beasts near them that were busy digging into the crystalline rock. "Although these Flame Demons are only low-tier magical beasts, the environmental conditions here boost the output of fire-attribute magic. So, when the fighting starts, stay back and prioritize your own safety."

Theresa observed the monkey-like beasts. Their fur was thick, soft, and crimson. Their fire-red eyes looked more like rubies than actual pupils, and their front claws were as sharp as blades. They dug with incredible speed, cutting through the solid crystalline rock as if it were tofu. After digging about seventy or eighty centimeters deep, one Flame Demon let out a squeak, pulling a fire-rock crystal the size of a human knuckle from the pit. Immediately, the others abandoned their work and lunged forward. After a fierce brawl, the crystal was seized by a slightly larger Flame Demon, who crunched it down in a few quick bites. Seeing this, the others could only return to digging in the crystalline rock with dejected expressions.

Just as Theresa was contemplating a battle strategy, Flora and Habata had already drawn their weapons, preparing for combat.

"Theresa, go hide over there. I’ll go lure the monsters. Habata, you must make sure to protect Theresa. If anything happens to her, I’ll hold you responsible," Flora said, mounting her flying disk and darting away silently.

Habata clutched his greatsword and gave Theresa a simple, honest smile. "Don't worry. As long as we take them on one by one, the Blue Mountain Flame Demons won't be able to handle us."

Theresa nodded with a smile and looked around. She chose a spot and took some alchemical materials from the pouch at her waist to set up a formation on the spot. Various powders, liquids, and other strange materials were placed on the ground. Every time she placed one, a puff of mist rose, and a strange magical character floated into the air. After about a dozen characters appeared, Theresa took out the smallest magic elemental crystal from her pocket. After measuring it slightly, she placed it in the center of the magical characters. Red light instantly overflowed, and powerful fire elements converged from all directions toward the magic array, forming a series of intense and continuous thermal wind vortices.

Habata, being quite close to the array, took the brunt of the impact. Although he was tough and sturdy, he could not withstand the pressure of such violent cyclonic air, and he was forced to retreat a few steps, crossing over a small ridge.

"Whoosh, whoosh..." A series of loud gasps came from behind him. Habata felt his hair stand on end. Without time to think, he lowered his heavy sword horizontally, leaned forward, and spun with his body crouched low. As he turned, he channeled all his strength into his arms, delivering a strike with his greatsword that was terrifying, swift, and ferocious.

"Squeak! Squeak!" The beast's pained wail pierced the sky. Distracted from her magic array, Theresa looked over and saw a bloody mist erupt from behind Habata’s half-turned figure, splashing blood across a two-meter radius—it seemed Habata had been doused in blood as well.

It was a Blue Mountain Flame Demon! This was the first one they had hunted since arriving.

This battle served as a signal, kicking off the slaughter. Flora lured the monsters, and Habata killed them; their cooperation was seamless, and the rhythm was perfect. The Flame Demons were like livestock driven into a slaughterhouse—no matter how they struggled, they could only submit to their fate. Before long, a pile of Flame Demon corpses had accumulated beside Habata.

Theresa sat in her magic array, lost in thought. The previous thermal vortex had been interrupted by the combat, and the array had only completed half its function, leaving a small wall of dark gold piled up in front of her, with magical characters shimmering along its surface.

The little demon and the little fox were jumping around Theresa, looking restless—they were urging her to join the fight. Despite their small size, their desire for combat was astonishing.

Theresa grabbed one with each hand, pulled them into her lap, and played with their restless little claws, all while calculating the odds of victory.

The battle continued. As the number of corpses grew, many beasts sensed the abnormality and began to gather. Theresa, being further away, saw it clearly. She released the two little creatures and gave them a command. They darted out with great excitement, nimbly weaving into the gathering herd of beasts.

Suddenly, the earth shook violently. It was so abrupt that neither Flora nor Habata were prepared; their movements faltered, allowing several Flame Demons that had just entered the kill zone to escape.

"What is that!" Habata stared ahead, shouting in surprise.

Flora whipped around. About a hundred meters behind them, a wall of dark gold, over a meter high, had suddenly risen. Bright red fire-attribute elements were burning wildly, and the wall was growing taller and taller. As it grew, the earth shook in irregular, continuous tremors. While not immediately obvious, they were difficult to guard against. Even with Flora and Habata on guard, they were still shaken several times.

"Is that... Theresa’s contracted beasts?" Flora squinted, watching the two red flickers of light jumping on top of the wall, and spoke with hesitation.

"Yes, that’s the little demon and the little fox—I say, haven't you two noticed? We’re about to be surrounded. Let’s retreat," Theresa’s voice sounded lazily from behind them. The two turned back to see her slowly collecting the magic cores from the ground—these knuckle-sized cores were the proof they needed to complete their task.

Flora frowned, skeptical. "No way, how could Blue Mountain Flame Demons have such high intelligence to coordinate an encirclement? I’m going to check!"

With that, Flora zoomed away. Theresa raised an eyebrow but said nothing, continuing to collect the cores—she didn't want to make another trip. While hunting Flame Demons wasn't hard, she found such repetitive slaughter incredibly boring. The fewer times she had to do it, the better.

"What problem did you find?" Habata sheathed his greatsword and asked while helping Theresa gather the cores.

"No major problem, just a premonition—I can't say for sure." Seeing that Habata was far more efficient than her, Theresa stopped being so active. She stood up, squinted into the distance, and said, "This mining area doesn't seem very peaceful anymore..."

As she looked, the newly risen earth wall could no longer withstand the onslaught of the beasts and began to crumble. Three figures zoomed toward them, and before they even arrived, Flora’s frantic shouting could be heard: "Run! Run! Good heavens, it’s a total gathering of magical beasts! What is going on? I’ve never heard of anything like this—hey, stop picking those up, save your lives first!"

Flora’s reaction was less fear and more deliberate exaggeration. Theresa wasn't flustered; instead, she teased with a smile, "What’s wrong? Scared?"

Flora flew to her side, rolled her eyes, and reached out to pull Theresa onto the flying disk before zipping away. Poor Habata had to stretch his legs and sprint after them. Fortunately, as a warrior and a half-orc, his stamina and explosive power were quite impressive.

After the trio and the two foxes had run over a thousand meters, a muffled "boom" sounded from behind. Flora glanced back and saw a massive cave-in appear on the ground behind them, swallowing dozens of the leading beasts and forming a chasm that blocked the path of the pursuing herd. While they could eventually bypass the chasm, they had lost their momentum.

"What did you do?" Flora shouted into Theresa’s ear as they fled.

Theresa only smiled and said nothing.

Seeing this, Flora gave her long hair an annoyed tug but didn't press further, focusing instead on their escape...